Mission

To inspire watershed conservation and improve lives through arts and adventure programming.

 

Through programs such as First Waves, the Watersmith Guild empowers communities with skills and opportunities to improve their lives and create lasting impacts on local watersheds. These goals are achieved through educational workshops, outreach, and content creation that promotes healthy and active lifestyles, watershed conservation, education in the art of filmmaking and STEAM fields, and diversity in the outdoors.

  • Priorities

    Environmental Literacy

    Waterway Improvements

    Healthy and Active Lives

    Access and Awareness

    Empowered Communities

    Environmental Justice

  • Methods

    Environmental Education

    STEAM Workshops

    Outdoor Adventure

    Digital Media & Content Creation

    The Art of Filmmaking

    Paddleboarding & River Surfing

  • Initiatives

    First Waves

    Aqua Lab Adventures

    Native Mussel Reintroduction

    Tree Planting

    Micro Plastic Analysis / Citizen Science

    Training, Courses, & Events

History

The Watersmith Guild’s origins are with the foundation of First Waves, a first-of-its-kind program that combined standup paddleboarding, river surfing, and the art of filmmaking as a catalyst to inspire conservation of local waterways and mentorship for at-risk youth. The inaugural project in 2014 included transformative elements of outdoor adventure, environmental education, and conservation actions that fostered love and appreciation for the outdoors and improved the lives of students in areas with limited opportunities and access. Youth participants learned to become proficient paddlers, spearheaded river cleanups, and created documentary films to inspire others.

To facilitate the growth of First Waves and expand the group’s conservation and education goals, The Watersmith Guild was formed on Earth Day in 2021. Current programming encompasses 7 distinct First Waves Projects across Western Pennsylvania.  Additionally, Watersmith successfully launched a ground-breaking new project for middle schoolers called Aqua Lab Adventures. The three-part curriculum consists of an in-class lesson about microplastics, a field trip where students trawl for microplastics by pulling it behind a paddleboard, and an extension lessons where students analyze the data they collected.

Since its inception, the Watersmith Guild has successfully served more than 1500 youth and completed a myriad of documentary films and conservation achievements. In 2023, the Watersmith Guild received the prestigious Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.