ANNIE RICHARDS
Chester Riverkeeper

arichards@shorerivers.org
443.385.0511 ext 282

As the Chester Riverkeeper since 2020, Annie is dedicated to protecting and restoring the river's natural resources and cultivating a stronger, healthier, more accessible waterway for all.

Annie spent her childhood along the Chester River, and has since held a lifelong love for the landscape, culture and community of the Chester and the greater Eastern Shore.

Annie has a USCG 100-ton Merchant Mariners license and has spent a decade as a Captain working for various nonprofit sail training programs and outdoor education centers along the East Coast and abroad. Most notable is her work with Echo Hill Outdoor School located in Worton, MD, where she helped manage their fleet of Historic Chesapeake Bay Workboats and provide students of all ages with outdoor education centered on Chesapeake ecology and the unique resources found along the Chester River. She also has years of experience working in nonprofit development, campaign management, and grant writing. She was appointed to Maryland’s Critical Area Commission in 2023.

Annie has a BA in English Literature with a minor in Anthropology from Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. She lives just outside Chestertown with her husband, sons, and irish setter. They can be seen cruising around the river in their launch, Old Ferro.