Beth Paquette, WSA Watershed Steward.
Although Stacey Wildberger served as an active environmental steward and community leader for several years, the timing never seemed right to pursue her goal of becoming a certified Watershed Steward. So, when Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy (WSA) offered the certification course virtually due to the pandemic, she seized the opportunity to enroll and officially became a Watershed Steward in 2020. A nonprofit organization located in Millersville, WSA builds capacity in Anne Arundel County by training community leaders to serve as catalysts for change for sustainable landscapes and clean waterways.
“I attended several WSA conferences throughout the years and was inspired by the Watershed Stewards and what they had accomplished,” Wildberger says. “I wanted to leverage the resources, community, and connections of WSA. Becoming a Steward has helped me open doors and make a difference in my community.”
Established in 2008, WSA was born from a partnership between Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center and the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works to train community members to become certified Watershed Stewards and help reduce pollutants entering local waterways as a result of stormwater runoff. A primary driver of waterway issues, stormwater runoff occurs when water doesn’t soak into the ground but flows over land or impervious surfaces into nearby rivers and creeks—leading to pollution, flooding, erosion, and habitat degradation.
Photograph courtesy Watershed Stewards Academy
An Impactful Network
Watershed Stewards actively engage with their communities, providing awareness and education about the challenges facing the environment, organizing community-based restoration projects, such as building rain gardens, planting trees, removing invasive plant species, and creating living shorelines. WSA’s model is effective because residents want to be part of the solution. Unfortunately, they may not know how to help or get started, which is why Stewards play such a critical role in their communities.
Stacey Wildberger. Photo by Suzanne Etgen.
“We know that there is interest in restoring our local waterways,” says Suzanne Etgen, executive director, WSA. “Watershed Stewards come from various communities, and WSA gives them the tools to engage the community they choose to serve. They are a trusted presence, and after our certification course, they are viewed as a source of authority on local environmental issues. For this reason, Stewards are very effective at fostering long-term grassroots action within communities.”
According to WSA, the organization has certified more than 400 Watershed Stewards to date and completes 700 new projects each year. Although the projects vary in scope—from planting two or three trees to creating a living shoreline—the impact is profound and transforms Anne Arundel County communities in ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
Watershed Stewards in Action
WSA provides a hub of connection in communities—offering opportunities to meet like-minded people and work together on local projects. Watershed groups and Stewards are based in several locations throughout the County—allowing community members to take action and become actively engaged.
Wildberger, who is the president of her community group, Cape Conservation Corps (CCC - capeconservationcorps.org), has led a restoration project in Cape St. Claire for the past four years. CCC board members and volunteers have been working in Little Magothy Beach Park to remove acres of invasive plants—mainly burning bush but also Oriental bittersweet and English ivy. To date, they have cleared about 98 percent of the invasive plants and replanted native species.
In addition, the work crew added mulched walking paths, Leopold benches, and a learning library with resources on local flora and fauna. Wildberger says the area has become a popular destination for community members—many of whom never knew about the variety of wildlife and natural wonders that are found in Cape St. Claire.
“Stacey is one of the best examples of a Watershed Steward who has truly engaged hundreds of people in environmental action,” Etgen says. “She makes engaging easy, fun, and rewarding, and [her work allows] community members to see the results of communal actions.”
Little Magothy Beach Park project. Photographs by Louise Zeitlin.
Another popular project is the Tree Trooper Program (aawsa.org/tree-trooper). In 2025, CCC gave 62 trees to 35 property owners in conjunction with WSA.
“The most rewarding parts of being a Watershed Steward are the connection with people, the shared sense of community support—everyone working toward the same goal in many ways throughout the county—and tapping into the resources of WSA, other Stewards, and volunteers,” Wildberger says. “I am so proud to be a Watershed Steward for WSA and to be associated with Suzanne and her amazing staff.”
The Power of Engagement
The “Serene Ravine” is a WSA project in Cape St. Claire. Photographs by Louise Zeitlin.
“WSA’s model uniquely positions us to engage a broader slice of Anne Arundel County and make an impact,” Etgen says. “Engagement is critical to restoring our waterways and produces stunning results. People want to help, and we simply can’t do it without them. We encourage all residents to get involved. There’s a place for everyone; find yours.”
To learn more about WSA, visit aawsa.org.
