Mr. Fin Donnelly

Fin Donnelly - Executive Director

Fin Donnelly

Rivershed Society of BC

Mr. Fin DonnellyExecutive DirectorRivershed Society of British ColumbiaPhone 604 941 5937Fax 604 464 4122Email fin@rivershed.com

What you will find on this page ... Members of the Swim Crew and Science Team, traveling by raft beside Fin as he swims the length of the Fraser River, are listed below.Communications/Media Team members, SpiritFEST and other project teams are also listed here.These people have come together to make Fraser 2000 Spirit of the Salmon Swim possible.

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Phil Beedle - Phil, who was a member of the support crew on Fin's 1995 Swim for Life, is back as safety person for a portion of the journey.
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Magnus Axelsson - Magnus was also a member of the support crew on Fin's 1995 Swim for Life.
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Sharman Learie - accompanying Fin in a K1 all the way down the Fraser River

Science Team (Raft # 2) :

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Fin Donnelly, Executive Director, Rivershed Society of BC

Mr. Fin Donnelly

Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival Committee 2007
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Fin Donnelly

'Having swum the length of the Fraser River twice, I have seen first hand the river's incredible beauty.From old growth trees in the headwaters, to deserts in the canyon, to the urban landscape near its mouth, the Fraser has it all.It supports a stunning array of wildlife, including salmon, sturgeon, big horn sheep and bald eagles.'- Fin Donnelly -

Fin Donnelly's passion for the environment stemmed from his University of Victoria philosophy studies and his volunteer work.He has been an advocate of sustainable living for more than fifteen years.

From 1990-2000, Donnelly made 14 environmental marathon swims, covering more than 3,200 km of BC's rivers, lakes and oceans, drawing attention to the impacts on our waterways, various environmental health issues, and encouraging community stewardship and sustainable living.He has swum the 1,400 km length of the Fraser River (twice), Quesnel Lake, Pitt Lake, Williams Lake, the Raush River, Georgia Strait (four times) and the Juan de Fuca Strait.

After Donnelly's first Fraser River swim in 1995, he founded the Rivershed Society of British Columbia, a charitable organization with a vision of salmon flourishing in our rivers and people flourishing in our communities.

In his current role as the Society's Executive Director, Donnelly works with Fraser River community stewards, schools, First Nations and local governments, encouraging people to discover sustainability through the appreciation and conservation of salmon and water in BC's riversheds.Donnelly has made over 550 presentations to more than 45,000 people, and visited 160 schools in 50 B.C. communities.He has attained many sports and environmental honours and awards, including the Queen Elizabeth Golden Jubilee Medal (2002), and has been a Councilor for the City of Coquitlam, since 2002.

Fin Donnelly, Rivershed Society

Mr. Fin DonnellyExecutive DirectorRivershed Society of British ColumbiaPhone 604 941 5937Fax 604 464 4122Email toMail("fin", "rivershed.com", false, "link4");

Fin DonnellyFrom 1990 to 2000, Fin Donnelly made 14 environmental marathon swims, covering more than 3,200 km in BC*s rivers, lakes and ocean drawing attention to human impact on waterways and environmental issues, encouraging community stewardship and sustainability.After Donnelly*s first Fraser River swim in 1995, he founded the Rivershed Society of British Columbia (RSBC), a non-profit organization dedicated to preparing people to live sustainably within healthy riversheds.Fin*s passion for the environment stemmed from his University of Victoria philosophy studies and volunteer work.His multi-media presentation will take viewers on a journey down one of the world*s greatest salmon rivers, the Fraser.

Finn Donnelly, a Coquitlam city councillor and executive director of the Rivershed Society of B.C., said he would also add pulp effluent full of heavy metals and chemicals to the list of threats to the Fraser.

Donnelly swam the length of the Fraser twice to draw attention to the issues plaguing the river.

"Obviously the need is still strong, it's still there.The fact that the Outdoor Recreation Council is publishing the Fraser as the top threatened river in B.C. is evidence that there is still work to be done on the Fraser," Donnelly said.
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Donnelly said looking at the Fraser's major tributaries can provide clues as to why the river is in bad shape - "The Coquitlam is a good river to look at," he said.

Mr. Fin DonnellyExecutive DirectorRivershed Society of British ColumbiaPhone 604 941 5937Fax 604 464 4122Email fin@rivershed.com