By Martie Thompson
editor@floridanewsline.com
Jimmy Orth is the executive director of the St. Johns Riverkeeper; this year, the organization is celebrating its 25th anniversary as an advocate for and educator about the St. Johns River. Jimmy is a native of Jacksonville and grew up in the Mandarin area. He has a marketing degree from Florida State University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of North Florida. He started working with the Riverkeeper 21 years ago, right after he finished his master’s degree at UNF. “The St. Johns Riverkeeper was looking to hire its first executive director at the time,” he said. “I took a chance on them and they took a chance on me … and 21 years later, here I am.” Orth is married to Genora Crain-Orth and has a 17-year-old son. The family has two dogs and “an unknown number” of cats (including two inside cats and outside cats).
Q: Have you always been interested in the St. Johns River?
A: Growing up near the river, we were always exploring the area and riding our bikes. I had friends who lived on the river and we would jump off their docks into the river or fish along the shoreline. As I grew up, I had buddies who had boats, so we would go skiing. In my early years, the river was imprinted on me, but I didn’t consider myself an environmentalist until I attended an Earth Day celebration in Tallahassee and eventually became involved in the Sierra Club. That’s what led me to go back to school to get my master’s in Public Administration … I hoped for a job with an environmental non-profit.
Q: What does the St. Johns Riverkeeper do?
A: Primarily, we advocate for the river and try to find policy solutions to protect the river. We educate adults and children about the river and plant seeds for the next generation of advocates. If we introduce people to the river, and they experience it, then they will care about it. We also investigate problems in the river, such as recently in areas south of Mandarin where we have seen a lot of grasses disappear after Hurricane Irma. Normally these grasses grow back after a time and we’re trying to figure out why they haven’t.
Q: What do you like the most about your job?
A: Probably the people I’ve met along the way. There are so many who care about and have a deep connection to the river, such as fishers and boaters. I like seeing people get involved as volunteers and donors and I like the education work we do with kids. I’m also proud of the fact that we’re still here and moving forward. We haven’t given up. This is a challenging job and there are many obstacles to protecting the river. We don’t win all the battles, but we keep going.
We can all agree that we need to protect the river, regardless of political persuasion. We all want a clean and healthy river; how do we work together to get that? I think we’ve done a pretty good job on this over the years.
Q: What volunteer opportunities are available with the St. Johns Riverkeeper?
A: We have administrative opportunities as well as we always need people to man a Riverkeeper booth at various events, which gives the opportunity to educate people about the river. We need a strong constituency for the river, so one thing people can do is respond to our Calls to Action and write letters on various subjects to their elected officials. Also, river cleanups are always popular. They’re a good way for groups to get together and see the tangible results of their efforts.
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
A: I like doing projects around the house and also paddling and hiking outdoors. I walk every day and listen to a lot of podcasts.
[Editor’s Note: Visit https://stjohnsriverkeeper.org/ for more information or follow them on Instagram or Facebook.]
Photo courtesy Jimmy Orth
Jimmy Orth
