OutreachMayfly Club: Time Out with Billy Peelle, Cofounder

We recently sat down to chat with cofounder Billy Peelle to talk about his vision and goals for the Mayfly Club. The following is an excerpt from our discussion.

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN TAKING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE STROUD™ WATER RESEARCH CENTER AND THE MAYFLY CLUB?
When I’m with my friends and family, we often talk about the future, what we wish for, and the things we want to accomplish. From an early age I guess I’ve been exposed to the research at the Center and it has given me insights and perspective that I might not have had otherwise. That exposure peaked my interest so I began to read a lot about the environment and study environmental issues in general. As I was doing this, it became pretty clear to me how important freshwater research really is and how it could potentially be overlooked given the sheer number of environmental issues we face. So, I wanted to take an active role in tackling those water issues.

By 2050, when I’m in my 60’s, the global population is projected to approach 9 billion people. That’s an increase of 2.3 billion people, and it is expected that by then nearly half the world’s population will not have access to fresh water. Already today, 2 billion people in the world lack that access, yet most of us really can’t fathom not being able to turn on a faucet and get clean water — anytime we want it.

Fresh water is the foundation of life and the lifeblood of civilizations. Almost every major city is located on a major river, and water is at the core of so many things — from agriculture to business, sanitation and our health. Without water, everything we do and depend on would cease to exist — as would every living organism. So, preserving our freshwater resources is critically important and, it’s important to me personally; that’s why I’ve decided to pursue this.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE ROLE OF THE MAYFLY CLUB?
My cousins and I started the Mayfly Club as a way to engage a younger audience in the freshwater research being conducted at the Stroud Water Research Center, but I think the possibilities for the Club are so much greater than that. I look at the Mayfly Club as a platform for my generation to become actively involved in stewardship and to increase awareness about freshwater issues. 

One of our goals is for people to see that they really can make a difference by making small changes in their daily lives. There’s lots of small things we can do, for instance: switching to low flush toilets, turning lights off when you’re not at home, fixing leaky faucets, and drinking tap water instead of purchasing bottled water — all of which can add up to billions of gallons a year in water conservation. If we each did these small things, it would go a long way toward preserving and restoring our fresh water resources.

Hopefully, Mayfly Club members can also help educate others and so begin the process of restoring our fresh water ecosystems.  It’s an opportunity for us to begin the reversal of all our negative habits before we reach a “tipping point.”

WHAT’S IN THE NAME — THE MAYFLY CLUB?
At one time, species of mayflies could be found in every body of fresh water around the world. They’re an amazing indicator of the health of freshwater ecosystems, including our streams and rivers, because of their sensitivity to pollution.

As the aquatic equivalent of the “canary in a coal mine,” mayflies sound the alarm of pollution by their absence or declining numbers. Because of that, they’ve become a sort of mascot for the Stroud Water Research Center. This remarkable insect is symbolic of what we hope our freshwater research and education efforts and the Mayfly Club will ultimately yield — healthier freshwater ecosystems and the return of mayflies to every body of fresh water around the world.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE MAYFLY CLUB?
The idea was to host various events throughout the year – a stream walk, cocktail party, tree planting or lecture — simply to start the conversation about, and increase awareness of, freshwater issues.  So far this year, we’ve had successful events in Philadelphia, New York City, and Northeast Harbor, ME — but the most exciting thing for me is to see people getting involved and becoming as interested and committed as we are. I want to see more of that.

It’s sometimes difficult to conceptualize how we can make a difference when I look at water issues from a global perspective, but one thing the Stroud Water Research Center has demonstrated to me is the power of our collective actions. By starting locally — even if we simply start with ourselves — we can make a difference, because each of our little actions can add up to a big solution. So, the more people who help the Mayfly Club realize its goals of building awareness and stewardship, the better off we’ll all be.

When one looks at the overall issues of fresh water, we’re all in this together.
It can, and should be, a unifying cause that has the support of everybody. Because “we all live downstream” it’s in everyone’s best interest to protect and preserve our freshwater resources. As a group, I think the Mayfly Club can do a lot to underscore that fact. 

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED BY BEING PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION?
I’m learning all the time — but just recently we hosted a terrific event at the Harvard Club in NYC, at which our guest speaker was Flip Nicklin, an authority on whales, co-founder of the Whale Trust, and a truly amazing photographer. He connected the dots between our polluted streams and rivers and the increase of “dead zones” in the ocean. Dead zones are vast areas where there is virtually no oxygen and life is unsustainable. Nicklin said that he’s far less worried about whales becoming extinct from hunting than from the threats to their food systems and the decline of their habitats, caused by our polluted rivers and the expansion of these dead zones. 

It’s hard to imagine being able to build a groundswell of support for the plankton and krill that whales need to survive — but let’s also remember that much of the world’s population also relies on the protein harvested from our oceans. When we foul our fresh waters, we’re also destroying our oceans and the creatures large and small that inhabit them, and we’re putting at risk the food supply not just for whales, but for ourselves.

When I see the impact that a presentation like Nicklin’s has made on me and my friends — it makes me realize just how much potential there is to do good with this Club. Imagine being able to reach and influence hundreds of people who can contribute to addressing these issues. If you consider that, it’s pretty amazing to think about what we can accomplish.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE TO RESPOND TO THIS ARTICLE?
I hope that they will feel empowered. I want people to feel like they can contribute to making this a better world because it is within our power to do that.

If after reading this article, a few more individuals shift their mindset so that water is no longer just an afterthought, I’ll be happy and we’ll have done a lot of good. Maybe today some of you will take a shorter shower, refuse the bottled water at a restaurant and in the grocery store, or turn off the tap while you are brushing your teeth. Those small changes do add up.

I hope it will cause some people to be strong proponents for the Center’s research, and that they’ll champion the legislative changes needed to protect, preserve and restore our streams and rivers and our freshwater infrastructure.

Finally, I’d love to have them join us so we can all do this together.

Links:
More about the Mayfly Club click here

Photos from recent Mayfly Club events click here

Join:
Email the co-chairs: MayflyClub@stroudcenter.org

Back to Fall 2008 Upstream Newsletter

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