Ben Ford Named New Miles-Wye Riverkeeper

Ben Ford

“The Chesapeake and the Miles River both hold a special place in my heart—they’ve helped shape who I am and the way I see the world. I even met my wife while waist deep in the Miles! I feel as though I am most at home in the outdoors, whether I’m leading an experiential learning program, running our 13-foot Whaler up Southeast Creek, or heading out with my wife and son for our weekly Sunday hike. Personally, and professionally, I see the power the Chesapeake environment has to connect us, to awaken us, to energize us, and to help us look toward the future,” said Ford.

Ford joins ShoreRivers after more than a decade at Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society, where he led the Chesapeake Semester, an experiential program studying Bay issues including ecosystem health, pollution, habitat, policy and advocacy, community engagement, and fisheries. An Easton native who learned to sail on the Miles River and taught sailing camps through the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, he now lives with his family in Chestertown.

“The mission of ShoreRivers inspires me, as does the chance to use my creative skills and network to help ShoreRivers fulfill its mission on a river that feels like home. The rivers of the Eastern Shore are so special to me—I want to help others see them the same way,” said Ford.

As Miles-Wye Riverkeeper, Ford will serve as the primary voice for the Miles and Wye rivers, and Eastern Bay on the Eastern Shore, working through the core strategies of advocacy, enforcement, outreach, and scientific water quality monitoring to achieve ShoreRivers’ vision of clean waterways. 

The public is invited to meet Ford and learn about his plans for the watershed during its upcoming State of the Rivers—a series of free presentations held each spring to inform the public about the current state of our Eastern Shore waterways and what we can all do to protect and restore them. He will be a featured presenter at events at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels on April 26 (alongside the Choptank Riverkeeper) and at Cult Classic Brewing in Stevensville on May 3 (alongside the Chester Riverkeeper). For a full list of program dates and additional details, visit shorerivers.org/events.