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The Alliance’s annual Taste celebration presents an opportunity for like-minded clean water advocates to gather and celebrate our beautiful watershed and all we have accomplished to protect it. In 2024, over 380 guests attended the three Taste events, raising a combined total of over $140,000 for clean water in our Chesapeake communities!
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Over 100,000 streams and rivers flow through 64,000 square miles of forests, fields, cities, suburbs, and communities on their way to the Chesapeake Bay. Our watershed is a patchwork of communities that rely on its forests, streams, and rivers. It’s a sustainable source of fish, crabs, and other shellfish. It’s where we recreate and connect with nature. It’s our source of clean drinking water. It’s ours to protect.
The Taste is a celebration of our Chesapeake Bay watershed, offering live music, locally-inspired eats, awards, and camaraderie. As our largest annual fundraiser, the Taste aims to bring together like-minded corporations and conservationists within three distinct Chesapeake Bay watershed communities.
As a regional event offering a small, intimate atmosphere, the Taste presents a unique opportunity for you to support our critical work and enjoy an evening with other individuals who genuinely want to make a difference in our watershed.
9.4.2025 | 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Railroad House Inn
9.11.2025 | 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Robins Nature Center at Maymont
9.25.2025 | 6:00 to 8:00 PM
The Atreeum at Soaring Timbers
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“As an industry partner with an inherent passion for helping to rid the Bay of harmful pollutants, Luck Ecosystems has teamed with the Alliance on a number of projects that enhance communities and create environmental solutions throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Working together, we have installed rain gardens, protected streams, and utilized our RainScape biofiltration products for more effective stormwater management. Luck Ecosystems and Luck Stone are proud to support the Alliance’s mission to bring together communities, companies, and conservationists on far-reaching initiatives to keep our lands and waters healthy for generations to come.” – Jimmy Rodgers, Regional Sales Manager for Luck Ecosystems
Collaborate for clean water with us. Become a Taste sponsor today.
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Every year the Alliance recognizes local leaders and champions from around the watershed. This year, we’re excited to for you to meet our 5 award recipients that we will be recognizing at the Taste for their leadership and dedication to cleaner rivers and streams. The following awardees have thoughtfully considered how to push the boundaries between science, the environment, and art, and are leaders to be recognized for their exemplary stewardship and profound impacts on the Bay.
David Wise is the Watershed Restoration Manager for Stroud Water Research Center in Avondale, PA. Most of Dave’s work focuses on projects and programs to provide farmers and other rural landowners with the technical and financial assistance for agricultural conservation practices and forested stream buffers in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Hear Dave’s Q&A
Over the last four years, Father Francisco Aguirre has worked with the Alliance and our partners at EcoLatinos to install two rain gardens, over 1,300 feet of conservation landscaping space, one rain barrel, two cisterns, one permeable pavement parking lot, and 22 trees on St. Catherine’s Church property. As an enthusiastic and dedicated partner advocating for these installations, Father Francisco Aguirre has been the liaison between the Alliance and any installers and the parish, making a big impact in our watershed.
Jeanne Braha has dedicated her career to connecting people with nearby nature to catalyze environmental stewardship. From her first job at a tiny nature center to roles at the National Wildlife Federation, the National Academy of Sciences, Alice Ferguson Foundation, and Rock Creek Conservancy, she has worked globally and locally to empower communities, often through public lands partnerships. She currently serves as executive director of Rock Creek Conservancy.
Read More About Jeanne
When Cindy Pizziketti became a Master Watershed Steward (MWS) with the dream to work in and foster the small creeks and streams she had enjoyed throughout her childhood, she had no idea how much the land impacts the health of our water, but quickly realized how much there was to do. She hit the ground running, exploring the many different projects the MWS are engaged in, including stream monitoring, trash cleanups, rain garden installation, leading youth programs, and of course, planting trees. She now has over 3,000 hours as a MWS and spends much of her time planting trees or ankle deep in the streams just as she envisioned.
Hear Cindy’s Interview
Nissa Richardson holds her B.S. in Environmental Studies from VCU. The past 25 years of her career has focused on Chesapeake Bay restoration initiatives, with a keen focus on local water quality improvements. She is currently the deputy director of RVA Parks & Recreation, overseeing $150 million in Capital Improvement Program projects for 188 park facilities in the James River Watershed.
Learn More About Nissa
Use the form below to share a congratulatory message with one of our 2025 award winners!
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Congrats David! Thank you for implementing acres and miles of forested stream buffers and sharing your monitoring data with practitioners to help improve this critical watershed restoration practice. You have been doing this for decades and this award is well deserved! Kudos to you! From an old colleague
Rob SchnabelChesapeake Bay Foundation
Thanks for everything you do, and helping foster Axl’s love of the environment and all things found in nature! After all children are our future… Congratulations on this honor! Roxane
Roxane Weaver
Congratulations, Cindy! You are an inspiration to us all. You go all in with a full heart and positive energy, and provide a wonderful example to all who see you doing the good work of conservation and restoration!
Dave Dietz
Congratulations to the hardest working, most concientious, intelligent person I ever worked with. This award is well deserved.
Bill TetiTeti Farms Inc.
Way to go Cindy!!! I couldn't think of a better person to win this award than you! I am so proud of you. I always say to myself, that Cindy is just everywhere! So smart and so savvy! Great ideas and great conversation. Congratulations to you – again you deserve it!
Lettice BrownCity of York
Cindy, a big congratulations for this recognition! You are such a hardworking land steward!!
Kelly DearmanHorn Farm Center for Agricultural Education
Dave, Congratulations on this well-deserved award! It has been a pleasure to work with you on some shared Stroud/Alliance projects over the last few years. Although it has been a while since we held regular meetings, I can't forget your earnestness for collaboration and willingness to deal with the unglamorous side of projects – like match tracking and assigning sites to grants. Thank you for investing your knowledge and experience with natural resource management here in the Mid-Atlantic, and thank you for your kind and welcoming attitude to partners, including to me when I was new at the Alliance. All the best, Alexandra Neumann
Alexandra NeumannAlliance for the Chesapeake Bay
From the entire WAY Board… Congratulations to our friend and Secretary, Cindy. You are always the first to volunteer to get your hands dirty, table events, or do the work to make a program a success. You not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk! Thank you for all you do, we are so proud to work with you!!
Rachel StahlmanWatershed Alliance of York (WAY)
Congrats! Very well deserved.
Wilke NelsonRetired
Way to go Cindy! You are leading the way for change through the generations following us. Congratulations!
Wendy SeifertPenn State Master Watershed Stewards
Jeanne,
Congratulations on receiving this award. You are such a champion for the environment—Mother Nature is lucky to have you on her side!
Thanks for all you do for the watershed,
Chris
Chris powell
Cindy has inspired myself and countless others in our group. She is always taking on more projects and is a hoot to work with as she often talks to the trees she is planting. It's been a real pleasure meeting and working with her over these past few years. Cindy, you deserve this award more than anyone I know. Congratulations,Rob.
Rob WinslowMws
I am so proud of all you have achieved and cannot think anyone more deserving! You have inspired and influenced so many; including me!
Stephanie Lower
Thank you for all you do, Cindy! You make my job so easy and make me look good. Your infectious enthusiasm is a wonderful asset to all our events.
Cathleen AnthonyAlliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Nissa, congratulations on your Watershed Champion award! We appreciate everything you do in support of clean water! I hope you have a great summer and get plenty of opportunities to wet a line and enjoy the watershed that you work to protect!
Adam MillerAlliance for the Chesapeake Bay
