Join your fellow water protectors at this community-building fundraiser. This special event will include delicious food, an exciting silent auction, and stunning ocean views. Joys of the Sea will feature remarks from the 2026 Suzanne Golas Spirit of Water Award winners: Dr. Patricia Shanley, Ridgeview Conservancy and Captain Robert Killian, NJ Clearwater and Aquarian Quest, Inc.
About our honorees:
Dr. Patricia Shanley
Forest ecologist and ethnobotanist Dr. Patricia Shanley grew up on a dead end along the banks of the Passaic River in New Jersey. As a child, she explored woods, made trails, and learned the myriad uses of plants, and has brought that passion into her work globally. For a decade, she worked in the woods of Wickatunk, NJ, for the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, where she witnessed the healing power of nature for undeserved, inner-city children. She next worked in the Brazilian Amazon, with farmers and hunter-gatherers to assess the nutritional and medicinal value of forests to human health and to share that information across the region. For ten years she worked with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Indonesia integrating traditional and scientific knowledge to reach rural communities. Since 2009 when she returned to New Jersey, Shanley has continued her research and outreach in Brazil through Woods & Wayside International, a non-profit she co-founded. She also leads programs for youth at Ridgeview Conservancy, a Princeton-area land trust that works to protect threatened forests, promote equitable access to nature, and boost youth mental health. She serves on the steering committee for People & Plants International and has recently co-founded FACT: Forest & Climate Training, a partnership initiative committed to training the next generation of environmental stewards and advocates.
Captain Robert Killian
In 1975, Captain Killian founded The Annual Clearwater Festival at Sandy Hook, Gateway National Seashore, Highlands, NJ. At its peak, the event drew more than 10,000 people to Ft. Hancock. Founded in 1975 by folksinger and environmental advocate Bob Killian, the organization now known as New Jersey Friends of Clearwater commemorated its 50th year celebrating the gifts of the Earth and its oceans through music, fun and friendship in August 2025. On Saturday, August 30, 2025, the 50th Anniversary Clearwater Festival took place at Sunset Park in Asbury Park, NJ.
He is a N.J. native and currently lives in Sarasota County, Florida. He began his professional career singing on the deck of the tall ship Sloop Clearwater, and later sang on the 1st Sloop Singer album with Don McLean! He has appeared at Carnegie Hall and on a Grammy winning album. He has recorded and shared a stage with many world class performers including Peter, Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Otis Blackwell, John Sebastian, Doc Watson and others. He has appeared on National TV and performed at folk and bluegrass festivals, colleges, coffee houses, clubs, libraries and living rooms throughout America. He is also the co-founder, Captain and Education Director for Aquarian Quest Inc. operating in Sarasota, where he continues inspiring love for marine ecosystems through hands-on environmental education.
Sponsorship packages now available! Click here to learn more.
We are grateful to our sponsors: Kate and Bob Chambers, Ann Marie and Bob Reardon, Sue Smith, Eleanor Swanson and The Thomas Berry Foundation.
Tickets will go on sale in early 2026.