Fred Tutman

Fred Tutman serves as a grassroots community advocate for clean water in Maryland’s longest and deepest intrastate waterway and holds the title of Patuxent Riverkeeper. He also lives and works on an active farm located near the Patuxent that has been in his family’s ancestral home for nearly a century. Before founding the Patuxent Riverkeeper organization, Fred spent nearly 30 years working as a media producer and consultant on assignments all over the globe, including a long stint working with and advising traditional healers in West Africa. After late life sojourn into law school, Fred now teaches an adjunct course in Environmental Law and Policy at St. Mary’s College of MD. In his spare time he does trail maintenance on the Appalachian Trail when not exploring the Patuxent River by kayak. He was honored as a Washington Magazine Annual Eco-Hero in 2009; is a recipient of the Bernie Fowler Sneaker Award (State of MD), the Mike Maloney Award (Sierra Club) and the Jug Bay Award (Friends of Jug Bay). He is among the longest serving Waterkeepers in the Chesapeake region and the only African-American Waterkeeper in the nation.