Obama's Ocean Task Force Hears About Pollution From an Ocean Health Expert

Last Thursday, Timberland Earthkeeper Hero Christopher Swain spoke to the panel on the National Ocean Task Force at the public hearing in Rhode Island. The task force is calling for a National Ocean Council. Christopher was able to help support the push for a council by sharing his experiences while swimming through major waterways in the US.

Christopher is the first person in history to swim the entire length of the 1,243-mile Columbia River, the 513-mile Hudson River and the 129-mile Lake Champlain international waterway. In the next two years, Christopher will swim 1,000+ miles from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. and launch hundreds of school projects as part of his clean water mission.

In the past, Christopher survived collisions with boats, 12-foot waves, lightning storms, class IV+ rapids, toxic blue-green algae, Lamprey Eel attacks and water contaminated with everything from human to nuclear waste. He’s made presentations to more than 53,000 North American school children. Stories about his environmental efforts have reached a worldwide media audience of more than two billion people.

This year, Timberland selected Christopher to be part of its Earthkeeper Heroes program because of this dedication to improving ocean health. However, the recognition doesn’t start there. In 2007, Swain received the Harry E. Schlenz Public Education Medal from the Water Environment Federation and was featured in the International Swimming Hall of Fame book Swimmers: Courage & Triumph. In 2004, he was elected to the Men's Journal Adventure Hall of Fame. In 2003, Swain received an International Earth Day Award at the United Nations and an E-chievement Award from National Public Radio.

In addition to awards, documentary makers captured his inspiring work in two films. Source to Sea: The Columbia River Swim features Christopher’s swim in the Pacific Northwest and won the Environmental Activism and Social Justice Award at the EarthVision Film Festival as well as Most Inspiring Adventure Film Award at the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival. Swim for the River features Christopher’s Hudson River swim.