Kentucky Riverkeeper Inc

About the Riverkeeper. Pat Banks is an artist, mother, grandmother, and environmentalist, and is the Director of the Kentucky Riverkeeper. It is a 501©3 organization. Its mission is to serve as an educator and citizen-based advocate for the responsible stewardship of the Kentucky River watershed for present and future generations. As director, she envisioned building awareness of the river and fostering stewardship. She called it the “big idea”. She has worked with great people, organizations, and agencies working on one part of the river or one problem. Many of these groups and organizations did/do not communicate or partner with each other. As an artist this did not make sense, so by building networks and partnerships, the “Big Idea” has developed into: documentaries; being accepted into the National Park Mentoring program for developing “the Kentucky River Water Trail”; organizing and exhibit “Shaped by Water”, work by artists/activists to raise awareness of our water, enforcement actions of the clean water act and developing educational materials to use in the class room. Governor Brasher appointed her to the board of the Kentucky River Authority, where she served for 10 years. The KRA is the governing body of the Kentucky River and maintains the 14 locks and dams and other properties along the river.