Since 1990, we have protecting the Cape Fear together. You can be a part of the Earth’s legacy.
Make it count.
Since 1990, the Wilmington Earth Day Alliance—originally known as the Earth Day Alliance of the Lower Cape Fear—has championed environmental collaboration across the Cape Fear region. Founded by local naturalist Andy Wood, the organization was born from a vision that uniting businesses, nonprofits, and community groups would strengthen efforts to protect and preserve the environment.
The Wilmington Earth Day Alliance is committed to safeguarding a just, healthy, and sustainable planet through dynamic educational programs and events that raise environmental awareness. By fostering connections among local public, nonprofit, and private entities, the Alliance creates a platform where the community can discover ongoing environmental initiatives and support green practices.
The inaugural Earth Day celebration in 1990 brought hundreds of Cape Fear residents together to engage with knowledgeable local partners, endorse eco-conscious businesses, and honor our shared responsibility to the Earth. This tradition continues each year, growing stronger with the dedication of a diverse board of volunteers—from local government staff and NC Aquarium employees to university students—all united by a deep passion for protecting Wilmington’s unique natural landscape.
Join us in amplifying these vital environmental efforts. Together, we can nurture a sustainable future for our community and the planet. Get involved with the Wilmington Earth Day Alliance today!
Matt Williams - Chair
Matt is an environmental consultant that specializes in wetlands, streams, and threatened/endangered species. He studied fish ecology in Lake Erie with Ohio State University, orcas in the San Juan Islands with the University of Washington, and environmental management and education at UNCW. He was also a member of the City of Wilmington's Clean Energy Task Force, co-chairing the Policy & Legislation subcommittee. Matt has been involved with the Wilmington Earth Day Alliance since 2015 and loves celebrating the Cape Fear's diverse ecosystems and protecting our environment and communities.
Jess Stitt - Secretary
Jessica Stitt is the secretary and works for New Hanover County Soil and Water as their Program Coordinator. She is in charge of all the environmental education programs in schools, as well as outreach events. Jessica has a passion for environmental education and loves to teach people about nature, especially her favorite animal which is turtles! Jessica has lived in Wilmington since 1998 and thrives to educate people about the wonderful nature the Wilmington area has to offer. She enjoys exploring parks near and far, hiking, kayaking, and playing disc golf.
Kristin Holloman-Noe - Kids EcoZone
Kristin is the Education Outreach Coordinator for the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher and she has been coordinating the Wilmington Earth Day Festival Kids EcoZone since 2017 after having been the NCAFF booth presenter during the festival for two years. Kristin has been an environmental educator for twenty years, having spent most of that time with the NC Aquariums as well as having worked for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, assisting with sea turtle research. Originally from Goldsboro, NC, Kristin has been a Wilmington resident since 2011 with her husband and their two dogs. For the Kids EcoZone, Kristin works with other environmental, STEAM, maritime, and community youth organizations to bring educational activities to young festival visitors. From identifying frog and toad calls of local species, distributing used books, investigating the impacts of marine debris on aquatic animals, and planting seeds for at-home vegetable crops, the goal of the Kids EcoZone is to educate and inspire youth to make choices and take actions that will have life-long positive environmental impacts.
Jaya Kandasamy - Vice Chair
As vice chair, it is Jaya’s duty to educate the community on the many benefits of volunteering and inspire Wilmingtonians to get involved! Aside from coordinating donations, exhibitors and festival logistics, Jaya also designed the Wilmington Earth Day Alliance’s website in 2022 and it's new logo which debuted in 2023. Jaya is the Director of Youth Development at DREAMS of Wilmington Center for Arts Education. Her passion for sustainable community projects sparked her interest in community gardening and native biodiversity. She loves volunteering, engaging with nature and live music. In her spare time, Jaya designs heritage jewelry and creates unique art based on her experience as a first generation Indian-American which she sells at local markets.
Zac Long - Treasurer
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Valerie Robertson - Publicity
Valerie’s interest in the environment started in 1970 with the first Earth Day, when her high school hosted an all-day Earth Day Symposium. She holds a B.A in Sociology & Anthropology from Swarthmore College. Her forty-year career as a writer and editor has included helping her father start a publishing company and five years as a senior technical writer for Lockheed Martin. A native Midwesterner, she settled in Wilmington in 1995, where she lives in a 1922 bungalow with her partner, George Scheibner. In 2001 she started a popular local publication—Cape Fear Arts Alive—as a guide to the local arts community. Valerie now publishes Cape Fear’s Going Green magazine, the environmental quarterly she founded fifteen years ago. Going Green is a free community guide to eco-friendly activities, products and services in the Cape Fear area. Valerie won the YWCA Women of Achievement Award for Environmental in 2010, the same year her mother won the same award for Business.
Dru Harrison - Government Liaison
Dru started helping with the Wilmington Earth Day Alliance in 2004 as an intern with New Hanover Soil & Water Conservation District, and has continued ever since. She has a B.A. from UNCW in Geography and some graduate work in Environmental Education from Montreat College. She is a NC Certified Environmental Educator and has participated in multiple trainings throughout her career that benefit Wilmington Earth Day & New Hanover Soil & Water Conservation District, including the National Association of Counties Leadership Academy, UNCW project management, and won the YWCA Women of Achievement Environmental Award in 2017. She has 2 cats (Neville & GiGi) and 2 dogs (Roxy & Chewbacca) that she enjoys spending time with. She also enjoys hiking, kayaking, reading, and crafts.
Haley Hopkins - Logistics
Haley is a Long-Range Planner with the City of Wilmington. For the Earth Day Alliance. Haley contributes to coordinating logistics and fundraising. She has a background and passion for holistic, sustainable community development and enegaging and representing community needs in planning. She has a B.S. in Sustainability Science from Furman University and experience in academic research, urban farming and in her free time, Haley can be found visiting friends and family, reading, sewing or hiking.
Kelly Graves - Logistics
Kelly recently graduated from UNCW with her master's degree in coastal and ocean policy and currently works as a coastal program manager. During her free time, Kelly loves spending time with family and friends at the beach.