PETE NICHOLS
Interim Executive Director

pete@penbaywaterkeeper.org
707.845.0832

Originally inspired by the lakes, rivers, and costal waters of his childhood home in Maine, Pete has always been a committed advocate for the environment.

Shortly after graduating high school in the early 1980’s, Pete joined the U.S. Coast Guard. During this time, he was stationed on Governor’s Island in New York Harbor, the receiving waters of the Hudson River, and quickly became aware of the many issues facing our coastal waterways. After leaving the Coast Guard, Pete headed west to northern California and became deeply involved in the struggle to protect the last remnants of the region’s ancient redwood forests and has been active in local, national, and international conservation efforts ever since. 

In 2004, after recognizing the threats to Humboldt Bay in northern California, Pete co-founded Humboldt Baykeeper to protect the coastal waters and ecology of the region, where he acted as the Baykeeper and Executive Director for 8 years.  In July of 2011, Pete joined the staff of Waterkeeper Alliance as National Director after serving on the Alliance’s Board of Directors for 3 years as Pacific Regional Representative.

At Waterkeeper Alliance, Pete led a team of Regional Organizers to coordinate with over 350 individual Waterkeeper organizations in 46 countries to advocate for clean water in their local communities through training, capacity building, advocacy, and education.

In 2021, Pete returned home to Maine where he served as the Executive Director of Midcoast Conservancy where he spearheaded a region-wide, habitat based conservation planning effort.  He also served as the state Chapter Director for Sierra Club Maine until late 2024.

Pete obtained a degree in Conservation Biology from Cal Poly Humboldt, and developed landscape-level conservation planning projects in the Sierra Nevada and Central Coast regions of California with the University of California, Davis. He has worked on regional efforts to identify and protect the biodiversity of key ocean habitats, and was recognized as a National Geographic Explorer in 2018 for work related to the impacts of plastics on the world’s waterways, and has been involved in environmental advocacy efforts throughout the United States, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and Australia.

In addition to his role as a conservation professional, Pete was also the founder and President of the Fertile Crescent Foundation, a philanthropic charity dedicated to protecting the environment of the Middle East.  He sits on the Boards of many environmental and social justice non-profit organizations, is an avid outdoorsman and backpacker, and enjoys skiing, cooking, and playing music with family and the friends he has encountered throughout his life experiences and travels.