Altamaha Coastkeeper® has eyes on environment

Anna Ferguson | The Brunswick News

May, 28, 2008 -- As a young girl growing up on St. Simons Island, Wendy Galan spent her recreational time exploring area waterways.

On weekends and after school, chances are you could find her tossing crab nets and casting fishing lines from docks.

What that younger Galan didn't know was that this fondness for marine activities was effectively laying the foundation for her career.

Altamaha Coastkeeper Wendy Galan at the Darien waterfront.
(Michael Hall/The Brunswick News)

“My parents ran a dock on St. Simons for some 20 years, and I grew up around the water,” said Galan, 39, who resides in Brunswick. “It's what I know.”

That knowledge is paying off, both for Galan and the Golden Isles. After a decade living in Atlanta, followed by nearly seven years working as an assistant chef with Sea Island Co., Galan is putting her childhood fancies to use.

In November, she was appointed by the Altamaha Riverkeeper, an environmental watchdog group, as the new Coastkeeper for Glynn and McIntosh counties.

In this role, she keeps a watchful eye on the two counties, taking note of any environmental hazards and disturbances that may occur.

Her days are charged with fielding inquires from the community, investigating new developments and wetlands, and submitting reports of her findings to agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

More than looking for violations, Galan is an advocate and educator, working with the community and area businesses to spread knowledge about how to be eco-savvy and environmentally sensitive.

Essentially, Galan is a public relations liaison for Mother Nature.

“It's kind of like being a super hero,” Galan said, noting that she has a Superman tattoo to match. “I protect the environment and try to tell as many people as I can to do the same thing.”

“I want my kids to be able to enjoy coastal Georgia the same way I did and leave the world better than the way I found it, which, I know, is almost impossible.”

That doesn't keep her from trying, though.

Like any super hero, Galan has a cluster of opponents. The continuous influx of developments to both Glynn and McIntosh counties can create problems for her, as she works to protect marshlands.

Not all building is bad, though, and she pushes equally hard for sustainable developments along the coast.

“We need developments that will be supported by the resources we have,” she said. “Having each new subdivision built with its own septic system, like new neighborhoods hope to do, that's just a nightmare.”

Apathy is another foe. Agencies designed to uphold environmental laws are often bogged down with other worries, and she has found a lax attitude toward implementing regulations meant to conserve the coastal ecosystem, she said.

"Enforcement is a major problem," Galan said. "Holding people responsible for their actions and making them accountable is tough. Nobody wants to be the bad guy.

"It's like there is this theory that it's easier to forgive than to ask permission."

Despite the uphill road Galan is trekking, every day she enters her airy downtown Darien office and is overcome with a sense of well-being. This is the job she was always meant to do.

"This job fits perfectly, like a perfect pair of shoes," she said. "It's not instantaneous, but you know you are doing your part and maybe influencing a few people along the way."

Since starting the task of Coastkeeper seven months ago, Galan has seen the community take notice of the environmental issues and its direct correlation to quality of life. The number of phone calls and e-mails she receives from residents reporting environmental violations has climbed to almost one a day, showing her that the community is paying attention.

"That's what I want people to walk away with, to pay attention," she said. "Open your eyes to the world around you. Take notice of nature and wildlife. Take notice of how many species of butterflies there are out there. It's amazing."