Supporter Spotlight: Honoring a Water-Warrior Mother
Maggie filming a documentary. © Maggie Stogner.
Maggie Stogner is a documentary filmmaker who has worked with National Geographic and is currently the Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Filmmaking at American University. Recently, Maggie came across Planet Women while researching women environmental leaders for her documentary film Upstream, Downriver. Maggie decided to join The Ripple, Planet Women’s membership program in honor of her mother, a water-warrior named Betty Ann Barnett. We were so touched by Maggie’s story about the impact her mom had on water policy in California and Maggie’s lifelong activism, and we are grateful to share it with you. Maggie wrote:
The dedication to my mother runs deep. She passed away two years ago at the age of 90. She grew up in Los Angeles, then moved to Berkeley with my father (who still going strong at age 97!). From the time we were very young, she would load me, my sister and brother on the local bus and head to city hall and county council meetings to speak up about water issues. She used to put us in a corner of whatever room with a stack of envelopes and instructions to add the stamps so she could mail letters to “the men that made the laws". I chuckle at what they must have thought about receiving letters with crooked, upside down stamps and crayon doodles. My mom, Betty Ann Barnett, was an excellent policy researcher and helped on the creation of both East Bay MUD and Cal-Neva to establish comprehensive water plans. The most fierce I ever saw her were the times Southern California tried to siphon more water from the Sacramento Delta. She couldn’t stand the idea that water was wasted so thoughtlessly on golf courses, swimming pools, car washes, while less advantaged communities were suffering from severe drought. That was years ago yet such a predictor of the crisis we face today. My mom also loved to hike and backpack and we would often head into the Sierras. I can still hear her laughter as we would plunge our feet into the icy waters of a high mountain lake after a long day of hiking. She is a daily inspiration as I follow in her footsteps to fight for water equity and justice. Connecting with women who are coming together to protect and nourish Mother Earth gives me great hope—we are such a force for positive change! 
Maggie and her mother Betty Ann. © Maggie Stogner.
Looking for a way to honor a woman leader who shaped your life? We invite you to make a gift to the Leadership for a Thriving Future campaign in her honor. Every dollar goes toward skill-sharing workshops, training and community building for women on the frontlines of the environmental movement.