FI TEAM
Jeremy Monroe
Founder & Director
I founded Freshwaters Illustrated to help create more immersive imagery and stories that carry the beauty, biodiversity, and value of freshwater ecosystems. I see my job as helping to reconnect people to the intricacy, wonder, and needs of rivers, lakes, and wetlands. My background in aquatic ecology helps me access stories that celebrate the vibrance and value of freshwater life, and with a talented group of visual artists and communicators, I work to make those stories as immersive as they can be. I have degrees in Aquatic Ecology and Fishery Biology from Colorado State University.
David Herasimtschuk
Photographer, Cinematographer, & Visual Storyteller
David is an award-winning natural history photographer, and is the visual force in our imagery, stories, and films. Dave's images combine his biological sensibility with a keenly artistic eye, and give intimate perspectives on the little-known aquatic and amphibious life of freshwaters. Dave has traveled the world to work on and document biological research and conservation, and his images have been published in National Geographic, BBC World, National Wildlife, High Country News, Biographic, National Parks, and many others. Dave has a degree in Wildlife & Fishery Biology from Colorado State University. Visit Dave's website.
Matt Kellam
Sound Designer & Recordist
Matt is the sonic craftsman behind our films. Matt's style combines his background in biology and bioacoustics, his musicianship as a bassist and an electronic noise artist, and an obsessive attention to detail.
Crystal Nichols
Communications & Engagement Director
Flowing water awakened something within Crystal from an early age. Some of her first memories were of pruned fingers grasping captured salamanders in her small backyard stream in Pennsylvania. Crystal went on to study Midwestern streams, rivers, and lakes as an undergraduate at Ball State University, where her love and understanding of the functioning of aquatic systems deepened. But, the more she researched and learned, the more Crystal understood where the scientific field needed to grow – science communication. It was in this realization that she found her career trajectory. This led her to pursue a master’s degree in environmental education at Southern Oregon University. Since then, Crystal has continued to center her career around science communication and storytelling through community engagement, filmmaking, and photography in the nonprofit and academic sectors.
Kathy Chambliss
K-12 Education Specialist
Kathy works to spread the impact of our Water Teachers Initiative, aimed at building a broader network of K-12 teachers who can connect our films to powerful and life-changing learning opportunities for elementary, middle, and high school students.
Guy Eroh
Americorps VISTA | K-12 Education & Digital Outreach
As our ‘23-’24 Americorps Stewards VISTA, Guy works to build digital resources and accessibility for our K-12 Water Teachers Initiative, while assisting our production work. Guy brings a strong background in aquatic ecology and a love for fish, which you can hear on the USFWS podcast, Fish of the Week.
Taylor Hurt
Outreach & Membership
Taylor brings a background in sociology and nonprofit outreach to our membership and donor programs, and works to bring more resources and value to our community of supporters, member educators, and corporate partners.
Board of Directors
John Dentler
Gina De Ferrari
Lauren Emer
Joseph Ferguson
Debra Finn, Ph.D.
Judy Li, Ph.D., Chair
Zachary Shattuck, M.S.
Gabe Sheoships, M.S.
Collaborators
Jeffrey Basinger, Photographer
Owen Bissell, Cinematographer
Sean Brown, Cinematographer
Eric Buist, Editor & Cinematographer
Steve Glass, Photographer
Ellie Larson, Assistant Editor
Michael Monroe, Cinematographer & Editor
Jim Newman, Narrator
Sean O'Connor, Cinematographer
Sally Rubin, Editor
Isaac Szabo, Cinematographer
Miki Takashima, Editor
Jennah Stillman, Associate Producer
Santiago Uceda, Animator
Mabel Valdiviezo, Editor
Jake Wehrman, Editor