Ginny Barnes

Ginny Barnes is the Vice Chair of Conservation Montgomery. She is an environmental and civic activist who has led grassroots water quality, stormwater management and forest conservation efforts for more than 20 years.  She served on both the County Water Quality Advisory Group and the Maryland Water Quality Monitoring Council.  Under a grant from the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and in collaboration with the Audubon Naturalist Society (ANS), she created a widely distributed video called Living Waters and helped the Audubon Naturalist Society start their citizen water quality monitoring program. For 10 years, she was on the Sierra Club Group Executive Committee and also served as Vice-Chair.  She has been on the Legacy Open Space Advisory Group since the program began and currently serves as Co-Chair. She was part of the C&O Canal Stewardship Task Force set up by Congressman Chris Van Hollen, the Forest Conservation Task Force under M-NCPPC, and is currently a member of the County Forest Conservation Advisory Committee.  Known for spearheading efforts to bring about strong environmental policies Countywide, she is President of the West Montgomery County Citizens Association and was named one of the “40 Environmentalists who made a difference in 40 Years” by the Montgomery County Council in 2010.  Ginny is an exhibiting artist and the curator of an alternative art gallery space in Georgetown.  She was part of the State Arts Council “Arts in Education" program, teaching textile arts residencies to students in schools throughout Maryland.  Ginny is known for being passionate, eloquent, knowledgeable and an effective leader when it comes to giving a voice to environmental protection. Along with Caren Madsen from Conservation Montgomery, Ginny recently was honored for her public service with the Star Cup Award for 2011 from the Montgomery County Civic Federation.