Hayley Stuart
Program Director — Amazonian Rivers Initiative
Whitewater Instructor — Paddle Tribal Waters & Kayakimün
Hayley is a filmmaker and environmentalist driven by her passion for river protection, rooted communities, and whitewater kayaking. It is Hayley’s belief that by listening, inquiring, and taking small, purposeful steps, we can consistently build the foundation for meaningful impact and lasting change in our world.
Since 2014, Hayley has collaborated with Chilean, Bolivian, American, and Mexican Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in order to film, learn, paddle, and raise awareness about the impacts of mega-hydroelectric development. She has participated in film productions for environmental organizations, including American Rivers, Pacific Rivers, Ríos to Rivers, and International Rivers, and spoke at the 2017 Sun Valley TEDx event about the impacts of mega hydro development. Since 2018, Hayley has taught Spanish, Biology, and Algebra at the traveling boarding kayak high school, World Class Kayak Academy. In October 2022, she graduated with an MSc in Water Science, Policy, and Management at the University of Oxford and co-founded the organization Amazonian River Allies Bolivia (ARA Bolivia).
Hayley is the Program Director for Ríos to Rivers’ Amazonian Rivers Initiative, which successfully launched its first pilot program in October 2022.
More about Hayley:
The Women Behind Still River, Silent Jungle
TEDx talk by Hayley: Dammed if We Do: A Closer Look at the Dangers of Mega Hydro