Josie Newton, Watershed Scientist

A South Carolina native, Josie was raised on Lake Murray and enjoyed frequent visits to the waterfalls of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her family, developing a love and deep connection to water systems at a young age. She furthered her passions for environmental conservation and stewardship while attending Furman University in Greenville, SC where she earned a B.S. in Sustainability Science.

Josie’s professional background is in stream and wetland delineation and permitting as well as sustainable agriculture initiatives and riparian buffer management. Her passions lie in biodiversity protection; stream, wetland, and riparian zone conservation;  providing equitable access to the outdoors; native plant conservation, and public education and outreach within these areas to promote community engagement in protecting the Reedy River watershed's invaluable resources.

Josie has been in her role as FoRR's Watershed Scientist since August 2021 and also sits on the Saluda River Basin Planning Council, the Reedy River Water Quality Group Best Management Practice Committee, the Reedy River Water Quality Group Public Outreach Group, and is a South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream Freshwater and Macroinvertebrate Trainer. She looks forward to connecting with you regarding ways to protect and preserve the Reedy watershed, improve and monitor the water quality of the Reedy and it's tributaries, and help others learn about the intricacies of Greenville's hometown river.

In her free time, Josie enjoys spending time outdoors, seeing live music, gardening, and crafting stoneware on the potter’s wheel.