Dennis Chestnut

Roles: Special Guest

Dennis Chestnut is a proud native Washingtonian. Dennis is a master carpenter and vocational educator, but his dedication to youth development, community improvement and civic duty has led to his involvement with many civic and conservation projects. He has a passion for conservation and the environment, and has advised many community, business and government leaders on civic ecology practices and civic engagement issues. Dennis is the board chair of the Ward 7 Resilience Hub Community Coalition and has created and help establish many community serving and youth serving organizations over the years including the nationally acclaimed Eastern Brach Striders Track Field Club and Groundwork Anacostia River DC. Dennis has also been recognized for his work with and receipt of numerous awards including the Greater Washington Interfaith Partnership Vision Award, the Lankford/Giles/Vaughn Minority Architect Award for Community Activism, the DC Appleseed 2019 Sustainable Living and Leading Award, the 2019 River Network River Hero, the 2020 Cox Communications Trust for Public Land Cox Conserves Heroes Award, the Chesapeake Conservancy 2020 Lifetime Champion Award, the Mayor Bowser 2022 Spirit of Service Award Ready, Set, Serve Emergency Preparedness Award, and most recently the 11 th Street Bridge Park 2024 Anacostia Hero Award. Dennis has also appeared in numerous publications, books and video documentaries that highlight his work on restoring the health of the Anacostia River, improving the natural resources in the East of the River communities, and developing high quality youth programs.

2025 Program(s):
Shorts: Protecting Local Waterways