Honor the Waters was conceived in July 2014 when twenty-four people from North and South America and Europe traveled together to the Peruvian Andes. Jose Luis Herrera, founder of the Andean Research Institute, led our group. We visited sacred sites, including Ausangate mountain, seeking answers as to how we (individually and collectively) could have a greater impact on shifting the direction our planet is headed.

On this trip, we fully awakened to the importance of our waters, not only for our survival but also for the peace, joy, and fulfillment of our world. We could clearly see our interrelationship with water and our role in protecting it. We were called to share our vision and to take action in caring for the planet’s waters – from the vastest oceans to the smallest human cells.

We come from all walks of life – teachers, therapists, nurses, physicians, massage therapists, homeopaths, energy workers, business executives, engineers, retired military, musicians, dentists, mountain guides, web designers and poets. We are committed to being of service for the well-being of others and for our planet through ceremony, community, and inspired action.

While Mary Beth Leisen and Jacqueline Hanley are the principle founders of Honor the Waters, we represent everyone from that mountain journey and the wider community of people who care. Mary Beth wrote this site’s content, with valuable feedback from Jacqueline, Mary McKenna, Natalia KW, and Barbara Swift. Natalia KW, Judith Mostyn, Loren Martin, and Mary Beth Leisen provided the photography.

We offer our deepest gratitude to Natalia KW and Adam Mills of Bottomless Design, who volunteered their time to help us turn this dream into reality by creating our visual identity and this website.

We are passionate about creating a more conscious relationship between people and the earth’s waters, ultimately in service of preserving these vital waters for generations to come.

We invite you to join us.