A peek into a Barry family photo album reveals that their connection to our regional coastlines was decades in the making.
Published by Save the Bay in the Spring 2020 edition of Tides Magazine
By Katy Dorchies
We sat down with Elizabeth Swanson and James Barry to learn more about their family’s foundation, and why supporting Save The Bay’s 50th Anniversary Campaign was high on their priority list.
The Barry family first fell in love with Rhode Island during a family vacation to Narragansett Beach. “My dad will tell anybody who will listen that Narragansett Beach has the best surfing on the entire East Coast,” laughed Elizabeth Swanson, one of John and Daria Barry’s five kids.
As a family of surfers and sailors, the Barrys’ love for the coastlines of Southern New England runs deep. Both Elizabeth and her brother James joined the sailing team during their time at Brown University, where they regularly practiced in the northern stretches of Narragansett Bay.
A few years ago, the Barry family founded the John and Daria Barry Foundation, turning their relationship with local waters into a philanthropic endeavor. Having supported organizations like Save The Sound in Connecticut for years, they soon contacted Save The Bay as they expanded their support for the promotion of clean water, as well as environmental education and awareness.
“If people are not aware that a problem exists, then they are not aware of the role they can play in addressing it,” explained Elizabeth. “Which is why education is so important; education for younger generations and education for ourselves. The waters in the Bay may look clean, but that does not mean there are not problems under the surface that need our attention.”
“We believe that local activism and involvement is a great tool in shaping change—and that kind of activity ties back into education,” confirmed James. “We hope that by supporting Save The Bay’s 50th Anniversary Campaign and Capacity Fund, we are also encouraging more people to get involved.”
“It’s important to all of us at the foundation that we take a long-term approach to addressing the issues facing our environment today,” James continued. “We do not want to just support changes and improvements for the next five years— we want to support for the next 50 years and beyond.”
And, planning for the future, we are! With support from the John and Daria Barry Foundation, Save The Bay is expanding its capacity to connect students, and the public, with on the-water experiences aboard a new education marine vessel that will be joining the Save The Bay fleet in 2021. Our new vessel will help us connect upwards of 5,000 students a year with on-the-water experiences, connect the public to volunteer opportunities throughout the Bay, and support our critical work of educating and inspiring Bay stewardship.