Madeline Gray is a freelance photographer based in Wilmington, North Carolina. She documents the rural and coastal communities found throughout the eastern part of the state. And she is happiest at the end of a long dirt road or sitting on someone's front porch—exploring places less traveled.
In the face of growing environmental threats and porous regulations, grassroots groups have taken it upon themselves to protect waterways in the southeastern U.S.—and elsewhere around the world.