Peter Dykstra

DYKSTRA, Peter David

Peter David Dykstra of Atlanta, passed away peacefully July 31, 2024, at the age of 67 years. Pete was born March 2, 1957 to Marie and Leonard Dykstra in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. Pete was a lover of all things baseball, New Jersey, nature, music and pop culture, weaving them together with encyclopedic knowledge and patented humor. In his downtime, Pete loved to garden while listening to baseball games and enjoyed spending time observing natural life around his home while listening to an extensive variety of music. He enjoyed walking his dog, Snickers, along Atlanta's South River, and helped bring awareness which led to clean-up initiatives. A pioneering environmental journalist, Peter began his career as a volunteer for Greenpeace in 1978, and would become its US Media Director, a role he held until his departure in 1991. Not long after, he began at CNN, where he would become Executive Producer of CNN's Science, Tech and Weather Unit. He supervised a staff responsible for coverage of the traditional sciences, technology, the environment, space, and weather for CNN's television, internet, and radio platforms. His award-winning work includes a 1993 Emmy for coverage of that year's Mississippi River floods, several Cable/Ace awards, a shared 2004 Dupont-Columbia Award for the network's coverage of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, and a 2005 George Foster Peabody Award for CNN's coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. After a stint as deputy director of Pew Charitable Trusts, Peter became the publisher of Environmental Health News and The Daily Climate in 2011. In 2017, he suffered a paralysis which affected the lower half of his body, yet continued to serve as a leading environmental voice, contributing stories to EHN and NPR's Living on Earth until his passing. Beloved father, husband, brother, friend and mentor to many, he will be remembered for his passionate work to protect the environment, his singular perspective, and the humor with which he navigated difficulty. Peter was preceded in death by his sister, Susan Wallace; and son, Matthew Dykstra (d. 2016). He is survived by his brother, Paul Dykstra (wife, Joyce) of Paramus, New Jersey); wife, Meryl Nash Dykstra; daughter, Alyson; son, James; nephews, Daniel and Brian Fitzgerald, David Wagner; niece, Linhua Nash and many more cherished relatives. Peter will be lovingly remembered by an extended family and friend group that includes the many people whose lives he touched. A memorial gathering will be held at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Environmental Health News, the Society of Environmental Journalists, South River Watershed Alliance.