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The 1971 Franklin & Marshall College graduate is not alone.
Nearly 16 million people live connected to the more than 3,000 species of plants and animals in the surrounding landscape of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Lancaster County is part of that watershed.
But population growth, land use, stormwater, transportation and development patterns have directly affected the bay and its rivers by adding waste and pollutants, consuming natural resources and changing the landscape to fit their needs.
Now the watershed is in trouble.
The system of checks and balances of the nation's largest estuary is in danger, and Tillman is trying to do something about it.
In his new book, "The Chesapeake Watershed, A Sense of Place and a Call to Action," Tillman writes about the role we play in caring and restoring the environment so future generations will not have to suffer from our mismanagement.
At the end of each chapter, there is a call-to-action section, with suggestions for the reader to become a better steward of our ecosystem.
The Chesapeake Watershed stretches across more than 64,000 square miles, including parts of six states — Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, and the entire District of Columbia.
"Saving the environment is probably the biggest social movement of all times," he said in an interview last week. "If the human behavior changes, then we will learn to live in better balance with the environment."
Tillman said this is not a feel-good effort.
"It's about the fact that things are going downhill, and we need to do something about it," he said.
His book presents not only the critical reality of the bay but also the enchanting aspects of the watershed and the changes outdoorsmen have seen throughout the years.
Tillman has enjoyed a long career in the environmental industry, and advises organizations on how to become more sustainable.
The environmentalist spoke about the watershed conservation movement Friday during the opening ceremony of the Wohlsen Sustainability Center on the F&M campus.
Tillman and F&M President John Fry delivered remarks about sustainability at the college and the role that students and the center can play in the effort.
Tillman serves as chair of the Howard County Conservancy and has been on the staff of Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland.
He is the founder and served as president of Target Environmental and Columbia Technologies.
Tillman said recent surveys indicate that 73 percent of Americans call themselves environmentalists.
If all those people would do something instead of waiting for the government, he said, their actions would have a great impact.
"These are people who care. They recycle. … Now they need to take another step with their use of energy and buy more fuel-efficient appliances," said Tillman.
The biggest threat to the bay watershed is pollution from nitrogen and phosphorous, which rain flushes off parking lots, farm fields and suburban lawns.
The result? Algae blooms that die and rot — sucking oxygen out of the water and killing much of the life on the bottom.
The bay also is at a greater risk than most other parts of the country as sea levels rise from global warming.
"Research suggests that by making some changes we can reduce the energy use in this country by 20 percent," Tillman said.
What you can do to help the bay:
• Conserve water.
• Reduce energy consumption.
• Maintain septic systems.
• Skip the spring fertilizer and plant trees.
• Recycle and reduce household hazardous waste.
• Reduce the number of miles you drive.
"We can do all these things," Tillman said.
He emphasizes the need to empower local efforts because local governments, watershed organizations and residents have a great interest and ability to restore the environment.
Tillman lives in Columbia, Md.
