River Voices: September 2024
Welcome to the September 2024 edition of River Voices! This month, we’re excited to announce our latest Equitable Development Toolkit: Community-Centered Solutions for Green Gentrification and Displacement. Check out our recap of the 2024 Urban Waters Learning Forum, and consider applying for our upcoming paid SRF Advocacy Cohort. Plus, hear from one of the organizations represented in the new toolkit with a Meet Your Network interview from Arif Ullah.
In case you missed it: we are now accepting applications for funding through our Rooting Resilience program! Apply by October 23, 2024.
With support from the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program, we’re excited to announce the release of River Network’s latest Equitable Development Toolkit: Community-Centered Solutions for Green Gentrification and Displacement.
Multiple studies show that greening projects in disproportionately impacted BIPOC and low-income communities led to a reduced sense of belonging among long-time residents, coinciding with an increase in property values and followed by the displacement of surrounding communities. As groups dive deeper into developing parks, greenspaces, and safe recreational amenities, it is critical to center anti-displacement strategies by thinking beyond environmental needs and incorporating the needs of community members, now and into the future.
The toolkit provides important definitions, case studies, and numerous strategies. We hope you will dive in and leverage this toolkit to further your work!
“Green gentrification and displacement are major societal challenges, right up there with climate change and resiliency. The National Park Service – Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program are happy to have supported the development of this Toolkit with our national partner, River Network, as a starting point for community leaders investing in this important work.”
– Heather Passchier, Program Manager, National Park Service – RTCA Program
Meet Our Team: Grace Fullmer and Renée Mazurek
“Stepping into this new space while also managing greening projects…requires more capacity, new partnerships, patience, and consistency, but that does not mean it should be avoided. It is necessary to do this work.”
This month, meet River Network team members Grace Fullmer and Renée Mazurek, who co-authored our latest Equitable Development Toolkit: Community-Centered Solutions for Green Gentrification and Displacement. We’re grateful for the deep time and care they poured into this resource, which they describe as “a labor of love and listening.”
Calling all water justice-oriented community based organizations! The SRF State Advocates Forum is seeking individuals from community-based organizations to participate in a 9-month (November 2024 – July 2025) national cohort to strategically engage in water infrastructure advocacy.
This is a paid opportunity, and organizations will receive $10,000 to have a staff member or volunteer fully engage in this cohort!
Apply by Monday, September 9th.
“It can’t be just about waterfront access..all of these issues are inextricably linked. Thinking about [development] holistically is critical.”
Read or listen to this month’s conversation with Arif Ullah at South Bronx Unite, who envisions a vibrant waterfront and environmentally just future for communities of the South Bronx, made possible through decades of advocacy and organizing.
South Bronx Unite is featured in our latest Equitable Development Toolkit, which focuses on Community-Centered Solutions for Green Gentrification and Displacement.
Funding Environmental Justice: Building Equitable Partnerships from Frontline Communities to Funders
At River Rally 2024, representatives from community-based organizations, high-capacity regional organizations, funders, and funding agencies came together for this year’s Urban Waters Learning Forum on Funding Environmental Justice. Together, they explored ways groups can meaningfully collaborate to develop, fund, and implement projects that ensure Justice 40 funds and other equity-focused investments benefit communities that have been historically marginalized.
Now, in this video, hear from participants and facilitators Jennifer Arnold (Reciprocity Consulting), Darryl Haddock (West Atlanta Watershed Alliance) and Nancy Aguilar (Washington State Commission for Hispanic Affairs) on how to build authentic partnerships and work through common pitfalls in the process of developing projects and securing funding.
The Klamath is flowing free!
This month, we’re uplifting the joyful news that after decades of tireless advocacy, the last of four dams along the Klamath River has been demolished, and the Klamath is now flowing free for the first time in over 100 years.
For the Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa Valley, and Klamath Tribes, and many other communities and peoples connected by the Klamath, this is a monumental victory for restoration and revitalization of the river. Now, salmon will be able to return to their spawning grounds, ushering in a new era of ecological, cultural, and spiritual healing for the Klamath River.
For more historical and present-day context, watch these short films – one about the Klamath River Renewal Project, and one about Paddle Tribal Waters, an initiative to connect Native youth to whitewater kayaking, community advocacy, and more on the Klamath River.
Advancing Equity: A Practical Guide to Engaging and Activating Community Voices
September 12 at 10:00a PT / 1:00p ET
Join Groundwork USA and the Center for Creative Land Recycling for an interactive workshop designed to help land reuse practitioners integrate equity best practices into their land reuse projects. During this 90-minute workshop, you’ll explore key tools and case studies from the recently published Advancing Equity toolkit.
2024 River Careers Discussion Series
September 4, September 25, October 16, November 6 at 11:00a PT / 2:00p ET
Dive into the dynamic world of river-related careers in the River Management Society’s free four-part discussion series! Whether you’re passionate about conservation, interested in environmental science, or eager to work in recreation, this series will introduce you to opportunities along our waterways and provide you with tips for success in these fields.
September 25 at 11:00a PT / 2:00p ET – River-Related Conferences and Associations for Career Advancement
Navigating the National Coastal Resilience Fund
September 19 at 11:00a PT / 2:00p ET
Curious about applying for the National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF)? In this 75-minute workshop, representatives from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and recipients of NCRF funding will discuss how to build a strong proposal.
National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) is September 17!
Did you know that September 17th is National Voter Registration Day? Check out this conversation between Chyann Sapp, Nonprofit VOTE’s Campaign Director, and Tiffany Gourley Carter, Policy Counsel at the National Council of Nonprofits, for more information on why and how nonprofits can promote voting and help register eligible community members.
Nominations for America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2025 are now open!
Is your river facing an urgent threat, with a decision in the coming year that will impact its fate? Spotlighting your river as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers® can help get the attention and positive action you need. America’s Most Endangered Rivers®, an American Rivers initiative, is the most influential national campaign to galvanize public action and secure victories for rivers, clean water and communities.
2024 Chicago River Summit: Linking Watersheds
Save the date: Friends of the Chicago River and Chicago Wilderness Alliance are coming together on October 24, 2024 to explore innovative approaches to watershed management coordination in the Chicago-Calumet River watershed and beyond.
This September, as National Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15th, we celebrate the legacies, experiences, and stories of Latine communities.
- 📖 Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías – In this evocative dystopian novel, Trías explores human connection in the midst of ecological collapse.
- 🎧 “GETTING CURIOUS | What’s Indigenous Science? with Dr. Jessica Hernandez” – In this podcast episode, Dr. Jessica Hernandez (Maya Ch’orti’ & Binnizá) discusses the principles of Indigenous science, Indigenous land stewardship, and what it will take to heal Indigenous landscapes.
- 📖 Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin – A speculative fiction novel about a people of the far future who inhabit a place called the Valley on the Northern Pacific Coast.
