Impact in 2020 looked very different for River Network and the groups we serve. How did we help get groups, and especially youth, on the water and cleaning up the water, despite it all? Cultivating community and youth stewardship of our waters was no less important this year – in fact, it was more important… Read More ›
Blog
Fostering Community Leadership – A Tool for Equitable Climate Resilience
by Hannah Mico
As the importance of addressing climate change continues to be well-evidenced by communities combatting ever-more-frequent flooding, fire, and extreme weather, the environmental community finds itself at the intersection of science, equity, and justice – yet again. The urgency of working at this intersection is well-established – both by empirical scientific evidence, and the stories and… Read More ›
Building Strong Champions for Local Impact
by Brenna Goggin
We say it a lot: River Network connects local watershed organizations across the country, empowering them with tools, training, and resources. But what does this really mean? What does it look like to “build strong champions,” as our strategic plan puts it, and to support Organizational Sustainability & Planning, Leadership Development, and Professional Development for… Read More ›
Connecting Local Groups to National Funding for Groundwater Replenishment
by Kellie Kreiss
“Ohia trees, which are considered the mother of all native forests [on Hawaii]…are under threat right now,” begins Cheyenne Hiapo Perry, Project Coordinator at the Mauna Kea Watershed Alliance (MKWA), an organization that’s been hard at work since 2009 preserving and rehabilitating the Big Island’s native forests, “…and if we did nothing, over 100 years... Read More ›
The Clean Water Act in 2020: Celebrate the Successes Today
by Colleen Walters
Par for the course in 2020, the Clean Water Act (the Act) has seen better days. As we mark its 48th anniversary on October 18, 2020, it is now more important than ever to keep fighting for our rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands. This year began with major rollbacks to protections for small streams and… Read More ›
River Rally 2021: A Second Virtual Experience!
by Nicole Silk
Last spring, we made an extraordinary decision to take River Rally 2020 virtual in order to protect our community and our team from the health risks of COVID-19. With only six weeks to completely remake our annual event, learn new technology, and reframe expectations, River Rally 2020 was a success, thanks to the patience and… Read More ›
YOU Can Make a BIG Difference and Help Get Out the Vote in 2020
by April IngleGraphic courtesy Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 General Election will be like no other. In typical years, many NGOs make sure their audiences are motivated to vote, are registered to vote, and know their options on when and where to cast their ballot. Now, with COVID-19, there is a... Read More ›
Advancing Racial Justice
by Megan Nguyen
Climate Justice = Racial Justice Climate change affects everyone on this planet, especially marginalized communities. Racial and ethnic minorities will experience negative climate change impacts first and the worst. In my home state of California—and the entire West Coast—we are suffering from catastrophic wildfires that are destroying homes and lives. As I’m writing this, I... Read More ›
An Update from River Network’s Staff Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
by River Network Staff EDI Committee
Over the course of the past decade, River Network’s work on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) has deepened significantly, focusing on both internal aspects of our organization and external programming. Initially, much of that work happened organically and, admittedly, somewhat haphazardly. A staff person tweaking one aspect of a program here (often in response to… Read More ›
Using Community Led Science to Manage Wild and Scenic Rivers with the National Park Service
by Katherine Baer
What do dragonfly collection, snorkeling to observe mussels and bioassessment workshops on Wild and Scenic Rivers have in common? This summer, these activities are part of three of the seven projects selected for funding as part of a new partnership between River Network and the National Park Service. All around the country community-based organizations are… Read More ›
“Masks On, Litter Gone”: Innovating Through Corporate Support
by Karla NoboaAs we near the fall and continue to live through the COVID-19 pandemic, we have all adjusted to new ways of living and working. Creativity in programming has come to the forefront and new, exciting initiatives are popping up all over the network and the world. At River Network, we knew there had to be… Read More ›
Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Partnership Funding Awards 2020
by Katherine BaerFor the second year, River Network is working with the US Forest Service (USFS) to provide local organizations with funding for their work to steward our many, diverse Wild and Scenic Rivers. These rivers flow throughout the country and help protect some of the nation’s free flowing rivers, providing opportunities for recreation, protecting drinking water,… Read More ›
Resilience and Equity: Working with Communities, Not for Communities
by Renée MazurekThis post originally appeared on the Urban Waters Learning Network blog. As the nation faces not only a global pandemic but also a long-overdue reckoning with systems of racial oppression, the urban waters movement is not removed from either. While the intentions of wanting to help vulnerable communities become more resilient are valid, the reality... Read More ›
Onward! Keeping Up the Momentum in the Delaware River Basin
by Colleen Walters
I’ve worked in watersheds all throughout the western US—the Klamath River Basin in California and Oregon, Walker Lake in Nevada, the Colorado Delta, the Columbia River Basin in the northwest—and they all brought with them interesting challenges, complex landscapes, and most notably, passionate individuals. Their passion came from a truly personal place: a place of... Read More ›
A Letter from Bartram’s Garden to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
by cschmidtIn the days of the Clean Water Act, the Lower Schuylkill River was a hub of industry and development. Many point sources of pollution have since been shut down or heavily regulated, but the image of a polluted and inhospitable river are still pervasive throughout Philadelphia. Bartram’s Garden, a 45-acre National Historic Landmark, is challenging… Read More ›
