How has community organizing and disaster preparedness evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic? For Doris Brown at West Street Recovery (WSR) in Houston, Texas, this kind of advocacy has only expanded. WSR is a survivor-led organization focused on community organizing and disaster resilience. Water is a critical issue for WSR, with many residents facing high bills and unsafe drinking water. In this episode, Doris reflects on water equity and the challenges faced by BIPOC neighborhoods and calls for systemic change in how we support communities facing an onslaught of climate disasters. Doris also addresses the need for widespread education and community action if we’re to move toward her vision for a just water future.

This episode was hosted by Erin Kanzig and Campbell Simmons at the Water, Equity and Climate Resilience Caucus. Campbell is no longer on the River Network staff, but we deeply appreciate their compassion, knowledge, and commitment to water advocacy, which shines through in this conversation with Doris. 

Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org.

From healthcare to “filter sharks” to advocacy on every level, no one understands the drinking water issue in California better than Susana De Anda. As Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Community Water Center, Susana is  an expert in community organizing and building a movement in which residents are empowered to engage in local governance and stand up for their right to clean and affordable drinking water. Susana says that building solutions in collaboration with residents is the key to building trust, and compels us all to become more informed about drinking water quality in our own neighborhoods.

Links:

• Community Water Center
• SB 200: Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund
• Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) Program 
• Community Water Leaders Network

Keywords: water rights, clean drinking water, community advocacy, California water crisis, environmental justice, water governance, safe drinking water, community organizing, water quality, public health

Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org.

How can we tell the story of program funding in a way that maps long-term, interconnected impacts in a community? River Network staff member Renée Mazurek came upon one potential answer in Ripple Effects Mapping (REM), a storytelling and evaluation tool that traces the outward ripples of community initiatives via interactive story-sharing from community members. In this bonus episode, Renée narrates her experiences with REM, from speaking with Scott Chazdon, an original author of the tool, to putting REM to work during a listening session with recipients of flow funds in Orange, New Jersey. REM is an especially powerful way to visualize the rippling impacts of Flow Funding, a trust-based philanthropy approach that moves away from traditional, quantitative impact reporting in favor of impact stories.

Links:

• River Network’s Flow Fund Circle 
• Flow Funding 
• A Field Guide to Ripple Effects Mapping (Purchase a printable version here for $10.88)
• UMN Extension REM Resources
• Ripple Effects Mapping Studio 
• Appreciative Inquiry: Conversations Worth Having
• Community Capitals Framework
• Philanthropy Together Conference Session: Ripple Effect Mapping: Amplifying Our Collective Impact & Story

Keywords: flowfunding, Ripple Effects Mapping, trust-based philanthropy, participatory evaluation, impact storytelling, social impact, nonprofit, evaluation tools

Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org.

Many water organizations offer environmental education and training for the next generation of climate leaders, but what happens when youth age out of these programs? Plaster Creek Stewards is the lead organization of Project GreenER, an adult educational program in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that fosters understanding and builds agency for watershed care. In this episode of At the Water Table, Andrea Lubberts, Haley Kornoelje, and Matt Hubers reflect on the differences and similarities in working with youth and adults, the importance of accessibility and adaptation in multi-generational programs, and the strategies they used to build trust and effective partnerships. Learn why a more age-inclusive approach is essential to your watershed work!

Links:

• About Plaster Creek Stewards
• Project GreenER

Keywords: Plaster Creek, community engagement, watershed restoration, Project GreenER, adult education, environmental education, accessibility, multi-generational programs, outreach strategies, participant projects, environmental nonprofit, water nonprofit, watershed, water restoration

Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org.

Have you been curious about new federal funding opportunities, but worry that your organization can’t take on the administrative challenges? Here, Jerry Calderon at the Tataviam Land Conservancy (TLC) and Amanda Zeidner at the Council for Watershed Health (CWH) share their experience with securing federal funding, the challenges faced by community-based organizations, and the importance of diversifying funding sources for organizational sustainability. Hosted by River Network's Renée Mazurek and Campbell Simmons, this conversation emphasizes the value of community engagement and equitable funding practices.

Links:

• Council for Watershed Health (CWH)
• Tataviam Land Conservancy (TLC)
• ReDesignLA
• Proposition 84 - CNRA Bond Accountability 
• California Department Of Water Resources - DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVALUATION STUDY
• 2023 The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving (EJCPS) Program Project Summaries

Keywords: Urban Waters Learning Network, community partnerships, federal funding, capacity building, environmental justice, tribal organizations, green infrastructure, funding barriers, nonprofit strategies, climate adaptation, climate stories, water and environment

Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org.

What’s your environmental advocacy origin story, and does it have anything to do with the disaster movies of the 2000s? In this episode of At the Water Table, Hana Katz, Policy and Project Manager at the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC), traces her environmental activism journey, from influential movies to her experience growing up with flood evacuations. These days, she’s a volunteer firefighter, co-founder of a Gen-Z climate action organization, and an enthusiastic participant in River Network’s Clean Water Act Training Series, which inspired her to connect with New Jersey environmental commissioners and other local officials to share her new knowledge. Optimistic and passionate, Hana reminds us of the many ways young people can show up for environmental justice in their communities and beyond.

P.S. The training Hana’s referencing is our free self-guided Clean Water Act training, which you can find in the show notes!

Links:

• The (FREE) Clean Water Act Training Series
• The Clean Water Act Owner’s Manual (2022)
• Climate Revolution Action Network (CRAN)
• ANJEC Events
• Deer Park Fire Company 
• Optimistic Nihilism 

Keywords: climate change, flooding, Clean Water Act, clean water advocacy, environmental advocacy, environmental law, optimistic nihilism, environmental commissions, environmental commissioners, New Jersey, Gen Z, youth climate action, social media success, water justice

Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org.

How do you know whether you’re a “lumper” or a “splitter,” and does good facilitation always involve Post-its? In this episode of At the Water Table, Joy Jackson, Senior Associate at the Institute for Conservation Leadership, leads us on a journey through her vibrant, dynamic world of facilitation. From tennis balls to transformation, Joy illustrates the many elements of creating and holding space for generative conversations and problem-solving, both in the environmental world and more broadly. She doesn’t overcomplicate things, though — for Joy, facilitation at its heart is all about asking the right questions. In this interview, Joy turns the question-asking over to River Network’s Ayana Harscoet, whose curiosities about Joy’s work take us through topics including working across generational divides, leadership development for conservation professionals of color, and the growing focus on environmental justice.

Links:

• Institute for Conservation Leadership
• Priya Parker, The Art of Gathering
• Liberating Structures: What, So What, Now What? W³

Keywords: facilitation, conservation, environmental justice, capacity building, leadership development, online meetings, participatory design, Young Professionals of Color, intergenerational dialogue, community engagement

Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org.

What does urban tree planting have to do with healing a city’s relationship to water? In this episode, Brenda Coley and Kirsten Shead, Co-Executive Directors of Milwaukee Water Commons (MWC), weave together some of the many threads that make up Milwaukee’s environmental justice story. Guided by principles from generations of resilient communities – Indigenous folks, Black feminists, and LGBTQ+ activists, to name a few – Brenda and Kirsten describe MWC’s journey to truly, deeply listen to the needs of community members around Milwaukee. From blue/green jobs to urban tree canopy to arts and spirituality, this conversation with River Network’s Ayana Harscoet spans many intersections, giving us a small glimpse into the steady community organizing (and celebration!) ferrying Milwaukee into a water-centric, environmentally just future.

Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org.

Welcome to River Network's podcast, At The Water Table!

Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org.

What does it mean to engage in equitable development – and to center community health and needs at every step of the way? Arif Ullah, Executive Director of South Bronx Unite (SBU), joins River Network's Ayana Harscoet to tell the story of this small but mighty community-founded organization. Tune in to hear about SBU’s journey to transform the South Bronx’s polluted waterfront into a hub for recreation, gatherings, education, and more – while making sure the local community of Black, brown, immigrant, and low-income residents can continue to call the South Bronx home. 

Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org.