Urban Waters Speak

Recorded in May 2026, Rebecca Tamiru, Senior Manager of Community Adaptation Projects at Groundwork USA and team member of the Urban Waters Learning Network, interviews Ozzy Meneses. 

Ozzy is the Director of Community Projects and Partnerships at Groundwork San Diego Chollas Creek, where he leads efforts to create community-driven projects that restore land, improve water quality, and expand access to green spaces. With a focus on equitable land reuse, coalition building, and sustainable infrastructure, Ozzy bridges technical processes with community voices to ensure projects create long-term benefits for the Chollas Creek watershed communities.

In this conversation, Rebecca talks to Ozzy about what it takes to transform neglected areas into safe, usable places that reflect community priorities and improve the health of communities and watersheds alike.

Look for more urban waters resources at www.urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org.

We are the initiative funded by EPA’s Urban Waters Program and co-coordinated by Groundwork USA and River Network. Thanks so much for listening.

Look for more urban waters resources at www.urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org.  

We are the initiative funded by EPA's Urban Waters Program and co-coordinated by Groundwork USA and River Network. Thanks so much for listening. 

Recorded on April 9, 2025, Jalisa Gilmore, Senior Manager of Health and Land Use Programs at Groundwork USA and team member of the Urban Waters Learning Network, interviews Cindi Ptak, Ambassador for the Rio Reimagined Urban Waters Federal Partnership Location.

Cindi Ptak is a national leader in federal funding strategy and place-based infrastructure investment. She is the founder of Hummingbird Collective and currently serves as the Ambassador for the Rio Reimagined, a signature initiative of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership. In this role, Cindi serves as the connective tissue between federal agencies and local, tribal, and nonprofit partners working to restore and reimagine the Salt and Gila River corridors across metro Phoenix.

As Ambassador, she facilitates cross-sector collaboration, strengthens intergovernmental relationships, and helps communities align their long-term visions with viable federal funding pathways. Her work is focused on ensuring that place-based revitalization efforts are locally led, tribally inclusive, and strategically positioned for impact at scale.

In the conversation, Jalisa talks to Cindi about her role as the Urban Waters Ambassador and how she's supporting local communities, tribes and government partners in advancing long term visions that are actionable, fundable and rooted in trust, shared values and shared leadership.

Look for more urban waters resources at www.urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org.  

We are the initiative funded by EPA's Urban Waters Program and co-coordinated by Groundwork USA and River Network. Thanks so much for listening. 

This audio recording shares “Stories of Resilience” from four panelists who spoke at the Urban Waters Learning Forum networking session taking place in Grand Rapids, MI on May 13, 2024. 

Look for more urban waters resources at www.urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org.

We are the initiative funded by EPA's Urban Waters Program, in cooperation with the NPS Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, and co-coordinated by Groundwork USA and River Network. Thanks so much for listening.

Look for more urban waters resources at www.urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org.  

We are the initiative funded by EPA's Urban Waters Program and co-coordinated by Groundwork USA and River Network. Thanks so much for listening. 

Recorded on Dec 6, 2023, Renée Mazurek, Resilient Communities Manager for River Network and team member of the Urban Waters Learning Network, interviews Sarah Calderon, Groundwork Richmond's Workforce Development Director and President of Groundwork USA’s Board of Directors.   

In the conversation, Renée talks to Sarah about urban forestry and the intersections of the work with social justice, fundraising, community engagement partnerships as well as workforce development and job placement.

Look for more urban waters resources at www.urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org.

We are the initiative funded by EPA's Urban Waters Program, in cooperation with the NPS Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, and co-coordinated by Groundwork USA and River Network. Thanks so much for listening.

Look for more urban waters resources at www.urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org.  

We are the initiative funded by EPA's Urban Waters Program and co-coordinated by Groundwork USA and River Network. Thanks so much for listening. 

Recorded on February 14th, 2023, Renée Mazurek, Resilient Communities Manager for River Network and team member of the Urban Waters Learning Network, interviews Maria De Jesus, the Housing Justice Organizer for Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC), and a member of the Urban Waters Learning Network Equitable Development and Anti-Displacement Collaborative.

Maria works directly with community members in Newark, NJ, facing rent increases and evictions. At ICC, Housing Justice is an integral part of the Environmental Justice programming in a community that faces cumulative impacts from both water and air pollution. Her main role is to connect tenants with programs and legal services, using her personal experiences to connect with each community member and give them strength to always fight for their rights. In this conversation, Renée talks with Maria about her work, including the ties she sees between environmental issues and housing issues and the role that housing justice organizers play in keeping communities in place.

Look for more urban waters resources at www.urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org.  

We are the initiative funded by EPA's Urban Waters Program and co-coordinated by Groundwork USA and River Network. Thanks so much for listening. 

 Recorded on August 4, 2023, Renée Mazurek, Resilient Communities Manager for River Network and team member of the Urban Waters Learning Network, interviews Candida Rodriguez, the Director of Community Relations for Groundwork Hudson Valley.

Candida is the Director of Community Relations for Groundwork Hudson Valley in Yonkers, NY, where she is responsible for implementing community engagement programs, event organization, and developing public relations strategy. Candida has experience working alongside community members, local nonprofits, international organizations and government entities. Her expertise expands through climate change policy, gender equality, migration, education, youth development, and poverty reduction. She is passionate about the inclusion of vulnerable and underrepresented populations in decision making, especially on issues pertaining to environmental justice. 

In the conversation, Renée talks to Candida about with her climate resilience work that she is doing with the community in Yonkers. 

Look for more urban waters resources at www.urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org.  

We are the initiative funded by EPA's Urban Waters Program and co-coordinated by Groundwork USA and River Network. Thanks so much for listening.