by Renee Mazurek | Jan 30, 2024 | Network News
Sarah Calderon Workforce Development Director, Groundwork Richmond President of Groundwork USA’s Board of Directors Recorded on Dec 6, 2023, Renée Mazurek, Resilient Communities Manager for River Network and team member of the Urban Waters Learning...
by Renee Mazurek | Oct 11, 2023 | Network Blog
On September 25, 2023, the Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN) hosted a learning session entitled, Resilience Hubs as Community Superheroes of Climate Preparedness and Disaster Recovery. The recording, panelist bios, and presentation slides from the event are...
by Renee Mazurek | Aug 24, 2023 | Network Blog
Candida Rodriguez Director of Community Relations Groundwork Hudson Valley 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,...
by Renee Mazurek | Jul 14, 2023 | Network Blog
This interview was conducted by Hannah Mico on May 5, 2023 and re-blogged from River Network’s Meet Your Network page. Learn more about the Grand River Revitalization Project and the Grand Rapids Urban Waters Federal Partnership. Wendy Ogilvie (she/her) joined...
by Roxanne Ramirez | Jun 28, 2023 | Network Blog
This post, authored by Roxanne Ramirez and originally published on June 15, 2023, was reblogged from the Groundwork USA News and Resources page. With the official start of summer around the corner, the slow drip of news updates warning us to brace for yet...
by Maria Brodine | Jun 23, 2023 | Featured Resource, Network Blog
In this 6-part series, hosted by the Urban Waters Learning Network, we will highlight a variety of strategies that community-based organizations can use to help their communities anticipate, prepare for and respond to climate risks such as flooding, coastal storms and...
by Maria Brodine | Jun 7, 2023 | Network Blog
This article was reposted from the EPA Press Release originally posted on April 13, 2023. Download the fact sheet: EJ Thriving Communities TCTAC Selection Fact Sheet April 2023 EPA’s Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers include a network of over...
by Renee Mazurek | Mar 14, 2023 | General Resources, Network Blog
Maria De Jesus Housing Justice Organizer Ironbound Community Corporation 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,...
by Renee Mazurek | Mar 6, 2023 | General Resources, Network Blog
How the Federal Government Got There The early days of the urban environmental movement mostly excluded people of color and low-income residents who were actually exposed the most to pollution. Movements, like the Memphis Sanitation Strike of 1968, drew national...
by Renee Mazurek | Jan 11, 2023 | General Resources, Network Blog
On December 8, 2022, the Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN) Equitable Development and Anti-Displacement Collaborative hosted a learning session entitled, Exploring the Intersections between Environmental Justice and Equitable Development in Infrastructure...
by Renee Mazurek | Oct 26, 2022 | Network Blog
Aracelli Eikenberry-Mancilla Program Assistant Plaster Creek Stewards Founded in 2009 by Gail Heffner and Dave Warners (2019 UWLN Signature Award Winners), the Plaster Creek Stewards (PCS) form a collaboration of Calvin University faculty, staff, and...
by Renee Mazurek | Oct 17, 2022 | Network Blog
The Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN) hosted the 10th Annual Urban Waters Learning Forum (UWLF) on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC as a precursor to River Network’s River Rally conference. As in years’ past, the Learning Forum...
by Renee Mazurek | Apr 18, 2022 | Network Blog
Brenda Brinkhous-Hatch Green Team Program Coordinator Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group Brenda Brinkhous-Hatch has been planning and facilitating youth development opportunities throughout her career and continues on that path in her current...
by Maria Brodine | Mar 10, 2022 | Network Blog
Our congratulations to the 2022 Urban Waters Learning Network awardees! These leaders have been chosen for recognition by their peers in the Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN). The UWLN is a partnership of the national nonprofits River Network and Groundwork USA....
by Renee Mazurek | Jan 27, 2022 | Network Blog
Paulina López Executive Director Duwamish River Community Coalition Paulina López is a volunteer, organizer, advocate, and mother of three boys. Originally from Ecuador, she has made Seattle her home for 19 years. Presently, she is the Executive...
by Renee Mazurek | Jan 5, 2022 | General Resources, Network Blog
Nominations for 2022 UWLN Awards are being accepted NOW! Submit your nominations HERE! In 2021, the Urban Waters Federal Partnership celebrated 10 years since its inception, with the Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN) established at the same time. The first UWLN...
by Maria Brodine | Oct 19, 2021 | Network Blog
We have a big announcement: the Urban Waters Learning Network is moving! To be more specific — we are leaving Basecamp, and switching to a new interactive communication platform! For the last ten years, we have sought to provide opportunities for people and...
by Renee Mazurek | Jul 27, 2021 | Network Blog
Alicia Smith Executive Director Junction Coalition Alicia Smith is a proud native of Detroit, Michigan, and mother of three. She and her family currently reside in Toledo, Ohio, where Alicia serves as the Executive Director for Junction Coalition. She...
by Renee Mazurek | Jun 2, 2021 | Network Blog
In conjunction with River Network’s annual River Rally conference, the Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN) hosts an Urban Waters Learning Forum, a networking and training event for UWLN members. For the second year in a row, River Rally transformed into a virtual...
by Maria Brodine | May 10, 2021 | Network Blog
Last year, River Network ambitiously pioneered a three-week virtual version of the annual River Rally. In 2021, Rally will again be a virtual experience, this time with a shorter, four-day program from May 17-20. Despite the concise schedule, it is still jam-packed...
by Renee Mazurek | May 5, 2021 | Network Blog
Daniel Joseph Wiley Housing Justice Program and Policy Manager Ironbound Community Corporation The Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC), a member of the Urban Waters Learning Network since 2012, is a model example of an...
by Aditya Nochur | Feb 24, 2021 | Network Blog
Our congratulations to the 2021 Urban Waters Learning Network awardees! These leaders have been chosen for recognition by the Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN), a partnership of the national nonprofits River Network and Groundwork USA. The Urban Waters Learning...
by Maria Brodine | Feb 9, 2021 | Network Blog
Since the inception of the Urban Waters programs, including the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, ten years ago, Urban Waters practitioners have been making a splash in the environmental sector, pioneering critical initiatives in racial equity, environmental justice,...
by Maria Brodine | Nov 18, 2020 | Network Blog
The Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) announced selections for the State Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement (SEJCA) and Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Programs. 10 COVID-19 Grantees will receive...
by Maria Brodine | Nov 18, 2020 | Network Blog
For those of us who love maps and data, the USGS has recently published a new National Water Dashboard. “This viewer shows provisional real-time water data collected at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) observation stations in context with weather-related data...
by Aditya Nochur | Aug 24, 2020 | Network Blog
This year’s River Rally conference may have been virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the change in format did not preclude strong participation from Groundwork Trusts—a network of community-based organizations supported by the national non-profit Groundwork...
by Renee Mazurek | Jul 13, 2020 | Environmental Justice, General Resources, 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,...
by Renee Mazurek | Jun 2, 2020 | Network Blog
Following the decision to move this year’s River Rally to a virtual event rather than cancelling it altogether, River Network staff and board, organizational partners, conference presenters and sponsors instead became a model for resilience under challenging...
by Maria Brodine | May 15, 2020 | Network Blog
We were all looking forward to visiting San Antonio for River Rally this year. However, we welcome the opportunity to try something new. River Rally will be held virtually for the first time ever, for three full weeks online (May 18-Jun 7), and will feature both live...
by Renee Mazurek | May 5, 2020 | Network Blog
Cover photo from Heal the Bay water quality monitoring program. This post is also available on the River Network website blog. We at the Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN) and River Network know that many of our members who do water quality monitoring have questions...
by Aditya Nochur | Apr 27, 2020 | Network Blog
Our congratulations to the 2020 Urban Waters Learning Network awardees! These four leaders have been chosen for recognition by the Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN), a partnership of the national nonprofits River Network and Groundwork USA. The Urban Waters...
by Renee Mazurek | Apr 6, 2020 | Network Blog
Carrie Merson is the Education and Engagement Specialist at the San Antonio River Authority. She has had one foot in the education field and one foot in the wildlife sciences field for over 20 years. Her role at the San Antonio River Authority for provides the ideal...
by Cate Mingoya | Mar 31, 2020 | Network Blog
This post, written by Cate Mingoya of Groundwork USA, was re-blogged from Ensia. View the original version. Here’s why some neighborhoods don’t have them — and what we can do about it. March 31, 2020 — As we settle into our new normal — two parents working from home...
by Maria Brodine | Mar 31, 2020 | Network Blog
IN ADDITION TO the resources listed below, River Network has compiled a number of resources for dealing with the impacts of COVID-19, including general advice, managing stress and anxiety, social justice and equity concerns, and strategies for working remotely. For...
by Maria Brodine | Feb 12, 2020 | Network Blog
The new edition of Groundwork USA’s Learners to Leaders: Environmental Justice Literacy Curriculum is now available for download! If you download and use the curriculum, we ask that you kindly help us to track where and how it’s being used! This may also...
by Maria Brodine | Jan 12, 2020 | Network Blog
One year ago, as we looked ahead into 2019, we promised that in addition to our regular services–documenting the impacts of urban waters work, developing educational materials and webinars, offering scholarships to support in-person networking events, and...
by Maria Brodine | Oct 25, 2019 | Network Blog
Now in its second year, the Urban Waters Delegation grew from fourteen to twenty-three members, and now includes Delegates representing organizations from Boston, the Carolinas, DC, the Great Lakes Region, Houston, Kansas City, New Orleans, Newark, and New Orleans....
by Maria Brodine | Sep 16, 2019 | General Resources, Network Blog
I was never a pool kid. I learned how to search for desert hot springs by following the smell of sulfur, swam in potholes in rapidly flowing streams, frolicked in the shallow reaches of the Pacific. My childhood was haunted not by monsters under the bed, but by...
by Ian Burns | Sep 8, 2019 | Network Blog
This post was reblogged from Ian’s Blog, originally published on Aug 23, 2019, at Groundwork Lawrence. For additional information and photos, please check out The Merrimack River Voyagers by Lane Glenn and search #MRVVoyagers on social media channels. For more...
by Aditya Nochur | Aug 29, 2019 | Network Blog
This post was re-blogged from Groundwork USA, and originally published on August 22, 2019. “You used to be able to tell what dye the plant was processing by the color of the river that day,” Lesly Melendez told us as we stood at the site of a former commercial...
by Kait Birghenthal | Aug 14, 2019 | Network Blog
Fight, flight, or freeze: these are human’s three natural reactions to encountering a perceived threat. But what if the threat was amorphous, seemingly far off, and highly misunderstood? How might we react then? As demonstrated by the FrameWorks Institute in their ‘on...
by Renee Mazurek | Jul 31, 2019 | General Resources, Network Blog
Racism exists. This was the starting point for the Urban Waters Learning Forum workshop—Addressing Racial Equity in Environmental Spaces—held on Friday, June 21, in Cleveland, OH. Nearly 40 people gathered in a conference room in the Westin Downtown Cleveland for a...
by Maria Brodine | Jul 19, 2019 | Network Blog
”As a new member of the Groundwork team and first time river rally attendee, I am leaving inspired and better prepared to act on the environmental justice work that will help improve the lives of people and the spaces in Milwaukee.” — Damien DeBuhr, Deputy...
by Maria Brodine | Jun 13, 2019 | Network Blog
Five leaders have been chosen for recognition by the Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN), a partnership of the national nonprofits River Network and Groundwork USA. The Urban Waters Learning Network Awards, sponsored by the U.S. EPA, celebrate significant...
by Maria Brodine | May 28, 2019 | General Resources, Network Blog
When Tap Water is Better I’m generally a big advocate for drinking (filtered) tap water. The reasons are well summarized in “The Story of Bottled Water,” a 2010 video by the Story of Stuff Project. In short, 20-30% of bottled water comes straight...
by Renee Mazurek | May 13, 2019 | General Resources, Network Blog
This year, the team members of the Urban Waters Learning Network are digging deeper into a topic that has long been a concern of our members: the gentrification and displacement of people that we see taking place in our urban communities, oftentimes following efforts...
by Renee Mazurek | Apr 8, 2019 | Network Blog
This year, the team members of the Urban Waters Learning Network are digging deeper into a topic that has long been a concern of our members: the gentrification and displacement of people that we see taking place in our urban communities, oftentimes following efforts...
by Maria Brodine | Mar 14, 2019 | Network Blog
The Crooked River River Rally always takes place in river cities. This time it’s in Cleveland, where the Cuyahoga “crooked river” arcs its way through the city. The Cuyahoga was once one of the most polluted rivers in the country–and, for a...
by Renee Mazurek | Feb 16, 2019 | Environmental Justice, Network Blog
This year, the team members of the Urban Waters Learning Network are digging deeper into a topic that has long been a concern of our members: the gentrification and displacement of people that we see taking place in our urban communities, oftentimes following efforts...
by Maria Brodine | Jan 30, 2019 | Network Blog
Where We’ve Been The Learning Network started in 2011 as a very small group–under a dozen people–who were first involved in Urban Waters as fellows, grant recipients, and people who were interested in doing urban waters work. The participants were...
by Maria Brodine | Nov 21, 2018 | Network Blog
October 17-19, the Urban Waters Learning Network Team attended the EPA Urban Waters National Training Workshop. The semi-annual Workshop is sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support the work of the fourteen agencies in the Urban Waters Federal...
by Maria Brodine | Oct 11, 2018 | Network Blog
EPA awarded a total of $1.2 million to non-profit groups in 10 environmental justice (EJ) communities across the country for projects intended to assist in addressing environmental and public health risks. See a list of awarded projects here. Each project will be...
by Maria Brodine | Aug 13, 2018 | Network Blog
Contribute to the next edition of Groundwork USA’s environmental justice literacy curriculum! If you are interested in being part of further testing Learners to Leaders, please fill out this form or contact maria@groundworkusa.org. How do you define “environmental...
by Maria Brodine | Jul 26, 2018 | Network Blog
Connecting People Through One Water Our primary goal at the Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN) is to find innovative ways to connect people and share resources. This year, we added a new conference to the mix — the One Water Summit, hosted annually by the U.S. Water...
by Maria Brodine | Jun 20, 2018 | Network Blog
Resilient DC is launching the second phase of its efforts to write a Resilience Strategy under the 100 Resilient Cities framework. Many members of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership are participating in its various working groups, including the only...
by Maria Brodine | Jun 17, 2018 | Network Blog
Networking in River Cities Most professional conferences offer opportunities to learn from experts, meet industry peers, and ideally, find a little professional inspiration. But it’s not every conference that can boast great learning and networking opportunities plus...
by Maria Brodine | May 9, 2018 | Network Blog
On April 29th, 2018, the Urban Waters Learning Network presented four awards to leaders from around the country, honoring them for their contributions in environmental justice and equity, environmental education, and youth leadership. The Urban Waters Learning Network...
by Renee Mazurek | Apr 26, 2018 | Network Blog
Much of the world’s population lives in coastal regions that are vulnerable to rising sea level and storm events. After the impactful 2017 hurricane season, many urban waters practitioners are asking: How do communities effectively respond to devastating storms? ...
by Maria Brodine | Jan 26, 2018 | Network Blog
River and Water Champions Every year, people from around the country and from every sector—academics, inventors and innovators, advocates, public servants, and general enthusiasts—attend River Network’s conference, called River Rally. Aside from being fun—with...
by Laura Cattell Noll | Oct 13, 2017 | Network Blog
Since 2007, the Alice Ferguson Foundation (AFF) has partnered with community members, local jurisdictions, non-profits and businesses to prevent litter through a community-based social marketing campaign. The Regional Litter Prevention Campaign is an outreach campaign...
by Gabrielle Roffe | Oct 3, 2017 | General Resources, Network Blog
This post was reblogged from The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) blog on Medium. The Groundwork Denver Green Teams spend their summer embodying environmental stewardship through their work, visiting public lands to do service work, all while exploring...
by Erin Wall | Sep 8, 2017 | Network Blog
Growing up in Savannah, GA, I always felt a strong tie to water. There was the Savannah River I would see when I would walk down River Street, the many bike rides to the marsh close to my house, and the countless trips to the beach for fun and with my school. These...
by Maria Brodine | Aug 22, 2017 | Network Blog
The Water Infrastructure Problem It’s no secret that infrastructure—including electric grids, fossil fuel pipelines, public transportation lines, bridges, railways, and roads—are in a rapid state of decline in the U.S., and that there is not nearly enough money...
by Kaitlin Popielarz | Jul 31, 2017 | Network Blog
We the People of Detroit In 2008, We The People of Detroit (WPD) was co-founded by Chris Griffith, Aurora Harris, Monica Lewis-Patrick, Cecily McClellan, and Debra Taylor in response to Emergency Management over the city of Detroit and Detroit Public Schools. As a...
by Maria Brodine | Jul 20, 2017 | General Resources, Network Blog
One Water Summit 2017 On June 27-29, I attended the 2017 One Water Summit in New Orleans, LA. Like River Rally, the Summit is held every year in a different water city. Local projects and partnerships are highlighted throughout the conference, from a series of outdoor...
by Maria Brodine | Jun 24, 2017 | General Resources, Network Blog
Gentrification. Those of us who work in water cities and towns inevitably encounter it. To have a positive impact on the communities where we work, we must discuss what gentrification means, analyze our own role in the process, and come up with solutions. I worked for...
by freshysites | May 22, 2017 | General Resources, Network Blog
“You’re not only the future, you’re also the today,” Catherine Cushway tells her students. I met Catherine and her ninth grade class from C.A. Frost Environmental Science Middle High School at Teen Rally. River Network hosted its first Teen Rally as part of their...
by freshysites | May 15, 2017 | Network Blog
Once, on a road trip with friends from New York to California, I kept a list of every river and stream we crossed, starting with the Hudson. After the Delaware and the Susquehanna, we found ourselves crossing the Cowpasture River and Salt Sulphur Springs, Clinch River...
by Maria Brodine | Apr 28, 2017 | General Resources
The Urban Waters Learning Network (UWLN) Awards celebrate Learning Network members making significant achievements toward improving their urban waterways and revitalizing the neighborhoods around them. These members embody the spirit and value of the Learning Network...
by Maria Brodine | Mar 29, 2017 | General Resources, Network Blog, Outreach & Education, Stormwater & Green Infrastructure, Water Quality
Point and Nonpoint Source Pollution You may have heard the terms point and nonpoint source pollution. To demystify these terms a bit, a point source is a known source of pollutants, such as a factory or a sewer treatment plant. Nonpoint sources are everything else:...
by Maria Brodine | Feb 14, 2017 | combined-sewer-overflows, General Resources, Network Blog, Outreach & Education, Water Quality
How much waste do you produce in a single day? To find out, all you need is a kitchen scale. Over a period of seven days, weigh your garbage and keep a record. How much trash do you, as an individual, produce each week? What about your whole family? What percentage of...
by freshysites | Nov 17, 2016 | Environmental Justice, Greenways/Blueways & Riverbank Restoration, Network Blog, Outreach & Education, Superfund sites, Water Quality
What does it mean when Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition/Technical Advisory Group (DRCC/TAG) says that our work is driven and guided by community? This could just mean that we look at some neighborhood plans or host a public comment meeting to determine if the path we...
by Erin Wall | Oct 10, 2016 | Network Blog
At scales ranging from the neighborhood and city to the watershed and basin, communities around the country are finding ways to break down silos in water management to become more sustainable and to more equitably maximize benefits across their community and...
by Maria Brodine | Jul 6, 2016 | Environmental Justice, Network Blog
“Diversity and Inclusiveness” was one of the main themes at the 2016 River Rally in Mobile, AL. This represents a growing movement, consisting of people from all walks of life, who recognize that we need representation from a larger variety of people, especially those...
by freshysites | Apr 6, 2016 | General Resources, Network Blog
It really was a “Watershed Awakening”…the growing awareness and eventual decision made by Calvin College to turn its attention to Plaster Creek, the impaired creek that drains the watershed in which the college is situated in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Back in 2002,...
