One of the primary benefits of the Urban Waters Learning Network is the opportunity to gather and share knowledge and resources with one another. Once again, at River Rally 2024–held in Grand Rapids, MI–we hosted the day-long Urban Waters Learning Forum on the day leading up to Rally. Several participants let us know how much they appreciated the opportunity to get together, in person, with peers. The feedback rings the same note as many such comments throughout the years: the Learning Forum provides a stepping-stone, an inspiring opportunity to connect with peers in a smaller, more focused setting before the big conference. And, it’s a unique opportunity to get folks to the table who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend, especially when we are able to issue scholarships that ease the cost of registration.
Urban Waters Learning Forum attendees participated in a variety of small group discussions, focused on topics of relevance to the network.
Having begun my career in the nonprofit sector as an Urban Waters Small Grant recipient (as Program Coordinator for Groundwork New Orleans)–and a UWLN member–I now see this as one of the most important things I can do as an UWLN Coordinator: create spaces for people to gather and share knowledge, tools, and lived experience.
Rally attendees enjoy games and dinner from local food trucks on the banks of the Grand River.
This year’s Rally held a lot of events outdoors, with workshops and panels in classrooms at a university, rather than the typical hotel conference center you often see at environmental and other professional conferences. The drawback of this was having to deal with limited attendance and space constraints, but there were numerous advantages: such as, supporting a learning institution and being close to great museums and public spaces. There was also less emphasis placed on conference-based social events and more emphasis on encouraging people to enjoy opportunities to socialize in the host city. As much as I missed some of the old-school Rally events, I really appreciated the chance to get out and explore and see what Grand Rapids has to offer. It’s a city full of public art and performance spaces, and I must say I felt like I was in a musical on Tuesday night — with people spontaneously breaking out into song and synchronized dance.
At the Learning Forum, we began with an interactive training in the morning with a limited audience (broadly, these trainings are focused on developing a common language around racial equity and inclusion, then exploring different aspects of direct application to environmental/water work), followed by an afternoon session called Stories of Climate Resilience in our Urban Waters Communities.
From left to right: panelists Dr. Angela Chalk, Founder and Director at Healthy and Community Services, New Orleans; Carlos Calderon, Director of Sustainable Community Development, West Michigan Environmental Action Council; Drs. Gail Heffner, Associate Director for Community Based Research, and David Warners, Director, Plaster Creek Stewards; and Moderator Jalisa Gilmore, Groundwork USA.
This session led with a panel of experts from various communities, including Dr. Angela Chalk who leads coalition efforts with Healthy Community Services in New Orleans, Gail Heffner and Dave Warner who founded Plaster Creek Stewards in Grand Rapids, and Carlos Calderon, Director of Sustainable Community Development for the West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC). This was followed by open space peer discussions based on topics suggested by network members. We ended things with a closing circle and a full group reflection on takeaways from the gathering.
“Native plants are an act of decolonization.” – Dr. Angela Chalk
“Restoration and reparations go together.” – Dr. Gail Heffner
“I feel accountable to water, nonhuman life, and the communities that haven’t arrived yet.” – Carlos Calderon
I can’t count how many conferences I’ve attended to date, but River Rally is still one of my favorites, not least because of the Learning Forum, where I get to meet and interact with the most amazing people doing some of the most critical work in this climate and environmental movement. I look forward to continuing to use my role to create access to this space for others, so that they too may feel inspired and moved by the insights and accomplishments of others.
Stay tuned for a lot more information and reflections to come out of the 2024 River Rally!