Delaware River Fellows raise environmental awareness in their communities
Xzy-Nayé Campbell, PEEC Fellow and Mafanta Swaray, The Watershed Institute Fellow.
Courtesy/Alliance for Watershed Education
by Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River
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Janniry Cabrera Belen’s favorite memory is climbing trees with her cousins
in the Dominican Republic and basking in the beauty of the nature around
her. Janniry is bringing that feeling of “peace and pure happiness” to the Lehigh Gap Nature Center this
summer as a Fellow in the
Delaware River Fellows Program.
By building a native plant demonstration garden that tells the story of the
Center’s Superfund restoration work through bilingual displays and signage,
she hopes to attract more Spanish speaking visitors to the Center.
Adriana Amador-Chacon’s favorite memory of nature is exploring the woods
and creek near her home in Tennessee as a child. Fascinated by the
critters, she and her friends once caught a snapping turtle and took a
selfie with it before releasing it into the creek. Adriana is bringing that
same fascination and love of nature to the New Jersey Conservation
Foundation Gateway Park in Camden this summer as a Fellow in the Delaware
River Fellows Program. In an effort to attract more of the local community
to the beautiful green spaces in Camden, Adriana is
hosting a series of art classes that combine painting lessons with
information about stormwater management and the importance of clean,
healthy water. An exhibition at the end of the summer will showcase the
art.
The Delaware River Fellows Program
gives young adults the opportunity to get valuable, first-hand experience
in habitat conservation and environmental education in the Delaware
Watershed. This summer, 30 Fellows are working on individual capstone
projects focused on environmental issues and engaging local communities.
They gain knowledge of conservation and share their passion with others,
encouraging the enjoyment, use, and care of the natural areas in the
watershed.
Janniry, Adriana and the other Fellows are paid to work on their projects
at the 23 environmental education centers in PA, NJ and DE that comprise
the
Alliance for Watershed Education (AWE). AWE seeks to intentionally engage diverse communities, especially those
who have been historically left out of conversations about protecting our
shared environment. It promotes equitable access to its Centers and
fostering socially responsible practices that will result in a healthier
natural environment.
Jahya Gale-Cottries, a Fellow at the
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
understands the importance of building community in the neighborhood around
the Refuge: “Forming a connection over a common interest like nature can
really strengthen and bond a community.” By encouraging local residents to
help clean litter from the waterways, Jahya will teach them about the
environmental harm caused by illegal dumping.
Robin Irizarry, Fellowship Coordinator for the Alliance for Watershed
Education (AWE), is excited to work with a full cohort of Fellows this
year: “Last year the Fellowship program was limited due to the pandemic.
While we can’t say things are back to normal, we are incredibly grateful
for a cohort of 30 Fellows working at all of the AWE environmental
education centers this summer. These young people are eager to learn all
about restoring and protecting their local waterways and to share that
knowledge with their communities.”
The Fellowship Program, now in its fifth year, builds on a growing national
momentum for more diversity and equity in environmental leadership and
enjoyment of the outdoors. Most of the AWE centers are in urban areas and
many of the Fellows come from nearby BIPOC communities that have been
historically underrepresented at the centers and in the broader
environmental movement. The Fellows gain invaluable conservation and
environmental experience that may not otherwise have been available to
them.
Irizarry says, “Racial equity and representation in the field of
environmental conservation has been a priority of the Fellowship program
since its beginnings in 2017. In reflecting on the events of 2020, (AWE)
has come to recognize that the Fellowship program is one place where we can
be the most intentional in our efforts, dialing in our recruitment efforts
to present these opportunities first and foremost to community members
around our environmental centers, in communities that have historically
been excluded from conversations around watershed protection.”
The 2021 Fellows are passionate about the environment and are working hard
to connect neighborhoods and groups of people with nature across the
Watershed.
Meet the Fellows:
Camden, New Jersey
• Lesslie Montiel, Fellow at
Camden Children’s Garden, is teaching the local Spanish-speaking community about the importance of
insects, particularly native pollinating insects, in a healthy watershed.
Bilingual staff and resources will encourage participation in the
construction of pollinator houses that will be installed at community
gardens throughout Camden.
• By leading kayaking trips and photographing the trash and waste in the
Delaware River with an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) that he
is constructing, Anthony Lara, Fellow at the Camden County Environmental Center, hopes to educate the
local community about how litter affects the health of a river.
• Mafanta Swaray and Edgar Rivera
, Fellows at The Watershed Institute, are
designing mini butterfly gardens (“butterfly barrels”) in Trenton
neighborhoods to enhance the urban environment with native pollinator
plants. Mafanta and Edgar will also host a program where Trenton residents
can learn more about butterflies and receive supplies to build their own
mini butterfly gardens.
• Recognizing that many people in the Trenton area live close to the Delaware
River but don’t have the opportunity to interact with it, Fabio Yales, Fellow at the
D&R Greenways, Tulpehaking Nature Center
is educating residents about the history and ecological importance of the
river. Using his storytelling skills and passion for photography, he is
creating virtual kayak trips to encourage the local community to
participate in the Center’s growing kayaking program.
Wilmington, Delaware
• Saada Wing,
Fellow at
First State National Historical Park and The Nature Conservancy,
is creating a trivia game to help people of all ages understand the
importance of the Delaware River Watershed. Saada will be hosting a live
version on July 31st at Brandywine Creek State Park, where she will be
spinning a game wheel and giving out prizes. Visitors will also be able to
play the game on their own at any time.
• Maria Dupnock, Fellow at the
DuPont Environmental Education Center, is developing a toolkit for the Center’s Trail Ambassadors (select
Wilmington youth who are trained to educate the public). It will include a
pocket field guide on common wildlife species and local fish as well as
engagement tips. The toolkit will enrich the Ambassadors’ knowledge and
assist in the delivery of their public education programs.
Courtesy/Alliance for Watershed EducationMaria Dupnock, AWE Delaware River Fellow at the Dupont Environmental Education Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Using 21st century tools, Sandy Phuong and Brandon Chaingam, Fellows at the Discovery Center, hope to
attract and engage more visitors to the Center. Sandy is expanding the
Center’s social media platforms to attract more young people in the
Strawberry Mansion community, while Brandon is developing a series of QR
codes equipped signs to help visitors identify and learn about native
plants in the garden using their cell phones.
• Andrew “Drew” Atkerson, this year’s Senior Fellow is helping pilot a new
mentorship component of the Fellowship Program to connect past and current
Fellows with environmental professionals who share similar life
experiences, cultural and racial identities, interests, and professional
goals.
Courtesy/Alliance for Watershed EducationAndrew Atkerson, 2021 Senior Fellow, holding an American toad at the Pocono Environmental Education Center. • Brooklyn Clayton, Fellow at Bartram’s Gardens, is
creating themed “Garden Games” to bring together community members and
teach them about the Schuylkill River through a series of fun and
educational activities, including biking and kayaking competitions.
• To educate the local community about the impacts of illegal dumping in the
waterways,
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge
Fellow Jahya Gale-Cottries is engaging other AWE Fellows
and the community to help remove tires from the Darby Creek and Refuge
through her Tire Round Up Program. She hopes that the education
and engagement will result in less illegal dumping and more appreciation
and care for local waterways.
• Amira Parker
and Jon'avin Freeman, Fellows at the Fairmount Water Works, are
developing an educational activity book for high school students on
watersheds and river health. The activity book will be offered in English
and Spanish and will be used as a tool to engage high school students in a
local Hispanic high school community.
Courtesy/Alliance for Watershed EducationJon'avin Freeman (L) and Amira Parker (R) 2021 Fairmount Water Works Fellows. • Environmental racism and water justice are the focus ofIndependence Seaport Museumfellows Tamiria Elliott and Molly Flanagan, who arecreating lesson
plans for the Museum’s River Ambassadors (high school students who lead
interactive public programs at the Museum). The lesson plans will enhance
the Ambassadors’ knowledge and provide a framework for public programs at
the Museum. The Fellows have also drafted a land acknowledgement for the
Ambassadors to use in helping the public recognize and honor the indigenous
Lenni Lenape people who have inhabited and protected the area since long
before European settlers arrived in the United States.
• Vary J. Soth, Fellow at
Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center, is engaging local teens to help measure the health of the water in Cobbs
Creek and working to recruit local community members to become part of a
team that will monitor environmental issues in the area.
• Sharing information about how to forage local edible plants is a tool for engaging community residents in park resources. MyKyah Vessels, Fellow at
the
Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership at Tacony Creek Park,
is teaching visitors how to identify plants and safely forage in Tacony
Creek Park by creating blogs and factsheets, and leading two walks, to demonstrate these special yet accessible natural assets.
• Jamel Shockley, Fellow at the
Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, is helping to revitalize the Center’s gardens by removing weeds and
invasive plants and repopulating with native plants. The hope is to create
an engaging dialogue around the impacts of invasive plants and the benefits
of switching to a native plant palette.
• Julianna Roseo, Fellow at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, is
using “pedal and paddle” events to highlight the environmental dangers and
impacts of plastic pollution and to encourage people to cut back on
single-use plastics.
Reading, Pennsylvania
• Through plant potting classes, Kamar Bennett, Fellow at
the Berks Nature Center, is
teaching the local Reading community about how vegetation benefits a
watershed. Kamar is also introducing the community to local trails and
parks in and around the Center that they may not have been aware of. His
goal is to show that nature is always close by – in a park around the
corner or in a pot on your front porch.
Around the Delaware River watershed:
• Janniry Cabrera Belen
and Alexis Matos are creating new educational outreach
tools centered around theLehigh Gap Nature Center’s (LGNC) native plant gardens. With bilingual (English/Spanish)
signage, Janniry will tell the story of LGNC’s Superfund restoration work.
She is also creating bilingual videos focused on watershed stewardship and
is hosting Nature in Art classes. Alexis is developing a field guide to the
150+ species of native plants surrounding LGNC’s visitor center with
information highlighting the sensory appeal of each plant, hosting virtual
native plant lectures, creating plant spotlight YouTube videos, and
designing signs for the gardens and trails.
• Gabriel Jacobs
, Fellow at the
Bristol Marsh - Heritage Conservancy,
hopes to introduce members of the Lower Bucks County LGBTQ+ community to
environmental conservation by creating a safe space to learn how to become
environmental stewards. They are highlighting the restorative power of
nature by hosting picnics, nature walks, and mindfulness activities to
promote emotional well-being and to help connect people to the natural
spaces in their community.
• Brian Frey
and Xzy-Nayé Campbell, Fellows at the Pocono Environmental Education Center(PEEC), are hosting ‘PEEC Day’ activities in the East
Stroudsburg area to establish a stronger relationship between the community
and their Center. Through their efforts they hope to bring a bit of the
Pocono Environmental Education Center experience (hands-on, nature-themed
activities and crafts) to the libraries and parks in order to inspire
community members who’ve never visited PEEC to come out and experience
nature rich trails with them.
• Gilliam Lorenzo, Fellow at the
John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove,
is helping establish native plant gardens at three local schools to
increase biodiversity in the area, help restore healthy soils, and prevent
river pollution. Working closely with Centro de Cultura Arte Trabajo y
Educacion (CCATE) in Norristown, she is engaging Spanish speaking students,
teachers and families to enhance their understanding about ecological
restoration.
The Delaware River Fellows Program
is funded by the William Penn Foundation, which has supported five cohorts
and more than 120 individual Fellows, many who have gone on to continue
working in the environmental field.
The Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River
is a regional initiative of 23 partnering environmental education centers
located along waterways in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The
Delaware River watershed is a 13,500-square mile system which provides
clean drinking water for 13 million people. Through aligned communications,
joint programming and shared best practices among the centers, the Alliance
works toward inspiring a healthy Delaware River watershed with diverse
communities and people empowered to sustain it. For updates about AWE
activities, sign up for a newsletter and learn more
about the Fellows and their projects on AWE’s Facebook page
and on Instagram.
by Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River