River Rally 2024

Welcome to River Rally 2024

8:30am EDT

Funding Environmental Justice: Building Equitable Partnerships from Frontline Communities to Funders (Urban Waters Learning Forum Training, Limited Capacity) L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Jennifer Arnold • Darryl Haddock • Nancy Aguilar • EPA • Urban Waters Learning Network

2:00pm EDT

Clean Water for All Coalition Meeting (Coalition Members Only) L.V. Eberhard Center (EC) Urban Waters Learning Forum – Networking Session L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)EPA • Urban Waters Learning Network

5:00pm EDT

River Rally First-Timers Meetup Ah-Nab-Awen ParkDennis Mabasa

6:00pm EDT

Welcome Reception Blue BridgeThe Wege Foundation

8:00am EDT

Breakfast L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)

9:00am EDT

Creating a Community Rainscaping Program L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Anna Kornoelje • Kelly Goward • Cara Decker FERC-Regulated Hydropower Dams: Licensing, Impacts, and Removal L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Shannon Ames • Bob Stuber • Serena McClain Advancing Equity and Justice Through Strategic Communication L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Sam Meinke • Javon Dobbs Building Board Power & Accountability L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Francisco "Paco" Ollervides Navigating States' SRF Intended Use Plans L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Sapna Mulki • Janet Pritchard • Danielle Goshen Bayou City Waterkeeper's Wetland Watch: Community Advocacy and Wetland Preservation L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Alenka Cardenas • Danielle Garcia

9:30am EDT

TA Success with the American Flood Coalition Story LoungeHannah Mico • Yasmine Dyson

11:00am EDT

Urban Forestry: A Tool for Climate Resilience and Community Empowerment L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Stephanie Heidbreder • Felice Green Advancing River Restoration Through State-Based Collaboration L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Serena McClain • Kat Hoenke Let's Talk About Burnout - and How to Heal L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Megan Nguyen • Moiz Mir The Clean Water Act at Work L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Katherine Baer • April Ingle • La’Tanya Scott • Karen Bareford End Lead Poisoning: Community Advocacy and Public Education L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Kirsten Haitaian • Candice Mushatt • Anna Bunting Mapping and Community Engagement: Protecting the Five Most Critical Wetland Areas in the Lower Galveston Bay Watershed L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Danielle Garcia • Alenka Cardenas

12:00pm EDT

Lunch L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)

1:00pm EDT

Communications Tools for Environmental Change: Case Studies from the Mystic River Watershed L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Jennifer Delgado • Marja Copeland • Isaiah Johnson Engaging Communities in Dam Management and Dam Removal Projects L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Josh Leisen Sister Rivers Initiative: Sharing Knowledge, Building Capacity, and Fostering Hope Through NGO Mentorship L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Kimberly Balke • Madison Ball Working Towards the Remediation of Little Village's Collateral Channel L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Feliciano Ocegueda • Mariah Mata • Cyatharine Alias • Nancy Meza Local to National Perspectives on Replacing the Nation’s Toxic Lead Pipes L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Maureen Cunningham GIS for the Good: Advancing DEIJ in Maryland's Environmental Stewardship L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Wansoo Im • Claudia Donegan • Carrie Decker

2:15pm EDT

Building a Civic Innovation Hub: Resident Cohort Model for Stormwater Resilience L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Cyatharine Alias • Brandon Evans • Dr. Rachel Scarlett • Maggie Catania • Mary Carvlin Barriers and Opportunities in Scaling Local Capacity for Multi-Benefit Watershed Projects L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Chelsea Silva • Alex Funk • Thérèse D’Auria Ryley Media with Impact: Building a Community Driven Model for Environmental Justice News Coverage in the Great Lakes Basin L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Kausthubh Sumanth • Hira Ahmad Leveraging the Largest Conservation Goal of the Century for Equitable & Just Freshwater Solutions: An Overview of America the Beautiful for All Coalition L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Martin Castro Equity in Every Drop: Creating Affordable Water Rates L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Kristy Meyer • Monica Lewis-Patrick • Jasmine Newell • Jill Ryan • Roger Colton Reconciliation Ecology: Addressing Historical and Current Injustices by Restoring Relationships in the Plaster Creek Watershed L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Gail Gunst Heffner • David Warners • Ron Yob

3:15pm EDT

Legacy of Justice Ballroom of the L.V. Eberhard CenterRidgway White • John Echohawk • Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

5:00pm EDT

Leaders of Color Happy Hour The Loft at LunaEarthjustice

7:30am EDT

[Affinity Walk] Queer Is Natural! A Walking Tour Celebrating the Queer and Natural History of Grand Rapids Lyon SquareEirann Betka-Pope

8:00am EDT

Breakfast L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)

9:00am EDT

Gentrification and Displacement: Creating Community-Centered Solutions L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Maria Brodine • Renée Mazurek • Arthur Johnson • Gloria McNair • Elizabeth Balladares River Town Review: Community Development Through Outdoor Recreation L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Russell Clark • John Olivier Crafting Your Elevator Pitch L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Brenna Goggin • Amy Boal Navigating the Dynamics of Working in a Collaboration/Partnership L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Sarah Clark • Joy Jackson Yes, you’re an advocate! Elevating Impact Through Community Training L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Katharine Lange • Michele Colopy • Julian Gonzalez • Priscilla (Pri) Oliveira Finding Shared Goals: Building Trust with Your Local Water Utilities L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Shelby Cline • April Ingle • Caroline Koch • Hilary Chen • Katherine Baer • Dr. Angela Chalk • Grace Vogel Rivers of Opportunity: Community Engagement Tools for Increasing Equitable River Protection L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Corita Waters • Dr. Janae Davis Emerging Leader Story Share Story LoungeTravis Loop • Megan Nguyen • Hira Ahmad • Kevin Jeffery • Charles Miller Lake Michigan Coastline Exploration: Muskegon, Michigan VariousHannah Mico

11:00am EDT

Urban River Restoration and Homelessness: Intersectional Solutions L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Wansoo Im • Sarah Hutmacher Unlocking the Potential of the National Park Service's Partnership Wild and Scenic Program: A Path to River Conservation and Community Growth L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Lindsey Wight • Jim MacCartney • John Little How Do You Say Watershed in Spanish? Effectively Translating Environmental Discourse from English to Spanish L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Lucia Middleton Generating Change: Turning Programs into Policies for River Protection L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Justinn Overton Lake Huron Forever: How Local Officials Activate Water Protection for Constituents L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Maddie Khuri • Amy Nowakowski Demystifying Your Water System’s Consumer Confidence Report TBAErin Kanzig • Shelby Cline Forest to Mi Faucet L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Mike Smalligan Conserving the Freshwater Stage: Resilience of Rivers in the Conterminous US for Biodiversity in a Changing Climate L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Mary Khoury • Arlene Olivero Leveraging Data Visualization to Support Equitable Watershed-Scale Investments in Nature-Based Solutions L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Amy Heldman Record Your Elevator Pitch Story LoungeBrenna Goggin • Amy Boal

12:00pm EDT

Kayaking the Grand River Various Plaster Creek Urban Hike Adventure VariousAndrea Lubberts Policy from the Ground Up Ballroom of the L.V. Eberhard CenterSarah Diringer • Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud • Dennis Mabasa • Jill Ryan City of Grand Rapids Lake Michigan Filtration Plant

2:00pm EDT

Aquatic Macroinvertebrate and Water Quality SamplingMatt Bain Art and Activism Walking TourCara Decker Grand River Litter Clean-Up VariousGrace Fullmer Grand River Restoration Project Walking Tour Various Planting A Rain Garden Various Plaster Creek Native Plant Greenhouse and Floodplain Restoration Various The Grand River Restoration Project Bike Tour Various The Highlands Daylighting Walking Tour Various

6:00pm EDT

Celebration at Ah-Nab-Awen Park Ah-Nab-Awen ParkThe Nature Conservancy

8:00am EDT

Breakfast L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)

9:00am EDT

Using State Revolving Funds for Nature-based Infrastructure L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Lia Mastropolo • Sarah Bach • Lacey Davis Nutrient Pollution: Problem-Solving in the Great Lakes Basin, Mississippi Basin, and Beyond L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Val Schull • Albert Ettinger • Debbie Neustadt • Erin Kanzig Shouting into the Void: Why Social Media Is No Longer Working for You and What to Do About It L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Brandon Hayes • Patrick Williams Collaborative Advocacy Campaign Building L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Grace Stranch • Marie Campbell • Chandra Brown Addressing the Root Causes of Water & Climate Injustices L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Katy Lackey • Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud • Joe Fitzgerald • Victoria Loong • Maritza Mendoza • Chris Clark

9:15am EDT

The Story of Trail Mix Story LoungeSharee Harrison • Mike Brick

9:45am EDT

Meet Your Network: Felice Green on Urban Forestry Story LoungeFelice Green

11:00am EDT

From Inspiration to Action: The Journey of Flow Funding L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Lesley Slavitt • Arthur Johnson • Teresa Davis Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Resilience: Spotlight on Floodplains L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Brian Murphy • Bob Carey • Lacey Davis Invigorating Contributions From Your Board L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Jennifer Grieser Supreme Problem: State of the States Post Sackett L.V. Eberhard Center (EC)Kristine Oblock • Melanie Houston • Brian Vigue • Julian Gonzalez • Jillian Blanchard • Jonathan Dinerstein

12:00pm EDT

Navigating Federal Funding: Local Voices, Diverse Solutions Ballroom of the L.V. Eberhard CenterTravis Loop • Celina Mahabir • Thérèse D’Auria Ryley • Kirsten Shead