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Brightseat Tech Park, Prince George’s County, MD: Maryland Data Center Series, Pt. 4
A proposed data center at the Landover Mall site has led to community pushback and organizing for environmental justice and a ban on data center development in Prince George’s County.
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Advocacy Works: Reflecting on the FY27 DC Budget
Advocacy Works: Reflecting on the FY27 DC Budget This spring, Nature Forward joined residents, partners, and advocates from across the District to urge the DC Council to protect critical environmental and public health investments in the FY27 Budget Support Act. Through testimony, coalition advocacy, meetings with Councilmembers and staffers, and community engagement, we emphasized that…
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Building Community for Clean Water: Reflections from the 2026 Choose Clean Water Coalition Annual DC Workgroup Member Event
On April 23, 2026, Nature Forward welcomed members of the DC Workgroup of the Choose Clean Water Coalition (CCWC) for an inspiring day of learning, collaboration, and community building in “The Great Ward 8,” Southeast Washington, DC. Led by DC Conservation Advocate and DC Lead for CCWC, Jamoni Overby gathered nineteen advocates, practitioners, and partners…
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Woodlawn Data Center, Baltimore, MD: Maryland Data Center Series Pt. 2
Woodlawn is no stranger to large buildings, but plans for data centers threaten the health of an overburdened and underserved community.
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Post-Sine Die Updates
The Maryland General Assembly will wrap up Monday, April 13th after many hours of poring over legislation, tracking amendments, and hundreds of letters from Nature Forward’s members to their legislators. Read on to understand which of our priority bills were able to pass muster this session. This year, Nature Forward and Marylanders for Data Center…
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Building Flood Wise Communities Expanded
As climate change intensifies, flooding is no longer a distant possibility for Washington, DC, it’s a present and growing reality. In response, Nature Forward, alongside powerful community partners, Ward 7 Resilience Hub Community Coalition, The Green Scheme, and Washington Interfaith Network has expanded and reimagined Building Flood Wise Communities Workshop Series. Through the support of…
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DC’s Fight for a Bottle Bill: How the 3RC for DC Coalition Is Leading the Way
Washington, DC is drowning in beverage container waste. From the banks of Oxon Run to neighborhoods across all eight wards, plastic bottles litter our public spaces and waterways. But a powerful grassroots movement is fighting back using strategy, determination, and collaboration. 3RC for DC, the Return, Refund, Recycle Coalition, the driving force behind the District’s…
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The Potomac Interceptor Sewage Spill: Water Infrastructure Wake-Up Call
In January 2026, one of the largest sewage spills in U.S. history occurred along the Potomac River, exposing vulnerabilities in aging wastewater infrastructure and raising urgent concerns about environmental health, economic impacts, and public accountability across Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. The collapse of the Potomac Interceptor sewer line not only polluted a critical regional…
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Data Centers are said to create jobs, but people need to know: what kind and how many?
Guest post by Nature Forward volunteer Sheila Igoe…if you’d like to research, write, and edit educational materials like this, reach out! Photo via The Cyber Express Among the many controversies surrounding data center construction is the question of jobs–how many and what kind will be created during construction and operational periods? Empirical evidence shows that…
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2026 DC Performance Oversight Priorities
The DC Council holds annual Performance Oversight hearings. These hearings are an opportunity to give feedback on how DC has been protecting the environment and addressing climate change. At the hearings, you can also help shape budgetary and policy priorities moving forward. The schedule for 2026’s hearings is available here. You can sign up to testify through…