Working in Washington, DC where generations of my family have lived, worked, and served their community has been a full circle moment for me as Nature Forward’s DC Conservation Advocate. Identity, relationship to community, belief in justice and the desire to build communities of resilience is the superpower Nature Forward, and all our partners bring to our work in the DMV region.
In Washington, D.C., where neighborhoods face increasing threats from climate change, including rising flood risks, community organizations have a critical role to play in informing and empowering residents. For Black communities, these environmental issues often intersect with historic inequalities in access to resources, information, and representation. One of the most effective strategies for addressing these challenges is through partnerships—collaborations between community organizations, government agencies, local leaders, and activists. These partnerships create the collective power needed to engage and educate community members, amplify their voices, and advocate for sustainable solutions to pressing environmental issues like flooding.
Jamoni Overby, DC Conservation Advocate presenting at the May 9th, 2024 Flooding Workshop at Faunteroy Center. Photo Credit: Ben Israel / Nature Forward (2024).
Nature Forward is intentional in seeking partnership, learning community needs and creating accessible programs. When the funding opportunity was available from DC’s Department of Energy and Environment to educate and spread awareness about flooding in the most vulnerable areas of Ward 7 and Ward 8, we connected with Ward 7 Resilience Hub Community Coalition, The Green Scheme, and Washington Interfaith Network.
The Ward 7 Resilience Hub Community Coalition (W7RHCC) is a nonprofit organization that was created by Ward 7 residents for Ward 7 residents to address the environmental impacts of the climate crisis that are impacting residents who live in the 100 & 500-year floodplains in the far-northeast area of Ward 7 in Washington, DC. W7RHCC’s goal is to educate and inform residents about flooding and other climate related disruptions, how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from these disruptions, and build a resilience model that can be replicated in other parts of the District. This resilience model comes in the form of creating a network of Resilience Hubs that serve as community emergency operations centers when disruptions/disasters occur. Nature Forward was excited to partner with a local organization that already had such a strong connection to the issue of flooding and climate resilience, trust, and foundational support of the community.
For many Black communities in D.C., historical disenfranchisement and systemic racism have created a deep-seated mistrust of institutions, including government agencies. This mistrust can make it challenging to engage residents in critical discussions about environmental hazards, such as flooding, that disproportionately affect them. However, when local organizations that already have established relationships with the community partner and with trusted leaders and grassroots groups, they can bridge this gap. W7RHCC did exactly that and helped to disseminate accurate information, offer culturally relevant resources, and provide a platform for community voices.
June 18, 2024, Floodwise Workshop #3 on Weathering the Storm at Cesar Chavez Public Charter School. Photo Credit: Ben Israel / Nature Forward (2024)
W7RHCC launched the first pilot resilience hub at the FH Faunteroy Community Enrichment Center in 2021 where we held our first series of workshops. Our first workshop in Ward 7 at the Faunteroy Center had 9 attendees. At our final workshop in Ward 7 at Caesar Chavez Public Charter School, we had more than 50 attendees. As community members attended the workshops, they told their neighbors and conducted outreach as both participants and partners in the project.
The Washington Interfaith Network played an integral role in getting out into the community and knowing we were here to serve them. Community engagement is another critical piece of the puzzle. The Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) is a grassroots, multi-faith, non-partisan organization in Washington, D.C., dedicated to addressing social and economic justice issues. Founded in 1996, WIN brings together diverse congregations and community groups to advocate for affordable housing, living wages, racial equity, and environmental justice.
As WIN organizers and volunteers knocked on doors and listened, it became clear that true resilience is built through collaboration—by empowering community members to take an active role in shaping their future. WIN joined forces with Nature Forward to increase flood resilience to expand their work around healthy housing. WIN’s healthy housing work is deeply interconnected with their Black Equity Through Homeownership campaign. By combining their focus on home repair resources with flood resiliency resources, WIN was able to work with families on both solutions to current issues and resiliency to prevent future harm. Community Organizer, Sidra Siddiqui shared, “Our partnership with Nature Forward amplified our impact, providing both technical expertise and environmental solutions to address flood risks, while WIN’s grassroots approach connected those resources to the families who needed them most.” Partnerships build capacity.
May 9, 2024 – Flooding Workshop at Faunteroy Center. Photo Credit: Ben Israel / Nature Forward (2024).
“My senior citizen neighbor just had her yard measured for storm water management …. this was a result of attending our floodwise community workshops…. She was very thankful for the information gained and is looking forward to having her home protected from flood waters that plagued her basement for years.”
Zandra Chestnut, W7RHCC
In this project, WIN took on the role of outreach and listening primarily through canvassing. By knocking on the doors and reaching over 200 residents. By taking the time to listen, WIN was able to gain insights into the specific needs and concerns of the community and then connect those families to Nature Forward who led workshops with information on how to affordably make your home flood resilient. This process of trust-building was foundational to ensuring that the residents felt heard and supported throughout the project.
Community voices often left out of the conversation are youth. We recognize the importance of educating young people now. Nature Forward leaned on its partners at The Green Scheme (TGS) to connect students of all ages to flood education. The Green Scheme’s mission is to bridge the gap between communities and resources to empower youth to live environmentally healthy and sustainable lives. The Ward 8 Water Watchers Program, now hosted at The Well at Oxon Run, was founded in a previous collaboration with TGS and Nature Forward in 2020. The program quickly became a favorite of community members of all ages. W8WW was The Green Scheme’s first dip into providing watershed education in their programming. After four successful years and the sustainability of W8WW, we knew it was time to take a deep dive and add flood education to the program. TGS engaged youth in flood education and flood readiness so that they can advocate for themselves and educate their families. The Rise Above content has expanded experiential K-12 water education programming in Ward 8 near Oxon Run Stream where a restoration project will take place in the upcoming years and impact homeowners in that floodplain. This will benefit many families that may otherwise be unaware of the flood risks in their neighborhood, what to do in the event of flooding, or the dangers of flood waters. Throughout this project, The Green Scheme provided flood readiness workshops to over 450 young people.
June 8, 2024 – Jamoni Overby, DC Conservation Advocate co-leading a community Flood Walk in Ward 7. Photo Credit: Ben Israel / Nature Forward (2024).
“I really appreciate opportunities to meet people in the community and provide them with information that will help them. It was amazing to have experts that were able to demonstrate how flood preparedness is proper financial planning as well. These are resources that people need. We all care about our money, where we spend it, how can we save it…. This was very needed and helps youth prepare for adulthood.”
Jerome Nesbitt, The Green Scheme
May 9, 2024 – Flooding Workshop at Faunteroy Center. Photo Credit: Ben Israel / Nature Forward (2024).
Nature Forward’s partnerships with local organizations and advocacy groups in this project facilitated the DC Department of Energy and Environment’s ability to connect residents to District programs, FloodSmart Homes, RiverSmart Homes, RiverSmart Communities, and the DC Department of Securities, Insurances & Banking to residents that are now seeking flood insurance.
Beyond funded outreach projects, this partnership is working to build long-term resilience. Environmental threats like flooding are not just a matter of immediate danger—they are symptoms of larger environmental and social injustices. By working together, Nature Forward, W7RHCC, TGS, and WIN recruited participants in the Flood Wise Workshops to take a leadership role in their community to create Neighborhood Green Teams through the Community Conservation Ambassadors Program which also strives to empower these community leaders to inspire others to advocate for structural changes in policy, such as improved infrastructure, better zoning laws, and stronger flood mitigation programs in neighborhoods that are often left behind.
These collaborations can also empower Black community members to take part in local decision-making processes, ensuring their voices are included in urban planning and environmental policies. When community members are engaged in the creation and implementation of solutions, they are more likely to be invested in their success and to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility.
WIN Organizers, Sidra and Olivia and volunteers go door knocking in River Terrace. Photo Credit: Sidra Siddiqui /WIN (2024)
