It’s been an interesting summer! For me, it started with a trip to New York State with a group of water advocates to discuss pressing water issues. While there, I had the opportunity to do fly fishing for the first time! It made me feel like I was inside the movie, “A River Runs Through It,” a classic for river lovers. One reason I like the film is that it subtly touches on a very clear issue embedded in the environmental movement: the discrimination against Native Americans.
Fortunately, this summer there have been recent victories: In the Pacific Northwest, a new settlement will restore Salmon to the Skagit River. In the West, the largest Tribal water rights settlement happened, and even though four states blocked it, it is a collaboration milestone for Tribes in the region. In the Great Lakes, the Anishinaabe Nation hosted a Water Meeting for water protection in the region. And in South Dakota, Indigenous activists and advocates stopped a mining project on sacred grounds, protecting water for generations to come.Â
The consequences of these actions are not symbolic. Water protection IS public health. As the summer comes to an end and kids go back to school, I think of how we can make the connection between water and public health even more clear for everyone. Maybe it’s as simple as telling the story of how people used to walk into the river and pull out a fish.
A new portal to dream about Houston's water future!
We had the pleasure of supporting our partners launch the new One Water Houston website, featuring case studies, solutions, and stories to advance access to clean, affordable water in the Bayou City. Check out the website below and spread the word with this social media toolkit we produced!
Current-ly
Check out our updated message guide on nature-based solutions. Dive in for tips on how to talk about green infrastructure and river restoration in a simple and accessible way!
Water we reading
The Water Center at Penn’s new storymap, “A Snapshot of State Actions on Emergent Contaminants,” is a great new resource following what states are doing to address threats to our waterways.
Making waves
Straight from Milwaukee, #ColorOfWater member Felice Green reflects on the role of arts and culture to foster community connection to water and joy in her latest blog post on our website.
Now Streaming
Take a look at Union of Concerned Scientists’ new short documentary on the Allensworth community, a true example of resilience, regenerative agriculture, and sustainable land management.Â
What’s next?
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