Nature-based solutions message guide, flood justice briefing recap, and partner love from our April Water Cooler newsletter. Sign up to get yours delivered to your inbox every month.
I’ve been lucky to connect with some amazing wild spaces and the heroes fighting for them throughout this year. In February, I traveled to Juneau to join the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition to share some communications best practices for the field. After the event, I walked along the coastline of the Gastineau Channel and watched crystalline water lap up by my feet. It felt like a quiet act of devotion and affirmation for the work we do.
Then, a few weeks ago, I traveled to Northern California and met the Klamath River. It felt extra special knowing the river is on the way to flowing freely again. I walked through the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, accompanied by ancient groves cloaked in heavy fog. I also saw the mighty Smith River, the only undammed river in California and, auspiciously, the cleanest river in the lower 48 (after, you guessed it, Alaska). It felt like a full-circle moment as I stood in awe of the Smith’s jade-colored water.
Rivers are life-giving. They are worth fighting for. It’s why we salute those working together to protect our waters in decline, especially in the wake of harmful Supreme Court decisions such as Sackett v EPA, and partners like American Rivers for shining a light on water bodies that need support. Check out the Most Endangered Rivers report released this month!
Message Guide: Nature as infrastructure
With Earth Month in full effect, we put together a message guide to celebrate how when we care for nature, we all win. Unfortunately, only 10% of State Revolving Fund dollars are required to go to “green” projects. It’s why we need to keep sharing our vision for nature-based solutions such as healthy rivers, green streets, rain gardens, and more for our communities and the wild spaces that sustain us.
Water we reading
Floating solar panels in the Delta-Mendota Canal will soon offer a win-win for water and climate, thanks to Inflation Reduction Act funding. The project is part of the $15 million available for “floating solar” research supported by the IRA.
Current-ly
Last month we hosted a media briefing featuring five Anthropocene Alliance member organization leaders working on flood solutions in newly designated Community Disaster Resilience Zones. Learn more about their vision in our blog post or watch the video.
Now streaming
Did someone say listening party? All We Can Save’s Spring Equinox Spotify playlist has given us a pep in our step that we sorely needed. Joy can be radically transformative and an antidote to doomism. We hope these tunes breathe some life into your day.
Making waves
Mic drop 🎤 Our Water Equity and Climate Resilience Caucus partners visited D.C. for Water Week to speak with members of Congress about the need for safe and affordable water from PFAS contamination to water infrastructure investments and more!
Diving deep into the Line 3 movement
I got my copy of Even the River Starts Small: A Collection of Stories from the Movement to Stop Line 3 in the mail (which the creative mind behind our Just Infrastructure artwork, Dio Cramer, worked on). Pouring over the pages of illustrations, photos, poetry, and stories offered strong reminders of why our water is worth fighting for, even if we don’t always win. This work is intergenerational, and we will continue on.
