It’s All About Connections
By Reginald Parrish
Growing up in Central Virginia, I spent many hours enjoying the natural landscape of the region. A favorite past time was fishing along the banks of the James River just north of Lynchburg. I recall being puzzled about why we were told to under no circumstance eat the fish. Still, the river provided a tranquil and relaxing spot — an integral part of our community.
In 2000, I accepted a position as EPA’s Anacostia River community liaison. The Anacostia River is a heavily polluted river that flows from Maryland and traverses the nation’s capitol, bordering historically disadvantaged neighborhoods. I conducted outreach to “east of the river” communities about how to improve the quality of the river and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. As I met with citizens, it became clear that these communities have more pressing concerns than restoring the Anacostia River–joblessness, housing, schools, public safety and economic development. As on the James River, I met many people on the Anacostia who fish as a pastime and consume the fish regardless of warnings.
EPA’s Urban Waters program reconnects populations with their local urban waters to accelerate the restoration of these waters. Over the past several years, EPA and other federal agencies have promoted citizen engagement in hands-on restoration through grants for education and outreach programs for schools, churches, and communities. The Anacostia is also one of seven pilot locations of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership.
EPA’s Urban Waters program supports and advances other community priorities, such as education and jobs through environmental activities. To further this goal, EPA is renewing a Memorandum of Understanding to provide environmental training to at-risk youth with the Earth Conservation Corps (ECC). EPA and ECC are part of a broader local effort by Anacostia Watershed Society, DC Greenworks, Groundwork Anacostia, Living Classrooms, Washington Parks and People to make the restoration of the river relevant to community priorities – by leading youth to green skills and green jobs.
I participated in this program and had a very successful experience with Anthony Gregory who later received an internship with the National Park Service. Anthony is currently still engaged in work on the Anacostia and is excited about working to improve the river. Anthony’s experience is just one of a number of experiences that connect people to their places through ECC and EPA. I am happy to be a part of that experience.
About the author: Reginald Parrish is an urban programs coordinator based in EPA’s Region 3 Chesapeake Bay Program Office
Aug 20, 2012 @ 20:48:33
I love what you do for our planet and I always wanted to participate or work for same agency and I am ready to lose my life for save our nature mother unfortunately my country do nothing to the preservation and I wish in futur to find my place in Assosiation protection envirenement . i thank you again and i hope that God will help you .
Aug 20, 2012 @ 20:50:31
I love what you do for our planet and I always wanted to participate or work for same agency and I am ready to lose my life for save our nature mother unfortunately my country do nothing to the preservation and I wish in futur to find my place in Assosiation protection envirenement . i thank you again and i hope that God will help you …… sorry for my English
Aug 21, 2012 @ 00:10:17
It certainly is all about connections. The connections in the economy and the connections to the environment that supports the economy. Today that may be difficult for many to understand, being so far removed from the land that is the common connection.
Those in disadvantaged neighborhoods share mostly the costs imposed on the environment by those who externalize the costs of doing business to others and to the environment. One way to share the fruits of the earth would be to collect through fees these costs that have been externalized to the environment. The recovery of the cost to the commons than could be distributed equally to all. It could level the playing field and be a source of equal footing for all on this land.