Episode 21: Neighbors Build Climate Resilience in Their Watersheds

Everyday Climate Champions

In this double-length episode, we speak with two guests from the Watershed Project, a Bay Area organization that protects and restores our landscapes that drain into waterways: creeks, rivers, and ultimately the San Francisco Bay. We'll find out how they work with thousands of neighbors to envision, build, and celebrate “green infrastructure” and clean water projects that use nature-based solutions, such as trees and native plants. Teachers and young people benefit from their education and internship programs.

Guests: The Watershed Project’s Juliana Gonzalez, Executive Director, and Natalie Matias, Community Engagement Manager

Host: Dalya Massachi

Great Guest Quote: “With climate change being at the forefront of so many of the problems that we're going to face, investing in those under-resourced, frontline communities to make them more resilient to the changing climate is such an important thing.” - Juliana Gonzalez, Executive Director, The Watershed Project

Keywords: #climatecrisis,#climateaction,#climatejustice,#climateresilience,#nature-basedsolutions,#raingardens,#bioswales,#participatoryprocess,#greeninfrastructure,#watersheds,#urbannature,#greencareers

Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/105BCRcHtsSht36fYzEAveKUC2yxPU-nuqqaln1_mtQI/edit?usp=sharing

This episode’s recap blog post: coming soon

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Related Action Resources:

• The Watershed Project: The featured organization in this episode: https://thewatershedproject.org/

• The Urban Nature Loop: A self-guided walking tour of North Richmond that’s produced by the Watershed Project and connects to other community and environmental projects in the area: https://thewatershedproject.org/introducing-urban-nature-loop-a-self-guided-walking-tour-of-north-richmond/

• San Francisco Bay Area Creek & Watershed Finder: This tool from the Oakland Museum of California will help you find creeks and watersheds throughout the Bay Area, including those in your own backyard: ⁠https://explore.museumca.org/creeks/wb-resc.html⁠

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Contact Us: Do you know a Bay Area-based Everyday Climate Champion? We’d love to interview them! Get in touch: [e-mail]

Website: www.climaterealitybayarea.org/eccpodcast

Podcast Production Team: Executive Producer/Editor: Dalya Massachi; Sound Designers/Engineer: Martin Sanchez; Co-Hosts/Researchers: Ellisa Feinstein, Isabella Genereaux, Sean Mendelson, Hasini Parepalli, Logo Designer: Gabriela Vargas