CDRW Director, Kelly Knutson, kick’s of the 10th Anniversary Forum
The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, staffed by New Jersey Audubon and executed in partnership with National Wildlife Federation, held its 10th Annual Delaware River Watershed Forum from November 3rd-4th, 2022 at the Logan Hotel in Philadelphia. The two-day event marked the first year the Coalition has gathered in person since 2019, drawing over 275 attendees from throughout the Delaware River Basin and beyond.
Annually, The Delaware River Watershed Forum serves as a fun and meaningful opportunity for Coalition members and watershed stakeholders to convene and collaborate on protecting the Delaware River Watershed, providing a platform to brainstorm solutions, identify gaps, improve skills, and build relationships to advance our shared goals. 2022 marks the 10th anniversary of the Forum, centering the theme of “A Reflection on Yesterday…A Vision for Tomorrow” as we celebrated a decade of success and looked ahead to ensure all communities share equitably in the benefits of a healthy Watershed.
Opening Plenary
Stuart Clarke, William Penn Foundation, provides opening remarks
In acknowledging a critical success for protection of the Watershed in the past ten years, the Forum kicked off with its first of three plenaries, “Historic Federal Investments in the Basin: How the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act has Driven Large-Scale Impact.” In 2012, the Coalition was formed with the mission to obtain national and federal recognition for the Delaware River Watershed and Congress affirmed the importance of protecting the watershed when it passed the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act in 2016. Since 2018, grant funding deployed through the program has supported 159 projects across the watershed, totaling $40.4 million in grants and leveraging an additional $59.7 million in matching funds. Stuart Clarke (William Penn Foundation), Scott Kahan (US Fish and Wildlife Service), and Stephanie Heidbreder (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation) highlighted the significance of this historic funding, followed by a panel of grantees to spotlight just some of the powerful on the ground impacts of the program.
Breakout Sessions
Over the two days, Delaware River Watershed Forum participants had the opportunity to attend a selection of 27 breakout sessions. In defining a healthy Delaware River Watershed not just as ecologically sound waters, wildlife, and habitat, but also one that provides equitable access to clean water, land, outdoor recreation, and economic opportunity to all communities, the Forum intentionally centered diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice as a core component of all watershed work and ensured it was integrated throughout the Forum’s content.
CDRW’s DEIJ Workgroup offers DEIJ Lens Training
Sessions focused on mobilizing around important issues and policies that impact the watershed to ensure a healthy river for future generations, featuring a rich array of topics including outdoor recreation access; community engagement projects and skills; conservation and restoration projects; public policy; cultivating environmental leaders; infrastructure; addressing climate change, stormwater, and Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); funding opportunities; water equity and clean water access; and much more. The Coalition was also thrilled to launch its newly developed DEIJ Lens and Screening Tool at the Forum through an interactive training session. Explore all the sessions and topics offered in our 2022 Forum Program.
Thursday Highlights Environmental Justice
Marcus Sibley, National Wildlife Federation, highlights intersectional issues in Environmental Justice
Critical to DEIJ in the Watershed is Environmental Justice (EJ), and Thursday afternoon closed out with a lineup of EJ leaders in its plenary, “Addressing DEIJ in the Watershed: Values, Tools, and Action.” Stephanie Maez of the Outdoor Foundation highlighted the Thrive Outside program and outdoor access efforts, while also connecting the audience to powerful personal experiences that underscore the urgency of this work. To support organizations in advancing their EJ work, Matthew Lee of the EPA Office of Environmental Justice showcased the EPA’s EJ Screen tool which allows the public to identify overburdened communities and more effectively direct efforts. National Wildlife Federation then took the stage, with Marcus Sibley, Director of Conservation Partnerships NE, bringing a powerful voice of authentic activism, drawing the connections between race and representation, human health impacts from environmental injustice, the school-to-prison pipeline, gun violence, and education underscore the importance of holistic, intentional approaches to environmental advocacy in the Watershed. Collin O’Mara, President and CEO of NWF closed the plenary with compelling calls to action, emphasizing the importance of leaders to engage in difficult conversations, acknowledge and center the interconnected social impacts communities face, and to invest organizational resources into DEIJ efforts as a priority.
To crystallize the powerful learnings in day 1 and facilitate connection for meaningful action, an informal DEIJ Leaders Meet-Up was offered to identify DEIJ efforts across the watershed, build relationships and connections among leaders, and create synergy among efforts.
10th Anniversary Cocktail Reception and Dinner
Nikki Ghorpade, Ducks Unlimited, celebrates 10 years of the Coalition
Thursday evening then featured a full circle moment, gathering attendees for an evening reception and dinner at the Academy for Natural Sciences, the site of the second official Delaware River Watershed Forum. A cocktail reception in North American Hall provided the opportunity to network and celebrate, as remarks from Nikki Ghorpade, Duck Unlimited, highlighted the ten years of success and growth of the Coalition.
Also celebrating ten years of accomplishment was Nathan Boon, Senior Program Officer with the William Penn Foundation for the Delaware River Watershed Portfolio. The William Penn Foundation and the Coalition had the pleasure of presenting Boon with an honorary award celebrating the service and impacts Boon has had in the region over the last decade.
Nathan Boon, William Penn Foundation receives award for 10 years of watershed service
Following a celebratory toast, attendees enjoyed dinner and celebrations in the Dinosaur Hall. Explore our gallery of reception photos:
Friday Closing Plenary
The promise of major new infrastructure funding for clean water and watershed protection means advocating to secure full share funding across the next ten years. Many of the watershed communities are also confronting the legacy of historic disinvestment and frequent marginalization of community voices and past data reveals how public infrastructure funding decisions consistently deprioritize smaller communities and communities of color. Redressing this disparity invites a multifaceted approach: to review and reform the programs and policies that administer these funds; to provide communities the means and the technical resources to identify and advance projects for funding; and to ensure those project reflect and advance community needs.
Hosted by the William Penn Foundation, Friday’s closing plenary, “Addressing Infrastructure Needs in the Basin: A Vision for Funding,” brought together local, regional, and national perspectives to explore the facets of addressing these disparities. Attendees had the opportunity hear from the following presenters and engage in a robust Q&A discussion: Nathan Boon, Senior Program Officer Watershed Protection, William Penn Foundation; Lia Mastropolo Director, Clean Water Supply, American Rivers; Tim Male, Executive Director, Environmental Policy Innovation Center; Jerome Shabazz, Executive Director, Overbrook Environmental Education Center and JASTECH Development Services, Inc.; Patty Elkis, Deputy Executive Director, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission; Michael Carroll, Deputy Managing Director for Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability; City of Philadelphia.
Nathan Boon, William Penn Foundation, hosts the Forum’s closing plenary
Field Trips
Friday’s field trips, held throughout the greater Philadelphia area, served as a way for members to connect with what they learned at the Forum in real life, engage with the local area, and get out in the field. At Triple Bottom Brewing, participants had the opportunity to enjoy a brewery tour while engaging in the intersection of economic development, sustainability, fair chance hiring, clean water, and environmental and social justice. At Cramer Hill Waterfront Park, participants saw Camden community engagement in action as they toured the park that transformed from landfill to superfund site to regional park with Delaware River access. FarmerJawn’s urban farm tour featured regenerative organic farming practices and their implications on the health of humans, soil, & watersheds, with a focus on health equity for urban communities of color & lower-income populations in the Delaware River Watershed, crystallizing the link between social, ecological, and economic health.
Triple Bottom Brewery Tour
Cramer Hill Waterfront Park Tour
FarmerJawn’s Urban Farm Tour
We couldn’t do it without you
As we hosted this event, we honored that we gathered on the ancestral lands of the Lenape. We acknowledge the gaps and growth to cultivate authentic, supportive, effective partnerships with tribal citizens as well as elevate Native American Heritage Month as an opportunity for all watershed advocates to deepen their commitment to centering and elevating native voices in their work year round.
The Coalition continues to work towards successful implementation of the Delaware River Basin Restoration program, lead in other policy issues affecting the watershed, promote watershed-wide planning and collaboration, and center diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. The Forum provides a powerful space to learn and connect, cultivating an even stronger network of stakeholders to pave a path toward cleaner waterways, restored habitat, protected wildlife, access to outdoor recreation, and a more inclusive and equitable place to live, work, and play for the next ten years and beyond.
The Coalition would like to thank the William Penn Foundation, our 180 member organizations, Forum attendees and sponsors, and all others who have supported and advocated with us over the past ten years for your critical work to advance a healthy Delaware River Watershed.
We hope to see you next year as the Coalition celebrates its 11th annual Forum September 28-29th, 2023 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware.
To hear from speakers and attendees, read the full Forum press release here.