I created At the Water Table: Conversations with River Network to evolve the organization’s popular interview series. Here, I identified stories, conducted interviews, prepared content plans, edited and published episodes on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Survivor-Led Disaster Resilience with DORIS BROWN
Hosted by Erin Kanzig and Campbell Simmons
Tapping into Residents’ Power with SUSANA DE ANDA
Hosted by Ayana Harscoet
A Joyful and Collaborative Evaluation Tool with RENEE MAZUREK
Hosted by Renée Mazurek
How can we tell the story of program funding in a way that maps long-term, interconnected impacts in a community? River Network staff member Renée Mazurek came upon one potential answer in Ripple Effects Mapping (REM), a storytelling and evaluation tool that traces the outward ripples of community initiatives via interactive story-sharing from community members. In this bonus episode, Renée narrates her experiences with REM, from speaking with Scott Chazden, an original author of the tool, to putting REM to work during a listening session with recipients of flow funds in Orange, New Jersey. REM is an especially powerful way to visualize the rippling impacts of Flow Funding, a trust-based philanthropy approach that moves away from traditional, quantitative impact reporting in favor of impact stories.
Building a Green Leadership Program for Adult Learners with PLASTER CREEK STEWARDS
Hosted by Hannah Mico
AMANDA ZEIDNER & JERRY CALDERON on Partnerships to Navigate Federal Funding
Hosted by Renée Mazurek
HANA KATZ on Amplifying Clean Water Act Learning & Advocacy in New Jersey
Hosted by Carly Schmidt
What’s your environmental advocacy origin story, and does it have anything to do with the disaster movies of the 2000s? In this episode of At the Water Table, Hana Katz, Policy and Project Manager at the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC), traces her environmental activism journey, from influential movies to her experience growing up with flood evacuations. These days, she’s a volunteer firefighter, co-founder of a Gen-Z climate action organization, and an enthusiastic participant in River Network’s Clean Water Act Training Series, which inspired her to connect with New Jersey environmental commissioners and other local officials to share her new knowledge. Optimistic and passionate, Hana reminds us of the many ways young people can show up for environmental justice in their communities and beyond.
JOY JACKSON on Facilitation and Healthy Conflict in Your Water Work
Hosted by Ayana Harscoet
BRENDA COLEY and KIRSTEN SHEAD on Urban Forestry and Environmental Justice
Hosted by Ayana Harscoet
ARIF ULLAH on Community-Centered Waterfront Development
Hosted by Ayana Harscoet
SARALY GONZALEZ on Environmental Education and Experiential Learning
Hosted by Carly Schmidt
How do we spark a lifelong passion for rivers and waterways? In this episode, Saraly Gonzalez, Environmental Education Director at UrbanPromise, joins River Network’s Carly Schmidt to discuss environmental education and experiential learning through outdoor experiences and direct training. Saraly shares her experience shaping the next generation of water stewards in Camden, New Jersey, through two innovative programs: STAR Student Employees and River Guides. Discover the profound impact of connecting young people to their local waterways, the secret to instilling a lifelong interest in water advocacy, and the transformative power of outdoor experiences in building a sustained movement for clean water and healthy communities.
