At the Water Table: Conversations with River Network

Water Warriors in the Midwest - 2026 Flow Fund Circle recipients

Learn more about the important water and climate justice work led by four individuals in the U.S. Midwest region who received funding through River Network's Climate Justice Flow Fund Circle. These leaders and organizations were selected by Monica Lewis-Patrick, President and CEO of We the People of Detroit and Climate Justice Flow Funder. Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org [https://www.rivernetwork.org/].

Survivor-Led Disaster Resilience with DORIS BROWN

How has community organizing and disaster preparedness evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic? For Doris Brown at West Street Recovery [https://www.weststreetrecovery.org/] (WSR) in Houston, Texas, this kind of advocacy has only expanded. WSR is a survivor-led organization focused on community organizing and disaster resilience. Water is a critical issue for WSR, with many residents facing high bills and unsafe drinking water. In this episode, Doris reflects on water equity and the challenges faced by BIPOC neighborhoods and calls for systemic change in how we support communities facing an onslaught of climate disasters. Doris also addresses the need for widespread education and community action if we’re to move toward her vision for a just water future. This episode was hosted by Erin Kanzig and Campbell Simmons at the Water, Equity and Climate Resilience Caucus [https://climatewaterequity.org/]. Campbell is no longer on the River Network staff, but we deeply appreciate their compassion, knowledge, and commitment to water advocacy, which shines through in this conversation with Doris.  Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org [https://www.rivernetwork.org/].

Tapping into Residents’ Power with SUSANA DE ANDA

From healthcare to “filter sharks” to advocacy on every level, no one understands the drinking water issue in California better than Susana De Anda. As Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Community Water Center [https://www.communitywatercenter.org/], Susana is  an expert in community organizing and building a movement in which residents are empowered to engage in local governance and stand up for their right to clean and affordable drinking water. Susana says that building solutions in collaboration with residents is the key to building trust, and compels us all to become more informed about drinking water quality in our own neighborhoods. Links: * Community Water Center [https://www.communitywatercenter.org/] * SB 200: Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund [https://www.kvpr.org/health/2019-07-25/newsom-establishes-long-term-safe-and-affordable-drinking-water-fund] * Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) Program  [https://www.communitywatercenter.org/safer] * Community Water Leaders Network [https://www.communitywatercenter.org/cwln] Keywords: water rights, clean drinking water, community advocacy, California water crisis, environmental justice, water governance, safe drinking water, community organizing, water quality, public health Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org [https://www.rivernetwork.org/].

A Joyful and Collaborative Evaluation Tool with RENEE 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 Chazdon, 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. Links: * River Network’s Flow Fund Circle [https://www.rivernetwork.org/giving/flowfunding/]  * Flow Funding [http://flowfunding.org/]  * A Field Guide to Ripple Effects Mapping [https://conservancy.umn.edu/items/6b190dd2-d66d-4c04-b76e-4b5d8a3784e8] (Purchase a printable version here [https://www.lulu.com/shop/scott-chazdon-and-mary-emery-and-debra-hansen-and-lorie-higgins/a-field-guide-to-ripple-effects-mapping/paperback/product-23440453.html?page=1&pageSize=4] for $10.88) * UMN Extension REM Resources [https://extension.umn.edu/community-development/ripple-effect-mapping] * Ripple Effects Mapping Studio [https://remstudio.org/]  * Appreciative Inquiry: Conversations Worth Having [https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/using-appreciative-inquiry-in-life--relating-learning-evolving-and-flourishing-in-the-face-of-uncertainty-and-ambiguity/18385124/item/36368794/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=high_vol_frontlist_standard_shopping_retention&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=698403107263&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz7C2BhDkARIsAA_SZKaOzOUVdEOWtXtiqJdJcokTrLq1QbLN8PDEPNQKvj6yUf1hx-qxxh4aArogEALw_wcB#idiq=36368794&edition=19563836] * Community Capitals Framework [https://www.idea.edu/video-series-community-capitals-framework#:~:text=The%20Community%20Capitals%20Framework%20(CCF,approximately%2010%20minutes%20in%20length.] * Philanthropy Together Conference Session: Ripple Effect Mapping: Amplifying Our Collective Impact & Story [https://youtu.be/zS_oS2NWfz8?si=LJi7PMA887QUMKP1] Keywords: flowfunding, Ripple Effects Mapping, trust-based philanthropy, participatory evaluation, impact storytelling, social impact, nonprofit, evaluation tools Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org [https://www.rivernetwork.org/].

Building a Green Leadership Program for Adult Learners with PLASTER CREEK STEWARDS

Many water organizations offer environmental education and training for the next generation of climate leaders, but what happens when youth age out of these programs? Plaster Creek Stewards is the lead organization of Project GreenER [https://calvin.edu/plaster-creek-stewards/education/project-greener], an adult educational program in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that fosters understanding and builds agency for watershed care. In this episode of At the Water Table, Andrea Lubberts, Haley Kornoelje, and Matt Hubers reflect on the differences and similarities in working with youth and adults, the importance of accessibility and adaptation in multi-generational programs, and the strategies they used to build trust and effective partnerships. Learn why a more age-inclusive approach is essential to your watershed work! Links: * About Plaster Creek Stewards [https://calvin.edu/plaster-creek-stewards/plaster-creek-watershed] * Project GreenER [https://calvin.edu/plaster-creek-stewards/education/project-greener] Keywords: Plaster Creek, community engagement, watershed restoration, Project GreenER, adult education, environmental education, accessibility, multi-generational programs, outreach strategies, participant projects, environmental nonprofit, water nonprofit, watershed, water restoration Enjoyed this episode? Learn more and join the national network of water, justice, and river advocates at rivernetwork.org [https://www.rivernetwork.org/].