Workshop Description

It's no secret that the environmental justice movement has really found its stride over the past few years. Join us in welcoming four amazing panelists who will discuss their approaches to organizational changes and the community-centered work they are engaged in. Find out how we can all build a stronger environmental movement by creating a more inclusive and equitable community. We will also explore community-based efforts that emphasize external community involvement within the environmental and environmental justice movements.

Register for this exciting event, and read more about the workshop, at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cgnEAkg5TvGEJcq6h7VOaA

Presenters

Renata Barnes is the Coordinator for the Outdoor Equity Alliance. She has successfully implemented programs designed to create educational, recreational, and career opportunities for underserved community members to enjoy nature and become stewards of the outdoors. The most recent program was a Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space Avian Internship that paid intern salaries through a New Jersey Conservation Foundation Parker Grant. Renata led OEA efforts to partner with Legislative District 15 and the Trenton African American Cultural Collaborative to bring the first Juneteenth weekend festival to Trenton and coordinated events throughout  Mercer County.

Tykee James is the Co-Chair for the National Black and Latinx Scholarship Fund, and sits on the board of directors of the DC Audubon Society, Wyncote Audubon Society, the Birding Co-op, and the IDEAL Committee at the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University. Tykee has been part of the birding community for almost a decade. He is one of the organizers of the first #BlackBirdersWeek in 2020, an elected councilor for Wilson Ornithological Society, and recently co-founded and launched the Freedom Birders project.

Rosana Da Silva is the Water Quality Manager at the Hudson River Foundation and the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program, where she works with partner organizations and agencies to manage water resources and improve water quality in the Harbor Estuary. She dedicates her time towards incorporating science, data collection, and community engagement into addressing water quality challenges and uses an educational lens to communicate science.

Tanasia Swift is a Marine Educator from Brooklyn NY. She wears many hats including Core Member of Superhero Clubhouse, Allbirds Collective Ambassador, and Field Stations Program Manager at the Billion Oyster Project. She manages over 10 oyster reef sites around NYC and teaches New Yorkers about the importance of oyster restoration. Her work has also been featured in the local press.

Jay Watson  is the Senior Director for Statewide Land Protection and Community Relations for New Jersey Conservation Foundation. He has been working to protect New Jersey’s landscape and environment for nearly 40 years. Prior to joining the non-profit land conservancy sector, Jay spent nearly 30 years in various roles in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection until his retirement from State service as the Department’s Deputy Commissioner in 2010. Throughout his career he has advocated for protection of our special natural lands and habitats throughout New Jersey, while also consistently advocating for enhancing the environment and quality of life in our State’s urban areas and in communities of color.