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Reel Rewards Returns for 2026 Season with New Bounty Tiers

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:45:04 GMT

Reel Rewards Returns for 2026 Season with New Bounty Tiers

Baltimore, MD – The Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative (EJJI) is excited to announce the return of Reel Rewards , a community-powered program that promotes sustainable fishing practices and helps control invasive species in the Baltimore Harbor. The 2026 season will run from April 25 to July 18, 2026 , and brings with it updated bounty tiers and continued opportunities for community engagement and environmental impact.

This season, Reel Rewards features bounty tiers that support local anglers while providing gut content data that can be used by scientists and environmental managers.

Participants are encouraged to catch invasive species like Northern Snakehead, Blue Catfish, and Flathead Catfish within the program boundaries, and bring the fish to designated drop-off locations on specific days. In return, fishers receive $10 for each fish head turned in, $10 for logging a picture of what’s inside the fish’s stomach, and $10 for each cleaned fish filet per fish to be re-used as bait.

Reel Rewards is hosted by EJJI, funded by South Baltimore Gateway Partnership and the Maryland Whole Watershed Program , and in partnership with Reimagine Middle Branch and the Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland . This unique collaboration brings together community voices, environmental researchers, and conservation advocates to tackle real ecological issues while uplifting Baltimore’s fishing communities.

Registration is now open at:

https://www.ianglertournament.com/ejji-reel-rewards-2026

For updates, official drop-off days and locations, and more details about participating, visit: https://www.ejji.org/reel-rewards .

If you are with a community group or organization who would like to plan a joint event or educational engagement, contact EJJI at: veronica@ejji.org

About EJJI

The Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative (EJJI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental justice and community empowerment. Through storytelling, collaborative outreach, and hands-on programming, EJJI connects Baltimore communities with the researchers, policymakers, and advocates working on environmental justice issues in their neighborhoods.

Contact:

Veronica Malabanan Lucchese
Environmental Science Program Manager, EJJI
veronica@ejji.org

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The Right to Breathe: Baltimore's Battle for Environmental Justice

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 20:12:43 GMT

The Right to Breathe: Baltimore's Battle for Environmental Justice

By Vishvak Gernapudi, Towson High School

Air is omnipresent, but not all air is created equal. In Baltimore, breathing clean, safe air is contingent upon where a resident lives. Some areas are so polluted that residents can smell it in the air without knowing where it's coming from. That's unfortunate, but it’s not okay. Air quality is an environmental issue but most importantly a public health issue that impacts children, families, and communities every day. It's been my pleasure to work with the Breathe Baltimore Project as a student and data steward. I've seen how air quality impacts health, education, and community in Baltimore first hand.

As a historically industrial city, Baltimore's air quality problems stem from the legacy of pollutants. For decades, shipping, steel, and coal were vital components of the city's economy. However, this history left pollution in its wake. South Baltimore is heavily impacted by this legacy. According to the American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2023 report, Baltimore is one of the worst metropolitan areas for ozone pollution. Compounding this issue is the reality that some neighborhoods are positioned in front of major sources of dangerous air pollutants—hospitals, major highways, and incinerators that make them vulnerable to more exposure than other neighborhoods.

Three neighborhoods that are heavily impacted by poor air quality include Curtis Bay, Cherry Hill, and Bay Brook. More than one incinerator and truck depot in the area create a highway haven for trucks and industrial transportation which makes this area a hot spot for pollution. The Maryland Environmental Health Network explains how high exposure of air pollutants are attributed to being located near those facilities (Air Quality and Environmental Justice in Maryland). The fact that air quality does improve upon distance from them is concerning because people were not necessarily meant to live or thrive with these facilities all around them. Instead, it's become part of life for these communities.

Air quality impacts general health immensely. Air pollution is associated with asthma and other respiratory conditions, cardiovascular disease and premature death. Childhood asthma hospitalization rates in Baltimore are more than double national averages and per the Baltimore City Health Department, asthma-related emergency room visits in South and West Baltimore are three to four times higher than city averages (Asthma in Baltimore: A Community Profile). For families, this means missed school days and missed shifts of work as well as continuous concern about active flare-ups and emergencies.

In fact, these statistics link up with narratives from the children themselves. When I interviewed some students from Bay Brook Middle School about what it means to breathe bad air they told me things like, "I couldn't breathe that well during practice. My chest was tight and it felt like the air was thick," and, "My mom checks the air quality on her phone before letting me go outside." This is not how sixth graders should have to worry about their day-to-day lives but unfortunately these are sentiments expressed by some residents of Baltimore city who feel this way daily and are impacted by it.

Some students also described visuals associated with pollution. One student said, "Sometimes it smells like burning plastic when the air is bad," - and it wasn't an exaggeration either - but it's a sentiment that has been echoed all over Baltimore citizens. Another said, "We should have more trees around our school - it would help with the pollution." These quotes go to show that these students are willing to speak up for themselves and their community as advocates to help them breathe better.

How students conceptualize air quality was also revealed through the interviews. When asked what air quality was, answers included "how good or bad the air is", "how much pollution is in the air", "is it safe to breathe." Some matched their information to observations (e.g. haze, air being heavy when they ran during soccer games). Without all of the details, they still knew of the issue from lived experience.

The health impacts the students cited relative to air quality matched public health findings. Many remarked upon "burning lungs while playing outside" with many parents who now work outside having a difficult time breathing. Asthma was reported frequently - concerns of how 200 miles away of wildfires would impact breathing here in Baltimore occurred a lot. Sports (soccer, basketball, and football were mentioned the most) were often cited as reasons - some said they chose not to go to practice or outdoor recess just because the air was "heavy." This greatly impacts student mental and physical health as they miss out on an opportunity to be active just due to pollution.

Relative to poor air quality, students noted the sources: car emissions, trash incinerators, factories, and explosions. Some noted that the explosion at CSX coal depot affected their neighborhood air quality. Some students mentioned Canadian wildfires, suggesting that air quality is not only a problem within Baltimore but a larger issue. It concerns them many times with how good the air outside is or I hope I can play my sport today. It is not fair to them as they should be able to have fun without concern about whether they can breathe or not.

The solutions they provided were just as sincere and simple: walk or bike instead of driving, take public transportation, plant more trees, and do less activities that pollute. While these actions may seem simple in a big city (and not fix the issue citywide), in small communities, these changes may help while policies are put into place for longer term solutions.

Without systematic monitoring, this problem is compounded. According to the Environmental Integrity Project, “there is no citywide air monitoring network in Baltimore that captures all of the neighborhood level inequities.” This failure to garner enough data creates a strain for communities to prove detrimental impact and policymakers to advocate for stricter measures. However, even with noted violations, it seems enforcement is lacking. “Regulators have failed to shut down or significantly penalize major polluters in the city,” cites the Maryland Environmental Health Network. But there are sparks of good news among the debris of bad air and temperatures.

In fact, in 2016, an organized opposition from the South Baltimore Community Land Trust and Free Your Voice fought against the construction of what would be the largest trash incinerator in the nation, located less than one mile from Curtis Bay homes and schools; youth activist Destiny Watford brought the fight home, reminding policymakers that residents should not have to choose between simply living in their homes and breathing without fear. If children can affect policy enough to stop such a huge detrimental effort, there is hope that others can achieve the same. The 2016 victory was assessed during this work. In my advocacy, I learned that increasing awareness was the first step of many.

From surveying data collection to student interviews to disseminated findings, I want to play a part in a cleaner Baltimore. “This is unacceptable,” they say; “My chest was tight"; “Sometimes it smells like burning plastic.” Even the references to data are as effective as the statistics themselves - they serve as the human reminder that people live behind these collections. Ultimately, the fight for clean air in Baltimore allows people to be healthy. Children can run outside without fear, parents can work without lung pain, and families no longer need to check air quality apps just to decide if they can go outside. Clean air should be a right - never a privilege.

Baltimore is a city steeped in history, pride, and life. Its progress should not only be measured by gentrification or industry but by whether or not its citizens can breathe safely. For far too long, Baltimore residents have accepted pollution as part of their history; it's time that this narrative shifted. Without increased monitoring and enforcement, bolstered with green infrastructure and community advocacy, no neighborhood will be left behind in Baltimore's rise for a future too good to be true.

As I continue this work through the Breathe Baltimore Project, I want to continue correlating these qualitative stories through quantitative reality. For all the sixth graders who stop playing soccer when it feels too heavy out, and all the neighbors who still remember when the coal depot exploded, breathing clean air isn't just an initiative—it's personal. It's not only fixing the environment; it's fixing our ability to breathe easier wherever we are in Baltimore.

Works Cited

American Lung Association. State of the Air 2023 . American Lung Association, 2023, www.lung.org .

Baltimore City Health Department. Asthma in Baltimore: A Community Profile . Baltimore City Health Department, 2021.

Environmental Integrity Project. Choking on Pollution: Air Monitoring Gaps in Baltimore . Environmental Integrity Project, 2022.

Environmental Protection Agency. “Environmental Justice.” EPA , 2023, www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice .

Grist. “How Destiny Watford Took on a Trash Incinerator—and Won.” Grist , 2021, grist.org.

Maryland Environmental Health Network. Air Quality and Environmental Justice in Maryland . MEHN, 2022.

South Baltimore Community Land Trust. Community-Led Development and Environmental Justice . SBCLT, 2023.

Environmental Justice. environmentalintegrity.org/what-we-do/environmental-justice/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.

Battle plan for Baltimore's disproportionately high ... www.baltimorebrew.com/2020/10/22/battle-plan-for-baltimores-disproportionately-high-childhood-asthma-rates/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2025.

The Microplastics Around and In Us

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 17:06:12 GMT

“People misunderstand how many microplastics are actually around us. You just don’t think about it. I try to use as little plastic as possible—that’s almost impossible. They’re everywhere.” — Nylah McClain

Section 1: The Domino Effect
To explain something complex, you have to start small— very small .

The human body is composed of approximately 70% water. It's fluid courses through your blood, cells, tissues, and organs. Like our bodies, the planet is also about 70% water. In recent history, plastic pollution has been rising in global water sources. It's no surprise that plastics have now been found in the human body.

Created to mimic natural rubber, plastic has found itself in many items made for everyday use. Plastics now cover the world's consumers inside and out. It’s in packaging, clothing, cosmetics, water, food, and so much more.

The creator of this—Alexander Parkes, who first unveiled his creation of synthetic plastic in 1862. Could never have imagined that his invention would become one of the most quietly catastrophic forces in human history.

What are Microplastics? How do they form?

"Microplastic" by Oregon State University from Microplastics is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Plastics are synthetic materials made from petroleum. Over time, larger plastic objects like bottles, bags, and clothing break down through processes like fragmentation and fiber shedding. Fragmentation occurs when plastics break down due to exposure to sunlight, water, and friction. Fiber shedding happens as synthetic fabrics erode during use or washing. These breakdown processes produce tiny plastic particles, called microplastics, that pollute the environment. Specifically, microplastics are defined as particles smaller than 5 millimeters. They’re in the air, soil, your body , the water— everywhere . To drive it home, microplastics have been found in the following: kidney, liver, saliva, blood, placenta, table salt, produce, seafood, rain, cleaning products, cosmetics (makeup, face washes), clothes, dust, and trash.

Microplastics can be divided into two categories: primary and secondary. Primary microplastics are manufactured intentionally and are often used in exfoliating personal care products. Alternatives like pumice, oatmeal, or crushed walnut shells are natural and are also used. However, synthetic microbeads were once common in face washes and toothpaste until bans were introduced in some countries like Canada, France, Ireland, China, the United States, and New Zealand. In addition, primary microplastics such as Nurdles serve as raw material for creating basically all plastic products by being melted and molded. They're especially small pellets that are able to easily escape into the environment during the production and transportation of plastic goods, leading to pollution.

Secondary microplastics, on the other hand, are formed unintentionally . They result from the breakdown of larger plastic items through chemical, physical, or biological processes. Sunlight exposure, friction, and microbial activity slowly reduce everyday plastics into minuscule fragments. Nylah McClain, a microplastic expert at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore researching the effects of secondary microplastics in blue crabs, explained in our interview that “A microplastic can still break down even further if the chemical bonds will allow that...plastics are hard to biodegrade because they’re manmade.”. This means that even after plastics become microplastics, they can continue to break down into smaller particles, making them almost impossible to remove from the environment. Whether created on purpose or as a consequence of plastic waste. Both types of microplastics now circulate through every layer of life, forming the first domino in a chain reaction with consequences we’re only beginning to understand.

How Do Microplastics Enter the Body?

Microplastics enter the body through two main ways: inhalation and ingestion . While other ways exist, more research is needed to better understand. Breathing in microplastics in the air or ingesting them through contaminated food and water allows these small particles to bypass our natural defense and integrate into our bodies.

What Chemicals Are Commonly Found in Microplastics?

Many microplastics contain toxic chemicals (additives) such as Bisphenol A ( BPA) and Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ( PFAS) . These are commonly known as “ forever chemicals ”, or substances that resist breaking down and persist in the body. Alarmingly, several additives used in plastics aren’t even required to be tested for safety by regulatory agencies. Currently, BPA and PFAS long-term effects are largely unknown to the public.

What Products Commonly Contain Microplastics?

Microplastics have been found in everyday items like salt, seafood, bottled water, milk, honey, sugar, beer, and even tea . Scientific methods for detecting these particles are still being standardized. Current data has yet to identify microplastic levels that pose a health risk. The lack of clarity in testing methods might overshadow the real scope of exposure to microplastics.

“ Nature is really good at degrading nature. Nature is not so good at degrading man-made things ” — Nylah McClain

Section 2: You Are What You Eat.

—Plastic included.

“A Person with Plastic Bits Pieces on Hand” by Alfo Medeiros from A Person with Plastic Bits Pieces on Hand is licensed under CC0

How Much Microplastic Do Humans Consume?

As you read this, you've probably already consumed around 285 microplastic particles (In theory). Clinging to many of those particles are chemical additives like PFAS that amplify the damage microplastics do to our bodies. PFAS are created to resist heat, water, and time itself. They don’t break down easily in the environment or the human body.

PFAS was first introduced in 1946 as a nonstick coating called Teflon, developed by DuPont. DuPont later partnered with 3M, a company formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, and is now modernly known as a multinational conglomerate. Made PFAS a key ingredient in countless consumer products. Today, it’s found in an overwhelming range of items we use and eat. Decades of widespread use have led to PFAS contaminating water, soil, and even the bloodstreams of both humans and animals. When paired with microplastics, this chemical forms a toxic duo. One is increasingly linked to serious health issues like:

Cancer : Increased risk of cancers (prostate, kidney, testicular)
Weight : Increased cholesterol levels and obesity
Immune system : Reduced ability of the body's immune system to fight infections
Reproductive system :
Low birth weight: Weaker immune system, higher risk of chronic disease later in life
Accelerated puberty: Disrupts normal hormonal development and can lead to long-term reproductive issues
Behavioral changes: Connected to learning difficulties, anxiety, or attention disorders
Changes in bone density: May weaken bones or affect proper skeletal development

But PFAS are only half the problem. The other half? Microplastics. Just as bad, maybe even worse. Alone, they’re already a problem. But mix them with additives like PFAS? You get a chemical time bomb, ticking away inside your body.

Health Effects of Microplastics in Humans

In recent studies, microplastics have been found inside the human lung tissue, where they can accumulate. Longer exposure to microplastics is thought to lead to diseases such as asthma and pneumoconiosis (a lung disease caused by inhaling dust).

Also, synthetic fibers that shed from clothing also float in the air, and some of these fibers are inhaled regularly. Experiments have also found that people who are exposed to microplastics can experience inflammation in the airway, causing symptoms like shortness of breath.

Once inside the body, microplastics and their toxic chemicals can irritate lung tissues and enter the bloodstream. These can lead to problems like asthma, pneumonia, allergic reactions, and damage to bronchial tissues. While simulations can predict where particles land, scientists can't fully comprehend how microplastics interact with lung mucus and cells.

Microplastics can also carry other toxic additives like Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), which disrupt hormones, and heavy metals like lead and mercury. These particles in your body can lead to endocrine disruption, which can affect your:

Growth - Energy, brain development, weight gain, and developmental issues in kids and babies.
Stress response - How your body reacts to danger
Reproductive system functions - Puberty, menstruation, fertility

Microplastics' small size allows them to bioaccumulate in important places. These include the blood-brain barrier, which protects your brain from harmful stuff (toxins, pathogens, etc.), your gut lining, where nutrients are stored, and the placenta. Even at birth, microplastics can accumulate in our bodies

It is theorized that microplastics can obstruct blood flow in capillaries, which could impact our brains. This can increase the likelihood of developing neurological diseases such as dementia.

So, now you know. Microplastics inhabit your body, and they're not going away anytime soon.

So what now?

Well, we need to talk about the human cost, of course, and why some communities are much more affected than others.

“ Yes, I am finding that or I have found that the business is the hindering factor for my research specifically. ” — Nylah McClain

Section 3: Am I Allowed To Write This?

There’s a reason why most of this information isn't mainstream.

"Baltimore smoke" by mikemccaffrey from https://www.flickr.com/photos/mccaffry/2923986728/ is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Environmental Justice & Microplastic Exposure

What if where you live determines how much poison you’re exposed to?

It’s 6:00 AM, Wednesday. Janice’s alarm wakes her up for school. The air in her room feels suffocating. She coughs weakly and sits up. As she changes into her clothes, she glances out the window. While some might expect a view of a park or a quiet backyard, all she sees is the silver power plant looming just a few buildings away.

She looks away, imagining the smoke stinging her eyes. Ever since the Baton Rouge Refinery went up, she and her friends have been getting sick. A track runner once known for her speed, she can’t keep up anymore.

Janice’s neighborhood is mostly low-income families, a mix of different races and cultures. Here in Louisiana, the area is called “Cancer Alley” . Not because they’re a threat to society, but because of the disproportionate rate of people at risk of having cancer in her area.

She laces up her shoes and walks to the bus. Smoke fills her eyes. She walks faster.

In many underrepresented communities like this one, people deal with the aftermath of having plastic plants right next to where they live. Baltimore is no different.

Baltimore’s largest trash-to-energy plant, operated by WIN Waste Innovations and located in South Baltimore, is one of the biggest sources of industrial air pollution in the city. It costs over 55 million dollars annually to treat the health consequences caused by its operation. Surrounding low-income marginalized neighborhoods like Cherry Hill, Mount Winans, Westport, Brooklyn, and Curtis Bay have experienced exposure to mercury, nitrogen oxides, and other toxic gases. Besides emitting toxic air gases, they also release plastic microplastics and PFAS into the environment. These plants are poisoning the air with things they claim are being turned into “energy”.

In Baltimore, 15% of Black residents live in neighborhoods ranked among the highest-risk for cancer-causing air pollution, in contrast to 7% of white residents. Therefore, Black residents are two times more likely to be living in areas with poor air quality. This is not by mistake, but by design. Decades of environmental racism have made sure of it, from silencing black, brown, and low-income voices to redlining. The government and big companies have made it extremely difficult for these underrepresented neighborhoods to speak out. They are forced to suffer in silence.

But the people are fighting back; Mayor Brandon M. and the City Council of Baltimore filed a lawsuit against several major plastic manufacturers (PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, etc.). They aim to prove that these mega-corporations created a public problem by contributing to plastic pollution and PFAS contamination. Breath Baltimore—a community-based research project that focuses on deploying air quality sensors in places that have reliable data—records this problem in real time. Allowing residents to see actual evidence of the dangerous spikes in pollution around their neighborhood, and push for policy change and cleaner solutions.

Why are billion-dollar companies allowed to poison people with no real consequences? Well, let's start from the beginning. When plastic was first created, regulations were extremely lax, letting companies put profit over people. For decades, corporations like DuPont and 3M hid evidence about the dangers of chemicals like PFAS, even as the risks started to become clearer. People have worked to install stricter laws, while marginalized communities have dealt with the brunt of the issue. This isn’t just a failure of policy or science; it’s an intentional choice to put profit before public health.

I know this situation sounds bleak, and honestly, it is. But here the truth is, nothing changes if we don’t fight for it. These systems in power right now were built to keep us tired, powerless, distracted, and uninformed. Because knowledge is power, and that power threatens their profit. But if you’re still here, still reading this, then you’ve already taken that first step. Awareness is where it starts. The more we learn, the more we understand, and it becomes much harder for corporations to hide under the shadows of vague labels and laws. We can’t fix what we understand, but when we do, we can organize, speak out, vote, protest–you name it. So you don’t need to be a scientist, but you do need to pay atte ntion.

Section 4: There’s light at the end of the tunnel.

“Fight Today For A Better Tomorrow” by Markus Spiske from "Fight Today For A Better Tomorrow ” is licensed under CC0

This topic is depressing to cover—and research too. Plastic pollution is something we, the public, are all familiar with but don’t really understand. However, the thing is, if we change the lens through which we look, the picture changes—and so can the future. Multiple initiatives like the Europe glass bottle program—focusing on collecting, sorting, and processing glass containers and other wastes to be used in new glass products—and major cleans led by the Ocean Clean Project. The largest cleanup in history, with a focus on removing plastics in the Pacific Ocean. Showing us that with the right perspective, we can get things done.

Works Cited

McClain, Nylah. Personal Interview. 2025.

“City of Baltimore Announces Lawsuit Filed Against Plastic Manufacturing.” Baltimore City Government , 20 June 2024, https://www.baltimorecity.gov/news/press-releases/2024-06-20-city-baltimore-announces-lawsuit-filed-against-plastic-manufacturing .

“South Baltimore Advocates File Civil Rights Complaint over Trash Incinerator Pollution Threats.” Environmental Integrity Project , https://environmentalintegrity.org/news/south-baltimore-advocates-file-civil-rights-complaint-over-trash-incinerator-pollution-threats/ .

Wheeler, Timothy B. “Baltimore’s Water System Contains PFAS Chemicals at Levels above New EPA Health Advisory.” The Baltimore Sun , 24 June 2022, https://www.baltimoresun.com/2022/06/24/baltimores-water-system-contains-pfas-chemicals-at-levels-above-new-epa-health-advisory/ .

“Microplastics Found in Human Brains.” UNM Health Sciences Center Newsroom , https://hscnews.unm.edu/news/hsc-newsroom-post-microplastics-human-brains .

“Baltimore.” Our America: Equity Report , https://ouramericaabc.com/equity-report/baltimore/environment .

“What Are Microplastics?” NOAA Ocean Service , https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html .

Dawson, Maurice. “Microplastics in Drinking Water and Human Health.” ACS ES&T Water , 2024, https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestwater.4c00316 .

“What Are Microplastics?” NOAA Marine Debris Program , https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/what-marine-debris/microplastics .

“Microbeads in Wastewater.” Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection , https://portal.ct.gov/deep/municipal-wastewater/microbeads .

“What Is Plastic?” Worksheets Planet , https://www.worksheetsplanet.com/what-is-plastic/ .

“Plastics Explained.” Plastics Europe , https://plasticseurope.org/plastics-explained/ .

“The Age of Plastic: Parkesine to Pollution.” Science Museum , https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/chemistry/age-plastic-parkesine-pollution .

“How Do Microplastics Form?” CleanO2 , https://cleano2.ca/blogs/journal/how-do-microplastics-form .

“Yale Experts Explain: Microplastics.” Yale Sustainability , https://sustainability.yale.edu/explainers/yale-experts-explain-microplastics .

“Microplastics Are Everywhere.” Harvard Medicine Magazine , https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/microplastics-everywhere .

“New Study Links Microplastics to Serious Health Harms in Humans.” Environmental Working Group , 2024, https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2024/03/new-study-links-microplastics-serious-health-harms-humans .

“Cumulative Exposure of Microplastics and Human Health.” National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) , https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10151227/ .

“Toxicological Risk Assessment of Microplastics.” ScienceDirect , https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935124004390 .

“Microplastics and PFAS: The Connection.” Water Online , https://www.wateronline.com/doc/the-microplastics-and-pfas-connection-0001 .

“Final Virtual PFAS Explainer.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-10/final-virtual-pfas-explainer-508.pdf .

“Health Effects of PFAS.” Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) , https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/about/health-effects.html .

“What Are PFAS Chemicals?” Environmental Working Group , https://www.ewg.org/what-are-pfas-chemicals .

“Microplastics and Human Health Risks.” Science News , https://www.sciencenews.org/article/microplastics-human-bodies-health-risks .

“Microplastic Toxicity and the Human Body.” MDPI Foods , https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/18/3396 .

“Australia’s Microplastic Waste Burden.” National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) , https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10826726/ .

“Per‑ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Environment.” ScienceDirect , https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969719344468 .

“PFAS: Forever Chemicals.” Britannica , https://www.britannica.com/technology/microplastic .

"Baton Rouge operations." ExxonMobil , ExxonMobil, https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/locations/united-states/baton-rouge-operations

Mashudi, Agung. "Plastic Bans Around the World." Solinatra , 14 Dec. [Year not specified], https://www.solinatra.com/news/plastic-bans-around-the-world

“Explained: What Are Nurdles?” Fauna & Flora , 23 Sept. 2023,

www.fauna-flora.org/explained/explained-what-are-nurdles/ .

‌O’Donoghue, Laura. “The Blood Brain Barrier: An Overview.” Assay Genie , 24

Mar. 2022, www.assaygenie.com/blog/the-blood-brain-barrier . Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.

‌ How Does Pollution from BRESCO Affect Baltimore?

Bottle, Hello. “GLASS RECYCLING for BOTTLES in GERMANY.” Pearl Jars , 26 July 2023,

www.pearljars.com/en/blogs/blog/glass-recycling-for-bottles-in-germany .

‌Slat, Boyan. “The Ocean Cleanup.” The Ocean Cleanup , 2025, theoceancleanup.com/ .

Latinx Baltimore Boat Tour

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:16:19 GMT

Latinx Baltimore Boat Tour

By Donzell Brown

On the evening of September 19th, in collaboration with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), seventeen community members boarded the "Snow Goose" for a memorable evening of education, fun, and connections. In celebration of Latino Conservation Week , we invited organizations like CBF and Latino Outdoors to connect with the South Baltimore community.

The Lakeland community was well-represented by the Lakeland Community Association Partnership president and other passionate members. The "Snow Goose" provided a scenic cruise on a beautiful day, and participants shared their personal stories and experiences along the waters of Baltimore City as we sailed around the Fort McHenry peninsula.

The highlight of the evening was a unique opportunity provided by CBF. We briefly dredged the waters of the Patapsco River, bringing up a sample of local marine life. The group was also thrilled to observe the diverse wildlife—from fish to birds—up close.

As we returned to the dock, the conversation turned to the future. We discussed what’s possible and beautiful in our local environment, as well as what needs to be improved, restored, and protected. The evening left us inspired and excited about the future of our community and its natural surroundings.

Reel Rewards: Empowering Communities to Restore Middle Branch Harbor

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 18:55:42 GMT

Reel Rewards: Empowering Communities to Restore Middle Branch Harbor

By Christien Martin

The Reel Rewards invasive fish bounty program, organized by the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative ( EJJI ) in partnership with local communities, is a community-driven environmental restoration initiative. Launched in May 2024, this program pays local anglers to help restore the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River by removing invasive fish. This harbor has been a historically significant part of the Patapsco River, serving as a hub for both industry and local fishing communities in South Baltimore. Once a vital area for shipbuilding and trade, it has also been impacted by environmental justice issues, with marginalized communities bearing the brunt of pollution and industrial decline. By offering financial incentives to remove invasive fish species, the program tackles a critical environmental issue while empowering these same communities to reclaim and restore their local environment.

The Challenge: Invasive Species Threatening Chesapeake Bay

The Middle Branch of the Patapsco River, part of the greater Chesapeake Bay, has long been plagued by invasive fish species, including the Northern Snakehead, Blue Catfish, and Flathead Catfish. These apex predators have few natural enemies. This allows the invasive fish to outcompete native species important to the local ecosystem and economy. These invasives are resilient to environmental changes and have high offspring survival rates allowing them to spread throughout the Chesapeake Bay. Their survival strategies make the Middle Branch ecosystem more vulnerable. It is vital to control invasive populations to help the local environment.

Local anglers have noted the presence of these invasive species since the 1980s. Despite public desire to address the environmental challenges faced by the area, there has been a significant lack of research and action to address these issues—until now.

A Solution: Community-Based Conservation

Reel Rewards offers a mitigating solution to this problem by compensating community members for removing these invasive fish. Anglers receive $30 for each invasive fish they catch from the Middle Branch and turn in to EJJI, with an additional $10 reward for participating in a survey designed to understand community behaviors and environmental awareness.

This innovative approach not only helps to reduce the population of harmful species but also fosters a sense of community involvement in environmental stewardship. The program’s success is evident in its reception; over 300 people registered to participate in its first year, with many praising the initiative for its dual benefits to the environment and the community.

Program Impact: Success in Numbers

In just the first three months, Reel Rewards has seen impressive results:

256 Northern Snakeheads
37 Blue Catfish
6 Flathead Catfish

These numbers represent a significant reduction in the invasive species population, directly contributing to the health of the Chesapeake Bay's ecosystem. To date, $8,460 has been paid out to participating anglers, underscoring the community's enthusiastic participation and the program's positive economic impact.

Community Engagement: A Path Forward

The Reel Rewards program focuses on working with the community. Survey data taken during the program revealed that 72% of registrants were previously unaware or knew very little of current environmental improvements in Middle Branch. However, 62% expressed a willingness to learn more, highlighting a strong community interest in environmental management when provided with the right opportunities.

This program is not just about fish; it’s about fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and giving local residents a say in the future of their neighborhood. Ongoing environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis and survey data collection are crucial components of this effort, providing valuable insights into both the social and biological aspects of the ecosystem.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Reel Rewards

The success of Reel Rewards has spurred discussions about its future. Participants and partners are eager to see the program expand. Potential new locations in the Potomac River and Annapolis are under consideration. To make this a reality, EJJI and its partners are actively seeking additional funding to extend the program's reach and duration.

As we look forward to the Spring of 2025, when the program is expected to run again, it’s clear that Reel Rewards is more than just a fishing competition. It’s a community-driven movement towards ecological restoration, social empowerment, and environmental justice.

To learn more about Reel Rewards and how you can get involved, visit EJJI's Reel Rewards page.

Reel Rewards Special Event – A Day of Environmental Engagement in South Baltimore

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 19:27:22 GMT

Reel Rewards Special Event – A Day of Environmental Engagement in South Baltimore

By Christien Martin

On July 20, 2024, the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative (EJJI) hosted the Reel Rewards Special Event, a gathering focused on promoting environmental awareness and community involvement. From 3pm - 6pm at Middle Branch Park, visitors participated in an afternoon filled with educational activities, hands-on learning, and discussions about the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Hosted by EJJI , in collaboration with the Integration and Application Network at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science ( IAN-UMCES ), the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center - Chesapeake Water Watch ( SERC-CWW ), and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation ( CBF ), the event offered participants the chance to explore the connections between local communities and voice their opinions on environmental issues.

A Day Full of Activities and Learning

The event featured a variety of stations where attendees engaged with environmental experts and participated in conservation activities. At the Reel Rewards drop-off station, anglers were invited to share their fishing experiences through a survey, with each participant receiving a $10 virtual gift card for their contribution to the ongoing studies of Middle Branch anglers.

At the water quality testing station, managed by SERC-CWW, attendees learned about the critical role water quality plays in the health of the Chesapeake Bay and how their actions can make a difference. The Chesapeake Bay Report Card Listening Session provided a platform for community members to voice their opinions on the state of the Bay and discuss ideas for its future.

Families and children found plenty to do at the event, with a kid's station featuring coloring activities and an interactive magnet board where they could learn about environmental indicators. Stewardship activities, such as trash pick-up Incentives and plastic sorting, encouraged participants to take an active role in caring for their local environment.

Community Engagement and Impact

The Reel Rewards Special Event was a chance for South Baltimore residents to come together and share their thoughts and ideas on environmental issues affecting their area. The event brought together community members to share knowledge and ideas, helping them to better understand their local environment and the collective efforts needed to protect it.

The event demonstrated the tangible benefits of engaging our community in environmental action. By participating in activities like water quality testing and stewardship efforts, attendees didn't just learn—they contributed directly to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. As we plan future events, our focus will remain on creating meaningful opportunities for involvement, ensuring that every action, no matter how small, helps protect our shared environment.

For those who missed the event, stay tuned to our social media channels and website for upcoming opportunities to get involved.

Christien Martin joined EJJI in 2024 as the Reel Rewards Program Assistant, where he oversees bi-weekly drop-offs and manages various aspects of the Reel Rewards Program.

Baltimore’s Air Quality Exposure

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 19:58:40 GMT

Baltimore’s Air Quality Exposure

By Alexander Chang

Alexander Chang is a student at Johns Hopkins University, majoring in English and Environmental Studies while minoring in Writing Seminars. He has also published several graphic novels.

Baltimore Angler Stories: Danaz Williams

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 19:58:31 GMT

Baltimore Angler Stories

Celebrating Community and Sustainability: An Inspiring Interview with Danaz Williams

By Christien Martin

At the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative ( EJJI ), we are dedicated to highlighting the stories of individuals who make significant impacts on their communities and the environment. Recently, we had the pleasure of interviewing Danaz Williams, a passionate business owner and community advocate in Baltimore, Maryland. This interview is part of our EJJI Reel Rewards program , which incentivizes sustainable fishing practices and environmental stewardship.

Danaz has spent his entire life in Baltimore, a city he cherishes. As the owner of MiLife Cafe , he finds joy in the simple pleasures of life, such as fishing. His passion for fishing began when he caught and cooked a trout with his friends, an experience that also ignited his love for cooking. This pivotal moment combined his interests, leading him to open MiLife Cafe, where he could share his culinary creations with the community.

Danaz describes his fishing experiences as moments of tranquility. He shares, “Being able to get the rods out, being able just to catch a nice breeze and just chill on the water is always a good moment in time for me.”

Beyond his business, Danaz is deeply committed to his community. During the school year, he ensures that every child at St. Frances Academy receives a free breakfast and lunch. For those who can afford it, he offers meals for purchase, with the proceeds ensuring more food is available for those in need. Danaz's dedication is evident in his efforts to provide for the next generation and teach them the importance of giving back. He emphasizes, "Just teach them if you’re in a community, if you do great things for each other, you can balance everything out."

Danaz is also passionate about environmental issues, particularly the improvement of the Patapsco River. He believes in the importance of politicians and communities working together and praises the efforts of organizations like EJJI for their role in environmental education. “I see the difference in the harbor, and everything that the environmentalists are trying to do; the water seems clearer,” he notes, expressing optimism about the future of the Middle Branch.

The EJJI Reel Rewards program has significantly impacted the community by encouraging sustainable fishing practices. To date, the program has collected almost 400 fish and paid out over $9,000 to the community. Danaz himself has submitted 39 fish , appreciating the program for offering people the chance to earn money, enjoy themselves, and make a positive impact. He believes that rewarding individuals for their efforts in sustainability is a great way to foster environmental awareness and action.

Danaz Williams's story is a testament to the power of community involvement and environmental stewardship. His dedication to providing for his community and advocating for a cleaner environment is truly inspiring. At EJJI, we are proud to share his story and support the efforts of individuals like Danaz who make a difference every day.

Join us in making a difference! Participate in the EJJI Reel Rewards program and contribute to sustainable fishing practices. Learn more and get involved at www.ejji.org/reel-rewards .

EJJI Board Member Participates in Harbor Splash

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 18:30:13 GMT

EJJI Board Member Participates in Harbor Splash

By Laura Quigley

This past weekend, EJJI board member Eric Schott joined a group of more than 150 people in jumping into Baltimore's Inner Harbor for the inaugural Harbor Splash. Coordinated by Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore , Harbor Splash is part of a larger initiative to make the city's waters swimmable - and to improve public opinion toward the health of Baltimore's waterways.

As Associate Research Professor for the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (UMCES at IMET), Schott is passionate about improving the health of Baltimore's waters for both aquatic creatures and people.

This jump isn't the first time Schott has leaped into the Inner Harbor to make a case for improved water quality. In September 2023, he joined fellow researchers and clean water advocates in the waters near Fells Point to demonstrate their safety. [Read Schott's guest commentary about the 2023 jump here .]

About the Harbor Splash event, Schott says:

"Being able to safely swim in Baltimore Harbor this week is the product of years of effective work by environmental groups, enforcement of clean water laws, dedicated and prolonged repairs by the City of Baltimore, and over a decade of cooperation led by the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore [WPB]. The WPB set a goal back in 2010, and consistently convened meetings of all the stakeholders until the goal was met.

We need to make sure the 2024 splash is just the start. Neighbors of Baltimore’s other waterfront, along the Middle Branch, deserve swimmable water as well, and now there is no reason to think it’s not achievable soon. The Reimagine Middle Branch project can provide the framework for public engagement, coordination, and follow-through that is needed. EJJI is poised to use its connections with both community and environmental studies to support the goal of a swimmable Middle Branch."

Urban Farm Profile: The 6th Branch

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 21:13:00 GMT

Urban Farm Profile: The 6th Branch

THE 6TH BRANCH

Oliver Community Farm - 1325 N Bond St

Johnston Square Farm and Garden – 1310 Homewood Ave

Broadway East Tree and Berry Farm – 1600/1700 Montford Ave

Contact: Liz Lamb ( lizlamb@the6thbranch.org )

Facebook , Instagram , Website

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF THE FARMS

The 6th Branch was formed by a service club of military veterans who were passionate about continued community service. The organization began by picking up trash on vacant lots and supporting local community association efforts. In 2011, The 6th Branch expanded to distributing leftover produce from the JFX Farmers Market to residents in the Oliver community. In 2013, they partnered with the Oliver community association and Meraki Community Uplift to begin growing their own produce at what would become the Oliver Community Farm.

By 2015, they had constructed a greenhouse tunnel at the Oliver Community Farm, enabling year-round food production. With little experience in farming, members of The 6th Branch gained experience by doing. Their commitment to the project led to significant growth, with over 2,000 lbs. of food produced at the Oliver site by 2017.

In 2019, members of the Johnston Square community asked The 6th Branch to tend the land that had been Charm City Farms. This land became the Johnston Square Farm and Garden. Two years later, the farm organization’s footprint expanded once again when construction began on the Broadway East Tree and Berry Farm in 2021.

As their acreage developed, The 6th Branch grew their team to include 4 full-time employees, 2 part-time employees, and 4 service members from a service corps program in Maryland. Under the direction of farmer Liz Lamb, the farms produced just under 3,000 lbs. of produce in 2021, growing to 6,500 lbs. of produce in 2023.

Today, The 6th Branch tends the farms at Oliver Community Farm, Johnston Square Farm and Garden, and Broadway East Tree and Berry Farm, as well as green space at each lot. The organization stewards over 20 acres of green space in East Baltimore and continues to provide fresh produce to the community.

FARM PRODUCTS AND METHODS

The 6th Branch farms grow a variety of vegetables, as well as perennial fruit crops, herbs, and cut flowers. Their yearly harvest includes tomatoes, peppers, squash, leafy greens, herbs, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, peaches, and figs. The land and crops are maintained by The 6th Branch employees and service corps members, as well as community members and volunteers.

Using regenerative and sustainable practices, the farmers avoid pesticides and instead focus on maintaining soil health and resiliency. Avoiding pesticides also ensures the land is safe and welcoming to people in the community who self-harvest or use the area as a public green space.

The 6th Branch farmers use no or low tillage on their sites, instead using a broadfork to aerate the soil. In addition, they use cover crops - a crop that isn’t intended for harvest - to bring nutrients to the surface of the soil and act as a mulch. Drip tape irrigation systems and landscape fabric help manage their water usage and control weeds.

INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGIES

Since the farms have a limited number of staff, they try to use products that do the work slowly and/or passively, such as silage tarps and landscape fabric that reduce labor-intensive tasks like weeding. As climate patterns become more unpredictable, they plan to have more perennial plants in the ground, which spread out both harvests and labor. The 6th Branch is also working with partners to establish native plant borders that can act as a beneficial habitat for wildlife and pollinators.

COMMUNITY INTERACTION AND OUTREACH

The 6th Branch farms distribute food directly to the community through weekly farm stands. None of the produce is sold; it is all available for free and there is no limit to how much produce people are able to take. In addition, they partner with another local nonprofit to provide food boxes for the elderly and those on health-restricted diets.

The 6th Branch actively engages with the community through farming workshops, cooking demonstrations, open farm events, neighborhood event support, and educational programs for local schools. They plant and prune trees all around the neighborhoods, in an effort to grow their positive impact. The farms are not just located in communities; they are part of their communities.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ON THE FARMS

As an organization that stewards urban land and provides free food to their community, The 6th Branch’s mission is deeply entwined with environmental justice. The 6th Branch works toward food justice by providing fresh, nutritious, readily available produce in an area where grocery stores can be difficult to reach.

Beyond providing food, the farms are a safe space where people can enjoy the outdoors and reconnect with nature. The perennial and native plant species attract wildlife, like hawks and foxes, that become part of the fabric of the surrounding communities. By promoting biodiversity, farming, and community engagement, The 6th Branch contributes to a healthier ecosystem, and healthier people within that ecosystem.

WHAT MAKES THE FARMS UNIQUE?

The 6th Branch's deep connection to their communities creates a unique, collaborative atmosphere. Their presence on the properties is a result of being invited by community members, reflecting a high level of trust and collaboration. They prioritize building long-lasting relationships, as shown by their 99 year lease at the Oliver Community Farm, a piece of land that has moved into a Baltimore Green Space land trust to ensure it remains a green space in perpetuity.

The 6th Branch also covers a wide footprint, tending farms and green spaces in six East Baltimore neighborhoods. While the farms they steward continue to grow in productivity, the organization also focuses on creating safe outdoor spaces for people to enjoy as meditation centers, outdoor classrooms, and green areas.

HOW CAN YOU INTERACT WITH OR SUPPORT THE FARMS?

You can follow The 6th Branch on Facebook and Instagram , where they post events, news, and updates about the farms. Visit their website for more information about the farms and while you’re there, make sure to sign up to volunteer .

Reel Rewards Program to Launch in Baltimore, MD: Incentivizing Sustainable Fishing

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 16:58:02 GMT

Reel Rewards Program to Launch in Baltimore, MD: Incentivizing Sustainable Fishing

Baltimore, MD - In April 2024, the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative (EJJI) will launch the Reel Rewards program, an innovative program that promotes sustainable fishing practices and combats invasive species in the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River.

The program is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership (SBGP) and will be executed in collaboration with the Interdisciplinary Consortium for Applied Research in the Environment (ICARE), Reimagine Middle Branch , and the Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative .

Reel Rewards offers local fishers an opportunity to take part in environmental conservation and research initiatives while receiving incentives for their work. We encourage those fishing within the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River to identify and catch invasive fish species. These invasive species include the Northern Snakehead, Blue Catfish, and Flathead Catfish.

Upon successfully catching any of the designated invasive species, participants are asked to collect the fish heads and deliver them to drop-off points on specified days. In exchange, fishers will receive $30 per invasive fish head submitted. This program provides data for invasive species management and supports local fishing communities through financial incentives.

Reel Rewards is a collaborative effort between government agencies, non-profit organizations, and local stakeholders. Our goal is to address environmental challenges, foster community engagement, and support local fishers.

For more information about Reel Rewards and how to participate, please visit https://www.ejji.org/reel-rewards .

About EJJI

The Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative (EJJI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental justice and community empowerment. Through collaborative initiatives and innovative programs, EJJI connects communities - especially youth - with the journalists, policymakers, scientists, and researchers doing environmental justice work in their neighborhoods here in Baltimore.

Contact:

Veronica Malabanan Lucchese

Environmental Science Program Manager

EJJI

veronica@ejji.org

Farewell from EJJI Co-Founder Rona Kobell

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 17:44:33 GMT

Farewell from EJJI Co-Founder Rona Kobell

This is my last week as editor in chief with the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative. I will be starting a job shortly as a Baltimore County reporter for the Baltimore Banner.

I could not be prouder of all we have accomplished at EJJI in the last three years. We started out as educators for the Henry Hall Fellowship at the National Aquarium, which as far as I am concerned is the gold standard for marine education. Then, through our friends at the League of Conservation Voters, I had a seat at the table moderating the Democratic debate on environmental issues. I joined colleagues from WYPR, the NAACP, and Maryland Matters. It was such fun and important work. I made lifelong friends that evening.

I enjoyed working with The Community School in Remington and bringing the Gunston School to our marina and around South Baltimore for an environmental injustice tour, as well as educating several politicians, funders, and journalism students about the inequities around our city. I participated in several networking calls to help our interns and young people I teach land jobs at nonprofits. It’s been great fun to watch their careers launch.

I remain grateful to all of our supporters and friends for helping us make Eroding History , a film at the intersection of historic racism and climate change on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The film is going on PBS.org in April, and it will also run on Maryland Public Television. To date, we have screened it with panel discussions more than two dozen times. Here is a list of the places we have shown it, and if I forgot you, I am sorry, but there have been a lot:

Senator Theatre, Loyola Environmental Film Series, Baltimore, MD
Chesapeake Bay Program Biennial, Charlottesville, VA
Textile Arts course, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
History and English course, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Multiple courses and public screening, University of Maine, Orono, ME
Public screening and teaching, UMBC, MD
Public screening, University of Baltimore, MD
Chesapeake Semester, Washington College, Chestertown, MD
Chesapeake Conservancy, Annapolis, MD
Baltimore Heritage, Baltimore, MD
Choose Clean Water Conference, Harrisburg, PA
Berkeley Springs International Water Festival, Berkeley Springs, WV
Nature City Forum, Linthicum, MD
World Wildlife Fund, Washington, DC
Environmental Defense Fund, Washington, DC
Fusion Film Festival, Baltimore, MD
Chesapeake International Film Festival, Easton, MD
Maryland Historic Trust, Crownsville, MD
Johns Hopkins University (twice), Baltimore, MD
Natural History Society of Maryland, Overlea, MD
Martin Luther King Library, Washington, DC
Reginald Lewis Museum, Baltimore, MD
The Park School (for the Maryland Lynching Project), Baltimore, MD
Institute for Marine and Environmental Technology, Baltimore, MD
Dorchester Center for the Arts, Alpha Genesis community screening, Cambridge, MD
Green and Healthy Homes Initiative, Baltimore, MD
Loyola environmental justice seminar, Baltimore, MD

We are fielding requests now to screen the film for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the College of Southern Maryland, the Creative Alliance, and the Smithsonian!

Eroding History was a labor of love for me, director André Chung, and co-producer and co-writer Sean Yoes. EJJI produced it and gave us a platform to promote the story and tell it. Organizing all of the screenings was a fun endeavor because I got to learn about so many great organizations and universities and what they are trying to do to improve the world.

I know my partners are going to continue to push for policymakers to be aware of the inequities in land conservation and management in the face of climate change. They, as well as the wonderful people in our film, are excellent advocates for solutions to these issues.

Nothing is impossible if you believe you can do it. I am so lucky I got to build this organization and work with young talent, including the wonderful Jessica Diaz and Laura Quigley, as well as interns Ava Wasik, Ja’Bria Oliver, and Lilly Howard, as well as filmmaker Jalysa Mayo. I am so impressed with and proud of all of them, and look forward to watching their careers soar.

Finally, I want to thank Donzell Brown for taking this bold leap with me all those years ago. EJJI, and its mission, will always have a place in my heart.

Sincerely,

Rona Kobell

Managing the Potomac: Featuring the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 17:29:19 GMT

Managing the Potomac: Featuring the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia

This is a story about the intersection of science and Indigenous communities. Focusing on the Potomac River Watershed, "Managing the Potomac: Featuring the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia" highlights inequalities in the environmental management of this vital waterway.

The Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia, the original people of the Potomac River, discuss environmental injustices facing their community, like increased stormwater runoff due to development and an increasingly privately-owned waterfront. Filmmaker and NOAA-LMRCSC Fellow II, Veronica Malabanan Lucchese , uses social network analysis - the scientific study of relationships - to identify the most and least influential managers in this environmental landscape. Tying together research and personal histories, “Managing the Potomac: Featuring the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia” shows the need for more inclusive management.

This film was supported by the Integrated Application Network at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science , the COAST Card project , the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative, the NOAA-LMRCSC Fellowship, the Belmont Forum , and the National Science Foundation .

Eroding History Goes to Orono

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 20:36:49 GMT

Eroding History Goes to Orono

By Rona Kobell

Last week, EJJI co-founder Rona Kobell and independent photojournalist André Chung flew to Bangor, Maine, to spend three days with communications, marine science, and policy students to talk to them about our work and our film, Eroding History. (Our co-producer, Sean Yoes, was not able to join us.) We also addressed a colloquium for doctoral candidates and master’s students to talk about how we formed the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative and what we are doing next.

All told, we probably screened Eroding History four times for different audiences. At our main screening, the climate scientist Jacquelyn Gill joined us. Dr. Gill is a paleoecologist and biogeographer, and she is also a social media star. She has hosted several podcasts, including the well-regarded Our Warm Regards. In the panel discussion, we talked about the difficulty in discussing climate change with the few people for whom it has not yet become an existential threat. The bad news is that sliver of humanity is getting smaller, as more and more of us are being forced from our homes.

We would like to thank our host, Michael Socolow, and generous support from the McGillicuddy Humanities Center for hosting us. Special thanks to Mike and all of his colleagues in the communications department for the wonderful reception. It was cold outside, but the generosity of our hosts made us forget about that. Well, that and the extra layers we brought!

You can catch Eroding History in the following places:

Reginald Lewis Museum

Martin Luther King Day Celebration, Inner Harbor

Thursday, Feb. 22, 6pm to 8pm

830 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore

University of Baltimore

Wednesday, Feb. 28, 6pm to 8pm

Wright Theater, Student Center, 5th Floor

21 W. Mt. Royal Ave., Baltimore

Dorchester Center for the Arts

Saturday, March 9, 5:30pm to 8pm

Todd Hall, Dorchester Center for the Arts, Cambridge, MD

Reception at 5:30; Film at 6:30; Panel discussion to follow

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Thursday, March 14

Albin O. Kuhn Library, UMBC

This screening will be accompanied by several guest lectures from EJJI co-founder Rona Kobell.

What Stopped the Bleeding of the Highway Wound?

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 19:06:55 GMT

What Stopped the Bleeding of the Highway Wound?

New environmental laws were only part of the story for Baltimore’s road to nowhere

By Rona Kobell

We had a great screening last night at IMET for Disruption: Baltimore's Highway to Nowhere , and Eroding History .

You can see the trailer for Eroding History and the full Highway to Nowhere film here .

Our moderator, was Dr. Amanda Phillips De Lucas of the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance. She did her doctoral dissertation on the Highway to Nowhere, and also edited a book, Justice and the Interstates , all about highways cutting through Black neighborhoods. So, it’s fair to say she’s done a lot of research on this topic!

DeLucas made a comment that it was environmental regulation that stopped the 1.39-mile stretch of road from going any further. For those unfamiliar, there was a plan to build a road connecting I-70 and I-83 and it was going to go through Baltimore. City officials built the first part, through Old West Baltimore, but they stopped after opposition from a multi-racial coalition, but led by white residents of Fells Point, Federal Hill, and the neighborhoods around Leakin Park.

Read Ron Cassie’s excellent Baltimore Magazine story for more context on that!

I didn't want to contradict her life's work, but I pointed out that environmental laws cannot do the heavy lifting without people who push for their enforcement. Activists in neighborhoods like Fells Point, Federal Hill, and Leakin Park who stopped the highway. (Famously Barb Mikulski.) Yes, they did this using new environmental laws, but the laws did not do it. The people did it. And the fact that the law was on their side, and the city tired of the fight, and the feds reallocated the money - that all happened AFTER Baltimore's white civic boosters decided to destroy Old West Baltimore.

Not a day goes by when I drive into Baltimore and am not thankful that this rag-tag group of activists stopped the highway. And not a day goes by when I am in West Baltimore and think what a shame it is that the effort to stop the road did not happen before it became a wound through West Baltimore.

Watch Sean Yoes’ film to see that in more detail.

The road destroyed a thriving Black community, the same community that birthed Thurgood Marshall and many other Black leaders. What would Baltimore look like today had the road never been built? If Pennsylvania Avenue still had its shops and famed music lounges? I can’t imagine, because I never saw it then. But everyone who did carries that heartbreak with them.

The fact is, bad actors break environmental laws every day. I guarantee you, if you are living in a place that has any industry, someone right now is violating the law. Whether they're polluting more than their permit allows, or secretly dumping something toxic, or adding excessive manure to their fields, they're breaking the law. Most likely, no one from the government agency responsible for regulating it will notice - they don't have the inspectors to go around looking. But what they will do is respond to complaints. Therefore, this system requires someone - or a group of someones - to complain. The law is the mechanism to protect. The person who complains is the catalyst. If you want environmental justice, you need both.

Jessica's Journey: Navigating Environmental Justice from Houston to the Knauss Fellowship

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 19:52:13 GMT

Jessica's Journey: Navigating Environmental Justice from Houston to the Knauss Fellowship

By Laura Quigley

In East Houston, where the city limit ends, Jessica Diaz's childhood took place in the shadow of petrochemical facilities. Trees were sparse, the smell of chemicals lingered in the air, and the factories’ bright lights and flaring red fires blocked out the sight of the stars at night.

“Growing up, we knew something was a little off, but we just didn’t have the language to speak about it,” says Diaz.

Raised in a predominantly Latinx and low-income community, Diaz noticed disparities between her environment and others’. During trips to competitions for band, science, and math, she perceived inequality in the lush, green spaces of the more affluent communities on the west side of Houston.

Diaz didn’t yet question why her family and neighbors lived in a constant state of industrial exposure. She lived a happy life with a loving family in the community she called home.

In middle school, Diaz's interests veered toward environmental justice during a corporate-funded science camp she attended. While participating in supervised tours and activities, she remembers a strong push for the students to work at the facility in the future.

Diaz describes the science camp as a “chemical science pipeline to work at the facility.” As a young, aspiring scientist with an interest in endangered animals and large animal veterinary medicine, the experience left her uneasy. She began to pay attention to the other ways that industry dominated her community.

When the time came to choose her undergraduate studies, Diaz left Texas to major in Fisheries and Wildlife and minor in Science, Technology, Environment, & Public Policy and Music at Michigan State University (MSU).

Students in her major spoke about childhoods spent camping and fishing, or parents who were biologists. For Diaz, the motivation for her studies stemmed from her childhood in industrial East Houston and a family link to the monarch butterfly migration site in the Mexican state of Michoacán.

While studying at MSU in 2019, a series of chemical fires erupted at the Intercontinental Terminals Co.’s facilities 20 minutes from Diaz’s family home. Black smoke covered her community, forcing her family to stay inside and her grandmother to develop an alarming cough.

As she worriedly tracked the news from afar, Diaz thought, “When is the next headline where I think, ‘That’s where I call home’?”

Diaz, like many others in her neighborhood, was the child of immigrant parents - some undocumented. The threat of deportation weighed heavily, leading residents to avoid speaking up against the environmental injustices surrounding their homes.

After the fires, Diaz searched for a way to give a voice to suffering communities.

While at MSU, Diaz was accepted to the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at Northern Arizona University, a program devoted to diversifying the conservation movement. Focused on Indigenous-led conservation, the program resonated deeply with Diaz. Learning about the Indigenous experience of environmental justice also gave her the language to speak about her own experiences.

The program, which took place in Arizona, “focused a lot on Indigenous-led conservation in that region,” says Diaz, “about how the mining there was connected to the water and the animals and plants and their health. It sounded very similar to where I’m from.”

With a newfound knowledge of environmental justice, Diaz graduated from MSU and searched for a master’s program that embodied the intersection of science and social issues. She found the ICARE (Interdisciplinary Consortium for Applied Research in the Environment) program at UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County), which focused on community input and co-creating research with local residents.

While refining her graduate project on oyster research, Diaz met Donzell Brown of EJJI (Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative) who encouraged her to address the lack of oyster research data in the Baltimore Inner Harbor area. Diaz hoped her research would create a foundation for future projects on oysters in the harbor, an accomplishment that would be a success for both herself and the surrounding communities.

As Diaz’s relationship with EJJI and its work grew, she took a position as EJJI’s Environmental Science Program Manager where she led projects making science accessible to members of the community and facilitated further research in South Baltimore.

One of the highlights of Diaz’s work with EJJI came during an event she organized in celebration of Latino Conservation Week. Like much of her work, the event connected science and community, with accessible science-related activities available to residents visiting Middle Branch Park. One family who participated had just arrived in Maryland two weeks before the event.

“They were newly arrived to the area and we got to be some of the first people to introduce them to the Baltimore harbor and all the fish and life that’s part of the harbor,” says Diaz.

It gave her inspiration for what her future work could be.

Recently accepting the prestigious John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, Diaz will soon have the opportunity to further develop her career at the intersection of science and community. She received a placement as a Policy Analyst in the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Office of the Under Secretary.

In February, Diaz will leave her position at EJJI to participate in the Knauss Fellowship. The experience, although vastly different from her childhood in East Houston, is her next step in making a difference for the community of her youth.

“Sometimes I just want to do science and be a scientist and not worry about the color of my skin or where I grew up; but it’s all personal,” says Diaz. “For myself, I want better, and for my family that’s living with all the petrochemical health impacts.”

Though she’s moving on to a new adventure, the impact Diaz made on Baltimore’s ecosystem and communities - and on EJJI - will be a lasting one. The staff at EJJI wishes her the best and cannot wait to see what she does next.

Northern Virginia Data Centers Endanger Climate, Communities, and Conservation

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 20:45:21 GMT

Northern Virginia Data Centers Endanger Climate, Communities, and Conservation

By Laura Quigley

The number of data centers is expanding rapidly in Northern Virginia, an area already considered the data center capital of the world. With little regulatory oversight, data centers threaten climate goals, communities, and conservation efforts.

Data centers house the unseen machinations of cloud services, each containing as many as 100,000 servers that process, store, and transmit digital data. From streaming to AI learning, data centers are used to keep our digital world running.

But their existence comes at a cost.

The facilities’ substantial footprints cover large parcels of land. In Northern Virginia, the construction of data centers accelerated during the pandemic, resulting in over 150 data centers in Loudon County alone - and more pending approval.

In order to operate, the centers require upgraded electrical infrastructure and massive amounts of energy. The large corporations using these facilities are not currently required to contribute to infrastructure upgrades. Instead, these costs are subsidized by consumers through their monthly electric bills.

In addition, the energy requirements of Northern Virginia data centers do not come from renewable sources, but from natural gas facilities. While many areas of the US are moving away from natural gas and coal, Virginia’s energy company, Dominion, has plans to open a new natural gas plant in Chesterfield in order to meet increased energy demands.

Virginia’s Piedmont Environmental Council recently released a video about data centers in Northern Virginia and their negative impact on the environment, consumers, and the hope to attain climate goals. Watch below:

Video courtesy of the Piedmont Environmental Council.

See Eroding History in Baltimore: New Opportunities

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 22:02:17 GMT

See Eroding History in Baltimore: Four New Opportunities

By Rona Kobell

The Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative is pleased to share that our film, Eroding History , is going to be shown four times in Baltimore over the next two months. The showings are:

The Park School

5th Annual Baltimore County Community Outreach Forum/ Maryland Lynching Memorial Project

Saturday, January 13, 10am to 1pm

2425 Old Court Road, Baltimore

Reginald Lewis Museum (RESCHEDULED TO 2/22)

Martin Luther King Day Celebration, Inner Harbor

Thursday, Feb. 22, 6pm to 8pm

830 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore

IMET at the Inner Harbor

Wednesday, Jan. 24, 6pm to 8pm

701 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore

University of Baltimore

Wednesday, Feb. 28, 6pm to 8pm

Wright Theater, Student Center, 5th Floor

21 W. Mt. Royal Ave., Baltimore

Dorchester Center for the Arts

Saturday, March 9, 5:30pm to 8pm

Todd Hall, Dorchester Center for the Arts, Cambridge, MD

Reception at 5:30; Film at 6:30; Panel discussion to follow

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Thursday, March 14

Albin O. Kuhn Library, UMBC

This screening will be accompanied by several guest lectures from EJJI co-founder Rona Kobell.

We are also showing the film at the University of Maine in Orono this February. The university is bringing Rona and director André Chung to the school for a couple days of screenings and public lectures.

The recent screenings are part of an 8-month tour around the region for this 27-minute documentary about Black communities on the Eastern Shore. So far, we have screened Eroding History at The Senator Theatre, the MLK Library in Washington, Loyola University Maryland, the Natural History Society of Maryland, the Maryland Historic Trust, University of Nebraska and Georgetown University. We have also shown it to the Chesapeake Conservancy, Shore Rivers, the Nature City Forum, Washington College, and many others.

We are still hoping to screen the film on the Eastern Shore and have been in contact with the Maritime Museum in Sr. Michaels, the Nabb Center at Salisbury, and UMES. These discussions are ongoing. Representatives from DNR, MDE, and the legislature have also reached out about screenings. Our emails are always open; it’s a matter of what we can schedule.

For us, the most rewarding part of the film’s success is getting the issue of equity out to the wider public. In many cases, we have deferred our speaking fees and instead asked for donations to the John Wesley organization, which is trying to restore its church and cemetery. We hope there will be more opportunities to do that.

We would love to see you at a screening - please come if you can. And if you can’t make it, the film will air on Maryland Public Television for Chesapeake Bay Week in April and will stream on PBS for those not in the state. You can also ask your public television station to air Eroding History.

I would like to again thank everyone who helped make this film possible. It has made a difference in the lives of so many, and we hope it will continue to have a positive impact going forward.

Losing History Just as We Find it: Lessons Around Harriet Tubman

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 21:39:53 GMT

Losing History Just as We Find it: Lessons Around Harriet Tubman

By Rona Kobell

At EJJI, we say all the time that environmental justice is not just about keeping undesirable elements out of communities. It is about protecting what you have. Often, in Black communities, that is the history that residents hold dear. It could be churches, cemeteries, memorials, monuments, or a special piece of the shoreline.

In Dorchester County, those endangered places are often the sites connected to Harriet Tubman, the great liberator who lived and spent much of her time in the areas around Bucktown, Peter’s Neck, Madison, and Harrisonville. It is in Peter’s Neck where archaeologists first found her father’s cabin two years ago. They have been digging deeper to see if they can find more artifacts to learn more about what else happened at the cabin, but because of climate change, they will have to stop digging soon.

You can read all about this issue in the Baltimore Banner here .

You can read more about the places associated with Tubman here .

And you can see me on TV talking about these issues here . I did a segment for WJZ, and it ended up making national news. Now everyone in America can see my husband’s CD collection.

From Brooklyn's Waterways to Chesapeake Bay: A Journey of Environmental Justice

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 17:08:40 GMT

From Brooklyn's Waterways to Chesapeake Bay: A Journey of Environmental Justice

By Veronica Malabanan Lucchese

Growing up in an interracial, working-class household in industrial Brooklyn, NY, my family used local waterways to support ourselves. Like many other members of marginalized communities, we did not have the resources to know or trust that the water we swam in and ate from was polluted.

Blaring sirens, concrete, and people everywhere; growing up in an urban environment, this was what I thought everyone’s life was like. Until I moved to a quiet beach town on the outskirts of the city, I didn’t realize that I had been missing out on a crucial aspect of life: nature. For the first time in my life, I had trees in my neighborhood; I saw wildlife beyond pigeons and escaped parrots; I had the ocean in all its wild secrets outside my door.

Despite the beauty of living so close to nature, life in the beach town was not always beautiful. I had left the diverse and welcoming community of south Brooklyn for the white, exclusive town of Rockaway, Queens. Being of both Italian and Filipino heritage, the darkness of my skin varied with the seasons, as did the glaring looks from my neighbors.

Cultural diversity and access to nature should not be mutually exclusive. Outdated policies, laws, and mindsets perpetuate this disconnect between marginalized groups, their access to nature, and inclusion in the environmental management process. My first introduction to the conversation of environmental injustice was sparked by moving neighborhoods. This experience was the first of many pivotal moments in my journey to become a voice for more sustainable and inclusive coastal communities.

For the past 10 years, I have been working in community engagement and environmental communication in New York City, Miami, and New Jersey as a naturalist, communications specialist, and biologist. I have seen the public desire to be more involved in environmental decision-making and how marginalized groups are harmed from being excluded.

As I continue in the second year of my PhD program at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, my dissertation will focus on improving the inclusion of marginalized communities in watershed management. I will use social network analysis and film to identify and empower underrepresented groups for the Patapsco River, Patuxent River, and Potomac River. As a NOAA-LMRCSC Fellow , my research will further NOAA’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) goals.

As a first-generation college student from a multicultural background, I have always seen myself as a bridge between academia and my communities; an ambassador for both the immigrant and minority American experience. My goal is to use my expertise to empower disadvantaged communities by using inclusion, film, and science.

Many Historical Markers in Maryland Miss the Mark

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 17:06:17 GMT

Many Historical Markers in Maryland Miss the Mark

The last song in the musical Hamilton asks, “Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?”

The answer, in Maryland and many other places, are the state markers.

But with only 70 words, they often don’t tell the complete story. Worse, sometimes they are in the wrong place.

For many years, the Maryland Historic Trust, a small agency based in Crownsville, was responsible for the signs. But the larger Maryland Department of Transportation and its team of archaeologists and historians have taken over, and they are working to make sure the signs are more accurate.

Part of environmental justice is correcting the record on people and places that have been ignored, so we are grateful for the space to write about these issues.

Read all about it in my story in the Baltimore Banner today:

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/culture/travel/maryland-historical-marker-department-transportation-ZODLMHW4UBCDPBTQREG5IREAAU/?fbclid=IwAR1JbKLZvEVxqm3EoDHNCdPNX0kJuuPcwGObbGN7HNfmuSgkSlGDJwU_Szk

Guest Commentary: Eric Schott of IMET

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 20:46:49 GMT

Guest Commentary: Eric Schott of IMET on the Healthy Harbor Initiative

By Eric Schott, Associate Research Professor, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science at IMET

Since before Baltimore was an industrial city and international port – and now in its post-industrial phase – the body of water we call Baltimore Harbor has served many functions. It was, and still is, a marine ecosystem in its own right. In the summer, it is full of rockfish and crabs, and they don’t come here by accident. They are finding food and habitat as they follow menhaden and Atlantic silversides, barnacles, mussels, and other invertebrates that are part of the harbor food web. But it has not always been such a healthy environment for people.

The Healthy Harbor Initiative has provided a forum for diverse stakeholders to work towards the shared goal of a harbor that is also a healthy ecosystem for people. For scientists like me and my colleagues at the University of Maryland’s Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) on the harbor, participation in the Healthy Harbor Initiative has opened up conversations with non-profits and municipal partners, and this has helped us learn where our scientific approach and capacity can help meet that shared goal.

Five years ago, the Waterfront Partnership contracted with IMET to better understand microbes in the Harbor. For the next three summers, we used state of the art genetic methods that are more precise at detecting sewage contamination than the EPA -approved methods. Occasionally, the more precise methods showed the harbor had little or no sign of sewage when the standard methods showed contamination. This did not mean that the water was always safe for human contact, but that it was safe more of the time than one might have known using just the older methods.

An urban waterway like our Harbor has more hazards in it than just sewage. For example, fishermen and boaters know that the Bay can have naturally-occurring bacteria that cause skin infection and illness. At IMET, we measured the incidence of naturally-occurring vibrio bacteria and saw that these were no more prevalent here than what is seen in non-urban areas of the Chesapeake Bay.

I want to acknowledge the real hands and brains of the Harbor microbe study. Over the years, graduate students, undergraduate summer interns, and even a visiting Fulbright scholar were trained in state-of-the-art methods to support clean water and got to participate in a project that has real local environmental relevance.

These scientists are now part of a community that Healthy Harbor has fostered, including the National Aquarium, Blue Water Baltimore, Downtown Sailing Center, and more, who are committed to finishing the job of making the harbor a healthy ecosystem while keeping human well-being in the center.

The Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology is enthusiastic about working with this community to make our urban estuary a healthy environment for everyone.

Originally presented by Eric Schott at Waterfront Partnership's Healthy Harbor: A Swimmable, Fishable Update on November 9th, 2023.

Eroding History to Air on Maryland Public Television

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 17:35:58 GMT

BALTIMORE – The Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative is proud to announce that our most recent film, Eroding History, will air on Maryland Public Television (MPT) during its 20 ^th annual Chesapeake Bay Week® programming initiative, which will run from April 21 through April 27, 2024. The film will also be offered to other PBS stations nationwide, and it will be made available for free on-demand streaming through PBS’s website and the PBS App.

Eroding History tells the story of two Black communities on the Deal Island Peninsula that are losing their land and their history due to the intersection of historical racism and modern climate changes. Many of those interviewed are related to the writer James Baldwin, whose mother grew up on the island. André Chung, a news and portrait photographer who won the 2021 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for Domestic Photography, directed Eroding History. West Baltimore filmmaker and journalist Sean Yoes co-wrote and co-produced it. Longtime Chesapeake Bay chronicler Rona Kobell, EJJI’s editor in chief, produced and also co-wrote it.

“When people think about environmental justice, they often think about pollution coming into a Black neighborhood and causing health problems,” Kobell said. “It is that, but environmental justice is not just about keeping problems out. It’s about holding on to what you have, and Black communities are trying so hard to do that. Yet, they are losing ground, both to policies that penalize them and to sea level rise and climate change.”

Eroding History is among the few Chesapeake Bay films that center Black communities at the forefront of climate change. Black people are often on the lowest land, because that was the only land that was available to them. On the Eastern Shore, where everything is low, the lowest spot is a dangerous place. Rising water, saltwater intrusion, and marsh migration are endangering Black lands at a rapid pace. That Black filmmakers are telling these stories is important, and EJJI is proud to provide a platform for telling and disseminating these films.

Eroding History premiered at Baltimore’s Senator Theatre on April 18, to an audience of close to 400 viewers. Since then, the film has won several awards and shown in several film festivals. Eroding History won Baltimore Magazine ‘s 2023 award for Best Environmental Reporting. The film was an official selection at the Chesapeake International Film Festival in Easton, the Loyola Environmental Film Festival in Baltimore, the Multi-Dimension Film Festival in London, and the Nature Without Borders Film Festival in Rehoboth Beach. Chung was a semi-finalist, Best Director, in the Lonely Wolf Film Festival in London.

You can read more about the film here , and watch a trailer here .

EJJI Invitational Golf Tournament 2023: A Hole-in-One for Environmental Justice

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 18:06:14 GMT

EJJI Invitational Golf Tournament 2023: A Hole-in-One for Environmental Justice

The sun was shining, the greens were immaculate, and the spirit of giving was in the air at the Country Club of Maryland in Towson on October 30, 2023. The Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative (EJJI) hosted its first annual EJJI Invitational Golf Tournament, alongside co-host and sponsor CI Renewables. Nearly 100 passionate golfers and a host of generous sponsors gathered to support EJJI's work.

EJJI's mission is to help young people and communities learn about environmental justice and tell their own stories about environmental inequities in their neighborhoods. The support we received through this year’s Invitational will go directly to our work in advancing environmental justice in Baltimore’s communities.

The day began with a warm welcome and an opportunity for attendees to network with fellow supporters of environmental justice. Golfers participated in a competitive putting contest, enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by the Country Club of Maryland, and practiced their swings on the driving range before gathering in their golf carts to start the day.

Golfers were treated to a beautifully manicured course at the Country Club of Maryland, offering the perfect backdrop for a day of golf, camaraderie, and fundraising. As the golfers made their way through the course, they participated in a contest for the longest drive and the closest to the pin. The competition was fierce but friendly and golfers of all skill levels had the chance to test their mettle and support the cause.

The success of the event wouldn't have been possible without the support of our generous sponsors. They include CI Renewables, Mayson Dixon, Residential Title, Bowman, Kupper Engineering, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, OME Solar, Gordon Feinblatt, NJ Resources, Fox Rothschild, Bohler DC, Black Oak Title LLC, IBEW Local 24, Sill Engineering, Solar Gaines, Perceptive Places, and Harkins Builders . We deeply appreciate their commitment to environmental justice and to our organization’s mission.

After the tournament, the golfers gathered for a delicious dinner and happy hour at the clubhouse. Executive Director Donzell Brown took the mic to talk about EJJI’s mission and thank the participants for their support. MC Josh Feldmark of CI Renewables handed out the contest awards and announced the winner of the 50/50 raffle, a triumphant ending to a successful day.

The EJJI Golf Invitational was a testament to the power of community and a shared commitment to environmental justice. As we look to the future, we're excited about the possibilities and the impact we can collectively make. Thank you to all the golfers, sponsors, and supporters who made this day a success. Your contributions are helping us tell the stories that need to be heard and creating positive change for a more just and sustainable world.

If you missed this year's event, don't worry – there will be more opportunities to get involved in the future. Stay tuned for updates on our website and social media channels.

Together, we can continue to make a difference in the fight for environmental justice.

- Laura, Rona, Donzell, Jessica, and the EJJI Board

Urban Farm Profile: Rock Rose Food Justice Project

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 15:00:00 GMT

Urban Farm Profile: Rock Rose Food Justice Project

ROCK ROSE FOOD JUSTICE PROJECT

3800 Clipper Rd.

Contact: McKay Jenkins - mckay@udel.edu

Facebook , Instagram

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF THE FARM

Rock Rose Food Justice Project sits on ~3,600 sq. ft. of the fenced area that contains Rockrose City Farm. Originally a community baseball field, the land became a garden for a summer youth employment program after a deer fence installation led by Mark Smallwood and Whole Foods in 2009. One year later, community members Linda and Dave Nelson proposed the idea to donate the garden’s crops to charity initiatives. The same year, community members were invited to rent garden plots and the rest of the land became the Charity Garden with formal permission from the City.

In 2012, the Charity Garden became part of the Baltimore City Farm ’s program, which rents garden beds to city residents and employees. In the summer of 2014, a new fence was installed, increasing the number of garden beds and the size of the Charity Garden. After Linda and Dave Nelson moved out of the state, the Charity Garden’s land eventually went fallow until 2019 when McKay Jenkins inherited stewardship of the land.

McKay renamed the farm Rock Rose Food Justice Project and worked out a process to get the crops into the hands of community members who needed them. The farm originally handed out produce bags, and later donated to a farmer’s market-style organization, but found that too much went to waste due to lack of kitchen access or unfamiliarity with the produce. Now, Rock Rose Food Justice Project partners with Soul Kitchen and Love and Cornbread to turn the farm’s produce into ready to eat meals served to residents in need.

FARM PRODUCTS AND METHODS

Rock Rose Food Justice Project is a volunteer-run farm that grows crops in over 20 crop rows, 8 outdoor raised beds, and a greenhouse. In the fall months, they grow kale, chard, turnips, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, and tomatoes. In between seasons, farm volunteers amend the land with compost made from leftover farm products, like unused carrot tops. Although nothing goes to waste, the farm imports small amounts of compost to top up their in-house supply.

The farm is functionally organic, never using insecticides or herbicides. Instead, they rely on the city-installed chain link fence to deter animals, and a team of dedicated volunteers to keep crops healthy. A self-made rainwater capture system provides much of the farm’s water supply, alongside water deliveries made by the City.

INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGIES

The farm is not hooked up to city water pipes or electricity, so it relies on creativity, innovation, and low-tech solutions. The rainwater capture system attached to the greenhouse provides most of their needed water supply. All of the powered farm tools, like mowers and weed whackers, run on batteries; any other tools are operated by hand. McKay’s favorite tool is a broadfork - a large implement with multiple sharp tines and two long poles that tills and aerates soil.

COMMUNITY INTERACTION AND OUTREACH

Rock Rose Food Justice Project is run and farmed by volunteers from the community. The farm donates the crops it produces to two local food kitchens - Soul Kitchen and Love and Cornbread , organizations that use the farm’s donated food to create meals that are given to residents experiencing food insecurity. The farm also hosts students from schools ranging from kindergarten through college, as well as individuals and groups from the city and surrounding areas. Visitors learn about farming, food justice, and volunteerism while taking part in age- and ability-appropriate farm activities.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ON THE FARM

As a farm that donates their crops, Rock Rose Food Justice Project tackles the environmental justice issue of food insecurity and scarcity head on. Their collaboration with their partner kitchens serves 500 meals per week to community members that are food insecure due to food deserts, lack of kitchen or electricity access, and/or economic disadvantage.

As a professor of environmental justice, McKay also utilizes the farm as a living classroom for his students, incorporating environmental justice, agriculture, and advocacy lessons during their visits. The farm itself is a practice in environmental justice as well, reducing stormwater runoff in the community and contributing no adverse land effects, such as pesticide or insecticide ground leaching.

WHAT MAKES THE FARM UNIQUE?

At Rock Rose Food Justice Project, all of the produce the farm produces is donated. This is made possible by the work of a small group of dedicated volunteers who donate their time and funds to keep the farm healthy and productive. With these volunteers, the farm went from fallow to booming in a short amount of time, producing over $10,000 worth of food per year on a very small budget.

HOW CAN YOU INTERACT WITH OR SUPPORT THE FARM?

You can follow the farm on Facebook and Instagram . The farm is always open to new volunteers, whether for one day or long-term. Donations are also welcome and can be sent by contacting McKay Jenkins at mckay@udel.edu .

Invasive Species 101: What are they and how do we manage them??

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 20:13:16 GMT

Invasive Species 101: What are they and how do we manage them??

By Jessica Diaz, Environmental Science Program Manager

What is an invasive species?

An invasive species is an organism (disease, parasite, plant, or animal) that is non-native to an ecosystem and causes economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Invasive species aggressively establish themselves upon introduction. Not all non-native species are considered invasive, but they all have the potential to become invasive. Invasives cause damage by thriving in their new environment and rapidly spreading. They can change or degrade the habitat, displace and compete with native species, and impact the economy. Their disruption can also reduce the biodiversity of an ecosystem, resulting in a less resilient ecosystem that is further susceptible to other invasive species, disease, climate change, and environmental stressors.

How do invasive species get to an ecosystem?

Invasive and non-native species are transported intentionally or accidentally by humans through various pathways. Species are intentionally introduced as pest control, for economic reasons or beautification purposes. Species are also accidentally introduced as a byproduct of human activities. For example, as an unintentional passenger on ships, ship ballast water, firewood, or even hiking gear. Introduction can also occur from unwanted or escaped pets, especially exotic pets. Ballast water is a huge vector, as organisms native to other ports hitch a ride in the waters used to stabilize ships. While not a threat in their previous environments, they can become one here, just as species native to our Chesapeake Bay can become threats elsewhere.

What can we do about invasive species?

At the state and national level, laws guide and mandate how agencies, businesses, organizations, and individuals manage invasive species. For example, the Non-indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act was the first federal law addressing aquatic nuisance species. It focused on ballast water introductions after the discovery of zebra mussels in the Chesapeake Bay and beyond. But there is no mechanism for universal enforcement so it’s up to individuals to follow protocols such as cleaning boots or boats.

We can advocate to our government and elected officials to pass laws or update existing ones to better address invasive species. We can also do our part as organizations and individuals.

Prevention and mitigation are key to stopping invasive species. We can do this by:

Planting native! Only planting native plants in our yard or garden. It’s okay to have ornamentals and other fun exotic plants inside where they can’t spread to the local environment.
Removing hitchhikers! Clean equipment thoroughly after every use to prevent the transportation of non-natives between locations. Boat wash and boot cleaning stations are becoming common practice at boat ramps and trailheads, but have a plan in place in case there isn't one. Fruits, vegetables, and firewood can also harbor unwanted guests. Buy these locally and don’t transport them to far locations.
Rehoming, not releasing! If pet snakes, fish, and other exotics grow too big for their adopted homes, become a handful, or are not what their owners expected, prevent introduction of non-natives by responsibly rehoming rather than releasing. Most importantly, before owning an animal, make sure you can commit to being its owner.
Removing established organisms! Replace invasive plants with natives, remove and dispose of invasive mollusks and underwater plants, place deterrents for invasive birds and mammals, and keep (don’t release) invasive fish.

Stay tuned for our next blog post where we’ll dive deeper into aquatic invasive species.

Sources:

NOAA. What is an invasive species? National Ocean Service website, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/invasive.html , 01/18/23.

USDA. What are invasive species? National Invasive Species Information Center, https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/what-are-invasive-species .

EJJI Environmental Science Program Manager Named Knauss Marine Policy Fellow

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 18:37:16 GMT

EJJI Environmental Science Program Manager Named Knauss Marine Policy Fellow

By Jessica Diaz

As EJJI’s environmental science program manager, my days vary. On an early morning, I might watch the herons stealthily catch fish around the floating wetlands while I survey the biohabitat experiments for any needed maintenance. I work at the Middle Branch Marina in Cherry Hill most days, a place where wildlife and industry have co-existed for decades. The marina has been an introduction to marine life in Baltimore, and a constant in my short time in Charm City. I am privileged to witness and take part in the transformations taking place there.

I began my tenure at EJJI shortly after meeting the founders, Donzell and Rona, on a boat tour of the Baltimore Harbor just a few weeks into my graduate program at UMBC. I was in awe of the diversity of marine life just below the surface. It reminded me of Houston, where the waters and people are also undervalued and neglected. EJJI’s motto, “our community, our story,” resonated with me. I believe our stories are intertwined with the stories of the fish, the birds, the plants, the land. I try to bring this perspective to my scientific research.

Now, my story is connected to EJJI’s just as the organization first connected me to the Middle Branch Marina, the South Baltimore community, and other researchers and organizations which all helped make my master’s thesis a success. In my current role at EJJI, I have enjoyed expanding our science branch through research, programming, and content. I am always excited for my work days at the marina, but organizing our event for Latino Conservation Week and presenting to La Academia of Defensores de La Cuenca have been some of my favorite activities. EJJI plans to make Latino Conservation Week a regular event, with bird walks at the marina and food trucks and other activities celebrating the Latinx community.

My journey in the Chesapeake Bay is not ending, but it’s taking a turn south. I am heading to Washington D.C. as part of the 2024 class of the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program. This program pairs early career scientists and professionals like me with policy offices throughout the federal government and Congress. During our year, we learn how agencies help shape policies that protect the oceans, reduce climate change, preserve biodiversity, and curb pollution. Many Knauss fellows go on to careers in policy and public administration; some will continue in the sciences.

Over the next year, I am looking forward to expanding my skills in public policy and leaning on both my lived experiences growing up in an environmental justice community in Houston and my work experiences at the marina with EJJI. Wherever I go next, I know I will always have a home on the Middle Branch.

Baltimore’s Air Quality Makes Breathing Difficult, but not for Everyone

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 15:43:19 GMT

Baltimore’s Air Quality Makes Breathing Difficult, but not for Everyone

By Rona Kobell

From time to time, we here at EJJI run commentaries and news pieces that reflect the fight for environmental justice in Baltimore and Maryland. We’re doing so today with this commentary from Naadiya Hutchinson, a clean-air advocate who runs a free yoga program in Baltimore. Naadiya has a master’s degree in environmental health, and is working on an analysis of Baltimore’s emergency preparedness plan. Until recently, heat would be a rare emergency in a town used to humid days and high temperatures. But we have all seen how hazardous breathing can be when grappling with the wildfires from Canada.

“The effects of poor air quality are not felt equally, and inequality is not a new concept in Baltimore,” Naadiya writes.

You can read the whole story here .

You can see some of the research she draws on here .

If you would like to write a commentary on a local environmental issue, let us know. Or if you want us to share something you have written elsewhere, we can do that, too. Contact us at rona@ejji.org .

Fred Tutman Fellow: 'Zombies' on the Bay

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:14:16 GMT

Fred Tutman Fellow: 'Zombies' on the Bay

In June, EJJI welcomes our first Fred Tutman Fellow. Like its namesake, who serves as the Patuxent Riverkeeper, the Tutman fellow was to be a person interested in journalism, advocacy, and the law. Fred Tutman, the first and still only Black riverkeeper in the Chesapeake Bay, and the only one serving in the country, has been a staunch advocate for underserved communities along Maryland’s longest river. He has fought for standing in court, against air and water polluters, and alongside aggrieved parties who governments have ignored.

EJJI entered into a partnership with our friends at the Chesapeake Legal Alliance and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to ground our fellow in laws/procedures and advocacy work. Our fellow, Lilly Howard, spent time with all three organizations. She helped EJJI plant floating wetlands at our marina, worked with CBF on a video story about a compressor station, and worked with CLA on some stories that touched on their recent cases. Howard, a University of Maryland junior, said the fellowship was transformative.

“This fellowship has taught that it is up to journalists, lawyers, and community advocates to hold enforcement agencies and state legislature accountable,” she said. “It is so important to tell these stories so communities are well informed in order to function as a proper democracy.”

Today, we share with you a story that CLA has been involved in for years:

https://www.chesapeakelegal.org/zombies-on-the-bay-environmental-groups-fight-for-permits-that-reflect-current-discharges/

Fred Tutman Fellow: Breathing Lessons

Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:10:34 GMT

Fred Tutman Fellow: Breathing Lessons

Today, we share with you a story close to Tutman’s heart in Lothian:

https://www.chesapeakelegal.org/breathing-lessons-southern-arundel-residents-struggle-to-fight-pollution/

New Documentary, Hiding in the Walls, Tackles the History and Stigma of Lead Poisoning

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 16:00:04 GMT

New Documentary, Hiding in the Walls , Tackles the History and Stigma of Lead Poisoning

By Laura Quigley

Baltimore has something dangerous lurking in its walls.

As in so many urban areas, lead lines the walls of many houses in Baltimore City, poisoning residents years after its countrywide ban. In a new documentary, Hiding in the Walls , filmmakers David Sebastiao and Angel Wilson examine the unsettling history of lead paint usage in marginalized communities and its impact on those who ‘have lead.’

Now available for streaming on Kanopy , the award-winning film tackles the complex history and legacy of lead paint poisoning. Through candid conversations with lead paint survivors and experts, Sebastiao and Wilson strive to dispel the stigma of this often-misunderstood affliction while shining a light on the injustices that make lead poisoning so prevalent in cities like Baltimore.

At the heart of the documentary lies an intimately personal perspective - Wilson, herself, was diagnosed with lead poisoning. A Master’s graduate from the University of Baltimore, Wilson previously tackled the topic of lead paint in an op-ed in the Baltimore Sun, as well as her book Am I Doing This Right? .

While compiling research, Wilson realized there was a much larger story to tell.

“I knew that I wanted to tell the story,” Wilson says. “And I knew that I had to be the one to tell it, because I was the one living with it.”

She is not the only one.

According to a report published by the Abell Foundation in 2022, over 85,000 occupied housing units in Baltimore City contain “dangerous lead hazards that pose a risk of lead exposure.” The neighborhoods with the highest percentages of homes containing dangerous levels of lead are located overwhelmingly in West, East, and South Baltimore – historically marginalized communities of mostly Black residents.

According to the documentary, the locations of lead paint hazards are not a coincidence. When the League of Nations prohibited lead paint in 1922, the United States declined to join the ban, despite widespread knowledge of lead poisoning. Before the United States banned lead paint in 1978, many US cities - including Baltimore - commonly used it in large-scale projects, including military and public housing.

“Ultimately, the culpability for lead paint and the results of it, even in 2023, lies with government agencies,” says Sebastiao. “[Lead paint] doesn’t just go away. It’s still there. It’s still in the walls even if it’s been painted over.”

Baltimore banned the use of lead paint in new housing in 1951, the first city in the United States to do so. Yet lead hazards can still be found throughout the city - in the crumbling residential paint of old houses, in the water fountains in public city schools. Like many rust belt cities, Baltimore experienced a building boom during the first half of the 20th century, a time when the use of lead paint and pipes was prevalent.

Lead poisoning is caused by ingesting or inhaling lead particles and can cause developmental delays and behavioral differences, as well as heart, memory, and mood issues, among other symptoms.

Yet, despite the government’s culpability in the historic usage of lead paint and delays in remediating residential lead paint and lead water pipes, Wilson says there is a dearth of support and resources. Those diagnosed with lead poisoning often receive a settlement check and little else. Often, dishonest lawyers would buy the settlements for pennies on the dollar, and the affected families couldn’t pay their medical expenses. Several such attorneys were prosecuted for that behavior in the state, ultimately leading to some reforms.

“We need better education in the schools about lead poisoning and better resources,” says Wilson. “There should be long-term, free resources that help people cope with this.”

For those living with lead poisoning, it can be difficult to navigate the medical and financial implications, as well as the stigma the diagnosis carries. While ‘having lead’ has become a norm in afflicted Baltimore communities, individuals with lead poisoning are often judged as mentally deficient or emotionally unstable.

Hiding in the Walls seeks to break that stigma.

“Just like any other disease, from autism to cancer, [lead poisoning] affects people in different ways,” says Wilson. “You can’t put lead poisoning in a box.”

The documentary features interviews with four adult Baltimore residents, including Wilson, who are living with lead poisoning. Their stories are all different but they share a common thread. They have not let lead define them.

Hiding in the Walls refuses to let the history and legacy of lead poisoning go unspoken.

“I hope that [viewers] have a different understanding of lead poisoning - the history, how it purposely impacted low-income communities, how it still impacts us to this day,” says Wilson.

Stream the film on Kanopy, available through most public libraries: https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/13041629

For more information on the film: https:// www.hidinginthewalls.com

EJJI Celebrates Latino Conservation Week at Middle Branch Park

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 17:09:03 GMT

EJJI Celebrates Latino Conservation Week at Middle Branch Park

By Laura Quigley

In a celebration of nature, community, and cultural diversity, EJJI recently hosted an event commemorating Latino Conservation Week. Held in Middle Branch Park overlooking the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River, the event celebrated the contributions of the Latinx conservation community while engaging local residents in the abundant nature of our shared waterfront.

We partnered with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake (IPC), the Institute for Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), Clean Air Baltimore , and the Baltimore Rowing Club to provide a range of activities aimed at fostering environmental awareness and stewardship. From bird watching to water sampling, an underwater microphone, and even a bio buggy, residents learned about and interacted with the diverse natural environment that resides within their community.

Clean and accessible water is crucial for sustaining life. During the event, water sampling activities shed light on the health of local ecosystems. Guided by experts from the Smithsonian, attendees collected water samples from the Middle Branch and analyzed them for turbidity and colored dissolved organic matter – both important clues to a water body’s health. Participants learned how different factors harm aquatic life, and the significance of preserving the delicate balance of these aquatic ecosystems.

In addition to analyzing the water, attendees could listen to the water using an underwater microphone, also known as a hydrophone. Lowered into the water, the hydrophone picked up the sounds of the currents, passing fish, and even the vibration of trucks rumbling over the nearby Hanover Street Bridge.

The bio buggy, a mobile aquatic science station created by Steve Bradley , engaged attendees in hands-on activities that showcased the incredible biodiversity within the park. Led by experts from IMET, participants could observe and learn about various plants and organisms native to the Middle Branch, including mud crabs and polychaete worms.

Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake manned a table with information about their work in environmental stewardship and community engagement, and Clean Air Baltimore distributed information on their fight to stop incineration and on zero-waste practices. In the nearby Baltimore Rowing and Water Resource Center, participants were encouraged to test their speed on static rowing machines.

Many visitors came to celebrate Latino Conservation Week, while others stopped by on their way to fish from the docks or enjoy a day in the park with their families.

This celebration was EJJI’s first for the annual Latino Conservation Week, but we hope to do it every year. We are proud to honor the contributions of Latinx individuals and organizations in conserving, restoring, and improving the environment. Mark your calendars for next year at the end of July.

Gas Compressor Expansion Threatens Health of Petersburg Residents

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:51:42 GMT

Video: Gas Compressor Expansion Threatens Health of Petersburg Residents

Lilly Howard, the 2023 EJJI Fred Tutman Fellow, tells the story about a gas compressor expansion in Petersburg, Va. Check it out below:

Satellites and Samples: Citizen Science Fine Tunes Satellite Algorithms

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 20:36:21 GMT

Satellites and Samples: Citizen Science Fine Tunes Satellite Algorithms

By Laura Quigley

Earlier this month, two NASA satellites soared over the Chesapeake Bay simultaneously, capturing data on the waters beneath. Far below, a contingent of citizen scientist volunteers positioned throughout the bay set out to do the same. Armed with empty beakers, tupperware, or plastic bottles, they headed out from various points on the shore to collect samples of the bay’s fluctuating water quality.

Aptly named Satellites and Samples, the undertaking was a special event within the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s (SERC) Chesapeake Water Watch program. The program - a collaboration between SERC, NASA, and the City College of New York - trains volunteers to collect water samples that the agencies will then use to validate the data captured by passing satellites, a process known as ground truthing.

Each satellite typically passes by a single location every 5 to 8 days, according to Shelby Brown, who coordinates volunteers for Chesapeake Water Watch. On this day, however, the paths of satellites Landsat-9 and Sentinel-2a coincided, providing a unique opportunity to improve the satellites’ water quality monitoring algorithms.

“It just so happened that two of [the satellites] synced up and were passing over on the exact same day,” says Brown. “So we thought, why not take advantage of this and see if we could get as much data as possible in this one day?”

Once collected, volunteers deposited the water samples at one of six hubs spread throughout the Chesapeake watershed. On the Middle Branch, EJJI - alongside the Baltimore Rowing and Water Resource Center - manned a collection hub for data representing Baltimore’s waters.

“Our purpose,” says Jessica Diaz, the Environmental Science Program Manager at EJJI, “was to bring that Baltimore representation to the dataset because it is an important part of the Chesapeake Bay and there’s a lot of implications for water quality and algae chlorophyll.”

Among those who contributed water samples at the Middle Branch collection hub were members of the Baltimore Rowing Club and a 7-year-old boy named Bryson, who identifies himself as a scientist with 5 years of experience.

Bryson was sitting on a bench by the water when Donzell Brown, the co-founder and Executive Director of EJJI, approached to tell him about the event and ask if he would like to collect a sample. Bryson lit up when he learned that his sample would interact with a satellite in space.

“It was like a mini science lesson and it just happened because he’s just sitting right there on the bench right next to us looking at the same thing, looking at the same city and the same water,” says EJJI’s Brown.

FieldScope visualization of Baltimore area water quality data

Bryson wasn’t the only one inspired by the opportunity to contribute to science. During Satellites and Samples, a mother and her 11-year-old son scooped up samples from a boat on the Magothy River in Anne Arundel County. One volunteer drove an hour and 45 minutes each way to drop samples at their closest hub. Yet another volunteer on the Eastern Shore collected and processed 44 samples using equipment that SERC loaned to them.

For Diaz, who grew up near petrochemical factories in Houston, being inspired to get involved in science is a way to reclaim power and contribute to positive change.

“Becoming a scientist myself, I very much see the more you know about your environment, the better equipped you are to take care of yourself, your community, your environment,” says Diaz.

Through Satellites and Samples, the quest for knowledge culminated in 106 samples collected during the 8-hour event. At the SERC lab, interns and volunteers processed the collected samples for data on water clarity, chlorophyll content, and water dissolved organic matter. Meanwhile, scientists at the City College of New York processed the satellite imagery and combined it with the data collected from the ground.

Satellites and Samples met its goals. The data collected on the ground was not far off from the data collected by the passing satellites but will be used to refine the satellites’ algorithms even further, and outreach about the program to potential volunteers and partners extended far and wide.

“The Chesapeake Water Watch project would absolutely not be happening right now if it weren’t for volunteers collecting data,” says Chesapeake Water Watch’s program specialist Brown. “It just truly wouldn’t work. They’re the absolute backbone of the entire operation.”

For those who missed the event, there are still plenty of opportunities to contribute, says SERC’s Brown. Chesapeake Water Watch is an ongoing program that welcomes volunteers of all ages who are interested in collecting and/or processing water samples throughout the Chesapeake Bay area.

EJJI will also continue to contribute to the water collection through programming and from their site at the Middle Branch Marina.

“We can enjoy the outdoors," says Diaz. “We can enjoy being out there and contribute in a positive way and change that narrative about what it means to be outside.”

Get involved in Chesapeake Water Watch: https://serc.si.edu/chesapeake-water-watch/get-involved

Interactive map of all of the data: https://serc.fieldscope.org/visualizations/1080

Eroding History is Streaming for a Limited Time

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 19:01:13 GMT

Eroding History is Streaming for a Limited Time

Since Eroding History premiered at The Senator in April, we have been fielding weekly and daily requests to screen the film. We were not able to do that online, because film festivals have strict rules about entry. They want to be first to screen films, so they discourage filmmakers from streaming it online. As a result, the filmmakers – Rona Kobell, André Chung, and Sean Yoes – have been taking the film to small and large screenings and staying after for panel discussions. Those discussions have been great, and we hope to continue doing that. But, we can’t accommodate every request.

That’s why we are so glad we have been named a winner for Best Environmental Film in the Multi-Dimensional Film Festival, based in London. The official winner is our fabulous director, André Chung. The prize for winning is that the festival streams your film for a limited time. So, if you want to see our film, you can stream it at the link below, for a limited amount of time!

https://mdiff.net/eroding-history/?fbclid=IwAR0Te7Bf8cFoIrW-IwmuN-DMeduiYma7Wosd7QZcEnRrnwCKc_q3zWwDVcE

If you want to show it with a discussion that includes the filmmakers, you can contact rona@ejji.org . But if you just want to show the film, there is now a way to do that.

EJJI, ToolBank, Install Floating Wetlands Project at Middle Branch Marina

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 18:44:26 GMT

EJJI, ToolBank, Install Floating Wetlands Project at Middle Branch Marina

By Lilly Howard

One of the most important aspects of environmental justice work is access to the water, and being able to provide it to communities that have been cut off from it with highways, sewage plants, and other infrastructure. EJJI is fortunate to have a space at Middle Branch Marina for our science and education work. In addition to it being a beautiful spot, it’s also rich in plankton, fish, and waterfowl. All of that makes it a great spot for floating wetlands.

On June 29, EJJI and Baltimore Community ToolBank inserted eight floating wetlands into the Middlebranch watershed in order to help the ecosystem and water quality. Floating wetlands eat up toxins in the water by creating oxygen and filtering nitrogen and phosphorus that is in runoff. They get switched out every three to five years depending on their health.

The plants in the wetlands are marsh grasses that are selected for their rapid growth. These wetlands are made partly with recycled water bottles used for buoyancy, making the project sustainable.

Middle Branch Marina is just across from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, where the National Aquarium has been working on floating wetlands for over a decade. The area was filled with wetlands and trees before industrialization; this project is an effort to restore and improve the health of the watershed and is expected to last 30 to 40 years.

Like Baltimore, other cities around the world are researching green infrastructure to improve their water quality and ecological health. For example, in Boston various floating wetlands were installed to help reduce coastal flooding. More locally, at Lockhouse Pond in Havre-de-Grace master watershed stewards worked with floating wetlands to support ecological health.

These wetlands provide habitat for many species, improve water quality, and remove toxins in the community. They are essential for restoring urban environments like Baltimore that are littered with pollutants and prone to algal blooms. With such proximity to the Chesapeake Bay, both Middle Branch Marina and Baltimore’s Inner Harbor are vital locations for floating wetland installments. They will trap pollutants before flowing into the Bay.

This floating wetland is more experimental than the rest as it has netting encompassing the plant to hopefully protect it from birds.

NPCA: Remembering Rosenwald

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 19:35:29 GMT

Remembering Rosenwald

Written by EJJI co-founder Rona Kobell and originally published on NPCA.

Mostly, what Newell Quinton knew about his boyhood school was that he loved it.

The Sharptown Colored School community was an extended family to Quinton and his seven siblings. All of their teachers lived nearby in San Domingo, a Black enclave outside of Sharptown on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. On cold days, a potbellied stove heated the rooms. On warm ones, two ancient oaks offered shade in the front yard. In the back, a softball field provided a rare place in segregated Maryland for young Black boys and girls to slide into home plate. Light flowed in from two walls of windows, while large, rectangular chalkboards hung on the interior walls. The pine floors often glistened from recent coats of linseed oil.

Quinton’s parents had attended the school, too, and his grandparents had helped build it. So, after he retired from a career at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Baltimore and returned to his father’s farm in San Domingo to raise pigs and goats, he began to think about restoring the weathered building and turning it into a community center — a tribute to a place where Black children had thrived.

That’s when Quinton, 79, learned his beloved alma mater was a historic Rosenwald school, one of almost 5,000 built between 1912 and 1932 across 15 Southern states. The undertaking was a partnership between Black scholar Booker T. Washington, head of Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute, and businessman Julius Rosenwald, the president and eventually chairman of Sears, Roebuck and Co. in Chicago. About one-third of all the Black children in the South were educated in these schools during the time they were active. Many graduates, including Quinton and his siblings, would go on to join the Civil Rights Movement.

“I had no idea,” Quinton said of Rosenwald’s name and legacy. “I was just amazed and grateful. Had it not been for these two people, with their unselfish approach to life, who said, ‘What can we do?’ then I have no idea what would have happened.”

Now, a group of preservationists, advocates, photographers, historians and civil rights activists are endeavoring to make sure the whole country knows about Rosenwald. They are planning a national park site, based in Chicago, that would tell the story of Rosenwald’s life and philanthropy; in addition, several restored schoolhouses in the South would become part of the park to highlight the schools and what they meant to Black communities desperate for education.

Read the full story published on the National Parks Conservation Assocation website.

Remembering Rosenwald

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 16:28:46 GMT

Remembering Rosenwald

By Rona Kobell

At EJJI, we often say that environmental justice journalism is not just about keeping out hazards. It’s about protecting community assets. Those assets can include a cherished marina to access the water, a cemetery with graves dating back to the Civil War, a garden plot that’s been growing produce for decades, or a home or school building that offered sanctuary in fraught times.

The Rosenwald Schools fall into that last category. Between 1910 and 1932, Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington’s efforts resulted in 5,000 schools scattered across rural areas of the American South. These schools educated one third of all Black Americans during a time when southern states, including our own Maryland, decided not to educate Black children year-round.

These schools became community treasures. Built with designs from Tuskegee architects and seed money from Rosenwald, who was chairman of Sears and Roebuck, the structures focused on natural light and ingenious use of space. Closets were large, to accommodate bulky boots and coats from long, cold walks. (There were no buses for Black children at that time.) Windows were expansive, covering entire walls to warm the rooms and let in natural light. Walls moved, allowing for the school space to also function as a community gathering hall. Outside space often included gardens to grow food, baseball fields, and shaded trees for calm, open space.

The 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka marked the beginning of the end for many Rosenwald schools. As the south began its slow march toward integration, children stopped attending the segregated Rosenwald schools. Many fell into disrepair. Only 500 remain today; of those, only 250 have been restored – so, 90 percent are gone, and more will go, and quickly, without a major effort to preserve them and highlight their story.

The push to establish a national park honoring Julius Rosenwald’s work could stem that tide. It would be the first national park honoring a Jewish American.

I was honored to write this story about Julius and Booker for National Parks magazine. It’s personal to me for many reasons, not the least of which is that I am a Jewish American in a partnership with a Black American to build a better future for our children. Our vision may not be as grand as Julius and Booker’s, but it comes from the same spirit.

You can read the National Parks story here .

Everything Flows Downstream

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 16:10:39 GMT

Everything Flows Downstream

By Lilly Howard

On May 25, 2023 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of land developers in Sackett v. EPA to drastically limit the coverage of the Clean Water Act (CWA) while disregarding years of scientific data. This decision could reverse the long-standing efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay and the waterways surrounding it. Without strong federal regulations to backstop protections, it is up to each state to enforce laws and protect their wetlands. The definition of waters of the United States (WOTUS) covered under the CWA now only protects waters continuously connected at surface level and therefore “indistinguishable” from navigable bodies of waters like streams, oceans, rivers, and lakes.

The Sackett decision means that isolated and non-tidal wetlands are left largely unprotected. Wetlands are vital to the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem and water across the nation. They catch and filter runoff in order to keep pollution out of streams and rivers, which run downstream into the Bay. They also provide habitats for migratory birds, plants, fish, and other species essential to the ecosystem's health.

These wetlands hold fresh water and make up around 86 percent of wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). Among these are what are known as the Delmarva Bays – seasonal wetlands that cover thousands of acres across the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Maryland, and coastal Delaware.

Wayne Tindall, a restoration ecologist at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, has said these are among the most important wetlands in the system.

“If you could only save one type of wetland, this would be it,” he said.

Some non-tidal wetlands only connect to other waters below ground, not on the surface, like ephemeral and intermittent streams that do not consistently hold water throughout the year. Both these streams and bays could be destroyed from construction, development, and other pollutants that could be unregulated under Sackett .

Each state has their own varying water regulations, and that can help mitigate the harm of this decision at a local level. Many states like Delaware have refused to enact wetland laws that go beyond the CWA minimum, leaving the door open to more pollution in the Chesapeake and national waterways. One problem with the new CWA ruling is that all water flows downstream and will eventually end up in the watershed. This pollution will affect drinking water, habitats, and ecosystem health as a whole. For example, Delaware doesn’t have a definition for state waters and has very limited wetland laws, according to the Chesapeake Legal Alliance. The state is made up of mostly water with around 30,000 acres of isolated wetlands. Most of these acres are no longer protected by the CWA and not regulated by the state itself. In Delaware a polluter could dump waste to fill a mountain stream that dries up seasonally without getting a federal or state permit.

“This is a national decision that has national implications,” said Evan Isaacson, senior attorney and director of the Environmental Action Center at the Chesapeake Legal Alliance.

In order to ensure the health and safety of the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding communities, citizens must educate themselves about state laws and push elected officials to enact legislation to protect wetlands and their water quality, according to Isaacson. With the newly reduced restrictions of the CWA, these wetlands are majorly left unprotected by federal law.

The CWA’s goal was to grant equal protection to all waterways. But by reducing its scope, it leaves more vulnerable communities exposed to further harm. Environmental justice advocates and scientists have long pointed out that dumping and filling in wetlands occurs far more often in lower-income communities and communities of color. These communities receive less access to state and federal funding for wetland projects, while they are more at risk to health issues as a result of development and pollution, according to Environmental justice disparities in Maryland’s watershed restoration programs from Matthew Dernoga, Sacoby Wilson, Chengsheng Jiang, and Fred Tutman at the University of Maryland.

Another unintended consequence of the SCOTUS decision is that the National Environmental Policy Act’s (NEPA) Environmental Assessments will decrease due to the new law, according to Isaacson. NEPA requires federal agencies to assess whether or not their actions will affect the environment significantly. With an unclear view on what water is protected versus unprotected, it will be difficult to distinguish what areas legally require assessment. As a result there will be fewer assessments and fewer endangered species reviews, opening the door to more development and pollution in critical areas no longer protected, according to Isaacson.

Jon Mueller, CBF Vice President of litigation, said that this ruling “only sets us up for continued litigation and uncertainty while limiting our ability to protect and preserve the natural wonder we all treasure. The Bay, its tributaries, and the 18 million people living in its watershed deserve better.”

Wetlands protect coastal communities as they absorb storm and flood waters, and are critical to easing climate change and sea level rise. Each state has been offered a fresh start to enforce and enact laws to preserve the water quality across the nation. It is up to citizens to hold their state legislature accountable in order to save the Chesapeake Bay.

Lilly Howard is EJJI’s Fred Tutman Intern this summer. She will split her time between EJJI, the Chesapeake Legal Alliance, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Sustainability Open House

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 16:43:52 GMT

EJJI Talks Environmental Careers at the Sustainability Open House

By Rona Kobell

EJJI had a great time at The Sustainability Open House last week, which Baltimore City organized to highlight careers in the environmental fields in Baltimore.

Rona Kobell and Jessica Diaz, our journalism and science leads, manned a table at the Morgan State University’s Graves School of Business and Management. When not talking to students and other interested parties, we milled about.

We checked out the Department of Public Works’ stormwater model and looked at tables covered with miniature plants that people could take home to start a garden. We talked to the branch manager for one of the Pratt libraries about screening our film, Eroding History.

And we met Marvin Hayes, a legend in city composting circles who exudes an incredible energy and enthusiasm for soil and sustainability.

EJJI loves to participate in these events when we can. Next time, we will try to remember to pose for a photo with the Sustainability Turtle. We missed him/her/them this time.

Thank you to Abby Cocke at the city’s Department of Planning for thinking of us for the event.

A New Tool in the Fight for Air Quality

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 16:09:30 GMT

A New Tool in the Fight for Air Quality

By Laura Quigley

The suffocating haze of Canadian wildfire smoke that enveloped Baltimore City this June generated a flurry of discussion about air quality. Many city residents stayed indoors until the threat passed, while others donned leftover N95 masks to avoid inhaling the particulates in the outside air. Baltimore reached the purple level of air quality alert; an increased risk of health effects for all demographics. Though common out West, the dangerous air quality shocked many Baltimoreans.

Within days, the discourse around air quality dissipated with the smoke for a large portion of the city. But for some communities living in proximity to industry and the incinerator, such as Curtis Bay in South Baltimore, concern about poor air quality existed long before wildfire smoke blew into the area.

Low-income and working-class neighborhoods throughout the United States face the threat of air pollution at greater rates than their higher-income counterparts. Residents of polluted communities often live in close proximity to industries that release harmful particulates into the air in alarming quantities.

While health disparities and lower quality of life are a daily reality of residents in areas like Curtis Bay, it can be difficult for these neighborhoods to collect the consistent data needed to aid them in the fight for better air quality. Current data collection methods do not cover the entire land mass of the United States continuously, leaving gaps in air quality data.

These gaps are soon to be filled.

According to a recent NPR article , TEMPO, a new satellite instrument capable of delivering consistent data about air pollution, will come online this summer. TEMPO, which stands for Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution, is a collaboration between NASA , NOAA , and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory . Once operational, it will collect hourly data on air pollution throughout the country.

Residents in Baltimore’s most air-polluted neighborhoods embody EJJI’s mission of “Our community, Our story,” sharing the environmental injustices perpetrated in their communities through grassroots advocacy, in the media, and in meetings with industries and government officials. In the near future, TEMPO’s data will be available to the EPA, which regulates air pollution, alleviating the burden of data collection on already-burdened communities.

Until now, advocacy groups and community organizations in neighborhoods with large quantities of air pollution relied on anecdotal evidence, limited data, or outside researchers to support their arguments for stricter pollution regulation and enforcement. Although it is unclear if the public will someday have access to TEMPO’s data, the satellite instrument’s capabilities are another tool in the fight for environmental and health equality.

Voices of the Middle Branch - Rona Kobell

Thu, 11 May 2023 16:36:39 GMT

Voices of the Middle Branch - Rona Kobell

"We have lived in the Baltimore area since 2000. My strongest memory is driving home from work and seeing the fishermen over the Hanover Street Bridge. I wondered who they were, and how long they had been fishing there. Where was their community? I am always thinking of what could be possible. We have so many gems here in the city, but people can’t get to them, or are afraid to access them. Baltimore is full of good people. Friendly, down to earth, and very authentic.

The Baltimore ecosystem is quite impaired because of pollution from stormwater due to impervious surfaces, highways/cars, occasional sewage discharges. But we cannot give up on our waterways any more than we can give up on our neighborhoods. They deserve a fighting chance. Improving the water quality will enhance the neighborhoods, and allow residents to take advantage of the rivers they have lived so close to but could not access.

I envision a bike trail, along the river, that stretches from the Middle Branch, through the Jones and the Gwynn Falls (a loop), up to Mt. Washington, through Hampden, and all the way to Towson and then connecting to the NCR trail and then all the way to PA. You could bike from Harrisburg to DC - people would do it! With a river view almost the whole way, with historical markets showing the routes that many enslaved people took going to PA. I envision a beach, a big one, that is easy to reach, accessible to all, and on a bus line and a train line. I envision a MARC or similar train that goes from the suburbs to the Middle Branch. Connecting all the places that have been disconnected. With kayaks, bikes, and canoes available to rent and river cruises for the more fancy among us.

EJJI has had a positive impact on the community at the Middle Branch and beyond. We’ve been teaching at Baltimore schools and we have scientists and students at work at our marina, which we are fixing up. I think we have a chance now to help those communities get a fair share of a coming renaissance. My partner, Donzell, is committed to making sure that happens.

Our goal is to give communities a voice, tell their stories, and make sure no one leaves them behind. Thus far, the story of Black, Latino, and indigenous communities in Baltimore has not always had a happy ending. A large part of the reason for that are the laws, policies, and customs that continue to discriminate against our fellow citizens. But this story is not over. And if we can include disenfranchised groups in the Middle Branch renaissance, and help them benefit from homeownership, water access, cleaner air, more trees, and parks, we can change the trajectory. There is still time to write a happy ending in the Middle Branch, but only if we listen.”

- Rona Kobell

This interview was originally published on the Reimagine Middle Branch website as part of an interview series celebrating leaders, activists, and community members of the Middle Branch area.

Voices of the Middle Branch - Donzell Brown

Thu, 11 May 2023 16:28:15 GMT

Voices of the Middle Branch - Donzell Brown

"Before my son moved to NYC to go to college; on one of his last days here in Baltimore, just him and I took a canoe ride out on the Middle Branch. He is studying engineering and architecture and as we paddled under the Hanover Street bridge, we marveled at its construction and design. When I reimagine the Middle Branch area, I envision happy and prosperous communities that are gathering in peace and power. I would love for our community to have an enhanced connection to nature and the bay. Understanding that everything you do impacts the environment and understanding that everything someone else may do impacts your environment.

The most staggering feeling I have is that the waterfront is about to drastically change. When I look out, I see so much opportunity for growth and opportunity for everybody. I work, hope and try to make sure that not only is no one left out; but the developments are an opportunity for communities that have been underserved and at times forgotten. The Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative (EJJI) constantly surveys our outreach, especially among our youth education programming and what we find is that we have inspired, helped and even employed young people to consider environmental justice as a career path in disciplines from environmental law, advocacy, science, and journalism. Reimagine Middle Branch helps our organization access funding and helps to build networks in a cohesive and comprehensive way with the focus on equity, inclusion, and increased engagement through education.

I am encouraged about the possibility of enhanced amenities and facilities. It is our hope at EJJI that we can develop an Environmental Justice Community Center that can serve the community for education, research, art, recreation, and events that will bring all of those elements together for comprehensive engagement to the waterway."

- Donzell Brown

This interview was originally published on the Reimagine Middle Branch website as part of an interview series celebrating leaders, activists, and community members of the Middle Branch area.

GameChangers: Donzell Brown Jr. and Rona Kobell

Wed, 10 May 2023 20:52:24 GMT

GameChangers: Donzell Brown Jr. and Rona Kobell

By Lydia Woolever

At the end of a long, weathered dock at the Middle Branch Marina in Cherry Hill sits the future home of the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative . For years, during a weekly get-together with friends, its co-founders discussed the lack of diversity in their respective fields—Rona Kobell is a former journalist for the Sun and Bay Journal; Donzell Brown Jr. has a background in politics, community leadership, and environmental policy.

How, they wondered, could they share their connections and resources to get to the heart of this issue? Set into motion after the death of George Floyd, they launched EJJI in January 2021, with a goal of creating an online platform for Black and Brown youth to share their own environmental stories, report on those that directly impact their neighborhoods, and gain skillsets—from editing and multimedia to even scientific methods through the group’s waterfront headquarters—for a variety of career paths. On a summer visit, one intern was testing water quality for local oysters.

Tell me about the significance of this location.
RK: You can really see all of Baltimore from this one place. A lot of the city has become severed from the water one way or another, be it by highways or development. It’s very hard to get access, unless you’re extremely wealthy, and we’re hoping this place can get the community involved and better connect us to the nature and maritime history of Baltimore.

How do you see the intersection between journalism and environmental justice here?
RK: To have this site to train young journalists about the stories of Baltimore is really special, because you’re really able to see this panoramic view of both the city’s promise and its problematic past. I think there are a lot of stories to be told just in this marina. When we think about seafood, we tend to write off the city’s largely Black fishing community. There are guys here who have been crabbing for decades and they learned how from their dads or their moms.

How did you meet?
DB: We have a group of friends who met pretty much every Friday. Politicians, professionals, scientists, journalists, community leaders. A lot of time, we were sitting around a table complaining about issues in Baltimore and across the state—about diversity and science and journalism and the lack of diversity in reporting on environmental justice. As you said, many environmental stories have been done about fishermen with their weathered white faces. But those stories impact these communities just as much, if not more.

Partnering with students through local schools and other environmental organizations like the National Aquarium and the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), the concept has evolved beyond just being a journalism platform. How would you describe your goal today?
RK: We probably weren’t thinking big enough at the beginning. We don’t just do journalism. We’re not trying to be a news organization. We’re unapologetically an environmental justice organization. We do have a point of view. We want better things for these communities that have been marginalized. We want to help people find their voices and tell their own stories, as opposed to how traditional journalism outfits work, where they come from the top down.

DB: Journalism will always be at the heart of EJJI, but [now] we’re approaching it more like a think tank…We’re trying to create a community and a platform for a group of underserved people where they can share the work that they are doing, as well as a support system.

With the help of EJJI’s board, you plan to share your own respective connections and resources with these students. How have you experienced a lack of diversity in your careers?
DB: In many instances, I have been the only one in the room who looks like me. That’s often difficult. I empathize with these students because I know they have a long bright career ahead of them and I know that room is going to be less and less diverse as they grow up.

RK: It took me a long time to figure out in my own reporting that I was excluding people. As a Chesapeake Bay reporter, I covered oysters, crabs, watermen. My stories were mostly about white people. But over time, I’ve seen that things like climate change and sea-level rise have disproportionately affected Black and Brown communities, I wasn’t there to write that story and I should’ve been…These communities deserve sustainable coverage about these issues. And I realized that my better purpose is to not do it all myself, but to teach people the skills, which will hopefully lead to a richer story.

Documenting What Remains of Deal Island's Black Communities

Mon, 08 May 2023 19:26:57 GMT

Documenting What Remains of Deal Island's Black Communities

By Rona Kobell

The graves are the first sign that the trouble runs deep.

Small cemeteries dot the Deal Island peninsula, unkempt lawns in front of sinking churches. The headstones tell a story: the years they lived, the wars they fought, the children they raised. Broken vault tops expose the dead to the elements. It’s not unusual to see water inside the graves, and even minnows. Coffins have protruded from the ground, even floated away.

In the Black communities of Deal Island, Chance, Dames Quarter and Wenona, the past doesn’t stay buried. How could it when the families who remain here have roots dating back 200 years, when their surnames are the same as those of their enslavers? They are connected, white and Black, whether they want to be or not.

Those who see the graves on drives to the peninsula’s revered fishing piers or to its annual skipjack races often assume the churches and the cemeteries are abandoned. They may conclude that the Black communities here don’t care about their heritage. But what the tourists don’t see is the systemic racism that underlays land preservation and historic restoration, even in what is now considered the progressive state of Maryland.

Black communities often got marginal, mosquito-infested land. White lawmakers would not allow Black communities on the Eastern Shore to incorporate and establish their own zoning and planning boards. Federal relief after floods also goes through incorporated towns or counties. A sparsely populated, 19-mile peninsula with no government in the state’s poorest county could scarcely compete with Crisfield or Princess Anne for funds.

Maryland’s Program Open Space and its much-lauded sister programs buy large tracts of land to preserve and insist they are on high ground; Black communities have neither the height nor the acreage. When funding does become available, many historic trusts insist on a match; most Black communities can’t raise enough to qualify. Many also insist on the provenance of records to show ownership. Black people on the Eastern Shore were not allowed to read or write and often could not own property. How are they supposed to come up with these documents?

Climate change is exacerbating all of these concerns. Maryland scientists predict the state’s rate of sea level rise is between 2 and 4 feet over the next century. That will put much of Somerset County underwater. On top of that, the land is subsiding due to groundwater withdrawals from agriculture and industry. Marshes are moving, and saltwater is intruding into the aquifers and making large swaths of the land unsuitable for growing the current corn and soybean crops.

In the fancy neighborhoods ringing Tangier Sound, it’s not unusual to see houses raised above the ground. But the peninsula’s Black communities often don’t qualify for federal emergency funding to hoist homes and reinforce foundations. So, the homes deteriorate until the county puts them up for tax sale to recoup whatever’s owed on the property tax.

If that all sounds depressing, it is. And yet, my partners and I have made a film that is at times joyful and hopeful for the future of a disappearing place.

“ Eroding History ” tells of the resolve not to give up on a place that shaped people’s lives and holds their family histories. Many are the descendants of Arnold Wallace, an enslaved man who worked for his freedom and then bought that of his wife and children to establish a thriving community of watermen, soldiers, sailors, boatwrights, preachers, teachers and entrepreneurs.

Our film shows how both Macedonia United Methodist Church in Dames Quarter and the John Wesley United Methodist Church on Deal Island have struggled to protect their churches, cemeteries and homes. It shows the passions of Pastor Tony Johnson as he preaches at a monthly prayer service on the beach, and the wit of Boyd “Ducky” Wallace, the island’s 90-year-old “junk man,” who knows neither he nor the island will last forever.

It highlights the resolve of Dr. Chanelle White Acheamfour, a biology and ecology professor, who has watched plantations in Princess Anne receive millions of restoration dollars while her church’s cemetery struggled for small grants to stabilize the bell tower. (The money didn’t come in time; contractors removed the tower a few months ago.)

As filmmakers, we may not be from Deal Island, but we understand displacement. The director of “Eroding History,” André Chung, has photographed the Black community in Baltimore and Washington for decades. Co-writer and co-producer Sean Yoes is a proud son of West Baltimore whose previous film examined how the abandoned roadway project known as the Highway to Nowhere harmed that community. And I am the granddaughter of refugees who fled the Holocaust, losing many relatives to Hitler’s genocide.

Losing Black churches and cemeteries is not just a physical erasure, but an eroding of the shared memory. “Eroding History” preserves that shared memory on film. To do that in real life, our state and federal government need policies that prove they care about Black lands and Black lives as much as they claim they do. If they don’t, we have much more ground to lose.

Original article published in The Baltimore Banner.

Eroding History

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 20:31:26 GMT

Eroding History

Eroding History tells the story of two Black communities on Deal Island, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, that are finding themselves at the intersection of sea level rise, historic racism, and the disappearance of Black communities. It is a climate justice story, made by two Black filmmakers and a Jewish grandchild of refugees. A deeply personal and moving story of a community striving to hold on to its culture, Eroding History is anything but dry.

Eroding History fits squarely with the Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative’s mission to help communities tell their own stories of what’s happened to them, and why. It also is, deliberately, a story about a side of environmental injustice not often told. We think about environmental justice as keeping bad elements out of a disadvantaged neighborhood – smokestacks, incinerators, waste-to-energy plants, hog farms, steel plants, etc. And that is all part of it. But environmental justice also means protecting the culture and history that a community cherishes from threats to its survival. These threats may come from sea level rise, highways, factories, or other sources, but come they do.

Eroding History deliberately centers on Black communities facing disproportionate danger from sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, and land subsidence because of laws, policies, and customs that have ensured they would have lower land and less protections. Our team centered this community in the work with a diverse team. Andre Chung, a five time Pulitzer Prize nominee for his photography, directed the film. Sean Yoes, a longtime writer for the Baltimore Afro and radio host at Morgan State University’s WEAA, was the co-producer. Rona Kobell, EJJI co-founder, was the producer. All three wrote and produced the film, collaborating on the editing.

EJJI hosted a screening at Baltimore’s famous Senator Theatre for more than 400 people. The question we get asked most is, where can we see the film? Unfortunately, due to film festival rules, we cannot yet put it on the Internet for all to see. We have a few screenings scheduled for influential policy-makers, but we wish to bring it out to a wider audience. Possible venues include libraries, university auditoriums, public theatres, historical societies, museums, and film festivals.

If you are interested in lining up a screening and a panel discussion with the filmmakers, please contact rona@ejji.org .

EJJI Environmental Film Screening

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 19:27:36 GMT

EJJI Environmental Film Screening

Close to 400 people crowded into the Senator Theatre last night in Baltimore for the premiere of EJJI’s new film, Eroding History , and two other films that focused on environmental justice that our staff was involved in making.

Eroding History tells the story of two Black communities on the Deal Island Peninsula that are losing their land and their history due to the intersection of historical racism and modern climate changes. Disruption: The Highway to Nowhere recounts the story of how Robert Moses helped to push a highway through Baltimore’s thriving communities of Harlem Park, Poppleton and Old West Baltimore and dismantled the city’s center of thriving Black life. Smithville tells the story of a once-vibrant Black community on the Eastern Shore that is now down to three residents, all of them elderly.

Black filmmakers directed all three of these films. Five-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Andre Chung, an in-demand news and portrait photographer, directed Eroding History . Sean Yoes, a longtime journalist for the Baltimore Afro and a radio host at WEAA in Baltimore, directed the Highway to Nowhere. And Wyman Jones Jr., a regional filmmaker, made Smithville when he was a senior at Morgan State University.

EJJI was proud to produce Disruption and Eroding History . EJJI co-founders Donzell Brown and Rona Kobell executive produced Disruption ; Kobell produced and wrote Eroding History along with Yoes and Chung; and Kobell also produced and wrote Smithville while with Maryland Sea Grant.

Eroding History , and Smithville , are among the few films that center Black communities at the forefront of climate change. Black people are often on the lowest land, because that was the only land that was available to them. On the Eastern Shore, where everything is low, the lowest spot is a dangerous place. Indeed, many Black families have watched their land, and with it their generational wealth, become worthless and water rises and saltwater intrusion and marsh migration render their land useless. With Disruption , a native of West Baltimore tells a story familiar to him all his life and centers the narrative on what was lost and why the wounds are still so fresh. That Black filmmakers are telling these stories is important, and EJJI is proud of its role in providing a platform for both telling and disseminating these films.

You can watch Disruption here . And you can watch Smithville here .

Eroding History is not available online yet, but please check our site here and we will post upcoming dates for screenings.

If your organization wants a screening with the panelists, contact rona@ejji.org .

If you want to support the film, you can donate here .

Thank you!

Eroding History Film Premiere

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 19:32:41 GMT

Eroding History Film Premiere

Contact:

Rona Kobell

rona@ejji.org

BALTIMORE – The Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative Presents Eroding History, a film that tells the story of two Black communities on Deal Island that are in danger of losing their history and culture due to rising seas, and how they are fighting to hold on to what remains.

The 27-minute documentary film is premiering at 7 p.m. on April 18 as part of the Baltimore Environmental Film Series, which Loyola University of Maryland is sponsoring. Award-winning journalist and photographer Andre Chung directed the film; longtime Chesapeake Bay reporter Rona Kobell produced it; and renowned West Baltimore radio host, columnist, and filmmaker Sean Yoes co-produced and co-wrote it. The team began working last summer.

The April 18th screening will also feature Disruption: The Highway to Nowhere, a short film that EJJI executive produced with director Sean Yoes about the wound in West Baltimore’s neighborhoods. The third short film, Smithville, is also about environmental displacement. EJJI co-founder Rona Kobell produced and wrote Smithville when she worked at Maryland Sea Grant. Maryland Sea Grant produced the film, with then-Morgan State University students Wyman Jones and Jalysa Mayo directing it.

All three films focus on Black displacement, whether on Maryland’s Eastern Shore or Baltimore City. Eroding History , which is premiering at the festival, explores the intersection of historical racism and climate change on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Dr. Karsonya Wise Whitehead, founder and executive director of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace, and Social Justice, will moderate a filmmaker discussion after the screening.

The Center for the Humanities at Loyola, Messina at Loyola, Department of Communication, Department of Management & Organizations, and Global Sustainable Business Club are sponsoring the event. The screening is free and open to the public. For more information about Eroding History and EJJI, please visit https://www.ejji.org/media or follow us on Twitter @EnvJustJourn , Instagram @ejji_journ , and Facebook at @EnvJustJourn .

Equity and Belonging at the 2023 Taking Nature Black Conference

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 19:13:42 GMT

Equity and Belonging at the 2023 Taking Nature Black Conference

By Laura Quigley

For the past five years, a nature organization in Montgomery County, Md., has sponsored a conference encouraging and celebrating Black Marylanders in nature.

But since it began, much has changed. The organization, once known as the Audubon Naturalist Society, changed its name to Nature Forward . It made the move to become more inclusive. And the conference, called Taking Nature Black, has grown from a small slate of speakers to a national event that held on even through the pandemic.

Earlier this month, the 2023 Taking Nature Black conference split the difference on virtual vs. in-person. Its first two days met virtually. On the final day, which was in person at the Silver Spring Civic Center, the conference hosted speakers and panel discussions focused on building Black connections to the land, healing through nature, and guiding the next generation of Black environmentalists. One of the main themes was the challenge of building Black connections with nature while honoring its complicated ancestral legacy.

More than 100 participants joined each session. The conference demonstrated the engagement and momentum behind a more robust, equitable, and safe connection between the Black community and nature.

“As we make progress, how do we make sure we’re not losing what we’ve put in place?” said conference speaker Chancee Lundy Russell, principal and CEO of Lundy Legacy, LLC. “We’ve had obstacles in this country since 1619, so we’re just going to find a new path, a new way around it.”

The conference brought together environmental justice advocates, community leaders, and nature professionals from across the country to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing communities of color in the fight to achieve environmental change.

“We have to keep promoting equitable collaboration,” said conference speaker Dr. Mamie Parker, a fish and wildlife biologist and the first African American United States Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Regional Director. “I know how important it is for all of us to really set those standards of excellence in this cultural challenge; to really make people feel welcome, feel like they belong.”

Historically, Black hikers, bikers, swimmers, and hunters have reported feeling alone in the outdoors community. On occasion, white strangers and rangers have questioned them about their intentions in the outdoors. Over the past decade, many Black outdoors enthusiasts have formed organizations like Outdoor Afro to demonstrate the outdoors are for everyone. Others, like REI and Patagonia , have emphasized the importance of an inclusive outdoor community.

“An enduring value of outdoor education is helping people see. And when they see, they can’t unsee,” said keynote speaker Rue Mapp, the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro. “Nature is in you, your body, made up mostly of water. It is at hand.”

With representatives from diverse areas of the outdoor experience, such as urban agriculture, outdoor leadership, conservationism, and aquaculture, the conference exemplified its theme of belonging. By promoting greater connection with nature, the conference aims to build more engagement with the environmental movement.

“Now that we’ve gotten some space, that space should be habitable,” said keynote speaker Tamara Toles O’Laughlin, founder of Climate Critical Earth. “We’re only going to win if we all belong in the future.”

Images courtesy of Nature Forward.

EJJI Gets Feet Wet in the Middle Branch

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 18:55:18 GMT

EJJI Gets Feet Wet in the Middle Branch

When we started our organization two years ago, we envisioned having a place on the water where we could reconnect young people to the rivers that had been cut off from their communities. With a lot of help from our partners, we have secured a spot at the Middle Branch Marina where we are doing just that.

Yesterday, we learned we received a grant from Forever Maryland to make getting out on the water a reality. The grant will provide funds to purchase safety equipment and a couple of canoes.

Eventually, we would like to take groups out from our marina and offer it as a place for other environmental groups to do water testing and get out to areas of the river to look at conditions. We will need more than two canoes for that, but it’s a start.

A trip from our marina on the Middle Branch offers a panorama of the city. There are the low-slung World War II-esque apartments that many Black soldiers found themselves relegated to after fighting fascism. There is a gleaming downtown, an industrial underbelly, a still-spewing incinerator and many shuttered factories. There is also a city yet to be built, that includes the promise of inclusion that has so often failed to materialize. And you can see it all from a canoe.

We’re so grateful for this support. We hope it will allow us to open our beautiful marina to more human visitors, as we are already blessed with many avian ones. Thank you to the Maryland Environmental Trust, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Forever Maryland for the support.

Hiding History

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 20:56:11 GMT

Hiding History

I first learned about Edward Gorsuch and the Christiana Uprising when I read William Still’s book about the Underground Railroad.

Still, a noted abolitionist who risked his life many times to help enslaved men and women free themselves, lived in Philadelphia. He interviewed many of the enslaved people who freed themselves and ran across the Maryland border to Pennsylvania. I cannot recommend his book highly enough. It is extremely well-written, and it teaches us that slavery existed in places we likely didn’t think it did.

For me, one of those places was my home county. I knew Baltimore County landowners enslaved citizens. I knew about the Ridgely family and Hampton Plantation . We call it Hampton “mansion,” which is just one of the many ways we like to obscure what really happened there.

So, to Edward Gorsuch.

From the story I wrote in the Baltimore Banner :

The full Gorsuch story is windier than the roads and rivers the men navigated to freedom. It began in 1849, when Edward Gorsuch suspected that one of four enslaved men had stolen his grain. They included Noah Buley, Nelson Ford, George Hammond and Joshua Hammond. No one ever proved the allegation, but the men had endured enough of bondage. With the help of a free man, Abraham Johnson, they spent a night in Gorsuch’s barn and then headed for the Pennsylvania border.

When Gorsuch awoke to find them gone, he was angry and shocked. He fancied himself a benevolent master, having manumitted his enslaved men and women when they reached 28 years of age and then hiring them as seasonal workers.

Gorsuch knew the freedom seekers were in Lancaster County, but he could do nothing — until September 1850, when the U.S. Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act. The law compelled Northern states to return enslaved people to their plantations, with punishments for refusal. Gorsuch hired a constable who found the men and agreed to accompany him to retrieve them.

The posse gathered at his tavern included his son, Dickinson, his nephew, Joshua Gorsuch, and another nephew named Thomas Pierce. Two other neighbors, Nicholas Hutchings and Nathan Nelson, joined. The group met the constable and arrived at the Christiana home that William Parker, who had run away from the Roedown Plantation in Anne Arundel County, was renting with some other freedom seekers from a Quaker couple, Levi and Sarah Pownall.

When Edward Gorsuch made his demands, Parker’s wife, Eliza, blew her horn to summon the community, who refused to help recapture the men. Most of the Gorsuch posse saw they would not win this battle. Edward Gorsuch declared: “My property I will have, or I’ll breakfast in hell.”

A firefight ensued. Someone shot Gorsuch; another resister gravely wounded Dickinson. Sarah Pownall helped her tenants escape to Canada. Parker, Buley, Ford, and the Hammond men all left quickly.

The federal government charged 38 men with treason, many of them Quakers. The abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens defended them. The first defendant’s trial lasted 15 minutes; the government didn’t try the rest. Maryland Attorney General Robert Brent fumed to Gov. Enoch Lowe that Pennsylvania made a “mockery” out of Maryland’s right to “protect her citizens.”

You may wonder, what does this story have to do with environmental justice? Good question. The land tells us stories – about our past, and about the terrible things that happened here. When we obscure them, when we DON’T tell these stories, we obscure our own history. We took so much from Black Marylanders. We need to look closely at all our laws, policies and customs to begin to make things right. So, we here at EJJI keep digging.

We will be on WYPR and WTMD to talk about this story!

Why We Testified

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 16:40:32 GMT

Why We Testified

Last week, EJJI Executive Director and co-founder Donzell Brown drove down to Annapolis to offer his testimony in support of Senate Bill 433.

This would not seem unusual, but for the fact that we are a journalism organization. We have said we would not lobby, even though other environmental groups ask us all the time to do so. We don’t do it because we wish to cover policy, not advocate for it. We feel our journalism and engagement is what makes us effective and different. Even bills that focus on environmental justice, like the BRESCO plant, are probably going to have plenty of advocates testifying. They won’t need us.

So, why did we testify in favor of Senate Bill 433?

This is a bill to create an enterprise fund to help women and minorities enter the aquaculture business. At the moment, there are few, if any, Black and brown aquaculturists working their own farmers, and not many white women, either, unless they co-own the business with their husband. Though the state government in Maryland set aside millions of dollars to help watermen start oyster and clam farms when aquaculture became legal here in 2009, they did not offer any such help for women or minorities.

Why is this important? First, the resources of the state belong to all, and all should have a fair chance at entering a business that is both profitable and good for the environment. Why can’t women and minorities just enter it, then? Because aquaculture start-ups need funds – at least $25,000 to start – for equipment and seed. They need leases in the waterways. And most of all, they need shoreline property so they can grow seeds and get out to their leases. The vast majority of the landowners in Maryland have been white men. They were the only ones allowed to own property for many years.

This is not a policy issue that we are likely to cover. It’s simply a fairness issue to make this industry more diverse, which we support. Our friend and board member Imani Black is working hard to make sure diverse voices are represented in aquaculture. We wanted to do what we could to support this issue.

Good luck to all who are pushing the bill through. Maryland needs oyster farmers. And oyster farmers need a level playing field.

Historian Vince Leggett Comes to the Pratt Library

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 20:17:35 GMT

Historian Vince Leggett Comes to the Pratt Library

EJJI friend and mentor Vincent Leggett will be speaking Saturday 2/11/23 at the Enoch Pratt Library’s Central Branch at 11 a.m.

If you have not had a chance to hear Leggett speak, don’t miss it. The founder of Blacks of the Chesapeake, who calls himself a “country boy from East Baltimore,” is an amazing raconteur of the Black experience on the rivers and creeks around the Chesapeake Bay. Vince has been chronicling these stories for the past 20 years, and without him these stories would be lost. An excellent land-use planner, he has also been instrumental in preserving Elktonia Beach in Annapolis. It is the last of the Black-run beaches during segregated times.

If you miss Vince this time, check out Blacks of the Chesapeake , which often lists his other engagements. You can also order his book, The Chesapeake Through Ebony Eyes .

Losing History

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 17:49:35 GMT

Losing History

By Rona Kobell

I wrote this story for Louis Diggs and James Lane.

I never knew Mr. Diggs, and for that I am sorry. I had planned to contact him when EJJI contributor Sean Yoes and I mapped out a 10-episode podcast on Turner’s Station, a Black neighborhood in Eastern Baltimore County hard by the old Bethlehem Steel plant. We had planned to interview Mr. Diggs, a longtime chronicler of Baltimore County’s Black history, and I told Sean we’d better hurry. I never like to wait too long to talk to our very senior citizens. More than once, I hesitated, and lost the opportunity forever.

Alas, funding for the podcast did not come through, and we moved on to other projects. When I heard Mr. Diggs died of heart failure at age 90, I was so disappointed we didn’t just go talk to him regardless of funding. I am sure it would have been a life-changing experience for us, and given us so many story ideas. Mr. Diggs’ legacy lives on in the dozen books he wrote; books that, had he not taken an interest, likely would not have been written.

James Lane I was lucky enough to know. I interviewed him for a story in 2014, about Black residents of Crisfield not getting their fair share of the time, attention and funds the city, state and federal government offered the community after Hurricane Sandy. That part of Crisfield seemed to have no official voice, so Mr. Lane spoke. Valiantly, he helped the community reverse course and help the Black residents who lost everything. Mr. Lane knew everything about the seafood history of Crisfield. I have no idea where he was educated or what he studied, but he was the kind of man that historian Vincent Leggett would call an “intellectual gangster.” He knew so much, and shared it, for the betterment of his community.

Both Mr. Lane and Mr. Diggs died recently, and many other Black historians are over the age of 70. We can’t look to the academy to replace them, owing to the way history is taught in doctoral programs and because so few students ever get accepted to them. And in many states, we can’t look to schools, which are stripping curriculums of unpleasant history.

So I wrote this story for James Lane and Louis Diggs, because they lived to share the stories – the happy times, the unpleasant ones, and the will to keep fighting for something better. I wrote it so we don’t forget about the truthtellers, the intellectual gangsters, and what they continue to give us every day.

UMBC Students Present EJJI-Inspired GIS Research

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 18:46:11 GMT

UMBC Students Present EJJI-Inspired GIS Research

By Rona Kobell

Every day at EJJI, wonderful things happen. But yesterday was among the most wonderful.

We – co-founders Rona Kobell and Donzell Brown – were invited to Maggie Holland’s class to view final projects in geography and information systems. Holland is the undergraduate program director for the GIS department at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. This semester, we have been working with her students on real-time, real-world problems that could use some data and mapping solutions.

Joining us were Ethan Abbott of the South Baltimore Gateway Partnership and Chris Firehock of the Baltimore City Office of the Mayor. They were interested in a GIS project the class had done on the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River, which is being re-imagined under a major project. (EJJI is a partner in that also.) Also there was Katie Miller of Centros de los Derechos de Migrante, Inc., which protects the rights of migrant workers. Miller was there because the students had undertaken a GIS project based on data she provided.

The EJJI-influenced GIS project concerned our work in Somerset County on the Eastern Shore, where we are completing a documentary on a Black community that is losing its land and culture due to sea level rise and a failure to protect its historic resources. The students asked us if GIS research could answer any questions. We thought it could perhaps map the historic communities in the county and determine which of them were protected by either the state or federal government.

Immediately, the group encountered the same problems we faced when researching this topic. The data were not all in one place. The historic protections are not binding. Consistency is hard to come by. But they did manage to overlay a map of the historic sites with sea-level rise projections so we could see many of the county’s Black historic sites will be underwater if sea level rise goes as predicted.

Despite only having a month to put together the data sets and the narrative, the students’ final project was nothing short of amazing. Facts on the ground always tell a story. The data can lead if we let it. The students are still tweaking their projects but we will post them when they are complete.

Thank you so much to Prof. Holland for letting us be part of this work. To be continued, for sure. There are many more stories for GIS to tell.

EJJI and CLA Announce Inaugural Fred Tutman Fellowship for Summer 2023

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 18:40:24 GMT

EJJI and CLA Announce Inaugural Fred Tutman Fellowship for Summer 2023

The Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative and the Chesapeake Legal Alliance are accepting applications for our inaugural Fred Tutman Fellowship in Environmental Justice Law and Journalism.

The fellowship is named in honor of Fred Tutman, the longtime Patuxent Riverkeeper and the only Black riverkeeper in the nation. Tutman, a longtime journalist with a background in law, has fought tirelessly for clean water in Maryland’s longest river, which abuts a diverse array of communities. He has taken on power plants that have endangered human and aquatic health, developers who have pumped excess sediments into the water, and government agencies who have been slow to act to protect residents from water-borne infections stemming from pollution.

The Tutman fellow will continue in the tradition of its namesake, using reporting, research, writing, and knowledge of the law to investigate complex environmental issues and publish stories about those issues on both the EJJI and CLA websites, with editing support from EJJI editors and legal input from CLA attorneys. The fellow will choose a project to pursue throughout the 10-week fellowship, and will be integrated into a cohort with the other CLA and EJJI interns and fellows. At the fellowship’s conclusion, the Tutman fellow will present the research in a symposium open to the public. The fellow will leave the internship with several published pieces for a portfolio.

The position runs from the end of May until mid-August and pays a $4,500 stipend. We welcome students from Chesapeake Bay watershed states as well as anywhere else in the country, but fellows are responsible for finding their own housing if they choose to relocate here. The fellowship is hybrid/remote, and we will accept remote applicants with the expectation of at least one visit to Baltimore/Annapolis for an in-person meeting and tour of the area.

Fellows must be enrolled in an institution of higher learning and be studying either the law or journalism. A focus on environmental matters is appreciated but not required. We will consider undergraduates, graduate students, and law students.

For best consideration, please send a resume, cover letter, and three writing samples to info@ejji.org by February 1. If you have questions, you can also email info@ejji.org .

The Chesapeake Legal Alliance, known as “lawyers for the Bay,” uses the law to improve the quality of the Chesapeake Bay through a network of volunteer attorneys who provide free legal services. The Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative, whose motto is “Our community, our story,” trains residents to use journalistic techniques to tackle environmental problems in their communities. To learn more, visit www.ejji.org and www.chesapeakelegal.org .

Princeville: The First Black Town to Incorporate in the United States

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 18:38:06 GMT

Princeville: The First Black Town to Incorporate in the United States

By Rona Kobell

Princeville sits just off U.S. Highway 64 in North Carolina, where the Tar River meanders through cotton fields and strands of loblolly pines. The town of about 2,000 residents appears unremarkable at first glance – bungalow-like homes, some empty farmland, and no grocery or courthouse or central business district to anchor it. Many drive through and do not realize they are passing history.

This 1.5 square mile town was the first Black town to incorporate in the United States. It did so in 1885, just 20 years after a group of formerly enslaved Black families settled in the area they first called Freedom Hill. Even now, more than 150 years after the Civil War, the United States can boast many towns with large Black populations but few incorporated Black towns. Maryland has only three: Highland Beach in Anne Arundel County and North Brentwood and Eagle Harbor in Prince George’s.

What incorporation gives a town is the ability to control its own destiny. An incorporated town elects its own officials, collects its own taxes, crafts its own zoning laws. Its leaders can decide what areas become developed, what must remain in green space, where to put the elementary school, and what aspects of the town to highlight for visitors. Incorporated communities can lobby the state legislature for bond funds and nonprofits for grants. They can control the look, feel and survival of the community. When Princeville’s founders won incorporation, they inherited a gift they passed on to their children. It has been the gift of survival.

Like many Black communities, Princeville only got the soil it sits on because no one else wanted it. The land is low, about 40 feet below the highway that traverses it, and far lower than its sister town across the river, the much wealthier Tar-Boro, which is the Edgecombe County seat. And so, the community floods – a lot, more than a dozen times between the time it was founded and 1967, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built a three-mile earthen levee. The levee held pretty well until 1999, when Hurricane Floyd inundated Princeville and nearly wiped it off the map.

State officials hoped to relocate Princeville two miles up the road on higher ground, but the community voted to stay. Since then, the residents and leadership have been looking at ways to fortify the town. Expanding the levee would be a great solution, but with the Corps not quite sure what route they are taking community leaders are doing what remains in their control. Because of incorporation, that’s quite a bit. They’ve secured grants to build rain gardens, plan for a commercial district on land outside the floodplain, reinforce the town hall and lift some buildings. They have Black leadership team and a town historian who is helping apply for grants to honor the town’s story. They have entered into partnerships with North Carolina State University to help with resiliency. A mobile museum tells the Princeville story with just a few pictures and quotes, but it is powerful.

EJJI was invited to tour Princeville with state officials from North Carolina earlier this month. After that, we were on a panel with leaders from town to talk about ways the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality can be more inclusive in their outreach and their regulations. Among the ideas we shared: hold meetings whenever possible in communities, in the evenings, and not on Wednesday nights (a popular Bible study evening). Also, matching grants for funds exclude communities that can’t raise that money, and favor the wealthier white communities that can. We also spoke about land-conservation programs that favor large tracts on higher ground that are threatened by development, which many Black families couldn’t buy. Maybe look at a provision for historical and cultural assets?

The trip was a reminder of something EJJI tries to reinforce: environmental injustices take many forms, and they are all rooted in the history of systems designed to oppress religious, ethnic, and racial minority populations and keep them marginalized. Sometimes it’s obvious, such as an incinerator in a Black community; sometimes it’s not, such as the lack of incorporated Black towns in the United States. But without control of your destiny, you cannot preserve your culture, and you would be unwise to leave those decisions in the hands of those who never honored that culture to begin with. As the Washington Post’s excellent DeNeen Brown points out in this article from 2015, no archive exists of all the nation’s Black towns. White historical societies simply didn’t think to hold on to the records, and the people making history were often too busy trying to live under oppression to write everything down themselves. Thus, the histories of Blackdom, New Mexico; Rentiesville, Oklahoma; and Nicodemus, Kansas, are not complete.

But Princeville’s is, and we can thank the ancestors for that. For more about the “town that defied white supremacy," check out the town’s history here .

A Black Boating Tradition on the Chesapeake Ran Into Racism - Then Tragedy

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 18:32:08 GMT

A Black Boating Tradition on the Chesapeake Ran Into Racism - Then Tragedy

By Rona Kobell

A year ago, I spent the month of November on Deal Island researching my thesis about how the Black community there ended up with lower land and was losing it quickly due to climate change and sea level rise. Many of the community’s founders were named Wallace, inheriting the surname of Arthur Wallace, a formerly enslaved man who bought his own freedom and then that of his family. Wallace headstones are among the largest in the family graveyards around the island. Many of the people I interviewed had a connection to the family.

It was a white waterman who first mentioned “the accident.” Seven men, six from one family, died out in Hooper’s Strait one day. Big storm came up. Could have been saved, but went down with the ship. Who can understand it?

I felt like there was more to it. I asked around, and sure enough, one of the Wallaces I interviewed told me the captain was his uncle, Thompson Wallace. He had been a little boy, maybe 12, when the accident happened, but he recalled details as though it was yesterday. He told me that his uncle and the crew died with smiles on their faces. They wouldn’t leave the boat, he said, because racist lending practices had made it so hard to get. It was Thompson Wallace’s pride and joy.

Eventually, I traced the boat, the Claud Somers, to the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum, and the surviving Wallace sons through friends I’d made on the island. One of the sons I interviewed had never spoken about the accident before to the press. What he wanted people to know about his father, he said, was that Thompson Wallace was never reckless. He knew the winds, the tides, what a boat could do. He never would have gone if it was dangerous. White watermen had been saying Thompson Wallace went out because he needed the money; his son said he was not destitute, and never would have risked his family. Even if Thompson had been willing to, his wife, Esther, never would have let him go. She lost so much that day.

The story had broader implications, too. Thompson Wallace was one of two Black skipjack captains at the time. He had plans to expand into a restaurant business, and was considering opening a seafood plant. But those dreams died with him. None of the Thompson children would make a sustained living on the water. Their mother did not want to lose them, too.

To me, there was only one place to tell this story – the Retropolis section of the Washington Post, which focuses on history. It took me a few tries, but I finally got the pitch accepted.

The environmental justice implications are not lost on me. Discrimination kept Thompson Wallace from getting a boat for a long time. What kept him from being rescued earlier? I am not sure we will know, but at least now readers have a more complete picture of the captain.

Read the full article in the Washington Post

Airborne Toxic Metal Inhalation Higher in Communities of Color

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 20:13:47 GMT

Airborne Toxic Metal Inhalation Higher in Communities of Color

By Laura Quigley

A recent study in Nature Communications expands on what many Baltimore residents already know. We are living with environmental injustices in the city every day.

Not only are predominantly Black and Latino communities exposed to higher rates of air pollution, their residents also inhale far higher concentrations of airborne toxic metals than predominantly white communities. What that means: shorter life spans, more expensive health problems and difficulty breathing.

In Baltimore, residents in neighborhoods such as Westport and Curtis Bay live under the shadow of industries involved in manufacturing, incineration, and shipbuilding. The industries may or may not be there anymore – and many do not provide the jobs they once did – but the legacy pollution remains in many cases. And it harms the quality of life.

According to a study commissioned by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in 2017, the nitrous oxide pollution from the Wheelabrator incinerator alone is responsible for $21 million in health and mortality costs in Maryland each year.

The recent toxic metal study shows that nitrous oxide pollution is not the only cause for concern.

According to an article published in The Washington Post, the study found that “in highly segregated counties, the average mass proportion of all fine-particulate metals associated with human-caused emissions was three to 12 times higher than in well-integrated ones.” Residents in predominantly Black and Latino communities are inhaling toxic metals, such as lead, nickel, copper, and zinc, in amounts far greater than their counterparts in communities that are racially integrated or primarily white.

How to change this disparity? Cleaning up pollution everywhere, of course, is the goal. But in particular, policymakers must look at the why of it all. Zoning laws, redlining, and other discriminatory practices have kept undesirable industries in certain parts of cities while banning them from other parts. The communities impacted most often don’t have a voice, either because of gerrymandering or lack of representation. Environmental justice means righting these wrongs through new policies that ensure everyone has the same rights to clean air and clean water. At least we’re talking about it now, and one step closer to maybe getting to a more equitable world.

EJJI Presents at the Watershed Forum This Weekend

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 20:09:15 GMT

EJJI Presents at the Watershed Forum This Weekend

By Rona Kobell

This weekend, Donzell and Rona are presenting at the Watershed Forum in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. This forum is one of the best events of the year for Chesapeake Bay scientists, conservationists, and local government officials. In part because of its location at the National Conservation Training Center, it draws interest from the headwater states. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay organizes the event. It is a great place to network, find story ideas, and reconnect with old friends.

Our presentation centers on our work in two communities: Deal Island and Baltimore City. One gives a conventional picture of environmental justice issues: Highways dividing and destroying Black communities, incinerators polluting air, unequal access to forests and nature. The other is more about protecting culture and holding on to community assets in a place where history is washing away quickly. Both are environmental justice issues.

EJJI has made a short film on the Highway to Nowhere, directed by Sean Yoes. We are making a longer one on Deal Island and its Black communities. Longtime photographer and filmmaker Andre Chung is directing that with Yoes; Rona is working on it as a producer.

We founded EJJI to help communities tell these stories, and we’re excited to share our efforts at the forum. Stop by if you’ll be there and say hello.

The Clean Water Act's 50th Anniversary Disappoints

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 19:59:54 GMT

The Clean Water Act's 50th Anniversary Disappoints

By Rona Kobell

Today’s birthday song for the Clean Water Act’s 50th was more of a dirge, with nine environmental leaders lamenting the law credited with cleaning up rivers that were on fire had lost some of its own firepower.

“It’s just not working. These voluntary programs are not cutting it,” said Eric Schaeffer, the former civil enforcement director at the Environmental Protection Agency who now runs his own watchdog nonprofit, the Environmental Integrity Project. “We need enforceable limits, and we need them enforced. Until we get that, we’ll be back here in 50 years, bemoaning the failures.”

At issue, Schaeffer and others say, are standards that the federal government has not updated since the Disco era, and do not consider accelerating precipitation and flooding rates due to climate change or the influx of new people into watersheds, stressing the stormwater and sewage systems. And early on, the Clean Water Act became a victim of its own perceived strength; Congress weakened it so it would not regulate crop farms and small dairies, and would only regulate large-scale animal feeding operations. That has meant that manure can leave a chicken house, where it is regulated, and be spread on a corn field, where it is not.

Agriculture has long been the biggest source of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, delivering 42 percent of the nitrogen, 55 percent of the phosphorus, and 60 percent of the sediment. This pollution enters the Chesapeake from six states and the District of Columbia, though much of it comes from Pennsylvania and its large collection of small farms and dairies.

“We do not have the tools we need under the federal clean water act to regulate agriculture.

But we could do a whole lot more than we are doing right now,” said Betsy Nicholas, Executive Director of Waterkeepers Chesapeake, a network of riverkeeper groups that patrol regional waterways. She argued that Maryland and other states could ramp up inspections, institute painful financial fines, and regulate the ammonia in air coming off poultry operations. Those emissions often harm Black and lower-income communities, who then suffer health consequences with higher rates of asthma, emphysema, and related ailments.

Lack of enforcement under the Hogan Administration in Maryland is a major reason clean water improvements have stalled, said Attorney General Brian Frosh. He is retiring this year, but for the past eight years, he said, inspections from the Maryland Department of the Environment have declined by half, and 40 percent of MDE’s staff positions remain vacant. The situation reached a crisis when Baltimore’s sewage treatment plants were failing so badly that a state agency had to take them over. Many environmentalists, including the NAACP’s Linda Batts, called out the state and the federal government for letting poor and Black communities, including Baltimore, bear the brunt of the environmental consequences.

MDE’s longtime leader, Ben Grumbles, was called before the legislature to account for the lack of inspectors, which he blamed on COVID-related retirements and an aging workforce as well as a lack of funds. The legislature passed a provision to ensure funding is there to hire future inspectors. In another instance of a lack of enforcement, a rendering plant on the Eastern Shore was allowed to operate under a 2006 discharge permit, with no inspections and no penalties for pollution violations. Because of public pressure and a lawsuit, the plant finally closed. But David Reed, who leads the Chesapeake Legal Alliance – “lawyers for the Bay” – and helped bring about the lawsuit, said regulators must not wait for citizens to take action. They need to use the tools in the act to do their jobs.

“There are hundreds, thousands of Valley Proteins, of Back Rivers. What’s needed is more enforcement,” Reed said. “The department knows what it needs to do but it has not done it.”

EJJI and UMBC Collaborate on the Sounds of Environmental Injustice

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 23:23:53 GMT

EJJI and UMBC Collaborate on the Sounds of Environmental Injustice

By Rona Kobell

Six years ago, the waters around Ellicott City flooded, turning the historic downtown into a disaster zone. Almost six inches of rain fell over two hours. It was a 100-year flood, but it would happen again in 2018, and Howard County would work with the state and the federal government on comprehensive plans and investments to make sure such devastation didn’t happen again.

But rains and swollen rivers do not respect geographical boundaries. Just about seven miles down Frederick Road, in the community of Irvington, floodwaters raged, too. Hundreds of homes flooded, lives were destroyed, and home values eroded. Instead of plans to put this Baltimore City neighborhood back together, there was silence. No flood anniversaries, no public meetings around how to rebuild, no answers as to how to prevent future floods.

Almost exactly between these two communities sits another important community – the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Known as a premier science research institution, the school also has investigators working on urban forestry, stormwaters, floods, and the urban/suburban built environment. So, when English Professor Earl Brooks approached EJJI about a course focused on the sounds of environmental injustice, we thought UMBC’s in-between location offered the perfect vantage point to look at both communities.

Brooks, who teaches the course as an honors seminar, is a trained musician – he plays the saxophone – and he grew up in Topeka, Kansas. Being from another place can make one really attuned to the sounds of a new one. When I think of Topeka, which I have only visited once, I think of sounds, too. Trucks rumbling down the highway, tumbleweeds rustling in the wind, the echoes of vast open space. Irvington sounds different than Ellicott City; what do the sounds tell us about the place?

You’ll be able to find out, soon, as the students are recording a podcast and conducting many interviews with scholars, residents, pastors, and others.

Deal Island is Sinking Under the Weight of Climate Change

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 23:15:46 GMT

Deal Island is Sinking Under the Weight of Climate Change

By Rona Kobell

Climate change will harm the planet in many ways, but it is going to harm it disproportionately. And few places illustrate that as much as the Black communities on the Eastern Shore, where so much history has already washed away. The Eastern Shore’s rate of sea level rise is about twice that of the rest of Maryland, and is the second highest in the United States after Louisiana.

Within the Shore, the water is rising the fastest and the land is sinking the quickest in Dorchester County. Half of the county – mostly the southern part – will be underwater by 2100, according to predictions from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Somerset County is next on the list.

So, we decided to make a film to tell the story of what is happening, and to tell it through Black filmmakers. Rona Kobell, longtime Chesapeake Bay writer, as a writer and producer; Andre Chung, longtime photographer and filmmaker, as director and cinematographer; Sean Yoes, longtime editor, reporter, and podcast/radio host as writer, co-director/producer, narrator. All three are working with students and mentoring them to do additional projects adjacent to the film, including writing, podcasts, and photography.

Our film will show the ways that Dames Quarter, on Deal Island, has suffered, and what are the solutions that could help it and other places:

Black communities, like Riley Roberts Road in Dames Quarter, got the lower land to begin with. They have not gotten assistance in rebuilding.
Black communities on the Shore were not allowed to incorporate – and none of them did. Incorporation is a path for communities to have control over their destiny, and receive state and federal funds for rebuilding. Without it, Dames Quarter and indeed the whole Deal Island peninsula has been shut out of help.
With the land sinking and saltwater intruding, Black lands are sinking ever further. Residents leave not because they want to, as historians Clara Small and Maya Davis explain, but because they must. There is nothing left for them where they came from.
Land preservation programs ignore these lands; the state already controls development on them, because they are now wetlands, so there’s no reason to use taxpayers’ dollars to protect them.
Historic preservationists dismiss their value. These preservation societies seek mansions and lighthouses, not small Black churches and graveyards or sharecropper homes. In Somerset County, the historic trust has no Black members.

Baltimore’s Murals Highlight Beauty Amid the Blight

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 23:01:34 GMT

Baltimore’s Murals Highlight Beauty Amid the Blight

By Laura Quigley

In a sprawl of concrete, brick, and asphalt, a two-story mural overlooks the Duncan Street Miracle Garden near North Avenue in Southeast Baltimore. Like the garden itself, the mural’s greenery and colorful blooms create a natural oasis in its urban surroundings. On the mural’s right side, a portrait of the garden’s long-time caretaker, Lewis Sharpe, pays homage to a critical environmental justice issue – food security through urban farming.

Painted by renowned Baltimore-based muralist Gaia the mural is one of many that shine attention on environmental justice issues in Baltimore City communities through latex and acrylic paint.

In Baltimore City, murals and environmental justice – a movement to counteract the disproportionate harms of environmental issues on marginalized communities –go hand in hand. According to the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts’ (BOPA) Baltimore Mural Program map , nearly half of the more than 250 murals created through the program contain elements of nature or speak directly to environmental justice issues.

Created in 1975, the city launched the Baltimore Mural Program (BMP) to create positive change in Baltimore communities through large art installations. By the time Shawn James – the founder of Mural Masters and previous Director of BMP – took over in 2004, the program was largely defunct due to lack of funding.

“I was gradually able to bring in some private funding, and then we got a majority of our funding from community development block grants of Community Housing and Development,” says James, “Then we applied for larger grants through the organization to try to get murals funded.”

Today, grant funding is still a critical part of the process for developing murals in Baltimore City. According to James, the process begins with a community, business, or private owner that has a desire for a mural and an open wall.

When homeowner Kim Wiggins first decided to commission a mural on the side of her home three years ago, she applied for the Southeast CDC Spruce-Up Grant to fund the project.

“It was backed by Patterson Park Neighborhood Association, so they were the fiscal sponsors, but I managed them,” says Wiggins of the grants.

A local artist, Nether, painted Wiggins’ mural in 2020. It features native birds and plants, with a focus on local pollinators – a design that Wiggins and other community members approved..

“They’ll win this amount of money, then there’ll be a community input moment where we’ll do workshops and listening sessions and conversations, just to develop ideas, brainstorm, listen to interesting stories, mythologies, figure out what has already been celebrated and what should be avoided,” says Gaia, who has painted twelve murals in Baltimore City.

Community input sessions are an integral part of the mural process, and the beginning of the relationship between the community, the muralist, and the mural itself. Gaia recalls presenting 12 separate mock-ups for a mural in Remington before the community approved a large-scale rendering of a beloved orange street cat.

When the muralist is finished painting, it is the community that will live with the mural on its wall. That repeated exposure can be a powerful thing, says Baltimore muralist Ernest Shaw . Shaw has painted more than 12 murals throughout Baltimore City in areas such as Greenmount West, Penn North, and Broadway East.

“I think that murals can definitely have an effect on the collective conscious. You see an image every day, even if it’s in two seconds of passing, there’s no way that at some point it’s not going to have an effect on you,” says Shaw.

When that image is an environmental justice mural, the impacts on the community it stands in and the individuals who live there are manifold.

The most often cited reason – and a leading incentive for the creation of the BMP – is graffiti abatement, the act of deterring hastily-executed spray paint tags. These tags are often painted repeatedly on the same walls. Yet, when a mural is painted in their place, the tagging generally stops.

“It’s been proven time and time again that, if you go to an area or wall that’s constantly being tagged and graffitied and you put a mural on it, by and large the graffiti goes away, at least from that particular spot,” says James.“ It seems like there is an unwritten understanding between graffiti artists and public artists or mural artists about artwork. And that kind of makes the wall off limits.”

Many communities’ desire to abate graffiti is central to another positive impact of painting murals – to show that the community and its residents care about their area.

One of Wiggins’ primary motivators when seeking a mural for the outside of her home, at the intersection of North Milton Avenue and East Fayette Street, was to show those outside of the community that Fayette Street is not an imaginary line between danger and safety.

“Fayette isn’t a place that you shouldn’t go past. Fayette is a place where there’s people involved and I think it shows that,” says Wiggins, “So, I think it definitely highlights the neighborhood, shows that a neighborhood is cared for.”

However, not everyone agrees that murals equate to care. There are those who view murals as a sign of a blighted community. Former BMP Director, James, believes this stance is, in part, due to Baltimore’s mural history, when funding for public and community art was originally allocated to areas perceived as needing change and hope – and that also contained available empty walls.

According to James, the work of internationally-renowned public artists Shepard Fairey and Banksy, along with Baltimore’s own Open Walls initiatives, have changed public perception of murals.

“All those things are bringing awareness to arts and visual arts to show you that it’s an art form that is for the public, for the community, and not just blighted communities,” says James.

Murals have the capacity to bring awareness, not just to public arts, but to the social justice issues that many of them are designed to portray. In Baltimore City, that is often issues of environmental justice, which can range from food security to housing equality, air pollution to clean water access.

“When we’re talking about issues of justice or equity, it needs to be a direct messaging because I think that there’s direct messaging when it comes to injustice,” says Shaw.

Through murals curated by community input, neighborhoods can decide what visuals residents view on a daily basis. Instead of blighted buildings or billboard advertisements, the community can see colorful paintings of representation and empowerment.

However, as powerful as murals can be when speaking to environmental justice issues, they can pose some environmental issues of their own.

“You’re painting with latex and aerosol, so there’s no clean way to make a mural. I don’t care what anyone says, there’s no paint that exists that’s good for the environment,” says Gaia.

The environmental impact of paint is one reason Blue Water Baltimore – the organization behind Baltimore’s pollution awareness storm drain murals – chose to pivot from paint to chalk. A combination of misplaced stencil kits, residents originally responsible for upkeep moving to different neighborhoods, and a temporary pause in renting stencil kits during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic led to degraded murals depositing paint chips in the storm drains they were intended to protect.

Now, Blue Water Baltimore encourages using more environmentally-friendly options, including chalk, to raise pollution awareness on city storm drains.

Even as they pose a risk to the environment, murals offer a way to appreciate it as well. Environmental murals – like Gaia’s at the Duncan Street Miracle Garden – provide communities visuals of nature in areas where manmade surfaces are the dominant landscape.

“When you have these murals up, it shows the wildlife, it shows the flora and the fauna that’s around them. Not only does it add a sense of tranquility and peace, but it gives you a vicarious connection to nature as well,” says James, which he believes is important for the residents, and especially the youth, of Baltimore City.

Whether it is for graffiti abatement or community pride, environmental justice awareness or a vicarious nature experience, environmental murals are prevalent throughout Baltimore City. A popular Instagram account run by Maria Wolfe, Baltimurals , has over one thousand posts showcasing murals, mostly in Baltimore, and many with environmental imagery.

The future of Baltimore murals seems strong, but according to both Gaia and James, that is dependent on new and varied funding streams. Gaia suggests real estate developers end their reliance on community grants for murals that beautify their investments.

“The funding is very limited and we have a very few organizations controlling the entire pot,” says James. “But if there was a broader program, or more revenue streams that were dedicated to public art, and murals specifically, I think we can see exponential growth.”

More funding would provide more opportunities for muralists and for the murals that bring so much to their home communities.

Kim Wiggins is optimistic.

“I think the future of murals is strong,” says Wiggins, “There’s lots of artists that are doing work. There’s lots of walls. Murals aren’t going anywhere and they’re definitely on the rise.”

The Paradox of Francis Scott Key

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 22:54:04 GMT

The Paradox of Francis Scott Key

Environmental justice is not only about incinerators and power plants next to communities of color – though it is definitely that. It is also about looking at the history of our land, and the characters who owned it, used it, and ruled over others. We often look at them as benevolent, but the more we unpack the history around them, the more we can see that their actions and statements did real harm to the Black community, free and enslaved.

One of the best examples of such a complicated figure is Francis Scott Key. His influence remains in Baltimore, and his song continues to lead the nation’s patriotic activities. But who was he, really?

The paradox of Francis Scott Key: Was he for or against freeing enslaved Black citizens?

The View from Here

Thu, 15 Dec 2022 18:22:39 GMT

The View From Here

By Rona Kobell

EJJI is fortunate to have two offices – one in West Baltimore, where our fiscal sponsor resides and has offered us space; and one at the Middle Branch Marina in Cherry Hill, where we will be putting a trailer on a deck to be close to the water. When we are not working from home, we’re at the marina.

There’s really not a space, yet, for us to work inside, and it’s frequently windy. There’s no restroom, no coffee, no food at all. And yet, there is no place we’d rather be. We’ve come to know the community who live aboard their boats year-round, and we love watching the fish, birds, and seasons change there. But mostly, we love the view, because it tells Baltimore’s story better than we can – and we’re professional storytellers!

From the marina, visitors can see Baltimore’s past, present and future. From our pier, to the left is Baltimore as it may have looked in the 1950s, with military-style housing, smokestacks pulsing dirty air upward, and trains running through a flat landscape. Straight ahead is downtown as we know it, a shining city on a slight hill. Look to the right and there is the promise of new developments at the area formerly known as Port Covington. Further is the Hanover Street Bridge, glamorous, more like the bridges of Washington, D.C., or Paris than like one of ours.

So, when Joel McCord of WYPR came out to interview us, of course I suggested we meet at the marina. No place can talk about what we are trying to do regarding environmental justice better than this spot, where people have suffered and new development has the potential to learn from injustices. That includes providing green space, access to water, and affordable housing to keep original residents in their neighborhoods.

Cherry Hill began as a segregated neighborhood, deliberately cut off from the rest of the city by highways, and housed Black veterans returning from World War II. An ACLU report called it “one of the most striking examples of deliberate residential racial segregation in any city.”

Our marina offers the view of a different future. We can’t think of a better place to act on the promise of EJJI. We’ll have many stories to tell from there.

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Reel Rewards Returns for 2026 Season with New Bounty Tiers

Reel Rewards Returns for 2026 Season with New Bounty Tiers

The Right to Breathe: Baltimore's Battle for Environmental Justice

The Right to Breathe: Baltimore's Battle for Environmental Justice

Works Cited

The Microplastics Around and In Us

“People misunderstand how many microplastics are actually around us. You just don’t think about it. I try to use as little plastic as possible—that’s almost impossible. They’re everywhere.” — Nylah McClain

Latinx Baltimore Boat Tour

Latinx Baltimore Boat Tour

Reel Rewards: Empowering Communities to Restore Middle Branch Harbor

Reel Rewards: Empowering Communities to Restore Middle Branch Harbor

The Challenge: Invasive Species Threatening Chesapeake Bay

A Solution: Community-Based Conservation

Program Impact: Success in Numbers

Community Engagement: A Path Forward

Looking Ahead: The Future of Reel Rewards

Reel Rewards Special Event – A Day of Environmental Engagement in South Baltimore

Reel Rewards Special Event – A Day of Environmental Engagement in South Baltimore

Baltimore’s Air Quality Exposure

Baltimore’s Air Quality Exposure

Baltimore Angler Stories: Danaz Williams

Baltimore Angler Stories

Celebrating Community and Sustainability: An Inspiring Interview with Danaz Williams

EJJI Board Member Participates in Harbor Splash

EJJI Board Member Participates in Harbor Splash

Urban Farm Profile: The 6th Branch

Urban Farm Profile: The 6th Branch

Reel Rewards Program to Launch in Baltimore, MD: Incentivizing Sustainable Fishing

Reel Rewards Program to Launch in Baltimore, MD: Incentivizing Sustainable Fishing

Farewell from EJJI Co-Founder Rona Kobell

Farewell from EJJI Co-Founder Rona Kobell

Managing the Potomac: Featuring the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia

Managing the Potomac: Featuring the Patawomeck Tribe of Virginia

Eroding History Goes to Orono

Eroding History Goes to Orono

What Stopped the Bleeding of the Highway Wound?

What Stopped the Bleeding of the Highway Wound?

﻿ New environmental laws were only part of the story for Baltimore’s road to nowhere

Jessica's Journey: Navigating Environmental Justice from Houston to the Knauss Fellowship

Jessica's Journey: Navigating Environmental Justice from Houston to the Knauss Fellowship

Northern Virginia Data Centers Endanger Climate, Communities, and Conservation

Northern Virginia Data Centers Endanger Climate, Communities, and Conservation

See Eroding History in Baltimore: New Opportunities

See Eroding History in Baltimore: Four New Opportunities

Losing History Just as We Find it: Lessons Around Harriet Tubman

Losing History Just as We Find it: Lessons Around Harriet Tubman

From Brooklyn's Waterways to Chesapeake Bay: A Journey of Environmental Justice

From Brooklyn's Waterways to Chesapeake Bay: A Journey of Environmental Justice

Many Historical Markers in Maryland Miss the Mark

Many Historical Markers in Maryland Miss the Mark

Guest Commentary: Eric Schott of IMET

Guest Commentary: Eric Schott of IMET on the Healthy Harbor Initiative

Eroding History to Air on Maryland Public Television

EJJI Invitational Golf Tournament 2023: A Hole-in-One for Environmental Justice

EJJI Invitational Golf Tournament 2023: A Hole-in-One for Environmental Justice

Urban Farm Profile: Rock Rose Food Justice Project

Urban Farm Profile: Rock Rose Food Justice Project

Invasive Species 101: What are they and how do we manage them??

Invasive Species 101: What are they and how do we manage them??

EJJI Environmental Science Program Manager Named Knauss Marine Policy Fellow

EJJI Environmental Science Program Manager Named Knauss Marine Policy Fellow

Baltimore’s Air Quality Makes Breathing Difficult, but not for Everyone

Baltimore’s Air Quality Makes Breathing Difficult, but not for Everyone

Fred Tutman Fellow: 'Zombies' on the Bay

Fred Tutman Fellow: 'Zombies' on the Bay

Fred Tutman Fellow: Breathing Lessons

Fred Tutman Fellow: Breathing Lessons

New Documentary, Hiding in the Walls, Tackles the History and Stigma of Lead Poisoning

New Documentary, Hiding in the Walls , Tackles the History and Stigma of Lead Poisoning

EJJI Celebrates Latino Conservation Week at Middle Branch Park

EJJI Celebrates Latino Conservation Week at Middle Branch Park ﻿

Gas Compressor Expansion Threatens Health of Petersburg Residents

Video: Gas Compressor Expansion Threatens Health of Petersburg Residents

Satellites and Samples: Citizen Science Fine Tunes Satellite Algorithms

Satellites and Samples: Citizen Science Fine Tunes Satellite Algorithms

Eroding History is Streaming for a Limited Time

Eroding History is Streaming for a Limited Time

EJJI, ToolBank, Install Floating Wetlands Project at Middle Branch Marina

EJJI, ToolBank, Install Floating Wetlands Project at Middle Branch Marina

New environmental laws were only part of the story for Baltimore’s road to nowhere

EJJI Celebrates Latino Conservation Week at Middle Branch Park

GameChangers: Donzell Brown Jr. and Rona Kobell

UMBC Students Present EJJI-Inspired GIS Research

Airborne Toxic Metal Inhalation Higher in Communities of Color

EJJI and UMBC Collaborate on the Sounds of Environmental Injustice