Drew Gardens

Located in the heart of the Bronx (the West Farms area), Drew Gardens is an excellent example of natural urban landscapes that provide various services for the environment and people. In my opinion, Drew Gardens is like a miniature biosphere reserve on the banks of the Bronx River, which contributes to wildlife conservation, local economy, environmental education, recreation, and hosts community events. The garden is supported by the Phipps Community Development Corporation (Phipps CDC), which builds affordable housing in the Bronx and Manhattan, and then serves communities around these houses in different ways. Today I was given a tour of the Drew Gardens by Jennifer Plewka who manages environmental and nutrition education programs in Phipps CDC, and coordinates activities in Drew Gardens.

The garden has three zones, all of which are maintained by volunteers, gardeners, and youth from education programs:

• Urban forest, an area with local species of trees and bushes (see photo above). Trees retain stormwater runoff, and provide habitat for local and migrating animals, including birds and butterflies.
• Community garden, which includes 50 raised beds with vegetables grown by people who were born in several countries (such as US, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Mexico and Korea) and speak different languages.
• Open-space area, which includes a lawn, ornamental plants, and a performance stage above the river for visitors and community events.

This unique combination of different natural areas, I think, is very educational because it shows relationship between and importance of different types of land use. Urban forest teaches to appreciate wild nature and demonstrates its ecosystem services (although some urban youth have negative feelings towards a forested area when they come to this garden for the first time). Community garden sends some of its produce to local farmers market, thus contributing to local economy and better nutrition. And public area invites people to meet each other and observe the nature. It is a huge advantage that this garden is on the banks of the Bronx River because it links this green area with other communities down- and upstream, and provides opportunity for learning about aquatic ecology, and about the city water drainage system. In the opinion of environmental educators in the Bronx, if people in cities learn to care about nature, they will care about it when they go elsewhere.

Hunts Point Neighborhood

Several organizations with environmental education programs – including Sustainable South Bronx, A.C.T.I.O.N. at the Point CDC, and Rocking the Boat, and the Bronx River Alliance – work with people in the Hunts Point (Bronx Community District 2). This is a neighborhood the South Bronx where the Bronx River flows into the East River with 47,000 residents (75% of Hispanic origin, and 37% are not proficient in English).

Environmental justice movement in Hunts Point reminds that this neighborhood has several undesirable sites, including the water treatment plant, prison, and the largest in the world food distribution center, and very few green areas. Surrounded by two rivers, until recently this neighborhood did not have waterfront access for local people. Two beautiful public parks (Barretto Park and Hunts Point Park) were just opened, but majority of residents still cannot find green areas within 10-15 minutes walk from their house.

I just thought how different environmental stewardship or civic ecology programs can be in remote rural areas where there are few people vs. Hunts Point where open space areas should be created first. In fact, some education programs in Hunts Point focus primarily on environmental policy topics (letter writing, public hearings, community presentations, etc.) to enable youth to be advocates of their environment, and to create green areas.

Concrete Plant Park

Educators from YMPJ and BxRA suggested me to visit the Concrete Plant Park a while ago. I finally found time between educator interviews to come to this park, and it was beyond my imagination, although it was still under construction and was scheduled to open in fall 2008. The former Edgewater Concrete Plant on the Bronx River was closed in 1987, but its remnants, now mixed with recently planted trees, have been left intact to provide a historical background for a new park, which gives a futuristic feel. Some local people told me that although these remnants seem fascinating for new visitors, they remind residents about the industrial past of this area, and struggles that local communities and organizations went through trying to transform the abandoned site into a safe waterfront park, which will be part of the Bronx River Greenway.

“Through public rallies, community visioning meetings, and local clean ups, many groups have invested enormous community spirit and determination to transform this neglected industrial site along the riverbank into a viable park,” says the website of the Bronx River Alliance. So, communities participated in shaping the design of this park, and it is interesting whether in the future local people will have opportunities to care about it and maybe do further transformation in this area as needed. In the environmental policy literature there is a notion of “working forest” – a forest that provides ecosystem services and also contributes to local economy by sustainable harvesting of wood and other forest products. I wonder whether we can talk about “working urban forests/parks,” which would provide opportunities for local people not only to be passive observers of urban nature, but also to actively engage in the management of urban natural landscapes.

Urban Biosphere Network

At the time when over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, environmental conservation in cities becomes a priority. Yesterday I learned about UNESCO’s opinion that until recently conservation of natural resources was focused mostly on undeveloped areas, and often ignored metropolitan sites. For example, the World Network of Biosphere Reserves protects biodiversity and ecosystems in places that were not significantly altered by human activities, but there are no similar international agreements about urban areas, which also provide significant ecosystem services.

This week I had an opportunity to learn more about current UNESCO efforts related to the urban environment after my advisor, Dr. Marianne Krasny, connected me with Christine Aflsen, Senior Programme Specialist for Sciences in the UNESCO Office in New York. Located in NYC, this office initiated and coordinates the Urban Biosphere Network, which works closely with the Stockholm Resilience Centre, and brings together researchers, policy makers, and citizens from about 10 cities worldwide, including New York Metropolitan Region, Cape Town Region, Bangalore, New Orleans, and Helsinki.

Christine mentioned that biodiversity in cities can actually be higher than in surrounding landscapes, and ecosystem services can be very valuable for nature and local economy. Now UNESCO NYC office and other cities in the Urban Biosphere Network develop maps of ecosystem services in urban areas, which is one of the main steps to understand the role of natural resources in resilience and sustainability of the urban environment.

These UNESCO’s ideas about the urban environment reinforced my experiences in the Bronx. Here environmental issues were neglected during a long time, and only now an increasing number of organizations and local initiative groups are caring about urban nature. To be honest, before this summer I was quite skeptical about the importance of ecosystem services in cities. In my opinion, nature in cities was important mostly because of psychological, recreational, educational, and other human-related impacts. After talking with conservation teams in the Bronx, communication with scientists who studied the urban environment, and participation in some restoration activities with the Bronx River Alliance my opinion has changed. Now I do believe that urban forests and other open spaces in cities contribute to storm water retention, soil and riverbank stabilization, clean the air, and provide habitats for local and migrating animals.

Trees in Shoelace Park

The Bronx River Alliance with the Mosholu Preservation Corporation just hired two mentors who would supervise 10 teens during the Summer Youth Employment Program. High schools students will be weeding, maintaining urban forests, planting, and protecting riverbanks from erosion in Shoelace Park and Fort Knox. Today BxRA conservation crew members, youth mentors, and I went to see plots where this program will take place beginning this week.

When we came to Shoelace Park near 219th street, we noticed that something very sad happened with trees, which BxRA planted near the Bronx River a few days ago. All twenty or thirty young trees and shrubs on this plot were pulled out by somebody, and some of them were found dead near the edge of the water. Donovan Goulbourne, a Conservation Crew Member on the photo above, shows one of the vandalized trees. I don’t know the cause of vandalism; maybe it is the absence of the fence around plots with new trees to protect plants from people who do not appreciate them. We also know that local adult residents or their children were not involved in this particular tree planting event, so maybe some of them did not develop a sense of ownership of these trees, not sure. The Summer Youth Employment Program, however, gives a hope that some young people will become more connected to this public land, and will become more responsible citizens protecting their environment in the future.

Upper River Run

My research schedule is becoming tight, but I allowed myself to participate in the Upper River Run – a half-day canoe trip with the Bronx River Alliance Recreation Program. Canoe trips are one of the main and very popular outreach activities of BxRA. Today about 20-25 people, mostly residents of the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens, but some also from New Jersey, started canoeing in Shoelace Park near 219th St. in the North Bronx, and slowly continued south through the Bronx River Forest, New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo to the Bronx River Park.

Michael Hunter, Recreation Program Coordinator, and Andrew Mittiga, Recreation Assistant, talked before and during the trip about the history of the Bronx River, current environmental issues, and how BxRA serves the River and the Bronx. During the trip we have seen different kinds of fish, a turtle, a few cormorants, and two egrets. Then somebody told me that at least a few people who in the past participated in canoe trips later became interested in different issues about the River, and became volunteers in different BxRA’s programs.

Bronx River Education blog

I just found a blog about education on the Bronx River (www.bronxrivereducation.edublogs.org). Damian Griffin, Education Director in BxRA, created this blog to share education ideas, resources, and other thoughts about environmental education. One of Damian’s messages, which refers to Freirian education philosophy, and which I found very meaningful, suggested that it is important for educators to live in and be part of a community that they serve.

Bronx River Festival

The Bronx River Festival is organized by the Bronx River Alliance, and takes place in different locations every year. Today it was in the Bronx River Park, a beautiful and popular green refuge south of the Bronx Zoo that is frequently enjoyed by local residents. A special guest of the performance was Sonia Manzano, known to most children as Maria from the Sesame Street TV show (see the first photo, note waterfalls in the background, and the Golden Ball – a symbol of the Bronx River).

I helped a little bit with registration of people for free canoe rides, which BxRA organized today for free. I registered about 60 people, and asked most of them whether this was the first time they canoe. To my surprise, for all of them except for two people it was the first time in their life that they canoed.

BxRA organizes all kinds of activities where anyone can participate or volunteer: from canoeing to science learning, from restoration of riverbanks to development of curriculum materials, from tree planting to organizing environmental festivals. I wonder how many people, including youth, participate in more than one type of BxRA activities, and whether participation in various activities has stronger impact on their attachment to the River or other environmental education outcomes.

Tree planting on the riverbank, the North Bronx

Today young Bronx residents again were helping the BxRA Conservation Crew to restore the Bronx River floodplain in the North Bronx near 227th street. This time participants were very young – 6-10 years old kids from the Rainbow Rhymes Learning Center, located nearby, and also several after school mentors who were about 20-years old. For all 25 kids it was the first tree planting in their life. Their mentors helped them to decide where trees will be planted and kids also did much of the job. It was the first time that RRLC program collaborated with BxRA. This after school program is located within a few blocks from this place, so similar environmental activities are more meaningful for participants because this is their community. I sent several good photographs from this event to Marcia, the director of RRLC, hoping that this program will continue collaboration with BxRA on environmental projects in the future.

Desfile del Pescado

Today the A.C.T.I.O.N. at the Point organized an annual Fish Parade in the South Bronx. Youth from this education program and Adam Liebowitz, Program Director, orchestrated this event. Diverse participants came from local communities – anyone from old Latino gentlemen on hippie-style bikes to mothers with small children in strollers. Many participants were dressed in various costumes, pretending to be fish or jelly-fish, giant King Neptune, or other river or marine creatures.

The parade began at the Hunts Point Riverside Park on the Bronx River, and continued to the Barretto Point Park. Both parks were opened recently after tremendous efforts of community leaders, and now they frequently house multiple community events and provide open space for local people to relax, play, or learn about nature.

Streets were closed as the parade processed through the neighborhood. It was interesting to see the reaction of many people who came out from their houses to watch the parade. I briefly talked with a few of them, and found that they were not aware that now there are new parks just a few blocks from where they live. I think the event captured their attention, and I hope one day they will go and discover new parks with their children.

In the Barretto Point Park, before the entertainment program, different environmental organizations presented their work through information booths. Several organizations I already knew, and the new organization from me this time was Sustainable South Bronx. Marta Rodriguez, SSBx’s community outreach associate, introduced me into organization’s programs. I will probably post here what I learned from Marta later. And for now – some information about SSBx from the web:

Sustainable South Bronx (“SSBx”) works to promote environmental justice through innovative, economically sustainable projects informed by community needs. Founded in 2001 by life-long resident Majora Carter, we also address land use, energy, transportation, water, and waste policy to advance the environmental and economic rebirth of the South Bronx. We work to inspire solutions in other areas facing the same challenges as the South Bronx in other cities around the world. One of our core projects is the South Bronx Greenway, helping local government agencies coordinate design, financing, and construction efforts toward the completion of the Greenway’s first phase. We have also dedicated resources to re-stocking and maintaining the urban forest of Hunts Point, creating a safe and attractive streetscape that encourages walking and bicycling for healthy living.

Restoration projects

Ecological restoration and management is one of the main programs in the Bronx River Alliance that does outstanding projects to protect and conserve terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Today I had a great opportunity to work with some members of the Bronx River Conservation Crew – Valerie Francis, Penny Mata, and Mildred Torres – near the Burke Bridge, in a park north from the NYC Botanical Garden.

This restoration project was particularly interesting because it involved about 30 youth from high schools – most of them came from different communities in the Bronx and some Westchester county. We had to pull out weeds and then plant trees and bushes near the Bronx River Parkway, and on the riverbank. For young participants it was a one-time event, and relatively far from communities where they live. This was also a requirement of their international exchange program (they were selected from hundreds of applicants to go to a European trip this summer).

Similar restoration activities are not used to be considered within the education framework, although, I am sure, they have a lot of potential to connect youth with local ecosystems, communities (maybe develop a sense of place attachment and social capital), and give a chance to learn from each other and from adults. I would like to see similar activities where youth participate on more regular basis and with more participation in decision-making.

Student Symposium & Bronx River Assembly

On June 5th, the Bronx River Alliance with partner organizations conducted the Student Symposium & Bronx River Assembly. The first part of this event offered young people in the Bronx to present their Bronx River projects, and the second allowed "to celebrate all good things happening in the watershed." This event took place in a new Hunt’s Point Riverside Park. The amazing, stunning beauty of this public park is another story. The park was opened recently after tremendous efforts of different environmental organizations and as a result of leadership of local residents on a previously abandoned end of a road, now serving as a place for recreation, waterfront access, community meetings, and various environmental and outdoor activities.

During this event, which included performances, boat rides, and information booths presenting different organizations, I met with some environmental education organizations, which were new for me. Most educational programs were presented by young participants themselves. The first was A.C.T.I.O.N. at The Point. Several young people who work under supervision of Adam Liebowitz, A.C.T.I.O.N. leader, told about their impressive work, a lot of which involved civic participation in decision-making regarding the environment. I should definitely come to this organization and learn more. Here is some text from a brochure that Adam gave me:

Activists Coming to Inform Our Neighborhood is a teen community leadership programs of THE POINT CDC. The program engages young people who work to identify social and environmental justice issues facing the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx with the goal of creating and implementing ongoing youth-led solutions. Working together with community members and fellow community organization, A.C.T.I.O.N. serves as a community link for the re-envisioning of Hunts Point. We implement grassroots techniques in community planning and policy, and disseminate such information to the community. A.C.T.I.O.N. serves as role models for positive change for the current generation in Hunts Point.

Then I talked with young participants from Rocking the Boat. One of them, Marcus Caceres, prepared extraordinary posters about monitoring of water quality in the Bronx River done by the Rocking the Boat team. This organization also organizes outdoor experiences, such as boating on the Bronx River, and participates in ecological restoration of the Bronx River. Later this evening I took a boat ride with Rocking the Boat. To my greatest surprise, all boats that were of real professional quality were made by teens!

Youth Ministries of Peace and Justice

Today I had an incredible opportunity to visit and learn about Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice – a nonprofit organization famous for its outstanding service for communities in the Bronx, empowering youth through education programs, and bringing hope of building thriving, stronger, and healthier communities near the Bronx River.

Alexie Torres-Fleming is a founder and executive director of YMPJ. She was born and grew up in the South Bronx. She has strong leadership, charisma, and love for this community where she opened YMPJ in mid 90th, and now this organization inspires many young people to take more active position in community issues.

I visited YMPJ when Gretchen Ferenz (Urban Environment program leader in CCE-NYC) organized a course on Sustainability in Historic Preservation, and one of classes of this course took place in YMPJ. Alexie told a meaningful story about how she grew up in this neighborhood and about different struggles that this community went through, and about impressive programs, including environmental education program, which this organization offer to youth.

One of interesting environmental stories was about the 1.2-long Sheridan Expressway going through this neighborhood. The problem is that this expressway cuts Bronx’s residents from the Bronx River and urban forests along the river, and possibly is one of the main causes of one of the highest rates of asthma. YMPJ initiated public debates about decommission of this expressway, and conducts restoration and education projects on the River.

Today YMPJ (Alexie Torres and Stephen Oliveira) also organized a short trip on the Bronx River. It was the first canoe trip in my life. I can tell now that the Bronx River is a real treasure! We have seen swans, herons, and other wildlife – and this is in the larges American city. What I learned about YMPJ and the Bronx River exceeded all my expectations.

This is the description of YMPJ from the web:

Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice (“YMPJ”) works to develop young people for lives dedicated to the promotion of peace and justice. Through our work with youth, we collaboratively strive for the redevelopment of the South Bronx, molding young leaders who will create change for years to come. Our Community Wellness program helps young people understand the importance of physical activity and a healthy diet in the promotion of life-long health. The program also offers a venue for developing better and more equitable access to healthy foods and adequate recreational spaces in the South Bronx. We also work closely with the Bronx River Alliance on the development and activation of Concrete Plant Park, a destination along the Bronx River Greenway.

Built environment in the Bronx

I really enjoy living in the South Bronx this summer. Besides doing my research and volunteering from time to time in the Bronx River Alliance events, I like meeting with interesting people, learning about their culture and language, and just being in this multicultural environment. But there are some things that bother me.

In the past I used to live in big cities in Russia, and also in small villages in Siberia. All those settlements had a lot of green space and natural landscapes penetrating into their heart. Urban environment in many neighborhoods in the Bronx, however, looks very different. Although some of the largest urban parks in NYC are in the Bronx, people in many communities experience every day only asphalt and concrete on the streets. The photo above illustrates a typical view in the Bronx. You can walk 20 minutes from this place and will not see any parks, community gardens, or even playgrounds. What do you feel when you look at this photograph? It reminds me of Richard Louv’s (2006) “Last Child in the Woods” book where he talks about nature deficit disorder. I want to remind you about some of his ideas:

“Reducing that deficit – healing the broken bond between our young and nature – is in our self-interest, not only because aesthetics or justice demands it, but also because our mental, physical, and spiritual health depends upon it.” (Louv 2006, p.3)

“No child can truly know or value the outdoors if the natural world remains under glass, seen only through lenses, screens, or computer monitors.” (Louv 2006, p. 193)

Many people admire the efforts and dedication of several organizations in the Bronx that try to reconnect people with nature through environmental education and outdoor experience, reclaim waterfronts, rebuild parks, and restore urban forests and other ecosystems for the benefit of every Bronx resident.

Urban forestry and respiratory health symposium

Today the Urban Environment program at Cornell Cooperative Extension-NYC (Gretchen Ferenz, Urban Environment Program Leader) and the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University (Dr. Tom Whitlow) organized the Urban Forestry and Respiratory Health scientific symposium. Researchers, policy-makers, and educators from Cornell and various other organizations discussed the relationship between urban greening and human wellbeing. Among other people, I met with Charles Lord, executive director of the Urban Ecology Institute in Boston. Last year I met with an employee of this Institute at the North American Association for Environmental Education, and she told me about urban greening programs that this Institute conducts in low-income communities in Boston, and that these environmental projects wanted to achieve not only environmental outcomes, but also social outcomes. And today I had a chance to learn more about it. Charlie told that the Institute is interested in promoting social capital in those communities through urban forestry, support of community gardens, and similar projects. Again, it comes as a surprise for me that social capital is becoming a focus of not only many environmental education research articles, but also in focus of environmental outreach programs. I would like to find how social capital is related with community-based environmental management. Another interesting fact was that recently this Institute collaborated on some projects with Bronx River Alliance, through which both organizations shared their experiences of working with communities on environmental issues.

Un barrio donde se habla español

Me alegro de que haya tomado un curso de español el semestre pasado porque aquí la mayoría de la gente habla este idioma, sobre todo en el Sur del Bronx. Esta lengua me ayuda a comunicar con los que hablan español y mejorar las relaciones con los que viven o trabajan en este barrio.

Creo que es importante que las organizaciones ambientales ayuden a la gente o expresen sus ideas a las comunidades usando el este idioma. Por ejemplo, muchos empleados en el Bronx River Alliance hablan español y desarrollaron materiales educativos en esta lengua. Por ejemplo, en la imagen arriba hay los anuncios de acontecimientos que la Alianza organiza en el verano (por supuesto, la versión inglesa está disponible también):

Convención y simposio de estudiantes en el Bronx River (Jueves, 5 de junio) Únase a nosotros a aprender acerca de lo que esta pasando a lo largo del Bronx River y hable con los estudiantes locales acerca de cómo ellos están involucrados.

De la frontera hasta la desembocadura (Sábado, 7 de junio) Conoce el Bronx River de Norte a Sur viajando en canoa

Festival del Bronx River (Sábado, 21 de junio) Como parte de la semana del Bronx, venga y disfrute de un hermoso día con maquillaje artístico infantil, entretenimiento en vivo, comida y viajes en canoas en River Park.

Arte en los parques (Jueves 10, 17 y 24 de julio en River Park) Jueves 31 de julio en Hunts Points Reverside park. Diversión y actividades para todos lo niños.

Social capital and place attachment

Before doing interviews with environmental educators, I am reading additional literature and modify theoretical part of my original research proposal. We found that most definitions of environmental education list the following desired learning outcomes: 1) environmental knowledge and skills, and 2) certain attitudes and values. Then we reviewed various articles that addressed different educational approaches in environmental education, such as learning through action, social learning, and exposure to nature. It came to a big surprise that in many of these articles researchers mention social capital and place attachment as important outcomes of environmental education, although these outcomes are never mentioned in definitions of environmental education.

First encounter with the Bronx River Alliance

My first contact with the Bronx River Alliance was last summer 2007 when I did a short research project on networking among environmental educators in NYC. Jill Weiss, the president of EEAC (Environmental Education Advisory Council of New York City) invited me to attend the presentation of the new book that she wrote together with Anne-Marie Runfola, now the Deputy Director of Bronx River Alliance. “Bronx River Classroom: The Inside Track for Educators” is a great resource book for environmental educators who want to connect youth with ecosystems along the river through investigations and action projects. The book if full of meaningful stories and activity sheets, which are designed to help youth to develop curiosity and knowledge, and to acquire a sense of responsibility and ownership of natural resources in their neighborhood.

The presentation itself took place in famous Drew Gardens (see photo above). This is an iconic place in the Bronx that demonstrates what dramatic positive change is possible in urban ecosystem thanks to the active involvement of local residents in conservation. This 2-acre site in West Farms located on a riverbank just south from Bronx Zoo used to be a dumping site for a very long time. About ten years ago local activists transformed it into a thriving garden with some plots to grow vegetables and flowers, space for community events with a performance stage right on the river, and a small urban forest with native species of trees. Not only is this a living classroom for kids from the adjacent public school, but also one of strongest magnets for community life in the West Farms neighborhood. Another day when I visited this garden I saw a heron resting near the river, and educators from the school said that kids saw turtles and even beaver. I can’t believe that all this is in the heart of the Bronx.

The model of environmental education

The overall idea of this research is to develop a model for non-formal urban environmental education programs. In this research, the final goal of environmental education in these settings will be development of environmental stewardship in youth. What is environmental stewardship? This is one of research questions in this project. I will need to find out what practitioners (e.g., educators in schools and community-based organizations) think about it, and then how this idea is reflected in characteristics of environmental education programs and desired learning outcomes.

We believe that communities can successfully manage their natural resources because no one else knows local environment so intimately and care about their “home” with such passion and excellence as local people. For now, we will define environmental stewardship as a sense of responsibility for local environment, and voluntary and proactive participation of local residents in community-based environmental restoration and conservation initiatives. We need to describe environmental stewardship and maybe find its successful examples because environmental stewardship informs desired learning outcomes and characteristics of environmental education.

For this summer the task will be to describe environmental education programs along the Bronx River, including desired learning outcomes that are necessary to promote environmental stewardship in communities, and what educational methods are used to achieve these learning outcomes. Next year we will test the relationship of these educational approaches and learning outcomes, which will help to construct a model of environmental education that nurtures environmental stewardship.

Macroinvertebrates inventory in the Bronx River

The Bronx River is full of different natural wonders, especially for urban audience who has limited access to natural areas, and it can serve as a living laboratory. Although I am skeptical about environmental education that relies solely on learning about ecology, it’s hard to imagine that people could develop appreciation of nature without learning of “what's out there.” This time I observed a very meaningful learning event about macroinvertebrates organized on the Bronx River near the Bronx Zoo by Damian Griffin, Bronx River Alliance's Education Director. Damian and a few interns from Green Apple Corps took samples of water and sediments from the River, and together with several groups of middle- and high-school students from several schools discovered small animals in this muddy catch. Using magnifying glasses, guide books, and petry dishes to identify these animals on the riverbank took attention of most students. I do not know how successful can be similar one-time learning events for development of environmental stewardship in young people, but it's a great first step, and this educational approach might be more successful than passive looking at animals in a zoo. Moreover, today many of these youth participated in an inquiry activity probably for the first time outside of school classrooms. Youth listened to Damian with great interest when he connected biology with the history of this habitat (e.g., how the River has been used to power sawmills in the past), and when he talk about the River as a refuge for wildlife, and its role for local communities.

Today I realized that, comparing to other boroughs, the Bronx is really fortunate to have large parks, and also the Bronx River, which is the last freshwater river in NYC, and greenway around the River, which has dramatic potential for improvement. My impression, however, is that many residents are unaware of these open-space treasures, and can become more connected with green places. We only need to find ways to strengthen this connection. In urban areas people need nature and nature needs people as in no other place.

Car-free day at Crotona Park

“If kids only play and participate in sports activities in park – they take little of the park, do not understand what focus is put on city trees – breath, garbage… – will not take responsibility. They would not realize they are in the park, but just a basketball court. It is important to make these kids understand that they own this park, so they would not litter.” – says Chris Acosta, Urban Park Ranger at Parks & Recreation Department, who I met during the Car-Free Day at Crotona Park in the Bronx.

Today several organizations working on health and environment, including Bronx River Alliance (BxRA), organized information tables in Crotona Park to tell about their services. I am using this and other environmental events in the Bronx that are organized by or in collaboration with BxRA to get a deeper insight into environmental issues and environmental education in the Bronx. Contacts with people and understanding various educational opportunities available for residents will facilitate my research activities with BxRA and its collaborators.

I learned that Crotona Park has several sports facilities that attract people, but there are few opportunities to work with natural objects. I don’t know whether this is a problem of most parks in the Bronx. Probably, local residents would benefit if part of this park was assigned for community garden or other plots where people would more actively engage with nature - through community forestry projects, greenhouses, or other educational facilities or programs. Parks & Recreation, however, does organize “Junior Ranger Dap Camps” for youth in urban parks where they conduct teambuilding activities, Nature Days to explore botany, ecology, and entomology, Adventure Days that include fishing, canoeing, and orienteering, and Conservation Days to restore trails and participate in rehabilitation of wildlife habitats. I wonder which of these activities are more successful in building environmental stewardship in youth.

Among many interesting people, I met with Elaine Feliciano and Penny Matta who are part of restoration crew in BxRA. Later this summer I would like to take part in BxRA restoration activities to learn about the level of participation of youth / local community members in these activities because restoration can also be regarded as environmental education.

Bronx River Alliance

The overall task of this research is to build a general model of urban environmental education programs that develop stewardship in youth. The case study will be environmental education programs organized by or conducted in collaboration with the Bronx River Alliance (BxRA), a non-profit organization founded in 2001. It works with public and private partners “to protect, improve and restore the Bronx River corridor and greenway so that they can be healthy ecological, recreational, educational, and economic resources for communities through which the river flows” (www.bronxriver.org). Now its office is housed at the Bronx headquarters of the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation near Bronx Zoo. BxRA has five core program areas: Ecology Restoration and Management, Greenway, Education, Outreach, and Recreation. The map above shows the Bronx River watershed in the South Bronx, and some of spots where BxRA conducted restoration activities.

BxRA connects underserved, yet vibrant and culturally diverse communities with the Bronx River environmental corridor, and nurtures future environmental stewards who will care about their environment. BxRA is uniquely positioned to be part of this research because it engages the Bronx’s local residents, schools, and community groups in environmental activities, where they are often not passive recipients of imposed programs with pre-determined outcomes, but active agents of change. BxRA information brochures says that enhancing environmental stewardship is a priority for this organization: “We work with over 40 local schools, youth and community organizations to engage residents in the development of the Bronx River Greenway and in the river’s restoration. In doing so, we develop stewards who will protect the river and open spaces for the long term” (Bronx River Alliance brochure). BxRA is also participates in PlaNYC’s MillionTreesNYC initiative. The geographic focus of BxRA’s activities is the Bronx River greenway, which stretches through some of the most underserved Latino and African-American communities in the US in terms of public services and access to natural resources. These communities are characterized by immensely rich cultural and ethnic mosaics and local leadership, and have a strong potential to achieve more control over their environment and higher levels of environmental stewardship.

This is the description of BxRA from the web:

The Bronx River Alliance (“BxRA”) serves as a coordinated voice for the river and works in harmonious partnership to protect, improve and restore the Bronx River corridor and greenway so that they can be healthy ecological, recreational, educational and economic resources for the communities through which the river flows. We work closely with local and state agencies in the design and construction of the Bronx River Greenway and provide ecological restoration and management services in new and existing open spaces on and near the river. We also work to educate communities along the Bronx River about the local environment, in addition to providing a wide range of recreational opportunities in the open spaces on and near the river.

Community Forestry & Environmental Research Partnership

I am very honored to receive a pre-dissertation fellowship from the Community Forestry & Environmental Research Partnership (CFERP) program this year. During the last twelve years this program was bringing university students to communities to conduct participatory research projects focused on community forestry and related topics. It is a rare opportunity to join a lively community of CFERP fellows and scholars, and engage in rigorous discussion of community-based environmental projects.

I am also very privileged to work with my community partner – the Bronx River Alliance, an organization known for its excellence in restoring ecosystems along the Bronx River greenway, and connecting local residents with nature. The overall idea of this research will be to find how environmental education can promote environmental stewardship in the Bronx communities. During the next few weeks I will work with the BxRA and their partner organizations to revise the research proposal that I submitted to CFERP. Here is the first version of this proposal.

Finally, I am very grateful to work with my advisor, Dr. Marianne Krasny in DNR, Cornell University, and other research committee members who provide critical feedback for the proposal and lead me through this research project, and Gretchen Ferenz at Cornell Cooperative Extension who provides mentorship in NYC. And I am thrilled to work in the Bronx, my favorite neighborhood in the U.S. This blog will help me to reflect on different experiences in the Bronx, and to document some ideas that will not end up in the formal report of this research.