As we spring into the Springtime season there are a lot of events and activities where you can get engaged in the parks and waters of the Anacostia Watershed, and decision-making about these civic resources! APACC would like to say Happy Women’s History Month, and a big thank you to all of the diverse women and particularly the unsung heroes organizing and working to make the Anacostia Watershed and the communities within it better for everyone!!!!
Read MoreAt a time when stress is high for everyone, the pressures on people living in disfavored communities during this pandemic are even higher. And while parks provide a safe place to get out of the house, see friends and stay active (with masks and distance), park agencies and nonprofits that run park programs have all scaled back this year in light of COVID-19.
But the pandemic hasn’t stopped Brenda Richardson, Akiima Price, Karol Gilmore and Rosetta Greer from finding a new way to use the parks to support people during this crisis. Recognizing the need to unlock more of the healing and uplifting power of nature-based experiences for people experiencing trauma, Brenda’s Chozen Consulting launched “Women Like Us” this past fall. Women Like Us was an 8-week initiative to provide a sacred place for women from disfavored communities who are seeking to improve their mental health through nature-based trauma informed care programming.
Read MoreAPACC member Ward 8 Woods was featured in an article in the Washington Post (here) on December 5, 2020. We have included the first couple of paragraphs and a link to the original content.
Read MoreHere on the Anacostia Park and Community Collaborative (APACC) website, I write a monthly blog post about goings-on along the Anacostia River as part of my role as Ambassador to the Urban Waters Federal Partnership. Sometimes people ask me what being an “Ambassador” means, and what the Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWP) is or does, so today I will spend my post helping to answer that question.
Read MoreOn September 22, a group of community leaders joined the National Park Service and several park programming providers at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, each six feet apart and wearing a mask, to brainstorm future activities in Anacostia Park.
Read MoreOn Thursday, September 24, at 6:00pm, you are invited to join Episode 3 of APACC’s Urban Nature Healing Fall 2020 Webinar Series, featuring APACC member Brenda Richardson: Best Practices in Engaging Vulnerable Communities in Nature. Register for the virtual event here.
Read MoreThe Anacostia Coordinating Council, founding member of APACC, is leading outreach efforts to inform people about COVID-19, provide tests and help keep the community safe. They are also spreading information about the 2020 Census in an effort to increase our communities’ response rate, which will help the District unlock funding and other resources in the future.
Read MoreWard 8 Woods is taking a survey about how people in Ward 8 use woods and trails. Tell them what you think. There are more than 500 acres of forested parkland in Ward 8, but most of it is difficult to access, and only two established trails cross it. Ward 8 Woods wants to change that. They aim to create an expanded network of natural-surface paths in the woods of Ward 8. Tell Ward 8 Woods how you use the woods and trails and what you want to see there by completing this survey. It should take 5 minutes or less.
Read MorePlease join the Anacostia Park and Community Collaborative for an upcoming nature programming webinar series with partners that include: Conservation Fund, Clean Water, Chozen Consulting, LLC and Akiima Price Consulting.
Read MorePhilip Pannell, Executive Director of the Anacostia Coordinating Council and a founding member of the Anacostia Park and Community Collaborative, is the "The Old Man of Anacostia." He has launched a new column, and his first article, "Solving the Code of Silence" is available now via East of the River online. Philip will be contributing on a monthly basis, tackling issues concerning Ward 8.
Read MoreA short summary of updates and news from the APACC network.
Read MoreIf you have been to one of the parks along the Anacostia River or walked along the Anacostia River Trail lately, you wouldn’t be surprised to hear that one recent study found that park use has nearly doubled in the District of Columbia during the pandemic. The power of natural spaces to boost our mental health is more apparent and crucial than ever, and park managers are balancing enthusiasm about visitors with concerns about safe recreation and social distancing.
Read MoreMuch of the work that the Collaborative has accomplished over the past years has been due to the support of the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network's Capacity Building Initiative. Administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, this three-year comprehensive program provided support to APACC and other watershed organizations throughout the region through grants, one-on-one training, networking, and tailored technical assistance to increase operational effectiveness. In our third year of this program, the Collaborative has accomplished a lot!
Read MoreAPACC is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with it’s internal relief fund. Three projects were recently approved for emergency support as our networks mobilize to share information, trace contacts, build internal capacity to work from home, support residents, engage our community and restore the river during this crisis.
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