Esperanza’s Housing and Economic Development division, visited the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge near the Philadelphia airport for a full day of educational and fun activities focused on environmental and wildlife conservation.
These residents are members of the Environmental Steering Committee, and the visit to the wildlife refuge was their annual field trip.
The Environmental Steering Committee (ESC) is a group of residents from Hunting Park, including representatives from other local organizations like As I Plant This Seed, Hunting Park Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and more. Committee members meet regularly to discuss environmental needs and challenges in the neighborhood, as well as help develop solutions to address these issues. For example, ESC members help to shape community outreach efforts to support tree planting and tree maintenance, as well as community gardens. Many of them have direct conversations regularly with other residents about tree canopy and green spaces and participate in seasonal tree plantings with Esperanza and other partners. Members of the group also learn about and share programs and resources, including about tree planting, available to them and Hunting Park.
The purpose of this trip was to celebrate the commitment and dedication of the ESC to environmental justice efforts in the neighborhood. On the day of the trip, ESC members and Esperanza staff traveled by bus to the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge. Once there, they attended a resource fair at the wildlife refuge’s education hub and then took a tour of the refuge. After that they participated in archery, hiked some trails and observed the wildlife with binoculars. They ended the day with a tour of the welcome center and participated in some up-and-close animal encounters. Reflecting on the day, Mike Wilcox said “It was my first time visiting the center. The Heinz Refuge center has some amazing views of the Philadelphia skyline. The center offers an amazing outdoor getaway to nature without traveling far.” Another attendee and ESC member, Karriem Sweets, shared, “It was my first time going to [the wildlife refuge and I feel like I learned a lot, like about how much we negatively impact wildlife by dumping in the rivers and how we as community leaders can help correct those issues.”
There are a number of programs led by the City and other groups that relate to environmental justice and climate issues. However, not all these programs or services do a good job connecting with people, especially Black and brown communities. The ESC is a platform to ensure that environmental justice programs and initiatives honor the agency and lived experiences of residents from lower-income and divested neighborhoods.
Residents have pride in where they live, they love their neighborhood, and the ESC is a manifestation of that desire to make things better.
The group will meet again in October to share updates about some new greening initiatives that are coming, including Esperanza’s fall tree planting, and see how they build upon the new knowledge and renewed energy from the trip to the wildlife refuge.
Dominic Moret is the community engagement associate from Esperanza who works with the ESC.
