Who We Are

An environmental program sparking economic development and thriving neighborhoods for all.

Who We Are

The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC) sparks economic development through our work restoring the Woonasquatucket River and communities around it, and by enhancing, extending and bringing people to the Woonasquatucket River Greenway.

The WRWC is a successful model of community revitalization that helps people discover this local American Heritage River and its natural resources, channeling life and economic development into neighborhoods.

Today, we can see results, but there’s so much more to do. Your support will help ensure that the Woonasquatucket continues to be a source of fun, healthy communities, relaxation, opportunity and vibrant places for all.

Mission Statement

The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council creates positive environmental, social and economic change by revitalizing the Woonasquatucket River, its Greenway and its communities.

Story Map Tour of the Watershed

Join us on a virtual tour of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed. Using ARC GIS’ Story Maps, we highlight some of WRWC’s major accomplishments and projects, as well as what’s to come next. Click on the map to start the tour.

We can never be complacent about defending safe places to enjoy nature.
To find peace. And to breathe.

Since the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council’s very start, we have built the Woonasquatucket Greenway in collaboration with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) residents within our Woonasquatucket communities who want what everyone has the fundamental right to: safe green spaces for their children, safe transportation routes, fresh air, and clean water. Decades into our work, we continue to improve our corner of the smallest state. We can never be complacent about defending safe places to enjoy nature. To find peace. And to breathe.

We support the fundamental right to protest and the exercise of free speech. We prioritize BIPOC voices and experiences. As a largely white-led organization, we know that it is our work to dismantle racism in order to achieve justice for all communities. We reaffirm our commitment to becoming an equitable organization, standing strong for racial justice and acting to insure robust BIPOC representation in our leadership and staff. We must continue to listen, learn, and act. We know we have a lot of work to do.

We are grateful to the emerging BIPOC community leaders who lead our “New Voices at the Water Table” project for sharing their experiences and commitment to transformative environmental change in Providence and beyond. We continue to educate our youth on ways to advocate for environmental justice, and learn from them ways we can grow and change to become more open, accepting, and inclusive in our work. We believe that our nation is at a turning point, led by this next generation that understands that we all need to breathe freely.

Since its very start, the United States has been and is still plagued by systemic racism. This is powerfully clear now as we say the name of George Floyd, a Black man who died under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer in May. We say the name of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman shot in her sleep by Louisville Police officers in March. And we say the name of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man killed running for his life by hateful fellow citizens in February. We say their names now, understanding that their deaths are but three instances among countless others that stain our national fabric with the brutal, systematic devaluation of life. All of us at the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council recognize the injustices that impact communities of color.

We are committed to be at the table to end racial injustices and disparities. We will continue to listen, collaborate, and share our strength to achieve equity. We respond by saying over and over that Black Lives Matter. Always!