The WRWC was featured in EcoRI News last month!
Manton Heights, a housing development serving low-income families from Olneyville and Manton, is the latest site for environmental justice projects focused on empowering the community and teaching them about their local environment. As EcoRI News states, “All of the residents in these environmentally impaired watershed neighborhoods live on the front lines of climate impacts, such as more frequent flooding and excessive heat. Their climate vulnerability is compounded by a disproportionate exposure to toxins, such as lead, pollution, and the dirty legacy of the city’s industrial past.”
Thanks to collaboration among the WRWC, 15 Minute Field Trips, and Providence Housing Authority (PHA), a new project has been underway to empower and engage the Manton Heights community through installations of “mini-forests” along the Greenway and near their homes. The placement for these “mini-forest” plantings was chosen for its proximity and accessibility to Manton Heights. The three organizations, along with community members gathered to help, added native species of trees, shrubs, and flowers to the property. These new plants not only restore the natural landscape, but will also aid in cooling down the neighborhood in the summer and reducing noise pollution from nearby Route 6 traffic.
You can read the full story here.