Just By Nature

04/23/2021

Hope everyone got out and enjoyed EARTH DAY today!

04/13/2021

Last chance to register for our next "Race in the Outdoors" dialogue hike series! Hike #1 on "Socialization and the Racialized Outdoors" is this Saturday at the Hazelwood Green, with hike 2 on May 1st and hike 3 on May 15th. Register here, spots are limited: https://www.justxnature.com/dialogue-hikes

04/07/2021

Our rivers may be beautiful but due to our stormwater issues we can't fully enjoy them the way we would like

Signs like this are a constant reminder that we need to invest in storm water management and green infrastructure.

If you are in support of using green infrastructure to manage our stormwater you can take action by reaching out to to join your local watershed. For those living outside the city, you can find your local watershed at https://www.awapa.org/watershedgroups

For more information on the city-wide green infrastructure plan for stormwater check out First Green Plan at https://www.pgh2o.com/your-water/stormwater

03/31/2021

Check out this Call to Action related to Air Pollution!

Register for this resident-led town hall that will be held virtual Tuesday, April 6, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm

Sign up today at https://bluelens.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcoceuuqj8vEtTi2oBiXrG_K5LuEMsKCPeP

03/29/2021

Environmental Justice policy in PA is changing and needs your input! Visit the PA DEP website to learn more about the existing policy and register for a public discussion session this Wednesday, March 31st from 6-8pm ET. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) defines EJ communities as "communities where 20 percent of residents live below the federal poverty line and/or 30 percent are non-white minorities." Register now: https://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/OfficeofEnvironmentalJustice/Pages/default.aspx

03/25/2021

We loved exploring the Hazelwood Greenway last month with The Hazelwood Initiative. We learned of the history of Black resident displacement on this land, and of the visions for training Hazelwood residents to help maintain this patch of forest in partnership with Landforce . Join the next hike this Saturday, March 27th, at 1pm -- co-hosted with Venture Outdoors . This hike will be a slower paced one with stops to admire the local ecology. Explorer Kit bags will be given to the children on the hike. Register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hike-the-hazelwood-greenway-tickets-140417774343

03/19/2021

Do you know about the Green New Deal?!
This article does a great job explaining what it is, so check it out https://www.investopedia.com/the-green-new-deal-explained-4588463

In the image below we simplified what it is and how you can support it. Why is that important?..Well simply put; If this deal is approved the plan is to bring U.S. greenhouse gas emissions down to net-zero and meet 100% of power demand in the country through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources by 2030.7 The Green New Deal also calls for the creation of millions of jobs to provide a job guarantee to all Americans, along with access to nature, clean air and water, healthy food, a sustainable environment, and community resiliency.

What can you do? Learn more about this plan and encourage your local representative to endorse it! You can also support frontline organization/coalitions in this effort like https://www.greennewdealnetwork.org/

There are many other plans out there including the Biden Climate Plan. But this plan has been popularly favored by environmental advocates across the nation.

Let us know your thought below

03/15/2021

Join us for 9-hours of facilitated and sustained dialogue about our individual racialized experiences in the outdoors with a consistent community of peers, while on 2-4 mile group hikes in various Pittsburgh regional parks.

This hike will center around the book Black Faces, White Spaces by Carolyn Finney. So grab yourself a copy and join us!

Register and learn more about this hike dialogue here: https://www.justxnature.com/dialogue-hikes See Less

9-hours of facilitated and sustained dialogue with a consistent community of peers, while on 2-4 mile group hikes in various regional parks. Pack a lunch! We ask that participants please plan to join us for all 4 hikes in a given program's series to help us build trust and community with each other.

03/11/2021

Meet Co-Owner of Just By Nature Kelly Henderson

Kelly Henderson is a sustainability professional, an outdoor educator, an award-winning advocate for systems change in K-12 education and a trained dialogue facilitator. She has driven institutional and systems change work around equity and inclusion in different sectors and holds a breadth of experience facilitating conversations across social identities, especially race and gender dialogues.

Kelly is a LEED Accredited Professional for Operations and Maintenance and has worked in the green building, and energy fields in various capacities, from scientific research to communications. She holds a BA from Colgate University, an MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and an MAT in Secondary Science Education from Chatham University. She is also an avid backpacker, mountaineer, and bicyclist.

Kelly's experience includes:
- Serving on multiple Diversity, Equity and Inclusion subcommittees, task forces, and coalitions at multiple higher education institutions.
- Organizing a new, regional, youth-led, intergenerational network and working group on “Social Justice and Sustainability.”
- Facilitied dialogue, presented, and participated in panels on subjects like: Leadership, Climate Change, Social Justice, Sustainability, Environmental & Social Impacts of Covid-19, School-Organization Partnerships for Community Transformation School-Organization Partnerships for Community Transformation, Problem Based Learning, and Meaningful Community Partnerships

Learn more about Kelly at https://www.justxnature.com/natisha-and-kelly

03/09/2021

Meet Co-Owner of Just by Nature NaTisha Washington

NaTisha Washington is an environmental advocate for under-resourced communities in Allegheny County. She’s a part of many environmental groups addressing community needs and has developed many projects to educate youth on a variety of green topics. As a member of the and Black Environmental Collective and casual member of Blackpacking, and Master Urban gardener she has had many conversations on topics related to the black outdoor experience for people in this county. Outside of her professional ventures, she is an avid gardener and hiker who enjoys doing nature photography, cooking with her garden’s produce, and designing open spaces. She hopes through her ventures that she can make a healthy and just environment for the communities that need it most.

Served on several panels, including the Institute for Sustainable Communities summit, the Pitt Community Engagement Center study series, and the Chatham Social Justice and Sustainability Series. Washington has also spoken and presented her work on community projects, youth environmental training, and local green history at a variety of academic institutions, conferences, and events.

Washington serves on multiple environmenal committees and boards for groups including:
- Pittsburgh Food Policy Council
- City of Pittsburgh Clean Commission
- Homewood Food Access Working Group
- Nine Mile Run and Negley Run Watershed Task Force

She's taught gardening and produce cooking classes to youth and community members, planned, financed (through grants), and facilitated collaborative green projects in the Homewood area of Pittsburgh.

We are happy to have such talent on our team. Meet our other co-owner in the next post.

Learn more about NaTisha at https://www.justxnature.com/natisha-and-kelly

03/08/2021

Just by Nature is run by Co-owners NaTisha Washington and Kelly Henderson. What started out as a collective consulting effort quickly became a partnership that is just the beginning of NaTisha & Kelly's work together. Prior to becoming an official LLC in February 2021, NaTisha and Kelly worked together to facilitate a book club series that focused on racial equity in the outdoors based on the book "Black Faces, White Spaces” by Carolyn Finney.

Soon after, they found that their common goal in making the environmental world (all parts of it) could be done together. So, they formed Just by Nature and are now solidifying themselves and their partners as environmental consultants focused on making all environmental practices and spaces more inclusive and equitable.

Learn more about our two founders and their work at https://www.justxnature.com/

Facilitation services can include but are not limited to board and staff retreats, as well as moderation toward relationship-building between multiple collaborating organizations. Education services include curriculum development as well as educator professional development.

03/06/2021

CALL TO ACTION! As covered by 90.5 WESA on March 2, 2021, the Port Authority of Allegheny County is holding public meetings to inform long-range planning around transit in our region. https://www.wesa.fm/post/don-t-ask-don-t-get-port-authority-plans-bright-future /0

Make sure you're involved by submitting an online input form or attending an upcoming "Talking Transit Tuesday" on March 9 and March 23. You can advocate for sidewalks, service increases (not cuts), routes to key services, safe and well-lit bus shelters, and electric vehicles to lower diesel emission exposure. https://nextransit.network/input

You can also complete Pittsburghers for Public Transit's Low-Income Fare Survey to help them advocate for greater fare equity and Covid-times emergency fare relief. https://www.pittsburghforpublictransit.org/but-we-still-need-transit-ppts-low-income-fare-survey/

According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2013 data, 11% of Black commuters and 7.7% of Latinx commuters use transit, compared to 3.1% of white people. Transit justice is racial justice is disability justice is age justice is food justice is climate justice. Well-designed transit can provide access to fresh food, employment, school, green spaces and more while poorly designed transit can increase health disparities and block access to essential resources.