Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice
During this century, more frequent and stronger storms caused extensive flooding in certain parts of Hackensack. Climate change is making the communities in the city more vulnerable to even more flood damage. Flooding is not just an economic problem in Hackensack. The waters flood the streets, carrying pollution that damages the nearby Hackensack River and the surrounding environment.
A new program – Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice and Flood Mitigation – will help reduce future flooding in Hackensack, improve conditions in areas of the city facing the worst environmental problems, beautify neighborhoods, and enhance the natural environment. This is also helping support other efforts by the City of Hackensack to manage stormwater.
Green infrastructure, a set of strategies, often using plants and trees helps manage stormwater runoff. Environmental justice works to ensure no community is unfairly burdened with environmental problems, that every community has fair access to environmental benefits (such as open space), and everyone has a fair opportunity to influence how governments address environmental issues.
To achieve the program’s goals, the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation and its partners undertook the following:
*Created the Environmental Justice Alliance, an independent, community-led group of residents and organizational leaders working to address environmental issues in Hackensack’s Overburdened Communities. (These areas have a greater concentrations of low- and moderate-income residents, people of color, and residents who do not speak English, as their primary language.)
*Produced a public art project – Barrels O’ Art – to raise awareness about environmental issues and show how green infrastructure adds beauty to the landscape. In fall 2023, 11 professionally painted rain barrels were displayed in Carver Park, which is in a neighborhood that has experienced much flooding in the 21st century. We plan to produce even more environmental art to raise awareness and inspire more public support and community action.
*Donated 21 rain barrels – including the 11 painted rain barrels in Barrels O’ Art – to Hackensack residents to encourage DIY approaches to green infrastructure.
To continue achieving the program’s goals, we are:
*Producing with the Environmental Justice Alliance, a green infrastructure plan to guide future green infrastructure investments in Hackensack.
*Installing a demonstration community rain garden at Hackensack High School. The high school is in the center of the city and the heart of the Hackensack community.
Program Partners
Several Hackensack-based organizations are working together to support the Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice program:
*Greater Bergen Community Action
Program partners provide in-kind support, such as staff time, meeting space, or other forms of support to the Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice program. Partners get seats on the program’s Steering Committee, which directs the program’s work. If you would like your organization to be a partner, please contact Leonardo Vazquez at leo@nnjcf.org
Program Supporters
The Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice program is made possible through the generosity of several supporters. These supporters provided grants or in-kind support to the project:
*The Funders Network
*M&T Bank
*Valley Bank Foundation
*Hackensack Rotary Club
*AARP Foundation
*Sanzari Family Foundation
*PSE&G Foundation
*Rinconcito Musical
*Second Reformed Church
*Johnson Public Library
Program Team
The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation leads the initiative in partnership with the City of Hackensack and several city-based organizations.
*Leonardo Vazquez, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, Program Director (Contact: leo@nnjcf.org)
*Danielle De Laurentis, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, Program Associate and leader of creative placemaking and public art initiatives (Contact: danielle@nnjcf.org)
*Cynthia Arone, Greater Bergen Community Action, Program Coordinator
*Monica Chavarria-Malin, Lead Community Advisor
*Rev. Carolyn Davis, Lead Community Advisor
*Ted Malin, Lead Community Advisor
Projects
Projects produced by the Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice program help focus attention on flooding and environmental issues and influence public agencies and organizations seeking to do more to help make Hackensack greener and cleaner.
Green Infrastructure Plan
The EJA will prepare a green infrastructure plan, with recommendations for green infrastructure strategies in Hackensack. The plan will recommend locations for strategies, such as rain gardens, water harvesting (rain barrels), bioswales and concentrations of tree plantings. Land use policies will also be recommended to manage stormwater.
The EJA has been working with the Rutgers University Water Resources Program and a team from the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies on the Green Infrastructure Plan.
See a report that analyzes how much stormwater runoff Hackensack gets, and general strategies to reduce flooding.
See ideas for proposed strategies for reducing flooding in Hackensack and examples of possible locations for green infrastructure.
Learn more about different green infrastructure strategies.
See an example of a green infrastructure plan.
To learn more about this project, please contact Leonardo Vazquez by email at leo@nnjcf.org or phone: 201-568-5608, x2
Demonstration Community Rain Garden
A rain garden is a great green infrastructure strategy. This special garden is dug into the earth and often features native plants. It absorbs more stormwater than a lawn (and a lot more than concrete), while also making an area more beautiful and supportive of birds, butterflies and other pollinators.
Through a partnership with Hackensack Public Schools, a community rain garden will be installed at Hackensack High School in June 2024. The rain garden will be on the First Street side of the high school. This rain garden is designed to inspire the creation of other rain gardens around the city.
To learn more about this project, please contact Leonardo Vazquez by email at leo@nnjcf.org or phone: 201-568-5608, x2
Learn more about the Hackensack Community Rain Garden and how you can get involved with it.
Pathways to the River
Pathways to the River will encourage more Hackensack residents to spend time at and enjoy the Hackensack River. This project is designed to particularly help low and moderate-income residents of Hackensack, who have limited options to enjoy open space and fresh air in the city.
Because of the history of pollution in the river and real estate development patterns, too many Hackensack residents feel disconnected from the Hackensack River. As a result, most of the river walkways, which seem hidden behind big developments, are underused.
People tend to protect and support what they feel connected to. So the Pathways to the River project will also help generate public support for protecting the environment in and around the river.
Foundation staff will work with Hackensack residents and other stakeholders to create a plan for a set of trails in Hackensack that will help lead residents to the Hackensack River. The trails would include ideas for murals, statues, green art (such as decorative planters), signs and other ways to guide people going to the river.
The project will begin in Spring 2025.
Questions? Please contact Leo Vazquez, Executive Director, Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, at leo@nnjcf.org
Webinars, Workshops and Other Educational Events
The Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice offers opportunities to learn more about environmental issues facing Hackensack and how residents and organizational leaders can help address them. Past and upcoming programs include:
Boost the Block Goes Green June 2024. Learn more or register
*Hackensack Community Rain Garden Information and Design Session April 2024. Learn more or register
*Environmental Art Brainstorming. In person idea sharing, in partnership with Hackensack Art Club. April 2024. Learn more or register
*The No-Mow Front Lawn: How to Replace Your Lawn with Native Plants. April 2024. Learn more or register
*Art Class and Community Conversation/ Clase de Arte y Conversación Comunitaría. In person workshop. March 2024. Learn more or register
*How Hackensack is Working to Reduce Flooding and Combined Sewer Overflow. A webinar held in October 2023. Learn more
To learn more about this project, please contact Leonardo Vazquez by email at Leo@nnjcf.org or phone: 201-568-5608, x2
Past Projects
Barrels O’ Art
Barrels O’Art was an exhibit of 11 painted rain barrels displayed in October 2023 in Carver Park in Hackensack. It was designed to raise awareness about green infrastructure and environmental justice, and encourage more Hackensack residents to use rain barrels on their properties.
The barrels featured themes recommended by Hackensack residents. The themes included: animals, fantasy, architecture, cultural diversity, environmental protection, education, sports/athletics and the City of Hackensack in the future. Artists in North Jersey, who were chosen through a juried process, painted the barrels.
All of the barrels were donated to Hackensack residents and organizations through a random drawing. An additional 10 ten unpainted barrels were also donated.
The rain barrels were featured in several local news stories, including a story by News 4 New York about stormwater management in Hackensack.
To learn more about this project, please contact the project director, Danielle De Laurentis by email or phone: 201-568-5608, x1
Get Involved
Environmental Justice Alliance
The Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance (EJA) brings together Hackensack residents and representatives of Hackensack-based organizations to address environmental issues and problems affecting overburdened communities in the city. Overburdened communities are areas with high concentrations of residents, who are low- or moderate-income, people of color, or who speak English as a second language.
EJA members will produce the green infrastructure plan and help create the community rain garden. Members will also select a green infrastructure or environmental justice project to fund in 2025.
The EJA is an independent organization. Everyone is welcome to join. There is no cost to be involved. Get involved with the Hackensack EJA. Just want to stay updated? Join the EJA’s public Facebook Group.
The EJA meets monthly.
To learn more about this project, please contact Leonardo Vazquez by email leo@nnjcf.org or phone: 201-568-5608, x2
Events
The Environmental Justice Alliance offers a variety of classes, workshops, webinars and community events. To learn more about them, go to the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s events page.
Past and upcoming programs include:
Boost the Block Goes Green June 2024. Learn more or register
*Hackensack Community Rain Garden Information and Design Session April 2024. Learn more or register
*Environmental Art Brainstorming. In person idea sharing, in partnership with Hackensack Art Club. April 2024. Learn more or register
*The No-Mow Front Lawn: How to Replace Your Lawn with Native Plants. April 2024. Learn more or register
*Art Class and Community Conversation/ Clase de Arte y Conversación Comunitaría. In person workshop. March 2024. Learn more or register
*How Hackensack is Working to Reduce Flooding and Combined Sewer Overflow. A webinar held in October 2023. Learn more
To learn more about this project, please contact Leonardo Vazquez by email at leo@nnjcf.org or phone: 201-568-5608, x2
Support
The Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice program is made possible through the generous support of many donors. The more support we get, the more we can do to benefit Hackensack’s communities and enhance our natural environment. Please make a tax-deductible donation today. At least 95% of all the money you donate through this link will be used to support the Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice program.
Contact
If you have any questions about the Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice initiative or the Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance, please contact the initiative director, Leo Vazquez at leo@nnjcf.org or 201-568-5608, x2
If you have questions about the Barrels O’ Art project, please contact its project director, Danielle De Laurentis, at danielle@nnjcf.org or 201-568-5608, x1
