Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance October meeting
2025-10-20 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Second Reformed Church, 436 Union, Hackensack, 436 Union Street, Hackensack, NJ, 07601, United States
Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance logo
Join us for the next meeting of the Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance. HEJA is a resident-led group working to address environmental issues in Hackensack, such as flooding, and make Hackensack greener, cleaner and healthier for everyone. Everyone is welcome to join.
You can join in person at Second Reformed Church or online through a zoom link provided after you RSVP.
If you are joining in person, please bring a non-perishable food item for the church’s social services program.
Agenda:

Welcome and introductions
Tactical Team update
Pathways to the River project – introduction and discussion
Green infrastructure plan update
Planning for Tree and Environmental Fair, Spring, 2026
Call for HEJA co-chairs

Questions? Please reach out to the co-chairs at Contactheja@gmail.com

Pathways to the River Community Meeting
2025-10-29 18:00 - 20:00 | NJ
Learn more and share your ideas about how to create paths that encourage more people in Hackensack to walk, bike or otherwise travel to the Hackensack River. Also share your ideas about how to enhance the experience of people when they are at the river.
The session will be led by the New York – New Jersey Trail Conference, one of the leading organizations in building trails around the area. It is produced by the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation and the Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance.
Note: Only the October session is at the Johnson Public Library. The November session will be in a location in Hackensack to be determined.
There will be Spanish translation at this event.

New Jersey Creative Communities Conference: The Art of Community Well-Being
2025-11-06 08:45 - 17:00 | Hudson County Community College Culinary Conference Center, 161 Newkirk Street, Jersey City, NJ, 07306, United States
A gathering of leaders, doers, thinkers, and artists throughout New Jersey. Together, we will explore innovative ways to make places better for everyone through art and creative placemaking. You can make connections; get inspired for new and better projects; meet prospective partners, and more.
The conference will explore four themes:

Art and Community Health – How art and artful environments benefit mental and physical health and well-being.
Community Economic Development – How arts and placemaking boost local economies, create jobs and support cultural entrepreneurship.
Empowering and Supporting Public and Social Practice Artists – Training and supporting artists and emerging artists wanting to help communities.
Inclusive and Accessible Communities – How the arts can help make places more welcoming and comfortable for everyone.

Learn more and register at https://www.nnjcf.org/njcc25/

Pathways to the River Community Meeting
2025-11-22 10:30 - 12:30 | NJ
Learn more and share your ideas about how to create paths that encourage more people in Hackensack to walk, bike or otherwise travel to the Hackensack River. Also share your ideas about how to enhance the experience of people when they are at the river.
The session will be led by the New York – New Jersey Trail Conference, one of the leading organizations in building trails around the area. It is produced by the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation and the Hackensack Environmental Justice Alliance.
Note: The November session will be in a location in Hackensack to be determined.
There will be Spanish translation at this event.

Hackensack River Nation Council
2026-01-14 15:00 - 16:30 | Farliegh Dickinson University – Dickinson Hall, 140 University Plaza Drive, Hackensack, NJ, 07601, United States
If you want to help protect the Hackensack River watershed or connect more people to the river, please join the Hackensack River Nation Council and join us for our next meeting. Hackensack River Nation (HRN) is a cross-sector alliance of public agencies, nonprofit organizations, environmental groups, schools, businesses and others engaged in the watershed in Bergen and Hudson counties. (The watershed covers the eastern half of both counties. See if your community is in the watershed.) The meetings are highly interactive; we welcome your questions, insights and ideas.
Beginning with this meeting, Hackensack River Nation offers peer coaching at Council meetings. The peer coaching will enhance your ability to address challenging issues as your pursue your environmental goals.
Agenda:

Welcome and introductions
Update and discussion: HRN Summit 2026
Discussion: Collaborating with Veolia and Mondelez
Project update: Pathways to the River (Hackensack)
Peer coaching

Questions? Please contact Leo Vazquez at leo@nnjcf.org

Illumination 250 Community Info Gathering Session
2026-03-11 18:00 - 19:30 | Bergen Makerspace, 284 Hackensack Avenue, Hackensack, 07601, United States
RSVP Here!

Hackensack River Nation Summit 2026
2026-04-28 08:30 - 15:30 | Farleigh Dickinson University -Metro Campus -Student Union Building, 1000 River Road, Teaneck, NJ, 07666, United States
Hackensack River Nation Summit
Join us for a day dedicated to the heart of our community and its natural environment. The Hackensack River Nation Summit, held by the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, brings together leaders and local voices to protect our cherished ecosystems and promote community health.
Engage with passionate individuals, learn from expert-led workshops, and collaborate on sustainable initiatives. Together, we can nurture a future where our families and rivers thrive. Your presence makes a difference. Be part of the conversation; be part of the solution.

Community Conversation - North Jersey National Heritage Area
2026-06-03 18:15 - 19:45 | South Orange Performing Arts Center, 1 Sopac Way, South Orange, NJ, 07079, United States
Join a community conversation on the proposed North Jersey National Heritage Area.
Share what matters most to you about our local rivers, neighborhoods, and cultural landmarks.
Learn about an initiative that has the potential to:

Highlight our region’s heritage and distinct contributions to the American story.
Bring thousands of dollars in grants and support jobs throughout our community.
Protect and support our natural, cultural and historic resources.
Support local businesses, nonprofit organizations, artists and more.

Share your thoughts on what makes your community special, and how we can share that knowledge.
Learn how you and your community can benefit from the North Jersey National Heritage Area project at https://www.nnjcf.org/njnha/

Shaping Places through Public Art
2026-09-30 14:00 - 15:00 | online
Places are literally what you make of them. And one of the most important tools for making places is public art (of all forms – murals, statues, performances, gardens, etc.)
Northern New Jersey Community Foundation Executive Director Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP, will offer tips and advice about how to strategically engage public art to shape how people think and feel about a place, and influence what they do in the place.
Leo is a longtime leader in the creative placemaking field whose recently wrote about public art and place for the book Place and Placemaking. His chapter, which is available free online, is “Placemaking: A Work of Fiction Striving to Become a True Story.”
This is a pay what you wish event, with a recommended donation of $20 and minimum donation of $5. All proceeds will be used to support NNJCF programming that involves public art and placemaking.
About the Speaker: Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP is a national award-winning urban planner who specializes in community economic development, creative placemaking and leadership development. He has written and taught extensively on leveraging the power of art to address critical issues facing communities.
