The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) announces a partnership with the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies (ISS) at Montclair State University on a project to enhance the natural environment in the City of Hackensack. Five students, who are participating in the PSEG ISS’s transdisciplinary Green Team program, are developing a green infrastructure plan for Hackensack.
This summer, the team’s work involves several tasks. Their work includes preparing educational materials about green infrastructure and environmental justice. Furthermore, they are designing and organizing a community meeting for the green infrastructure plan. They also analyze how proposed strategies in the plan can help reduce flooding.
PSEG ISS Green Team
These five students, who are participating on the NNJCF’s Green Team, attend a range of colleges on the east coast, as well as pursue diverse degrees:
- Breeze Smith. Senior at Claflin University. Major in Studio Art and a minor in Political Science.
- Andrea Morris. Junior at Howard University. Major in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
- Sara Salloum. Junior at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). Major in Computer Science.
- Jasmin Marquez. Senior at Montclair State University. Major in Sustainability Science.
- Olivia Delgado. Senior at Barnard College. Major in Architecture with a concentration in Urban Studies.
Leonardo Vazquez, Executive Director of the NNJCF, led the Green Team on a tour of Hackensack’s neighborhoods. The team saw areas in the city, where flooding has occurred. Furthermore, the tour provided them with a better understanding of the city that will aid them in developing the green infrastructure plan. They also visited the Community Rain Garden installed on June 1 by over 50 volunteers of all ages at Hackensack High School.
Leonardo Vazquez led the Green Team on a tour of the Community Rain Garden in Hackensack.
The 2024 Green Team’s work builds upon a 2022 Montclair State University’s PSEG ISS Green Team’s investigation. The 2022 team researched and also identified strategies to reduce flooding in towns along the Hackensack River corridor. In addition, they analyzed rain patterns affecting the area, conducted research and created materials on rain barrels and rain gardens, and designed a model rain garden.
Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice
This Montclair State University’s PSEG ISS Green Team’s work comprises part of the NNJCF’s Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice project. This project seeks to reduce flooding and improve environmental conditions for residents in central Hackensack, as well as other parts of the city affected by flooding.
The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation undertakes the Green Infrastructure for Environmental Justice project in partnership with Greater Bergen Community Action. The NNJCF works with the City of Hackensack and Hackensack Public Schools, as well as other community-based organizations in Hackensack. Furthermore, the project is supported by several donors. These donors include The Funders Network, AARP, Valley Bank Foundation, and M&T Bank Foundation. In addition, PSEG Foundation, The Rotary Club of Hackensack, TD Charitable Foundation, and other donors support the project.
For further information, contact Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP, Executive Director of the NNJCF, at leo@nnjcf.org or call 201-568-5608 extension 2.
