We Are Water

In South Jersey, multiple partners across Camden County are focused on varied outcomes of a single collaborative project—a watershed improvement initiative aiming to make the long-polluted Cooper River and surrounding waterways one of the cleanest urban watersheds in the country. How can such an initiative fail to attract an array of cooperators? In the wake of recent severe flooding episodes, wastewater infrastructure surfaced front and center, with stormwater management also catching a lot of municipal attention. These necessarily include toxic sediment remediation, and habitat improvement goes alongside that, for both aquatic and terrestrial species, which of course includes even the urban human seeking to live in healthy spaces with respite from daily concerns through outdoor recreation and restoration. Dan Baugh, president of the Upstream Alliance, shared his excitement at seeing a bald eagle diving for fish in a river too polluted to swim in when he was a kid. Raingardens, bioswales and artificial wetlands are the least expensive part of the whole engineering effort, incorporating solutions from nature’s other-than-human engineers.

Don Guillermo

Right here on Wyoming’s west edge, some of my favorite waterworks are brewed into a variety of beers at the B Corp (Be Kind) known as Melvin’s Brewing and Tap Room. This is a homegrown business found at the confluence of three rivers, and bringing good things together just seems to be in its DNA. It always has community at its heart, and over the years, that sense of family has expanded across collaborations and continents. Causes range from pediatric cancer and the Trevor Project to the sanctity of water itself—as expressed in a partnership with Water for People. From trainings that supported Maureen, the proudly unlikely water well mechanic in Malawi, to incentives that helped Don Guillermo build a dignified bathroom in Bolivia, Water for People is committed to collective transformation and environmental stewardship in under-resourced communities around the globe.

When deciding on logistics to give my new story collection a positive launch in the world, the Melvin Mothership's literal riverine confluence at Palisades Reservoir appealed in so many ways. The small town of Alpine was my first landing spot when I moved to Wyoming decades ago, and it boasts the coolest branch library—which has offered to host the book launch. Branch librarian Joanne will get a sneak preview and bring her questions to the event, opening the way for audience curiosities. We’ll share fun door prizes for those who come to the festivities—and gifted from Melvin’s, just along the shoreline a piece, tokens for a free beer at the After-Party!

If you’re anywhere in the vicinity (Wydahoans), please SAVE THE DATE:  Friday night September 18, starting at 6 in the library, then moving to the outdoor patio at Melvin’s for fresh, fun food and hoppy brews. Likelihood of music is also high 😉. Let the good times FLOW.