Exploring the Power of Partnerships: Theatre, Justice and the Environment

Dear Friends,

At the Anacostia Watershed Society, collaboration is more than a value—it’s a cornerstone of our mission. Whether through community-based groups, government agencies, or global initiatives, our partnerships are key to the work we do across the watershed and the region.

Art Meets Environmental Justice

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a reading of Precarious, a play by D.C.-based Mosaic Theater that explores climate anxiety and its emotional toll. As someone not typically drawn to theater, I was surprised by how deeply the story resonated. Art, in its unique way, uncovers parts of ourselves and our world that often go unnoticed in daily life.
That connection led to something even more powerful.

A Panel on Water, Justice, and Community

Mosaic Theater later invited me to organize and moderate a panel following a performance of cullud wattah—a gripping play about a family navigating the Flint water crisis and the complex issues surrounding it, including health, religion, addiction, and systemic injustice.
I reached out to my AWS network and brought together three incredible panelists:

• Jamoni Overby
• Dennis Chestnut
• Noelle Gonzalez-Jackson

Together, we attended the play and, afterward, shared an enriching dialogue with the audience on environmental justice in our own backyard—drawing important parallels between Flint and communities along the Anacostia River.

Redefining Field Work

At AWS, field work often brings to mind vernal pool monitoring, school boat tours, or community cleanups. But this panel was also field work—just in a different form. It was a public, creative collaboration between the arts and environmental advocacy, shining a light on justice and sparking important conversations.

Looking Ahead

These kinds of partnerships challenge us to think bigger. They remind us that our mission isn’t limited to science or policy—it’s also about storytelling, community, and connection. We’re excited to keep exploring new ways to bring people together for the health of the Anacostia and beyond.