PA CleanWays of Allegheny County Takes Leadership Role in MERGE
PA
CleanWays of Allegheny County is a partner in the Urban Ecology Collaborative,
an emerging multi-city collaborative among non-profits, universities,
community groups, and government agencies in Boston, New York, New Haven,
Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Pittsburgh. The groups are committed
to exchanging information and helping each other create a better future
for our cities and the environment.
The UEC recently
conducted a body of research known as MERGE - Methods
to Engage Residents and Grassroots in the Environment.
MERGE, PA CleanWays of Allegheny County, and the Nine Mile Run Watershed
Association led the research here in Pittsburgh. The aim of the research
was to: 1) uncover the major concerns of residents in underserved communities,
and 2) link those concerns with environmental efforts. Street surveys
were administered to residents in the Perry Hilltop and Wilkinsburg
where the top concerns included job opportunities, safety, and cleanliness
of streets and sidewalks. That information was used as a springboard
for discussion at the MERGE forum held in September of this year. Over
fifty community, government, and non-profit organization representatives
attended to participate in three rounds of tabletop discussion that
addressed:
- Motivation and
involvement
- Linking greening
efforts to community issues
- Getting more
people involved in greening efforts
The forum also included
a keynote address by Charles Jordan, Chairman of the Conservation Fund.
Mr. Jordan is known as one of the nation's leading voices on the need
to broaden the conservation movement to include all Americans, especially
people of color.
Complete results
of the surveys and forum are available to anyone interested in learning
more by contacting the Allegheny Chapter
office.
