Ecological Citizenship and Philly Watersheds

Big Question: Why is being an ecological citizen important in protecting the environment?

Time Commitment: 60 minutes

Personal Reflection:

Take about 5 minutes to reflect on what an ecosystem means to you. What ecosystems are you part of? What role do humans play in building, destroying, and participating in them? 

Why This Matters:

We are all part of countless ecosystems and it is our responsibility to maintain and protect them. Being an ecological citizen means understanding the way in which we are intrinsically tied to all other aspects of the environment including other humans, animals, plants, and built structures. Along with this, ecological citizenship involves being aware of the way social structures impact and shape ecosystems as they often establish destructive relationships. Understanding the way in which we function within these structures and what roles we play in building and destroying our own ecosystems is key to being an ecological citizen.

Diving In, Part 1: Defining ecological citizenship

The Ecological Citizen’s Project defines an ecological citizen as a citizen who,

“possesses a greater sense of ecological-consciousness, recognizing the ways we are inextricably connected to each other and the world around us… [A]n ecological citizen embraces the responsibilities of an active, expansive citizenship, one which includes changing private behaviors to promote the public good and engaging in collective action to push for responsible, systemic change...We live in a culture of atomization, with things presented and organized as separate from each other without wider context. Whether it is the food we eat or products we buy, how we study social problems and determine solutions, or how individual actions are connected to community outcomes, we are failing to see the forest for the trees. To address growing economic insecurity, environmental destruction, unhealthy communities and a weakening democracy, we must develop a movement of ecological citizens. We need to see the world ecologically, recognizing the interconnections between the problems we face and acting to address root causes collectively”.

Take 5-7 minutes to read this brief New York Times article by Andrew Revkin. Revkin, who is one of America’s most experienced environmental journalists and the founding director of the new Initiative on Communication and Sustainability at Columbia University's Earth Institute, briefly expands upon ecological citizenship. 

Aligning with the ecological citizenship definition above, Revkin outlines the importance of interconnectedness, reiterating the necessity of understanding our situated positions and responsibilities within our surrounding ecosystems. He describes ecological citizenship as a type of citizenship which is organized around relationships with one another and the earth. 

Keep in mind your response to the first reflection question about your role in the ecosystems of which you are a part. Revkin suggests that the new definition of citizenship is a reshaping of priorities and a “reformulation” of citizenship based on the changing conditions of the planet. Take a moment to reflect on how you can reshape (or have been reshaping) your priorities in response to the deteriorating conditions of the environment.

Reflection Question 1:

Are you taking an active role in transforming the environment and reducing your ecological footprint?

Maintaining a balanced ecosystem is a combination of both individual and collective actions. Revkin writes, 

“The full picture of life in an environment can be produced only through a study of the relationships that constitute each entity in its position and its function within the whole. This model is immediately applicable to citizenship, understood as the participatory, active and reactive, life of individuals in a community residing in a shared space, even as the borders of this space extend globally”.

Reflection Question 2:

Referring to the quote above, how do you understand ecological citizenship as a reflection of the inherent organization of ecosystems? How does this idea influence your sense of responsibility for transforming your own ecosystems?

Diving In, Part 2: Watershed health and ecological citizenship

Take a few minutes to read this Watershed 101 from the Center for Watershed Protection. For most regions, it's possible to identify your watershed by googling the name of your town and "watershed." To help us better comprehend watersheds, geographer Szűcs Róbert divided our planet’s watersheds into colorful catchment areas. Róbert's map of North America appears below, showing residents of North America how we are all part of major watersheds:

As our analysis focuses more locally, we see additional watersheds contributing to the larger systems. The large blue swath of the Mississippi River watershed above, for example, is actually fed by the Ohio River Watershed, the Missouri River Watershed, and hundreds of other tributaries and watersheds. For those located in the Philadelphia region, check out these watershed maps from the Philadelphia Water Department. Flowing into the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers are Wissahickon, Pennypack, Darby, and Cobbs Creeks, among others. Identify your location on the map to find out which watershed you live in.

Reflection Question 1:

We all live in a watershed, and watersheds connect all of us to one another and to the various ecosystems in which we exist. How does this understanding of interconnectedness influence your sense of responsibility to act as an ecological citizen and protect our shared waterways? 

Watch this brief video that defines environmental justice and begin thinking about how it connects to what you know about watersheds.

As the video outlines, BIPOC communities often face disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards through policies and practices embedded in ongoing structural racism, resulting in disproportionate BIPOC representation near sources of toxic waste such as sewage systems, power stations, roads, mines, landfills, and emitters of airborne particulate matter. As a result, BIPOC communities are frequently forced to suffer unsafe and unhealthy living conditions near these environmental hazards. Citizen organizers from these communities are fighting for better policies and protections, as embodied in the organizing undertaken in Detroit as part of Ray Norton's work with the Sunrise Movement. In the next section, we'll explore actions we can all take to support watershed health and take steps to remediate the negative health effects of environmental and structural racism in the Philadelphia region.

Reflection Question 2:

Combining the article and the video, how are watershed management and environmental justice related? How does this tie back to ecological citizenship and speak to the role you play in maintaining your own ecosystems?

Diving In, Part 3: Actions to improve watershed health in Philly

Now we’ll zoom in on Cobbs Creek, a tributary of Darby Creek and part of one of the major watersheds in Philly (refer to maps in part 2 and map below from Darby Creek Valley Association). The neighborhood of Cobbs Creek is the largest neighborhood in West Philadelphia, with about 15,000 residents, not including all residents located along Cobbs Creek as it travels through townships like Haverford, Ardmore, and Upper Darby. Cobbs Creek is loosely bounded by Market Street to the north, Baltimore Avenue to the south, 52nd Street to the east, and the border of Upper Darby along Cobbs Creek to the West.

The demographic makeup of the residents of Cobbs Creek neighborhood itself is predominantly Black and low-income, however there are major racial and socioeconomic differences along the Cobbs Creek watershed in different townships. View this map created by environmental studies students at Haverford College to explore the racial and socioeconomic differences in Cobbs Creek. 

The map shows that the Darby-Cobbs watershed connects communities that are predominantly White and have low poverty rates like Ardmore with predominantly Black communities with high poverty rates like Cobbs Creek/Angora. Poverty rates move from as low as 3% to above 30% across less than ten miles of watershed. This data is better understood in conjunction with our page on Philadelphia regional structural racism.

Reflection Question: 

Taken with the other content, what does this map suggest about the role privilege plays in taking action (or not taking action) to protect our watersheds? Along with this, where does responsibility for tackling environmental issues such as polluted waterways usually fall? Where should responsibility fall?

If you’re in Philly, here are some ways outlined by Haverford students to get involved and take action as an ecological citizen! No matter where you’re located, there are always opportunities to help build and maintain healthy ecosystems. We must understand how our situated realities within ecosystems render us responsible for one another and our ecological surroundings.

Page Completion - Outcomes

Now that you have completed this page and the readings, videos, and activities within it, you should have strengthened your understanding of: 

  • Your position and responsibility within various ecosystems 

  • The definition of ecological citizenship and how it relates taking action to improve ecosystems

  • The connection between environmental justice and ecological citizenship 

  • The role ecological citizenship plays in watershed management and other environmental actions

  • How privilege influences the particular way you intend to take action as an ecological citizen

Citation for this page: DuBois, C. (2021). Ecological Citizenship and Philly Watersheds In E. Hartman and S. Keene (Eds.). Interdependence: Global Solidarity and Local Actions. The Community-based Global Learning Collaborative. Retrieved from https://www.cbglcollab.org/ecological-citizenship-and-philly-watersheds

Citations

Baker, A. (2014). The Neighborhoods of Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Inquirer. https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/philadelphia-real-estate/One-take-on-Philadelphia-neighborhoods.html. 

Blackham, G. (2018, October 25). The importance of understanding your watershed. SOLitude Lake Management. https://www.solitudelakemanagement.com/blog/understanding-your-watershed/. 

Cobbs Creek watershed. Cobbs Creek Watershed. (2021). http://cobbswatershed.org/. 

Darby Creek Valley Association. (2015). Darby-Cobbs Watershed. Darby Creek Watershed. https://www.dcva.org/About-Us. 

Ecological citizens. Ecological Citizen's Project. (n.d.). http://ecologicalcitizens.org/ecological-citizens. 

GristTV. (2016). Environmental justice, explained. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dREtXUij6_c. 

Philadelphia Water Department. (2019). Philadelphia Watersheds. Philadelphia Water Department Plan Review. https://www.pwdplanreview.org/upload/pdf/Citywide_WatershedMap.pdf. Revkin, A. C. (2012, June 25). Beyond Rio: Pursuing 'ecological citizenship'. The New York Times. https://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/beyond-rio-pursuing-ecological-citizenship/?mtrref=undefined&gwh=26E3B14DBAE5F03758F5F3A351999653&gwt=pay&assetType=PAYWALL.