Registration Open for Alabama Water Rally 2024!

Published 1/8/2024  |  Alabama Rivers Alliance

Alabama Water Rally 2024

Alabama’s annual gathering of clean water advocates

March 15 – 17 | Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, Alabama

Alabama Water Rally 2023 attendees

REGISTRATION OPEN NOW! Click here to register.

Full Scholarships Available!

WHAT TO EXPECT AT WATER RALLY 2024

Speakers & Workshops | Training Sessions | Deep Dives Into Trending Topics  | Art Breaks | Networking & Celebrations

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

  • Sally Bethea, former Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and now celebrated author of Keeping the Chattahoochee, will provide our keynote address

  • Dr. Emily Grubert, civil engineer and environmental sociologist at Notre Dame, will address the nexus between water and energy and how we may see a just energy transition in our future

PLENARY AND SESSION TOPICS INCLUDE:

  • Deep Dive into using State Revolving Funds (SRFs) to tackle wastewater issues

  • Chandler Mountain SAVED: A Success Story, with the Community Members Who Saved Their Land

  • Combining the Environment and Art … Over Dinner!

  • An Intergenerational Conversation about Climate Change

  • Dismantling the System … As You Work Within It

  • Talking to your Legislators is Not As Hard As You Think!

  • Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment:  A Nontechnical Overview

  • Planning What To Do In Case Your Leader is Hit By a Bus

  • Group Diversification: Making the Space for JEDI Training

  • Groundwater Regulation

  • Anti-Racism Training (see below for more on this!)

  • Outdoor Recreation and Greenway Partnerships

  • Sunday Morning Choose Your Own Art Adventure

OTHER FUN THINGS HAPPENING AT ALABAMA WATER RALLY:

  • River Celebration Awards!

  • Tech Help!

  • Sunday Art Stations!

  • Networking aplenty!

  • Music and possibly dancing!

ABOUT THE ANTI-RACISM TRAINING

Our country was financially and culturally built with the foundation of anti-Black racism. Nowhere is that more evident than in the disproportionate environmental injustices facing communities of color all across our nation and our state. The legacy of anti-Black racism continues to shape our culture. Anti-racism training helps participants process the root causes of systemic racism and inequities. The only way to work towards an equitable future is to understand the nuances of anti-racism. It is important for all people, especially advocates for change, to understand the nuances of anti-racism, and intersectionality.

Training Topics Include:

  • Microaggressions

  • Tokenism

  • Colorism

  • Respectability Politics

  • White Fragility

  • White Saviorism

  • White Privilege

  • White Solidarity

  • Spiritual Bypassing

  • Anti racist policy advocacy

  • Navigating whiteness in political spaces

A NOTE FROM ARA: We are proud to be able to offer this professionally facilitated anti-racism training to all Water Rally attendees. No matter how big or small your organization or group is, and no matter your role (staff, board member, volunteer, etc.) all attendees will benefit from this highly valued training. Thanks to sponsors, we are so excited to be able to offer this training at no extra cost to you within your registration.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

Sally Bethea (author and former Chattahoochee Riverkeeper)

Camille Bennett (Project Say Something)

Bradley Davidson (Conservation Alabama)

Michele Forman (Southern Exposure Films and Catalyst Films) (invited)

Dr. Emily Grubert (University of Notre Dame)

Greg Guthrie (Geological Survey of Alabama) 

Hank Hershey (Auburn University) (invited)

Henry Hughes (Friends of Shades Creek)

Joseph Jenkins (Auburn University)

Kathleen Kirkpatrick (The Capacity Collaborative)

James Lowery 

Dr. Jillian Maxy-Brown (University of Alabama)

Victoria Miller (Alabama Rivers Alliance)

Evan Milligan

Nina Morgan

Justinn Overton (Coosa Riverkeeper)

Carlee Sanford (Ruffner Mountain, Jefferson County Greenways Commission)

Ankur Shah (Huntsville Environmental Coalition)

Fran Summerlin (Save Chandler Mountain)

Shaheed Tawheed (K.R.U. Knowledge Rhythm and Understanding)  (invited)

Daniel West (Geological Survey of Alabama) (invited)

Vickey Wheeler (friends of Big Canoe Creek)

ABOUT ALABAMA WATER RALLY

Alabama Water Rally is the annual gathering of Alabama’s network of water advocates and allies hosted by the Alabama Rivers Alliance. Water Rally is the premiere educational, networking and celebratory event for community and watershed-based organizations as well as individual Alabamians interested in #CleanWater and the protection of all our waterways. The conference moves to different regions of the state each year so that it is accessible to communities and groups from all parts of Alabama. In 2024, we return to Wonderful Wonderful Camp McDowell.

SEE PAST WATER RALLY AGENDAS

2023   |  2022   |   2021   |   2020   |   2019   |   2018   |   2017   

QUESTIONS OR INTERESTED IN SPONSORING?

Reach out to us at info@alabamarivers.org!

This post originally appeared on Alabama Rivers Alliance.