A newly formed Clean River Advisory Council (CRAC) will bring together local environmental experts and river enthusiasts from the Quad Cities with the support of the QC Community Foundation and Iman Consulting, funded by a $637,000 investment from the Walton Family Foundation.

“We know that historically, many environmental projects—even successful ones—have not been inclusive enough,” Kelly Thompson, vice president of grantmaking and community initiatives at the QC Community Foundation, said in a Thursday foundation release. “To improve the river and to improve the communities along it, that needs to change. We have to include everyone.”

The new CRAC at the Community Foundation tackles environmental and social challenges collectively. CRAC includes 11 local environmental experts and community river enthusiasts.

The council was created in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation’s (WFF) Mississippi River Initiative. CRAC will lead projects to enhance water quality, create natural infrastructure, and engage the community with the river, the release says

“At first, I didn’t see how I could contribute or what I would add,” said Tre’Chiondria Lathan, a trauma-informed education specialist, yoga instructor, CRAC member, and teacher in the Rock Island-Milan School District. “But I was drawn to this experiment. It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone, and my perspective is now helping envision the future of the river and this community.”

“The people closest to the issues are the people closest to the solutions,” said Bre’Anna Brooks, program officer at WFF. “The Quad Cities has a diverse community, versatile river, and a robust nonprofit and environmental sector. We see it as the perfect home for this project.”

WFF works with communities and organizations in the Mississippi River Basin to protect water resources so that nature and people can thrive together. Their investment of $637,000 over two years initiated the CRAC. The support funds joint efforts with diverse partners and elevates voices of the people working to improve the health of the river and its water.

Iman Consulting in the QC was brought in early during CRAC’s formation to help develop the council. “We want everyone in the room to be the most authentic version of themselves,” said LaDrina Wilson, Iman Consulting’s CEO and lead facilitator. “That requires a safe space, it requires relationship building, and it requires sincere buy-in from everyone. Setting that level was the first step for the council.”

Andy Parer, environmental manager for the city of Moline and CRAC member, admires the council’s organizers for their thoughtful approach.

“We took the time to get to know each other and to learn how to talk together. It’s not about finding the quickest solution; it’s about working in a positive way that’s going make lasting change.”

By design, the council is constituted as a diverse group. “The project has inclusion at its center,” said Sue Hafkemeyer, the Community Foundation’s president and CEO. “That means racial and ethnic diversity, gender diversity, and a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. The project is going to succeed because it’s bringing people together who might never be in the same room otherwise.”

Lathan was part of a CRAC team that traveled to New Orleans in 2023 for a site visit. “It was powerful to think about what was happening on the river downstream,” she said. “And it informed our timeline. Many of the projects they’ve done have taken 10 or more years to fully develop. We have to be in it for the long haul.”

Parer joined a second group that traveled upstream to St. Paul, Minn. “Our challenges here are not wholly unique,” Parer said. “Thinking of the river in its entirety, we have partners across the country we can learn from and collaborate with.”

CRAC’s vision includes a broader perspective on sustainability and environmental well-being. “It’s not just clean water,” said Wilson. “This is a unique opportunity to create a community vision for the river. One that includes everyone.”

Starting Sept. 15, the Clean River Advisory Council will take grant applications. Organizations addressing environmental challenges or strengthening community relationships should apply.

“The next phase will translate this advisory group’s vision into community action,” said Thompson. “The Community Foundation and CRAC are here to support applicants throughout the entire process.”

“Thinking 10, 20, 50 years ahead, I imagine a cleaner river and a healthier, more engaged community,” said Lathan. “Everyone will have a seat at the table.”

Prior to the Sept. 15 grant opening, interested applicants can preview application information online HERE. The applications will be due Oct. 31, 2023.