Parks with Purpose in Raleigh

The Walnut Creek Wetland Community Partnership (WCWCP) provides a communication hub for residents, community stakeholders, academic and government leaders to collaborate on sustainable management of the wetlands and development of opportunities that benefit those who live, work, and play in the Walnut Creek community and watershed.

The Walnut Creek Wetland Community Partnership, the NC Water Resources Research Institute, and The Conservation Fund are working alongside residents and a variety of partners through the Parks with Purpose initiative to identify, protect, and restore land for a new park or greenspace. Our goal is that this space will provide a variety of social, economic, and environmental benefits for the Walnut Creek community.

A Comprehensive Approach to Conservation

In Raleigh, the Parks with Purpose project is focusing on increasing access to greenspace among South East Raleigh residents. By integrating environmental education with community outreach and development, the Fund takes a comprehensive approach to urban conservation. With climate change impacting the intensity and frequency of storms, wetlands are a crucial environmental buffer for excessive flooding worsened by the impervious surfaces, like sidewalks and pavement, in our cities. Wetlands provide many ecological benefits like absorbing and filtering sediment, nutrients, and pollutants. They also recharge groundwater resources and are habitats for many animals and plants. Wetlands are increasingly threatened by developments and pollution so increasing opportunities to get community members recreating and protecting their wetlands is the Parks with Purpose approach to supporting the resilience of the environment and community.

Why This Project Matters

Through the Parks with Purpose project, the WCWCP and The Fund are providing support and capacity building to local environmental non-profits and youth leaders committed to environmental science, stewardship, and advocacy. Organizations such as the Partnership for Environmental Justice and St. Ambrose Episcopal Church are working in the WCWCP Task Force to brainstorm new ways to incorporate broader community participation and support for enhancing green space development south of the Walnut Creek Wetland Park. Historically African-American, South East Raleigh still faces the economic and environmental challenges that are the legacy of racial inequities. As an environmental justice campaign, the WCWCP and The Fund are working to incorporate economic, social, and environmental outcomes through developing a community-driven Parks with Purpose project in South East Raleigh.