Hiking at the Cabo Blanco National Reserve in Costa Rica!
Hello CDRW community!
My name is Ellen Underwood, and I am thrilled to be joining the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed as the new Engagement Coordinator! As a native of the Greater Lehigh Valley, I grew up in an area with a rich agricultural tradition and have seen firsthand the rapid development of this region resulting in loss of farmland and habitat as well as extreme flooding issues and water quality degradation. This exposure, combined with an internship at a 1-acre farm in my youth, propelled me on a path that has transformed into a 10-year career in sustainable food systems and environmental advocacy.
I received my BA in Environmental Studies and Philosophy Albright College in Reading, PA. While attending, I managed the Albright Sustainability House and Community Garden where I had the opportunity to educate and engage my peers in the importance of environmental issues as well as study the effects of industry on local waterways and forests. While my academic interests originally focused on environmental science, they shifted towards advocacy, education, and community engagement when I began seeing the deep interconnections between history, sociology, philosophy, psychology and beyond as it applied to our relationship to the environment. With this foundation, I committed my life’s work to building a sustainable future by addressing issues at all levels – from the self and family, to the community, environment, and economy.
Upon graduating, I served as an AmeriCorps School Garden Coordinator in Southwestern Colorado where I taught agriculture, STEM, and nutrition lessons in outdoor classrooms to diverse students in underserved elementary schools. Serving and farming in a high desert climate that experienced record drought in the same year that the Northeast experienced record flooding was a striking experience for me and crystallized the importance of collective strategies to mitigate climate change and ensure sustainable communities.
After my service year, I was called back East to contribute my new skills and experiences in my own community. For the past 2.5 years I served as the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator for Buy Fresh Buy Local of the Greater Lehigh Valley. In this role I worked to build a more robust, resilient, and connected local food system that is easy to use and accessible to all members of the community. Partnering with over 100 farmers and local food businesses, I worked to collectively market the local food system, develop informational resources, and create engaging and interactive local food campaigns. I also led outreach for our local food access programming, developing and educating a cohesive network of over 50 organizations to connect community members with these programs.
While I cherish my role in the sustainable food system, I am excited to apply the skills I’ve gained to conserving and protecting the Watershed and connect more directly to my environmental advocacy roots. I look forward to gaining more experience in environmental policy and improving equity, access, and inclusion in the Watershed.
On a personal note, I love world travel, rock climbing, art, yoga, and trying new foods!
As a lifelong native of the Delaware River Basin, it is an honor to contribute my passion in the region I call home. I look forward to working with all of you and serving the CDRW!
-Ellen