“a forest standing strong is much more valuable than a fallen one,” said sonia guajajara, the minister of indigenous peoples of brazil.

guajajara played a significant role at cop30, the un climate change conference held in belém, brazil, in mid-november. she spoke at several panels and negotiations on behalf of the indigenous people of the amazon and of south america, whom she calls “protectors of the forests.” 

“in brazil, deforestation in indigenous community forests from 2000 to 2012 was less than 1% compared with 7% outside them,” according to a report by the world resources institute.

local forest guardians were recognized at the conference’s indigenous peoples day as guajajara announced the demarcation of 10 indigenous lands and the recognition of four new territories, according to the brazilian government. these lands are scattered across the entire country, from the northern states of amazonas and pará to the southeast’s são paulo. 

from start to finish, this year’s cop paid special attention to tropical forest conservation pathways, with an emphasis on financial initiatives that have the potential to work with long-established indigenous stewards.

a closer look into the brazilian amazon

the amazon is truly a unique, wonderful place, said carlos alberto de souza cavalcante, who has lived in amazonas all his life and owns ipanema lodge, an accommodation that immerses guests in all types of outdoor activities in the jungle just about 60km from the state capital city of manaus. 

the forest is home to around 30 million known animal species — without counting those that have not yet been catalogued. in brazil’s amazon, there are at least 311 mammals, 1,300 birds, 273 reptiles, 232 amphibians, and 1,800 fish, according to ispn, a brazilian institute focused on society and forest conservation. many animals can only be found in this region, like the boto-cor-de-rosa, or pink dolphin.

the amazonian societies also rely heavily on water and the resources it provides. it is the main form of transportation, and the natives’ day-to-day lives are based on the movements of the river. natan araújo, a journalism student who lives in manaus, said the school year of the children who live surrounding the river is scheduled based on the wet and dry seasons. 

“when the river is lower in the dry season, school has to be off because the access to land is more difficult,” he said. “but school is in session when the river is full, so their school year looks different than what is normal for us.”

deforestation and indigenous peoples

between 2018 and 2022, 76% of the total deforestation of the amazon rainforest — which spans nine countries — was in brazil, the direct driver of which is the conversion of land to pasture, said toby gardner, senior research fellow at the stockholm environment institute.

but deforestation can be curbed: the deforestation rate in the brazilian amazon dropped 11% between august 2024 and july 2025, marking the lowest annual forest loss since 2014, he said. 

a 2024 study conducted by the articulation of indigenous peoples of brazil (apib), an indigenous association in brazil, found that indigenous territories have the lowest registered deforestation rate in the country, having lost only 1.2% of native vegetation in the last 40 years. nearly 14% of brazil’s national territory is home to over 300 tribes, representing millions of hectares of vegetation that are likely to remain untouched as natives continue to protect them with their traditional way of life.

indigenous peoples and their role in protecting the forest were one of the pillars of cop30. guajajara said that cop30 was the conference with the highest number of indigenous people in attendance ever held. “approximately 5,000 members of original peoples from around the world participated in cop30; 360 of them were present in debates with negotiators within the blue zone,” according to the conference’s website.

funding initiatives as pathways to solutions

this cop was called several things, varying from the “cop of the truth,” the “cop for everyone,” and the “cop of implementation.” but given the difficulty of reaching a final deal in the last days of the conference, many in attendance also called it the “cop of failure” — a specific dig at the negotiators who were not able to agree on a strategy to push away from fossil fuels, with fewer than 90 countries agreeing to the “road map” introduced by brazil to phase out fossil fuels. 

despite this sense of shared frustration, some solution pathways did see progress. the tropical forests forever facility, or the tfff, was a major financing initiative introduced by brazilian president luiz inácio lula da silva at cop30.

according to the program’s website, it will “operate by mobilizing philanthropic, public and private capital, then reinvesting these resources in a diversified investment portfolio” in a way that benefits conservation and capital generation. on top of this, it provides climate justice and recognition of indigenous peoples and local communities, guajajara said. the tfff “mobilized over usd 6.7 billion in its first phase, with endorsement from 63 countries, establishing a permanent capital base for forest protection,” according to cop’s website. tariye gbadegesin, chief executive officer of the climate investment fund, said the tfff is a “powerful statement” on the central role of those who are most affected by climate change.

part of the plan is to set aside at least 20 percent of its resources for indigenous people, giving them more autonomy and control over economic investments as opposed to being managed by governmental actors, guajajara said.

“those who steward the forest must be given the resources to lead the charge,” she said.

aside from the tfff, brazil had already implemented initiatives to protect its sacred forests. the fundo amazônia, or amazon fund, is a governmental fund created in 2008 to finance actions aimed at reducing and monitoring emissions, deforestation, and environmental degradation. this fund had been completely halted during the four previous years under bolsonaro, said andré aquino, economic advisor to brazil’s environmental ministry. but after resuming in 2023, the fund was given a significant spotlight at cop. 

over 650 organizations are supported in direct and indirect ways, and 75% of the municipalities in the amazon rely on projects funded by the amazon fund, according to a cop panel hosted by brazil’s national development bank (bndes). in the last three years, new international donors and agreements have been announced, increasing funding to brl 2.4 billion and expanding involvement of countries like japan, the us, ireland, and the uk, though norway leads the funding with 77%, according to the panel. 

the fund also invests in firefighters to combat the large forest fires that have ravaged the amazon in brazil in the past couple of years. 5,000 firefighters have been trained in nine states, with a funding of brl 371 million for individual equipment, vehicles, and operational bases, as per data shown in the panel. 

mariana mazzucato, an economics professor at university college london, said this cop was “very rare” and that the amazon fund is “special.” 

“most funds socialize risks and privatize rewards, but the amazon fund ties the money to the people,” she said. “brazil is innovative.” 

keeping frontline and indigenous stewards of the land at the heart of conservation and financing discussions represents good global cooperation.

“what happens in the amazon happens to all of us,” said andreas bjelland eriksen, minister of climate and environment of norway. “we need to be able to work together to preserve the good that the tropical forests do for all of us.”

in the waters of rio guamá, all of nature’s sounds are often overshadowed by the loud, echoing motor of boats that travel up and down the river. yet every morning, vitória nunes and nanda baniwa instead choose to listen to their canoe paddles treading the water and the peaceful sounds of native birds and insects while they take travelers on excursions from belém to ilha do maracujá. 

nunes and baniwa live in belém, an amazonian city in the north of brazil. at rio e mar va’a, an ecotourism company dedicated to canoeing excursions, they’re able to introduce people from around the world to the heart of the amazon — all with a focus on sustainability.

“using our canoes as instruments, we can show that economic development can be done without destruction,” nunes, who founded the company in 2020, said. “we are preserving the amazon in an active way.”

they told me belém is a city that was built with its back to the river; belém didn’t care for the people and habitats across the water, nor did it leave beach space for the city’s inhabitants to swim in and enjoy the river, they said. the islands that are just 20 minutes by boat from belém and home to thousands of ribeirinhos — or people who live right on the edge of the river— don’t even have potable water, they said.

women and the waters

nunes and baniwa serve as a rope of trust between outsiders and the local ribeirinhos, and in doing so, they also put women in the front and center of the businesses they work with. 

a study conducted by fundação getúlio vargas in 2022 found that companies with female leadership were often high-performing in sustainability and more in line with the united nations’ sustainable development goals. 

“with our work, we show the importance of female empowerment in the waters, even though canoeing is dominated by men,” nunes said. 

women in brazil represent nearly 50% of the number of professionals who make a living based on water activities, according to the brazilian ministry of fisheries and aquaculture. this represents over 815,000 women who are artisanal and recreational fishers as well as aquaculturists, or professionals who raise aquatic organisms like fish and shellfish under controlled conditions for consumption. 

in brazil’s tourism sector, which largely involves nautical activities and ecotourism, women also represent half of the workforce, according to brazil’s national tourism observatory.

yet, regardless of their powerful role in these industries, they are the most affected by climate change, said brazil’s minister of fisheries and agriculture andré de paula. the reduction of fish stocks, floods, and salinization are among the most significant impacts felt by women, he said. 

“there is no sustainable future without the women of the water,” de paula said. “the strength of the waters is the same as that of the community that lives in them.”

for this reason, cop30 in belém, brazil, shone a spotlight on women and communities of the waters. from panels, to solutions, and even inclusion in high-level negotiations, the  presence of those who most intensely feel the effects of climate change was strongly felt.

seeking solutions

“brazil is leading by example” on representing and protecting those whose lives depend on aquatic systems, said brazil’s first lady janja silva. 

the country’s government had already created some solutions prior to hosting cop, such as being the first country in the world to include the “blue curriculum” in schools across the country, launching the national artisanal fishing plan, and a prize named “mulheres nas Águas” (“women in waters”) that is awarded every year. 

but cop also saw the launching of new programs like the ocean task force, co-led with france, and the approval of the belém package’s one ocean partnership, which includes a $20 billion commitment by 2030 for supporting water communities’ resilience to climate change and seeks to generate 20 million blue jobs, according to cop30’s official website. 

however, in the midst of bright solutions, there are still many developing states that are reliant on the ocean for livelihood and are still struggling to finance sustainable programs. 

pio manoa, deputy director general of the pacific islands forum fisheries agency, said some of the pacific’s small, developing islands source 70% of their gdp from fishing, which is either a first or second source of livelihood for families who live there. 

“we feel the effects of climate change already,” he said. “we need less talk and more action, especially because adaptation financing is always lower than mitigation financing.” 

as major financing goals are pushed farther into the future, and as cop’s presidency transitions to that of turkey and australia, it remains to be seen if promises will be met.  

reflecting on the future, nunes concluded, “without destroying our waters, our environment, we are leaving future generations with the privilege of exploring and benefitting from the very nature we have right now.”

but what exactly is cop30, and why is it important? 

the conference of the parties to the united nations framework convention on climate change, as it is formally called, is holding its 30th edition in belém, the brazilian state capital in the heart of the amazon rainforest, from nov. 10 to nov. 21. 

this particular cop marks 10 years since the signing of the paris agreement, in which all signatory countries vowed to keep the increase in global average temperatures to less than 1.5°c above preindustrial levels. however, it also marks the first conference since the news in 2024 that the world had already passed this threshold of heating, a “limit long considered vital to avoid the worst impacts of climate change,” according to amnesty international. 

some countries, most notably the united states, are not sending any high-level delegates to the conference, showing a sharp change in their urgency regarding the climate crisis. yet the brazilian government maintains its optimism, according to cnn brasil.

cop30 is especially symbolic to brazilians as the first-ever climate conference in the amazon, the world’s largest remaining tropical forest, the area of which mostly lies in brazil. the forest is home not only to 40 million people, but also to 10% of known animal and plant species and 20% of the world’s freshwater discharge, according to world wildlife fund. 

beatriz waehneldt, a student in an environmental journalism class at pontifícia universidade católica do rio de janeiro, said it is very meaningful for cop30 to be hosted in brazil.

“it’s an opportunity to bring sustainability to the center of public discussion in a nation blessed with immense natural wealth, and to amplify the voices of those most affected by climate change, like indigenous people and ribeirinhos, who suffer from floods and garimpo [mining],” she said. 

according to the conference’s website, it is estimated that 3,000 indigenous people will be present in belém during cop30, with 1,000 of them taking part in official negotiations. 

antónio guterres, the united nations secretary-general, said that indigenous people must be reflected in politicians’ internal and external priorities. 

“it is absolutely indispensable that a worldwide awareness is gained that indigenous communities are our defenders of nature, they are our defenders of the planet,” guterres said in an interview with sumaúma, a brazilian outlet. 

waehneldt said her professor, andré trigueiro, often reminds her class that “in a world marked by growing geopolitical imbalance and conflict, having cop30 in a ‘neutral’ country offers a chance for dialogue, collaboration, and hope.” 

the first climate agreement ever reached was also created in brazil; rio-92, in 1992, was a major un conference, but it didn’t have any goals or deadlines. thirty-three years later, we are back in brazil, and this time, even more prepared to bring promises out of paper and make decisions to face climate change head on.  

you can follow along with planet forward on instagram for more coverage of cop30.

this massive following didn’t happen overnight. trigueiro started his career back in 1988 when brazil was emerging from a military dictatorship. he was a reporter for a state-run radio station before going to grupo globo in 1993. to this day, globo is the largest media conglomerate in brazil, both on television and in print. 

his rise to success is notable, not just for its sheer scale, but also for the fact that trigueiro’s work is explicitly environmental, pushing sustainability solutions into brazil’s public consciousness. as a professor at pontifícia universidade católica do rio de janeiro, he also inspires journalism and communications students to contend with sustainability issues and to prioritize environmental reporting. 

as an exchange student taking trigueiro’s class this semester, i had the opportunity to sit with him for an interview about his career, environmental reporting, and the necessity for collective awareness regarding the damage we’re doing to the space we live in. 

the contents below have been translated from portuguese and edited for length and clarity.

alexia massoud: your show,  “cidades e soluções,” started in 2006 and covers environmental solutions, natural resources, and energy in brazil, which has really helped bring sustainability into your audience’s lives. can you tell me a bit more about the show and how it came together? 

andré trigueiro: it’s a program that’s almost 20 years old, and its purpose is to showcase what works in different settings: public sector, private sector, and non-governmental organizations. we talk about the problems of modernity and how to solve them.

it’s a very broad pitch, and we face the challenge of being the only program on the open network/cable tv with the word “solutions” in its title, which forces us to be very careful not to legitimize projects that don’t deserve to be on the “solutions” shelf. we make an effort to refrain from getting into a sinking boat. it’s complicated, but we try. therefore, we take great care to find a topic that deserves the visibility we’ll give it.

am: do you find it difficult to find these stories?

at: no, but it requires a lot of resources. if i just did that, i could do about three shows a week. so we have to take big steps, which is sometimes a bit of a sacrifice. a 25-minute edited show each week is something that requires a team, but we’ve managed to get the job done. it’s a program that has inspired public policy. i’ve already received feedback from environmental ministers and businesspeople who saw the program and replicated it.

am: you have a large online following, and you’ve grown a lot as a journalist. do you think there’s a difference between your online persona and your work in the studio? how have you found a balance, and do you struggle with it?

at: at work, there are expectations set for my performance in relation to the product. on social media, i am who i am. basically, the difference is this: i am my own host, and i define the direction. there’s an intention not to trivialize social media, not to be relegated to cheap entertainment — i try to delve deeper, to use social media in an inspiring way, where i can point the way and open paths.

i’m still careful about the fact that i’m also on television. possibly, the day i’m no longer on television, i’ll have a freer, more light-hearted, and relaxed approach to some topics on social media. but most of the content i share is in the first person: it’s me. there’s no product i’m selling; just me.

am: when did you start to grow more online? do you remember when you started getting so much traction?

at: oh, i started on twitter, which was my favorite network until elon musk bought it. i didn’t want to monetize a business owned by someone i don’t respect and whose ideas and way of thinking i disagree with completely. so i left twitter with about 700,000 followers. but if i were really concerned about being popular on the network, if that were my goal, i wouldn’t do hour-long live streams. instagram itself says that if it’s longer than three minutes, it won’t be pushed out. but i don’t care.

am: how do you feel your impact on social media is, then?

at: i try to fill this space with content. there are a lot of people interested in content on social media, so i think it’s the meeting of hunger and the desire to eat. if i have any resonance in terms of followers, i think it’s because of this. i try to discipline myself regarding appealing content and try to follow a very honest line. i won’t sell myself short to get engagement. if they find my content interesting, great, if not, life goes on.

am: following this path of impact, as you have been teaching here at puc since 2004, tell me more about why you wanted to become a professor and bring this impact to your classes.

at: i’m the son of two educators. i enjoy teaching. it’s an exercise in communication. therefore, all my activities have communication in common. journalism, social media, teaching, writing… i’m communicating. this communication with kids is part of my utopia: i think it’s worth it because it will have some kind of impact.

i have former students who have risen in the profession, and i sometimes notice that they carry a journalistic vision that has some component of this righteous indignation against the unsustainable model of development, the need for us to point the way toward sustainability, etc. i come here to do what i believe is my obligation: to have this contact with young people and seek to foster this attitude.

am: very cool. are you disappointed with the current state of the world compared to what it was 30-or-so years ago in your career?

at: i think tension is rising due to the clash of ideas, which is exacerbated in communication by denialism, fake news, and the industrial-scale production of disinformation. on the one hand, while we’ve improved several aspects — the public and private sectors, legislation, and awareness — on the other, we’re faced with repressed ignorance and stupidity.

of course no one knows everything, but proudly asserting ignorance causes problems and leads to exalted stupidity. this has worsened; it’s not good. the writer ariano suassuna once said, “the optimist is a fool, the pessimist is a bore; i prefer to be a hopeful realist.” that’s who i am; i’ll do my part. whether it will work or not, i don’t know, but it’s up to me to do what i believe is possible to turn this around.

am: do you think the environmental issue has become partisan?

at: we won’t change the game without public policy. formal policy must enter the fray. if there are no rules, laws, ordinances, or resolutions that come from above and organize routines from the perspective of regulating the private and public sectors, it’s pointless. we need political leaders who aren’t disconnected from reality. the real world is one where the planet cries out, and we won’t get far if we don’t heed the cry of the earth. the environmental issue is embedded in the following paradigm: it’s not save the whales, save the forests, or save the amazon. it’s save yourself.

when we talk about the environment, we’re saying we want clean drinking water, breathable air, fertile soil for planting — the basics. there shouldn’t be, at this point in the game, any doubt about what it means to not combat illegal deforestation, not accelerate the energy transition, etc. this debate shouldn’t be taking place, but it is. we can’t cry over spilled milk; we have to do our part.

am: so you would call yourself an activist?

at: no, and i don’t like that term, because anyone who calls me an activist tries to discredit my journalistic side. journalism is not activism; it’s based on facts, it seeks to be well-founded with good sources, and it tells stories that are investigated with journalistic rigor. you’ll listen to those who produce knowledge, who have relevant information. you’ll report what you’re seeing, the places you go, whether reporting crimes, problems, violations, or pointing out paths, solutions, and perspectives. 

so, i’m a journalist. i’m a citizen in tune with my times. now, you can’t live in the realm of ideas, so you have to roll up your sleeves and do things. an american thinker named ross perot said something interesting: an activist isn’t someone who says the river needs to be cleaned — an activist is someone who rolls up their sleeves and goes and cleans the river.

i find this definition very inspiring; in that sense, perhaps i am an activist, because i’m not just a journalist who reports or shows what they think is appropriate. in my private life, in the choices i make every day, i strive to be consistent with what seems to me to be the expression of truth. i am a planetary ecological citizen.

am: do you have any plans for the future, perhaps for a master’s or doctoral degree related to sustainability?

at: academia isn’t my thing. but i’ve never made many plans in my life, and it just happened. an important message for the youth: keep going. listen to your heart, do what makes your eyes shine, what gives you pleasure. and from there, the paths will invite you. you think you’re choosing things, but actually, things are choosing you. i don’t think i chose the environmental field. i entered something that was waiting for me.

am: how do you handle everything you have to do?

at: strength, courage, and faith. every day we seek energy in utopia, in the things we believe in, in the realization that life isn’t a matter of chance and that we’re here for a reason. when we try to discover that reason, paths open up.

am: how do you get your audience to really care about environmental issues?

at: journalism reports facts. we need to tell stories that resonate with people, so they understand the sense of urgency and the need for individual and collective action. we need to make people feel like they’re participating in a reform, a revolution, a change in habits, behaviors, lifestyles, and consumption patterns.

we must professionally act ethically and correctly in reporting the facts while demonstrating a sense of urgency. we can’t keep postponing a new way of existing; the planet can’t take it anymore. we’re leaving a horrific ecological footprint that’s already threatening essentials: clean freshwater, fertile soil, breathable air, and the climate crisis. we have to be efficient in our communication work, which generates a desire to do something different.

am: do you have any advice for anyone looking to get into journalism?

at: be well-informed, access information from good sources, always seek to refresh your knowledge, and enroll in courses so you can tell stories with greater depth, skill, and quality information. if it’s in the environmental and climate field, take courses, seek out educational content, read, and listen to podcasts. i’ve been teaching at puc for 21 years, and i don’t teach the same classes today as i did last year. it’s a never-ending process, and that’s a good thing because the world is in flux, and so is knowledge and the magnitude of this crisis.

am: well-said. thank you so much!

“i am the grocery store,” said hall, who sells his products on top of folding tables and from his truck at a discounted price on the corner of south capitol st. sw and brandywine st. se every afternoon.

hall works in a neighborhood that is considered a food desert. the closure of good food market in november 2022, just one year after opening, brought residents of anacostia and congress heights back to having slim pickings. the grocery stores giant and safeway, on alabama ave. se, are the only full-service stores in the surrounding area. for some people in these neighborhoods, the trip to either store could be at least a 20-minute bus ride.

according to capital area food bank’s hunger heat map, there are 2,431 estimated food insecure households in this area – which is 98% higher than in the rest of the dmv. there are approximately 3,843 food insecure adults, according to their data.

though hall does not sell perishable food, members of the community said he can get them these items when necessary.

“terry’s been helping me every single day. he helped me not steal from people and if i need anything he helps me, if it comes down to food, clothing or anything. he helps me and he helps this community a lot,” said damontre long, a young man who lives right around hall’s store. “i set up stuff for him and he gives me jobs to keep me out of trouble.”

long is not the only young member of the community positively impacted by hall. jessica jankes, another ward 8 resident, said her 11-year-old daughter worked for hall last summer. “she sold merchandise and talked to customers. she did everything. terry does a lot for the kids and the community.” 

hall also provides incentives for the kids to do well in school. when they come to him with good grades on their report cards, hall gifts them with candy or dollar bills, he said.

“he is a good man. he always has things for my daughter and he’s always helping the kids. if you run out of stuff, he makes sure you get it,” said dechell blackeney, who lives in congress heights and is the mother of a 3-year-old girl whom hall always helps. “last friday, he even had fried fish friday and he cooked and gave to the community.”

hall said he can save people the time and money it takes to pick up a few necessary items.

“i’ve been here in this spot every day for 20 years. i deal with people who really, really need me,” he said. 

he sells a plethora of products, varying from personal hygiene to household cleaning products and even clothing. he takes cash only for payment, he said.

“i come here all the time. sometimes i got to get something and need it right away and i come here instead of the grocery store,” said violet council, a member of the congress heights community. “you don’t got to take bus after bus after bus. he got all the stuff right here.”

according to hall, his only goal is to give back to this community, where he grew up and still lives. however, he has also faced some difficulties. he said his truck with thousands of dollars worth of products was once stolen and that some people have tried to take advantage of him and his store, but that is not enough to stop him.  

hall said he buys the products from large, full-service stores in either virginia or the district. he said he purchases them with the money he has saved and invested over the years from working several jobs simultaneously, in addition to his social security income and donations.

“i just keep turning my money over and over again. but some people donate, which is really helpful, because i lower my price to make products affordable here in the community,” hall said.

donations and visitors are welcomed by hall. to donate, get in touch with hall’s assistant, jessica, at 202-892-9305.

the farm’s growing season lasts from march to october, during which the space is open and hosts a plethora of health and wellness activities for the community, said charles rominiyi, the well’s program manager.

according to dc greens, a nonprofit organization that works to advance health equity and build a more resilient food system, the well harvested more than 4,000 pounds of fresh produce for the local community in 2023.

community members are allowed to plant and pick produce during the well’s hours of operation.

breaking new ground

dc greens opened the well in june 2022. “it was really a collaboration by community members, government agencies, and nonprofit agencies who dreamt of a space where community members could come and reconnect with nature, the land, and take wellness classes,” rominiyi said.

washington, d.c.’s ward 8 councilmember trayon white was one of the well’s largest donors, rominiyi said.

councilmember white said he has been working on ways to curb food insecurity in anacostia and the well was a way of doing that.

“we’re looking to bring in more grocery options to the ward, especially healthy grocery options, but it’s becoming tougher. we put a lot of energy, in the last couple of years, into the well at oxon run, a state-of-the-art community farm. it’s probably one of the biggest community farms in the city and in ward 8,” white said.  

cultivating community

this year, march 18 marked the well’s opening week, for which there were several on-site events. there was a seed giveaway, a “plant a seedling” workshop, a senior lunch, tours of the well and a community volunteering day — all shared with the community through the dc greens newsletter.

rominiyi said the events had a great turnout, with attendance varying from 20 to 50 people per event. “opening week was great. it’s really when we can get everyone excited and let the community know about all our plans for the year. we think it was a great success,” rominiyi said.

when entering the well, people are greeted by mimi the tree, which stands as a witness to the success of the community through the years, even in the face of adversity, rominiyi said. when the land was being excavated, the original plans were to cut the tree down. however, community members wanted to preserve this hundred-year-old sycamore oak tree as a reminder of how far the well has come, rominiyi said.

“we ask the community what we should grow, and we grow what they ask us to,” rominiyi said.

greatness on the horizon

according to the well’s farm manager, kenneth bridgers, the farm has eight growing fields scattered across the space which grow various foods such as bok choy and kale in the spring, strawberries and figs in the summer, and swiss chard, and snap peas throughout the year, among other crops. 

most of the seeds are provided by johnny’s seeds, a national seed provider, but members of the community can also drop off seeds at the farm’s seed exchange bench, rominiyi said.

the well is not the only community farm in anacostia, according to rominiyi. however, what makes the well unique is that the staff also conducts wellness and peace programs, which engages the community in several ways, such as in the youth section of the farm, rominiyi said.

“we partner with the green scheme, which brings young people to the well to use the youth garden beds, learn about environmental literacy, environmental sustainability and environmental justice,” rominiyi said.

another unique aspect of the well is the programming pavilion, the structure of which allows for rainwater collection during the off season. the staff treats this rainwater and uses it to water plants in the greenhouse when the well is closed to the public, rominiyi said.

“i’ve been here since the start and we’ve seen tremendous growth in engagement. we can’t wait for all the great things that are happening this season,” said bridgers.