The North Carolina Environmental Justice Network is co-hosting our 2023 Civic Engagement Series kick off event with North of the River Association (NOTRA) in Greenville. Together, NOTRA and Down East Coal Ash Environmental and Social Justice Coalition, will share their air quality concerns and we will discuss using Spidey Sens-r and other tools to measure and address them.

Spidey Sens-r is a network of air quality monitors using spider webs. Metals in the air settle as dust onto webs. Learn how to identify and collect webs, log coordinates and send them to our lab where we identify the type and amount of metals in the sample. With spider webs as bioindicators, we detect differences in air quality at the neighborhood level. 

We need to amplify community-controlled monitoring to set air quality standards that center the most impacted people. The monitoring network will function as an information source for advocacy to help prevent further cumulative impacts on impacted communities.

Program:

• Welcome and introductions
• Specific air pollution concerns for two NC Communities
• Air quality monitoring options with a dive into Spidey Sens-r
• Lunch
• Designing a sampling strategy for the Communities
• Annual Summit Award - 2022 Youth Vanguard Announcement
• Next steps