ECWA's Vision and Mission
The Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA) is a 501c3 land trust and watershed organization in Durham, NC that manages nearly 500 acres of land for conservation, water quality and public enjoyment. Our mission is fueled by a deep commitment to environmental justice, scientific integrity, and community empowerment, as we believe that a thriving watershed is intrinsically connected to the well-being of the community.
Vision
ECWA envisions a thriving Ellerbe Creek watershed where conservation, accessibility, and community engagement converge to safeguard natural resources and enhance public well-being.
Objectives (FY25 Priorities in Bold)
Vision
ECWA envisions a thriving Ellerbe Creek watershed where conservation, accessibility, and community engagement converge to safeguard natural resources and enhance public well-being.
Objectives (FY25 Priorities in Bold)
- To establish and maintain public green space in the Ellerbe Creek watershed, in cooperation with federal, state, and local agencies, officials, and communities;
- To engage with and build trust among the diverse communities within and downstream of the watershed;
- To promote land and stormwater management methods beneficial to the ecological health of Ellerbe Creek and its tributaries;
- To promote public education through organized hikes and workshops;
- To promote research related to the ecological restoration of Ellerbe Creek, its tributaries, and associated native plant and animal communities; and
- To promote scientific identification and cataloging of plant and animal life and other natural features within the Ellerbe Creek watershed.
How We Started: ECWA's Origin Story
ECWA’s work started in our founder’s backyard and has evolved to encompass a diverse community of individuals and neighborhoods. Like the water we’re working so hard to protect, our story has a single source, but with dozens of tributaries flowing towards a single goal: a healthy watershed.
Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association was founded in 1999 by Steve Hiltner, a botanist and stay-at-home dad who lived in the Watts-Hillandale neighborhood and frequented Indian Trail Park. On walks with his daughter Sofie, Steve was drawn to a part of the park that straddled Ellerbe Creek, and discovered that many of the plants there were exotic weeds, not the plants and shrubs native to the area. So, Steve got permission to plant native species along the creek.
Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association was founded in 1999 by Steve Hiltner, a botanist and stay-at-home dad who lived in the Watts-Hillandale neighborhood and frequented Indian Trail Park. On walks with his daughter Sofie, Steve was drawn to a part of the park that straddled Ellerbe Creek, and discovered that many of the plants there were exotic weeds, not the plants and shrubs native to the area. So, Steve got permission to plant native species along the creek.
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Mountain Laurel
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Jewel Weed
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Lizard Tail
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Having already attended neighborhood board meetings, Steve was impressed by the level of civic engagement in Watts-Hillandale and knew he could count on the goodwill of neighbors to help him heal the creek and strengthen the neighborhood around it. Steve reached out to neighbors—first to a lawyer who helped him apply for 501(c)3 status, then to a fellow dad who helped develop a matching grant application that would help the organization acquire its first six acres of watershed land. In April of 1999, with the help of concerned citizens throughout the community, ECWA was officially born.
Since then, the organization has gone from 6 acres to 450, including five public preserves, and has developed powerful initiatives aimed at restoring the creek, engaging the community in its well being, and advocating for the future health of the watershed.
Since then, the organization has gone from 6 acres to 450, including five public preserves, and has developed powerful initiatives aimed at restoring the creek, engaging the community in its well being, and advocating for the future health of the watershed.
Where We're Headed
Beginning with the Parks with Purpose Project, ECWA is taking a deeper look at environmental injustice. We’re committed to representing our entire watershed, including Goose Creek and the neighborhoods of Old North Durham, Albright, East Durham, and Wellons Village. It is our goal to support community members in the Goose Creek areas in their community engagement efforts, acknowledging that flooding and pollution are not simply environmental issues, but often the result of unjust systems of land ownership.
From our humble beginnings over two decades ago at Indian Trail Park, we’ve grown into an organization of hundreds of people working together to heal and protect both our urban streams and the communities around them.
From our humble beginnings over two decades ago at Indian Trail Park, we’ve grown into an organization of hundreds of people working together to heal and protect both our urban streams and the communities around them.