More than 40 residents, neighborhood leaders, nonprofit partners, and public officials gathered in January for the first 2026 stakeholder meeting of Resilient Ribault, a community-driven initiative focused on environmental restoration, climate resilience, and neighborhood empowerment along the Ribault River and Moncrief Creek watersheds.
Hosted at Eartha’s Farm and Market, the meeting marked a critical moment for the project as it transitions from planning to expanded community-led action. Attendees represented over 20 organizations and neighborhoods from Jacksonville’s Northside, reflecting the broad coalition that has formed around protecting local waterways while strengthening economic and social resilience.
The January meeting centered on three core themes: expanding placekeeping micro-grants, coordinating restoration projects, and strengthening resident leadership.
A major focus of the meeting was the rollout of the Resilient Ribault Placekeeping Grant Program, which provides $1,500 micro-grants to support resident-led events and projects within the project area. These grants are designed to activate public spaces, build neighborhood pride, and connect environmental stewardship with culture, art, and community gathering.
“This program is about trusting residents to lead,” Trey Ford, Strategic Partnerships & Programming Coordinator at St. Johns Riverkeeper noted. “The people who live here know what their neighborhoods needs.” Plans were also shared for forming working groups and a task force to support grant recipients, coordinate volunteers, and ensure continuity across seasons and leadership transitions.
For many in the room, the message was clear: environmental resilience on Jacksonville’s Northside is not something being done to the community—it is being built with it.
Resilient Ribault is led by LISC Jacksonville & St. Johns Riverkeeper in partnership with neighborhood organizations, academic institutions, and funders committed to nature-based solutions. The next Resilient Ribault stakeholder meeting is scheduled for April and will continue to center resident voices as the initiative expands in 2026. Shown is Programming Coordinator Trey Ford showcasing the Resilient Ribault area waterways map.