The Chesapeake Bay, Environmental Inequity, and Youth on the Frontlines
The Chesapeake Bay is one of the most vital ecosystems in the country and also one of the most unequal.
For communities along the Eastern Shore and throughout the region, environmental harm is not evenly distributed. Low-income communities and communities of color are more likely to experience flooding, polluted waterways, unsafe housing conditions, and limited access to environmental protections.
Youth growing up in these areas witness the impact firsthand:
Streets that flood after heavy rain
Homes damaged by repeated water exposure
Declining access to clean recreational spaces
Economic dependence on land and water that are no longer protected
Environmental justice in the Chesapeake region is deeply tied to historical land use decisions, displacement, segregation, and labor exploitation, all shaped by who lives closest to environmental risk.
Where Youth Fit In
Youth are often left out of environmental decision-making, even though they will live longest with the consequences.
Many young people in Chesapeake communities are asking powerful questions:
Why are our neighborhoods more vulnerable to flooding?
Why do environmental investments bypass our communities?
Who decides what gets protected and what doesn’t?
These questions are not complaints. They are calls for accountability.
Building Environmental Literacy
Through the Next Ground Project, youth are learning how environmental systems work and how policy, power, and equity shape environmental outcomes.
Environmental literacy is more than science. It is understanding:
How environmental harm intersects with housing and health
How communities can advocate for protection and investment
How youth can transform knowledge into action
The future of the Chesapeake depends on youth leadership especially those rooted in the communities most impacted.
Environmental justice means protecting the land and the people who depend on it.
In February, we’ll be opening space for youth voices across the Chesapeake.
