10,000 Hawks

10,000 Hawks began in 2021 as a group of concerned citizens banding together to confront air quality emissions that would be exacerbated by a major, privately funded expansion of Tweed Airport in New Haven, Connecticut. Spurred by a recent scientific study, the group initially focused on micro-plastics generated by airport dust and their link to asthma. However, their purview quickly expanded to address wetlands destruction, traffic management, habitat destruction, long-term coastal resiliency and other environmental and public health issues. Taking their name from the prominent annual bird migrations over the airport and surrounding neighborhoods, 10,000 Hawks rallied enough support that the disappointing vote by the City Alder to grant the expansion lease was in the face of major public opposition. Undeterred, the organization is honing their expertise and expanding their outreach to push for and knowledgeably respond to a full environmental impact statement and EPA review.

Initially, a single-issue organization composed of residents of New Haven, East Haven, and Fair Haven neighborhoods adjacent to Tweed airport, 10,000Hawks has expanded both its constituency and scope to encompass citizen involvement in long-term environmental planning and environmental justice in the wake of climate change. Led by Lorena Venegas and Rachel Heerema, the all-volunteer organization has coordinated professional air quality monitoring with Tufts University, collecting and analyzing airborne particulates at the airport and in nearby neighborhoods. By raising awareness of the public health implications of air quality and environmental issues in planning for climate change, 10,000 Hawks has inspired the city of New Haven to initiate its own air monitoring, especially in underserved local communities. Through self-education, and fostering alliances with graduate programs, scientists, neighborhood advocates and environmental justice organizations, 10,000 Hawks has become a respected voice for responsible community-centered environmental planning.