Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association

The Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association, founded in 2006, works to revitalize and rebuild the Upper 9th Ward of New Orleans, an area devastated by Hurricane Katrina’s storm surges that broke the city’s levees, leaving 80% of New Orleans underwater. The main challenges faced by the organization include the aftermath of the hurricane, the dispersal of the community, and the need for resident-led rebuilding efforts. The residents of the Upper 9th Ward, an underserved community, are threatened by inadequate infrastructure, flooding, and the impacts of climate change. Through collaborative partnerships with organizations like Water Wise Gulf South, Bunny Friend works to empower the community by educating them about green infrastructure and implementing sustainable solutions to address flooding and environmental injustices. By fostering resilience and sustainability, Bunny Friend strives to create a stronger community.

Led by Katherine Prevost, a New Orleans native with a Civil Service background and disaster relief training, Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association partners with other environmental organizations to implement green infrastructure across the Upper 9th Ward. They host workshops that teach residents how to use nature-based solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change and flooding, increase food security, and foster a resilient community. Working with Water Wise Gulf South, Greater Treme Consortium, Healthy Communities Services, Dana Brown Associates, and Girl Scouts Troop #42614, Bunny Friend has “greened” 15 neighborhood residences so far. These efforts include building drains and bioswales, planting trees and rain gardens, installing stormwater planter boxes and rain barrels, and replacing concrete with pervious pavement, stormwater lots, and water detention ponds, which all mimic natural processes that funnel floodwaters away from their homes and other critical sites.

For more information:

Angry Entergy customers protest rising bills outside utility’s New Orleans headquarters – Fox 8 Live, August 2022

‘We can’t wait’: Grassroots solutions ease flooding in New Orleans – Christian Science Monitor, May 2022

People Power Stopping Flooding in New Orleans; A Black-led collaborative isn’t just planting trees and building green infrastructure. It’s showing neighbors how to do it themselves – Next City, November 2021

Communities of color lead the way to a resilient future — Congress should follow – The Hill, November 2021

Water Wise Gulf South LookBook

Assessing the ecosystem services of trees in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans: quantifying air quality and temperature, Thriving Earth Exchange