Raleigh Stories at Walnut Creek Wetland Park: D-G

Julia Kay Daniels

Julia Kay Daniels lives in the Rochester Heights home she was raised in, and that she raised her children in. She has fond memories of growing up playing in these woods, but she also remembers Walnut Creek flooding neighbors’ homes.

I was born and raised right here in Rochester Heights, on Calloway Drive. My mother was at home, and my father raised five of us through the United States Postal Service. Growing up in this neighborhood was fun. I had a blast. It was fun. I went to school in this neighborhood. I went to W. H. Fuller Elementary School, Carnage Middle School and Broughton High School.

I am kin to Ralph Campbell, Bill Campbell. My father's father was a doctor in Wilmington, John Walcott Kay, but he passed when my father was three and my grandmother, Willie Otey Kay, had to raise the kids. She did the wedding gowns for all of Raleigh and beyond, for all kinds of people, governors’ wives, people all across North Carolina. With her hands, she raised all five of her kids on a sewing machine.

We had a blast in this neighborhood. We played till the streetlights came on, made our own skateboards, played in the woods. Where the highway is, was our playground.

My home did not get flooded, but a lot of neighbors down on Charles Street flooded behind me. I was awake and saw Walnut Creek, the little branch, come up out of the banks and up Calloway into my yard about three or four inches. I had to call a neighbor and say, a tree landed on your house. Everybody else around me was asleep, my husband, my children, the neighbors, it seemed like I was the only one up in the neighborhood watching.

Some people had canoes to get people out of their homes. The water came up and entered into the house. Some homes were deemed by FEMA to be in a floodplain and they were torn down. That was sad to see because they were neighbors. It was sad to lose people that have been in the neighborhood since the neighborhood existed, who had to move somewhere else.

My particular home is not considered in the floodplain, I'm right on the boundary, but you wonder, is this going to happen again? You lay awake and you think, Lord, when it storms, is that creek going to feed back up and be worse this time? It's scary, but I will not leave this area. I was born and raised here in my family’s house. I am living in the house I was raised in. My kids were raised in, my grandkids are coming up in it. Watch Julia tell her story.

Amin Davis and his mom, Catherine

Amin Davis is an Environmental Scientist for the NC Division of Water Resources, Board Member of Partners for Environmental Justice & Friend of the Walnut Creek Community. He has volunteered with PEJ since 2001 in various capacities ranging from stream cleanups, interim Board Chair and Walnut Creek Urban Waters Partnership lead.

I am an Environmental Scientist for the NC Division of Water Resources and a board member of Partners for Environmental Justice (PEJ).

I grew up near New Haven, CT. I've always loved streams, rivers and wetlands. As a kid, I explored in the stream behind my neighbor's house. My love of the natural world came alive through looking for snakes, frogs and critters. My mom was an educator and provided me with opportunities that nurtured my love for the environment.

I studied Marine and Environmental Science at Hampton University, an HBCU in Virginia. My senior year, I took class in environmental justice, which I had never heard of before. I learned the history of how communities of color, not just locally but nationally and globally, have been subjected to environmental injustices—like Rochester Heights was.

I moved to North Carolina in 1995 to obtain a Master’s degree in Zoology at NC State. One of my professors told me about environmental justice issues in Rochester Heights and connected me with a former Shaw University biology professor. My research project turned into a biological assessment of the upper Walnut Creek Watershed.

The worst flooding in Rochester Heights from Walnut Creek occurred after Hurricane Fran in 1996. The apartment complex down the street from the Wetland Park had floodwater to the front doors. There have been water rescues upstream along Walnut Creek as recently as October 2021.

In 2001, I got reconnected to this area through Ross Andrews, who was a board member of PEJ and first director of  WCWP. Ross got me involved with PEJ cleanups, youth environmental education and introduced me to PEJ’s longtime chairman, Dr. Norman Camp. One of my greatest honors was when Dr. Camp asked me to be a Board member in 2017.

PEJ had a goal of trying to improve conditions in SE Raleigh through outreach, education and doing restoration projects to benefit communities not just environmentally but economically and spiritually. When flooding is reduced, affected communities benefit economically from reduced cleanup and maintenance costs. There are also public health benefits, as green infrastructure can help maintain healthy air and water quality.

Lina Edwards

Lina Edwards lives near Walnut Creek Wetlands Park and is in Year Three of the Neighborhood Ecology Corps (NEC). In the NEC, participants develop friendships, gain comfort in the outdoors, participate in service-learning projects, and deepen their understanding of the relationship between their community, ecology, and environmental justice. Lina is considering a career related to ecology.

I first heard about the NEC Program from my mother. I have done NEC for 3 years. I live near Walnut Creek Wetland Park and have volunteered in my community.

In NEC, I’ve learned about different animals and plants, like the marbled salamander, which is my favorite out of all the animals we looked at. I also love the trips we go on, they are so much fun. This program has shown me how we as a community are hurting the environment, but there are things we can do to help out the environment.

NEC is a place where I can learn about nature and actually do fun activities outside in the wild. Some of my favorite moments were when we went hiking on a mountain, removed invasives at a preserve, and took kayaking lessons. My least favorite part is dealing with the bugs, mostly the wasps. I made good friends coming to this club, with all the fun adventures we went on.

I would maybe work in a field related to ecology because it’s an interesting topic. 

Corie Griebel

Corie Griebel is a Master’s Student at NC State studying  Natural Resources. Corie works part-time at WCWP, teaching programs that help kids connect with nature.

I currently work at Walnut Creek Wetland Park in Southeast Raleigh. I'm also a Master’s student at North Carolina State University studying Natural Resources with a focus on Policy and Administration. I first visited the wetland park when I was in freshman year of my undergrad at NC State and fell in love with the park. I fell in love with its mission and its history, especially its roots in environmental justice. I made it my goal to work here. I wasn't offered a position the first time I applied, but I was so passionate that I applied again and on my second try I was offered a position.

I’ve been working here for almost three years and absolutely love it. At the park, I love to teach nature programs. I do a lot of birthday parties and have developed my own programs like Dendrology for Kids. Dendrology is the study of trees, and kids will go out and we do a little booklet, and they pick a tree to learn all about. They'll study one specific tree in the park, look at its leaves, look at its bark and understand all of the things that make that tree special. 

We have a lot of kids in the community that participate, also just kids from all over Raleigh. Anybody who visits the park can come and participate in these programs. It's really special to me to be able to teach children and help them connect with nature. I think it's really important to build a sustainable future. Watch Corie tell her story.

Ivanna Solis Gutierrez

Ivanna Solis Gutierrez lives near Walnut Creek Wetlands Park and is in Year Two of the Neighborhood Ecology Corps (NEC). The NEC is a program for middle and high school students focused on building environmentally literate citizens with a holistic view of their communities through hands-on experiences. Ivanna is hoping to pursue life as a marine biologist.

I am in Year 2 of the Neighborhood Ecology Corps (NEC) and live about 30 minutes from Walnut Creek Wetland Park. In addition to my work with NEC, I have done service in libraries and courts.

My favorite thing to learn about in NEC is aquatic systems. 
Since joining NEC, I have been more observant about nature and the Raleigh environment.

I would like to pursue life as a marine biologist.