Local and Regional Hubs Microgrant Accomplishments
As part of a pilot program, ASAP supported three microgrant projects to catalyze members’ collaborative, place-based climate change adaptation work and stimulate grassroots involvement in the ASAP network. The three project teams, from Asheville, NC; Los Angeles, CA; and the U.S. Southwest, have been hard at work since launching their projects this fall. Read on to see where they are now and how you can get involved!
One of the main goals of the Hubs Microgrant Program is to activate grassroots engagement across the ASAP network. See something below that interests you? Get in touch with the Project Team, they will be excited to hear from you! Also, check out ASAP’s Living List of Networks to tap into additional networks in your local area.
Asheville Climate Equity
At the outset of this project, ASAP members in Asheville aimed to develop opportunities to engage local residents in a climate equity dialogue to enhance Asheville’s Climate Resilience Assessment Plan. The project launched amidst COVID-19, causing the team to pivot their original focus. Rather than deliver climate equity dialogue activities, the team built relationships with community leaders supporting BIPOC communities in Asheville.
The team connected with a community partner to dive into climate equity dialogues through a Narratives and Story Circles lens. In partnership with the Word on the Street/La Voz de les Jovenes organization, youth were empowered to explore the connections between art and resilience. The youth will continue to engage in three upcoming webinar series focused on GIS, resilience survival stories, and the intersection of art and social issues. In conversations with the community, the team also learned about mistrust of government, the essential need to work with community-based organizations, and the general perception that climate is not high on the list of priorities for BIPOC communities.
Partnerships were a major theme for this group. In addition to connecting with the Asheville BIPOC community and youth, the project team also made connections amongst themselves. One member of the team modeled their graduate research around the project and others on the team applied to a grant program to develop a transferable model for end-to-end co-production of actionable and equitable climate resilience solutions in at-risk communities in the Carolinas.
Project Team: Geoffrey Habron (Furman University), Jennifer Runkle (NC State, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information), Jim Fox and Aashka Patel (NEMAC + FernLeaf), Ned Gardiner (NOAA Climate Program Office), and Megan Odom (The Collider).
Want to learn more? Contact Geoffrey Habron
Baldwin Hills Conservancy Resilience Hub – Los Angeles
For this project, Climate Resolve and SLATE-Z worked together to produce a study on a resilience hub for the Baldwin Hills Conservancy in Los Angeles. Community engagement was key to the mission of this project. The group hosted three community engagement events to inform South LA residents about the project and to collect their feedback on resilience and access strategies for the Baldwin Hills Parklands. The team also conducted a survey of 300 South LA residents to inquire about the community’s usage of the parks and further understand their needs regarding resilience and access during climate emergencies.
The project examined the risks to the local community associated with climate change, including topics like extreme heat, wildfire, flooding, earthquakes, and other local risks. In partnership with the community, the team analyzed and requested feedback from local stakeholders about best practices and desired resources for the parklands as part of the resilience hub effort. The resilience hub is still in development- stay tuned for more updates!
Project Team: Natalie Hernandez, Jonathan Parfrey, Woodrow Covington, Chase Engelhardt, Seth Jacobson, Thelma Briseno, Lia Cohen, and Gabriel Varela.
Want to learn more? Contact Gabriel Varela
Southwest Practitioners Adaptation Network (SPAN)
This microgrant project focused on developing a new network for collaboration- the Southwest Practitioners Adaptation Network (SPAN). ASAP members in the Southwest developed a network visualization tool and website to increase SPAN member connectivity and allow for better access to resources, expertise, and events. These new tools enable SPAN members to explore curated lists of publications, reports, and tools created or recommended by SPAN members. Users are also able to search the member database by geography, name, or organization. There is also a feature for members to connect up to three links to their profiles to showcase their projects, websites, and tools.
All of these tools are shared with members at monthly SPAN coffee chats (“get to know your network”) events. SPAN now has over 60 members and 23 connected networks. Looking forward, the project team hopes to expand these lists to a searchable resource library, launch a quarterly member newsletter that features member spotlights, a network of the month, and opportunities, and offer member affinity groups. They look forward to seeing SPAN, and its connection to ASAP, continue to grow in the years to come!
Project Team: Amanda Leinberger and Kathy Jacobs (Center for Adaptation Science and Solutions), Carolyn Enquist (SW Climate Adaptation Science Center), Ladd Keith (U. Arizona Extreme Heat Network), Emile Elias (USDA Southwest Climate Hub), Benét Duncan (Western Water Assessment).
Want to learn more? Contact Amanda Leinberger
One of the main goals of the Hubs Microgrant Program is to activate grassroots engagement across the ASAP network. Saw something that interested you? Get in touch with the Project Team!