World Nature Conservation Day, Climate Adaptation Planning And Analytics, CityPlants.Org

CAPA–CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLANNIG AND ANALYTICS

CAPA (Climate Adaptation Planning + Analytics) helps communities plan for an uncertain future with a custom set of products and services to inform decisions to safeguard communities. 

In 2019, CAPA began conducting field campaigns to provide hyper-local descriptions of urban heat distribution in communities around the United States. Its efforts have translated into local climate action and resiliency plans, the emergence of climate-relevant nonprofits, and decision makers’ work to address the inequities inherent in urban climate challenges. 

Since then, CAPA has built additional tools to help build local capacity to adapt to climate change. These tools integrate social, infrastructural, and ecological aspects of any location for an equitable and holistic approach to community adaptation. Some of CAPAs most recent work includes  teaming up with the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management (PBEM) and the Home Forward housing agency to track summer temperatures inside public housing units in 2022. 

Also Bronx and Manhattan community members are working with South Bronx Unite and Columbia University’s Earth Institute to uncover disparities in exposure to urban heat with Heat Watch. And Since 2020, CAPA has been part of LA’s Urban Forest Equity Collective (UFEC), and co-created a Forest Equity Assessment Report and Planting Guidebook for the city.  

Why does Climate Adaptation Planning + Analytics matter to us? B/c of its Insights tool. Insights is a suite of analytical tools geared towards advancing the understanding of climate hazard impacts and exploring mitigation and adaptation solutions. 

DEEPER DIVE: CAPA, CityPlants, Urban Equity Guide Book

WORLD NATURE CONSERVATION DAY—JULY 28

Celebrated on July 28 each year, the World Nature Conservation Day acknowledges that a healthy environment is the foundation for a stable and healthy society. World Nature Conservation Day acknowledges the growing need to conserve the natural resources and ecosystems that play a vital role in maintaining the health of our planet.  

I wish I could tell you when it was created, but can’t seem to find an exact date. What I can tell you is there are five ways you can celebrate World Nature Conservation Day!

Wondering what you can do to bring attention to worldwide nature conservation efforts? Or thinking about switching up some habits to green up your business? Here are five ways to celebrate World Nature Conservation Day this year and positively impact our planet! 

Volunteer in your community’s environmental programs; Support conservation organizations through donating; Stick by the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reduce, Recycle) in your everyday life; Stay in the know, educate yourself, and spread awareness; You can further educate yourself and do your research from reliable resources – following conservation organizations is a good starting point! As you learn more, continue to share your support for conservation in person and online for others to act.

Number one of course, planting trees in existing woodlands and forests. Doing so will help absorb carbon and pollution from the atmosphere. Reforesting in these areas of need is a crucial part of bringing balance to ecosystems affected by from deforestation, over-farming, and other harmful practices. Offsetting carbon emissions is how we can negate the consequences of climate change. One such method to offset the tremendous amount of CO2 produced is through global reforestation.

DEEPER DIVE: Economic Times, Business Standard, Gifford Pinchot

CITYPLANTS.ORG

City Plants is on a mission in Los Angeles county. The mission is to grow a greener future for Los Angeles by engaging Angelenos to plant and care for trees throughout the City. City Plants envisions a Los Angeles in which people in every neighborhood have equal access to trees and their benefits: clean air, energy efficiency, better health, cooling shade, and friendlier, more vibrant communities.

City Plants is a continuation of LA’s former tree planting program, Million Trees LA. The new name reflects changing priorities, focusing its efforts in low canopy areas and planting in a way that maximizes the benefits trees provide rather than on reaching a specific number of trees. It does that by planting and distributing 20,000 trees a year. Why trees and why does this matter to us? 

• Trees filter asthma-causing pollution out of the air and help reduce the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
• In LA, and in other coastal communities, trees help protect beaches by capturing polluted stormwater and helping it sink into the ground rather than wash out to sea.
• Trees add beauty to neighborhoods, which increases property values and makes business corridors more attractive to shoppers.
• Trees are an excellent way to keep our yards green while using less water, especially when planting one of the many drought-resilient varieties available through the program.
• And trees help cool urban areas from the dreaded “heat island effect,” the result of too much concrete and asphalt reflecting sunlight and absorbing heat in densely populated, thinly-treed urban spaces.

How do they do it? CityPlants works with six non-profit partners and several different LA City departments to transform streets and neighborhoods. Programs for tree education and distribution include Yard Trees, Street Trees, Trees for Schools, for businesses and even trees for Apartment buildings.

DEEPER DIVE: CityPlants.org, Heat Island Effect