Hiking through the woods in the heart of summer is one of my favorite things. With the trees’ leaves fully formed, you feel fully encased by walls of green. Sounds from beyond the line of trees are reduced to a distant hum, with only birdsong and the scurrying of animals audible. On days when the sun appears, you see the dappled rays of light filtering down from above, highlighting Mother Nature’s intricate tapestry of life. Spider webs and dewdrops glisten, mist and steam rise from the ground, and creatures emerge from their burrows.

I often find myself reflecting on the work that the Greenspace Alliance is doing during these walks, my mind running through our goals, successes, and new connections. Summer is a time of both harvest and sowing: harvesting the work done over winter and spring, and sowing for the future. Read on to discover what we’ve grown!

Cheers,

Claire Carlson

Greenspace Alliance Manager

Taking the Comprehensive Planning Show on the Road!

In early July, the first Comprehensive Planning 101 event was held in Dearborn County, Indiana in collaboration with Dearborn County Planning and Zoning and Dearborn County Soil and Water (SWCD). Claire, along with representatives from Planning and Zoning and the SWCD, presented on the basics of comprehensive planning, how it relates to conservation, and how individuals in Dearborn County can get involved.

This event was the first in a series of comprehensive planning events that the RPP/Policy Working Group plans to host throughout the region in counties and communities that are updating their comprehensive plan. The ultimate goal of this type of outreach is to spread awareness of the RPP, increase its integration into planning regionally, and integrate conservation-focused language into a community’s plan. Dearborn County’s upcoming Comprehensive Planning meeting will be held on Thursday, July 24 from 6-8 p.m.

*NEW* Connect with your Representatives Contact List!

Over the past few months, many conservation partners have been drastically impacted by decisions made at various levels of government. And even though we are a few months removed from some of the most drastic changes, they are still reverberating throughout the work that partners are (and are not) doing. Additionally, legislation introduced at the national level is threatening historic standards for clean waters and will be giving more power to corporate polluters. If you have never contacted your representatives, whether locally, or at the state and federal levels, check out the Greenspace Alliance’s new guide on “How to Connect with Your Representatives”. It features a script, along with ways to contact your local, state, and federal representatives. Please share throughout your networks!

Hamilton County Conservation District to Update Long-Range Plan

Hamilton County Conservation District is in the process of updating their long-term plan. The plan will set priorities to assist and guide the district’s program services over the course of a five-year period, serving as the road map that will guide their conservation work. Members of the community are invited to share their input through an online survey, as well as in-person at their Community Open House & Input Session on Tuesday, August 5 and Partner Planning Session on Friday, August 15.

Dearborn County Soil and Water Conservation District is one of the newest partners in the Greenspace Alliance. They are committed to promoting nature resource conservation through education, available technology, technical assistance, and partnership with other entities. They ensure that all the work they do is informed from an understanding of their past while keeping an eye on the future. Their Storm Water Coordinator, Matt Simpson, and Vice Chairman, Ken Gunkel, were instrumental in helping to coordinate the Comprehensive Planning 101 event that happened in Dearborn County earlier this month. We look forward to future collaborative efforts with them in southeast Indiana!

Green Umbrella is launching their 25 Communities Project Kickoff on Tuesday, July 22 from 1:00-2:30 PM. This initiative will bring 25 new communities into the movement towards a resilient, equitable, and thriving region. For more information, check out the 25 communities event page.

August 29, 3:00-4:30 PM, Badgley Run Park

Join Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance, Cincinnati Parks, and the Cincinnati Center for Collaboration on Climate and Community for Health (C4H) at Badgley Run Park to explore an urban greenspace alongside scientists working to understand and reduce the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations!

Reply to this email to reach Claire, or for questions regarding membership, visit here or email membership@greenumbrella.org