May 27, 2020  -  View online

Sustainability Spotlight

Cincinnati Ranks #5 in Nation for Parks

accessible greenspaces. Learn more about the ParkScore rankings and explore maps showing park access (and where to focus future investments) in 14,000 cities and towns.

Here's What We Know About Summer Camps

Looking for fun summer camp activities for your kids? We've compiled a list of virtual and in-person summer camps offered by Green Umbrella members. You can also check out the Cincinnati Summer Camps Guide for more options.

• Imago Backyard Adventures brings week long experiences to your backyard. Kids will receive a kit of special materials to complete activities and join video meetings where they receive guidance and interact with other campers.
• Gorman Heritage Farm offers a variety of in-person summer day camps for kids to interact with farm animals, explore the woods, play outdoor games and harvest and prepare their own snacks.

• Cincinnati Zoo is offering virtual summer camps with interactive activities, games, animal encounters and virtual hikes through the zoo.
• Great Parks of Hamilton County is offering virtual day camps for kids to participate in interactive online sessions and at-home outdoor missions.
• Cincinnati Parks will host limited in-person Explore Nature Summer Camps for kids already registered.

Hamilton County Makes Generational Investment in Transportation 

Voters took a historic step by passing Issue 7, which expands funding for a better bus system. The much needed investment will improve access to jobs, education and health care.

“We look forward to working with the community to implement the Reinventing Metro Plan and to partner with local governments to fix critical infrastructure in Hamilton County” said Kreg Keesee, chair of the SORTA Board.

Congratulations to the Move Forward campaign and all our fellow transporation advocates that helped make it happen.

Save the Date: Farm to Table Virtual Cooking Class Fundraiser

Join us from the comfort of your home for a locavore dinner for two (or four) and a virtual cooking lesson by a surprise guest chef! 

Reserve your spot today to receive a locally-sourced meal kit delivered to your door and a link to join the interactive event on Thursday, July 16. Wine pairing suggestions, trivia and breakout chat rooms will add entertainment to the evening.

This event is a fundraiser for the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council, which works to create a healthy, equitable, sustainable food system for all within the 10 county region.

Becoming a Regenerative Region: Transportation & Food Systems

Join us this Friday at 3:00 pm for a discussion on the how our food and transportation systems can help create a connected and regenerative region. Speakers will include Alan Wight, Taylor Liggins and Wade Johnston.

This biweekly webinar series offers a preview of topics to be featured at the 2020 Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit, which has been rescheduled for August 6. Early bird registration closes July 1. Sponsor and exhibitor opportunities are available.

Make an investment in the sustainability and resiliency of our region. 

Donate and become a Green Umbrella member today!

Sustainability in the Headlines

New Approaches to Sustainability Lead to High-Perfomance Buildings, FacilitiesNet

Creating Communities and a Built Environment That Can Adapt and Thrive, NKY Thrives

People Working Cooperatively Helps Residents Stay Safe While Stuck Inside, NKY Thrives

Our Choices Shape the Future of Food in Ohio, Columbus Dispatch

After the Final Count, Hamilton County's Issue 7 Bus and Road Levy Passes, CityBeat

Amtrak to Bring Staff Back to Cincinnati Union Terminal, Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati Zoo Announces Its Reopening Plans, CityBeat

How Dean Regas Became One of the Nation's Best-Known Astronomers, Cincinnati Magazine
With Bailout Secured, FirstEnergy to Make Additional $300M in Buybacks, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Regenerative Agriculture Can Change the Fashion Industry, Vogue

6 Key Ways to Recreate Responsibly, Stay Healthy and Protect Public Lands During COVID, REI

What We Know About Your Chances of Catching the Virus Outdoors, NY Times

People of Color Experience Climate Grief More Deeply Than White People, Vice

Will Pandemic Push Humans Into a Healthier Relationship with Nature?, Thomson Reuters

Professional Opportunities  

USGBC will host a virtual Equity Summit on May 28 and 29 where sustainability advocates, social and environmental justice leaders, and economic and community development experts will share how their work acts on equity by creating better lives for people and through moving the needle for green buildings, cities, and communities.

Core Consulting is offering a webinar on Appreciative Inquiry, an organizational transformation tool that can help you reimagine your post-pandemic organization, on June 3. 

Pachamama Alliance is hosting the Game Changer Intensive, an 8-week online course to inspire and equip you to become a game changing leader in the world. Enroll by June 7. They also offer an ongoing online course, Awakening the Dreamer, which invites you to reflect and discover opportunities to create a new environmental future. 

USDA is offering $900k for local governments to host a Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction pilot project. They will host a webinar on June 4 and applications are due June 26.

Greater Cincinnati Foundation is offering Learning Links + COVID-19 Classroom Relief grants of up to $1000 for K-12 projects, events, classroom and after-school programming, and service learning projects to address learning loss due to COVID. Proposals due August 7.

PEDCO and emersion DESIGN will host the 2020 REBUILD conference, focused on sustainability in the built environment, on October 1. This year’s theme is Resiliency, centered around high impactful strategies and tactics for REbuilding, REjuvinating and REvitalizing the Midwest.

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