Our Resilient Roots fellows are knee-deep in their skill-building and leadership development curriculum to grow their climate leadership skills in Solano County. The Greenbelt Alliance and Sustainable Solano Coordinator Team are leading our fellows through dynamic monthly sessions to hone local expertise to the region’s interconnected climate challenges, and equipping them with the tools to drive meaningful change in their communities.
Suisun City–one of Greenbelt Alliance’s Resilience Hotspots–and Fairfield face intersecting climate challenges that will affect predominantly low-income communities. Our initial Hotspots research inspired Greenbelt Alliance to partner with Sustainable Solano to launch a new climate fellowship program that will help create local climate champions and prepare communities and ecosystems for a changing climate.
Throughout the 10-month program, fellows will design a capstone project that addresses a specific climate challenge in their community or around the San Francisco Estuary, by incorporating the knowledge and skills acquired during the fellowship. Resilient Roots fellows are using their new skills and resources on environmental justice, local climate issues, planning and policy development, and effective communication strategies to create the change they wish to see in their own backyards.
This blog provides a snapshot of our Resilient Roots Climate Leaders network curriculum, with highlights from the Coordinator Team who are designing and leading the program.
About the Resilient Roots Sessions
Session 1: What’s Your Frontline?
Fellows learned the importance of diverse roles in climate advocacy and how everyone can contribute in unique ways. Playing various roles in climate advocacy work (e.g., Policy Advocate, Community Organizer, Researcher, Educator, Media Specialist, etc.), fellows had the opportunity to explore the collaborative relationships needed to drive climate change resilience with specific prompts. One prompt, for example, asked fellows to develop a campaign that focuses on building resilience in vulnerable communities to climate impacts in Solano County, such as flooding and heat waves. Our activity asked: What strategies can your group use to educate and mobilize residents, and how can different roles support this initiative?
Photos from the first Resilient Roots session. Photos courtesy of Greenbelt Alliance and Sustainable Solano.
Session 2: Intro to Environmental and Climate Justice
In this session, Phoenix Armenta, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s (BCDC) Senior Manager for Climate Equity and Community Engagement, gave an overview of environmental justice (EJ) principles. Their case study of redlining and toxicity in West Oakland provided fellows with an understanding of climate-vulnerable communities, and was followed by an activity to understand EJ through various data tools to identify disparities.
Fellows participated in an engaging discussion with Liat Meitzenheimer who shared about Fresh Air Vallejo’s hard fought environmental justice win that took local organizing, political strategy, and continuous pressure to ultimately stop a harmful development.
Photos from the second Resilient Roots session. Photos by Essex Cook.
Session 3: Storytelling, Data Tools, and How To Communicate Effectively
Our fellows came together for an inspiring workshop led by urban planner Lakeisha Wright, learning how to transform our experiences into powerful stories and advocacy campaigns that are key for making change.
Through interactive exercises and meaningful discussions, we explored ways to share the fellow’s stories and turn data into compelling narratives that resonate with hearts and minds. Fellows leveraged storytelling tools to explore how lived experience can be a powerful tool for organizing, advocating, and making sure your perspective is heard.
Photos from the third Resilient Roots session. Photos courtesy of Greenbelt Alliance and Sustainable Solano.
Session 4: Parks and Green Spaces
Our fourth Resilient Roots session provided fellows with an understanding of tree equity, the importance of greenspaces, and linkages between urban greenspace and climate resilience. Our first guest speaker, Di Holokahi from the Solano Land Trust spoke to her work in increasing outdoor access among the youth and addressing barriers to recreational opportunities.
Next, Solano County Supervisor Wanda Williams discussed the critical role of local government in advocating for equitable access to parks and green spaces, emphasizing how these areas support environmental justice, community health, and climate resilience. To put this knowledge into practice, fellows engaged in an interactive ‘Dream Your Park’ activity to explore the ins and outs of recreation resources and park needs in their own communities.
Photos from the fourth Resilient Roots session. Photos courtesy of Greenbelt Alliance and Sustainable Solano.
Looking Forward
As we enter 2025, our Resilient Roots program will engage our fellows in a field trip to Soul Food Farms in Vacaville, a hands-on permaculture workshop hosted by Sustainable Solano, and culminate in a climate summit in July where fellows will showcase their capstone projects!
Thank you to our incredible Resilient Roots fellows, our guest speakers and facilitators, and the 20 experts who worked with us to develop a thoughtful and engaging curriculum. This program wouldn’t be possible without our Solano community and beyond for showing support in sharing outreach materials, showing up to events, and being a part of a growing community that’s fighting for climate equity and local empowerment. Together, we’ve launched a groundbreaking initiative to empower Solano County’s vibrant community in the fight for climate equity.
This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement (98T89401) to (Greenbelt Alliance/People for Open Space). The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the EPA endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document.
Banner photo of Resilient Roots fellows by Essex Cook.
