When Greenbelt Alliance and Sustainable Solano first imagined a climate literacy program in Solano County, we envisioned young and emerging climate leaders creating tangible change in their own backyards.
But to build climate leadership skills, meaningful relationships need to be forged, with shared values and a commitment to create a more resilient Solano County. Fast forward to October 2024, and we celebrated the launch of our inaugural Resilient Roots cohort at an engaging program launch event!
The event—hosted at Lawler Falls Park in Suisun City—welcomed our cohort, their friends and family, and Solano community members for an evening of networking and environmental activities. Over 40 guests gathered as welcomed our new fellows and mingled with Solano’s current and future leaders. Fellows socialized over a bingo activity, painted plant pots, and received a special hat to welcome them into the cohort. Scroll through photos from the event below!
Click here to see more photos.
Nurturing Local Climate Champions
As our fellows are well aware, Suisun City and Fairfield face unique climate challenges, from sea level rise to wildfires. With Suisun City projected to see up to 9 feet of sea level rise by 2100 and Fairfield still recovering from last year’s Green Valley Fire, our fellows are eager to tackle these pressing issues head-on. By nurturing their local expertise, we’re building a network of advocates ready to drive meaningful change where it’s needed the most.
This 10-month fellowship will equip these 20 residents with the tools and knowledge to drive climate action in their communities. They’ll participate in workshops ranging from climate policy advocacy to infrastructure design and environmental justice, and learn from local leaders like Suisun City’s mayor, Alma Hernandez, BCDC’s senior manager for climate equity and community engagement, Phoenix Armenta, and many others. Learn more at the program at solanoresilientroots.org.
We look forward to seeing our fellows embark on this transformative journey and tap into their own place-based knowledge to sow the seeds of a more sustainable future. As this cohort grows, they’ll create a resilient ecosystem of knowledge, action, and hope that will flourish throughout Solano County and beyond.
Stay tuned for updates from our amazing Resilient Roots cohort as they continue along this journey to become climate leaders!
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.
The Resilient Roots Launch party was supported in part by Wells Fargo.
Photos by Brianna Casanares.
