Great Springs Project的动态

Community Capacity Building. Working with people in our communities, teaching new skills, and as we do that, learning from them what works, and what does not. For the last three years, with my colleagues at the UN FAO and Barbados Ruminants and Farm Services, we have been doing exactly that: fine tuning the fish waste to protein pathway. Have a look at the video PLA Inc. put together on the process.

Sunsetting an organization has been one of the most challenging yet insightful experiences of my career. When I began with Inspiring Communities, I aimed to build a social innovation approach to municipal and community development, considering the economic landscape. Over time, this evolved into co-founding new initiatives. The key realization is that transitioning organizations into new forms is okay—it signals growth. While Inspiring Communities sunsets, the work continues through four initiatives: New Roots CLT, Future Civics, the CALM Initiative, and Kisitoqsipn Nepisuna’tasik, each carrying forward its legacy uniquely - creating the proof of concept that community-driven social innovation labs should be incubators. If you have any questions about this transition, please get in touch with our Executive Director, Jocelyn Li or myself. "There is no innovation and creativity without failure. Period." ― Brene Brown

MEMBER ALERT ?? MONTHLY MASTERMIND CALL - This Friday! The purpose of the mastermind is to provide peer support, brainstorm ideas and offer a safe space for communication, gathering feedback, sharing wins and challenges and expanding our thinking for innovations. A mastermind is essentially a small group of people come from similar spaces, in our case we are all working or volunteering broadly in the environmental volunteering space. Whether through Landcare, Friends & Bushcare, Local Government, Catchment Management Authorities, Local Land Services, other environmentally focused or Wildlife / Species Recovery Organisations, Campaigning organisations or Committees of Management, we share similar challenges and values. Come along with a question, a challenge or something to celebrate, crowdsource from others experiences or just take time out to connect with others playing in a similar space. OTHER INFORMATION These sessions will be facilitated by me, but the content and direction come from you. These sessions are NOT recorded and are show up if and when you like. They are designed to be helpful and supportive, NOT to add another stressful thing to your to-do list. Come if you can, pass if your schedule is full. We trust that whoever shows up on the day are the right people and that the content takes us where we are meant to go. There is no agenda, its a free flow FACILITATED discussion.

Trust: An overlooked driver of long-lasting restoration success? ?? Trust between restoration organisations and local communities is often overlooked, but plays a critical role in ensuring the success of restoration efforts. In this guest blog from Natasha Watts, WeForest's Head of Project Development, and Belgian researcher Sybryn Maes, we explore why trust matters, how it influences community engagement, and why local wisdom is key to creating sustainable, people-driven restoration. Discover how nurturing strong, collaborative relationships between communities and practitioners can heal both ecosystems and the bonds between people and their land. Link to read below ??

"I recently had the privilege of attending the Western Collaborative Conservation Network’s Confluence in Tucson. While sharing space with conference-sized groups of people is not generally my cup of tea, this was a conference all about collaboration and community building. It wasn’t just a sit and listen space, but a highly interactive one. We were learning about the importance of relationship building and trust in collaborative conservation in part by building relationships with each other. People brought their insights and challenges to group discussions and there was room to ask tough questions about what’s missing, who isn’t at the table and needs to be, and where collaboration isn’t working. While I always leave conferences with “contacts” I don’t think I’ve ever left a conference having made friends, but the connective atmosphere and time spent chatting over coffee made this year’s Confluence a delightful exception. Something I’ve been mulling over since Confluence is the connection between two sessions I attended. One was a training offered from the?John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution?on, you guessed it, environmental conflict resolution. The other was an introduction to a?Toolkit for Meaningful Engagement with Indigenous Peoples in Conservation. The content of these sessions was different, but a major takeaway I had from both was about the role and importance of understanding; it is such a vital piece of communication and collaboration, yet it is so often overlooked or deprioritized. These sessions shared tools that can be applied in environmental work, but to me, they also served to reflect the challenges many of us experience in how we approach relationships." Read more of this month's In the Field newsletter by?CJ Ames, education and outreach director: https://lnkd.in/g6t5uVn7

With so much conversation about raising awareness and fostering the next generation of industry professionals, Grass Clippings and Scott Hebert continue to discover innovative ways to bring superintendents out of the shadows. Video presented by The Toro Company.

???Reflecting on My Journey with California American Water??? I am now three months into my journey with California American Water, and each day continues to fuel me. The dedication, kindness, and excitement that my colleagues and the entire water utility industry bring to the table is truly inspiring. Meeting with numerous community leaders who are invested in their local water infrastructure has further fueled my passion for the future of our state and country. Here are some key lessons I’ve learned so far: Teamwork Makes Everything Work??? Teamwork isn’t just a catchy phrase about a dream; it’s the backbone of our operations. Whether it’s collaborating internally across departments like engineering, operations, water quality, customer service, external affairs, and regulatory rates, or partnering externally with regulators and community partners, teamwork ensures that all Californians enjoy the luxury of affordable, safe, and clean drinking water. Water is More Than Just H2O??? The complexities of water management are vast. I feel incredibly fortunate to learn from some of the brightest minds in the field, continuing my educational journey. I encourage everyone to take a moment to understand not just water resources and infrastructure but also the other types of infrastructure we use daily and often take for granted. Get Involved in Your Community???? If you’re not satisfied with something in your community, take action! I’ve met many individuals who were unhappy with their local infrastructure and decided to make a difference. Their involvement has led to positive changes in their towns. Don’t just be an armchair quarterback—get in the game and make an impact on what you care about. Showing Up Matters??? Whether it’s attending a colleague’s award ceremony, a community event, or a casual gathering, showing up demonstrates that you care. It shows you’re willing to invest your most valuable resource—your time—into others. This is a lesson the water utility industry understands deeply, and it’s something I’ve come to appreciate more than ever. I’m excited to continue this journey and look forward to contributing to the future of our communities.

At LionPoint Coaching we partner with companies, people, and missions that truly inspire us. Trust is at the core of everything we do. It’s one of our guiding ethos principles found on our website: “Safety and trust are the backbone of every LionPoint relationship.” WeForest is a perfect example. Marie-No?lle Keijzer, David Bircher and Olivier Standaert consistently lead with their values, as highlighted in their article below about the critical role of trust in restoration efforts. We encourage you to explore WeForest’s thoughtful piece. It’s a great reminder of why trust matters in creating lasting impact.” #Leadership #ValuesBasedLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #OrganizationalTrust

DEC’s Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) continues to grow and provide support for communities statewide. We’re issuing a ‘last call’ for organizations to submit applications by 3p.m., Jan. 29 for approximately $3 million in competitive grant funding to support community-driven projects to improve air quality. Since 2006, OEJ awarded more than $23 million in funding for 289 projects around the state to help nonprofit organizations support communities facing??environmental burdens. The projects address a wide range of community concerns: ?? Food insecurity ?? Air/Soil/Water Quality ?? Waterway/Lake Clean Up/restoration ?? Heat Island work ?? Growing the next generation of environmentalists ?? Access to green space ?? Training in the green and clean fields ?? Learn more about OEJ’s grant programs at https://lnkd.in/ew-R8wuX

As we work on the C-RAC Winter Newsletter, we wanted to bring you some highlights from the Summer! One of our articles, focusing on the future of involvement in local government, contained this quote. "The Quad Cities is made up of 7 distinct governing bodies, and cooperation is key to achieving a Mississippi River that is not only livable, but habitable, profitable, and equitable. Write to city council representatives and encourage them to have conversations about equity and conservation. It takes a village, or, in this case, several villages, to make real change." You can read this article and catch up on our Summer achievements at the link below. https://lnkd.in/gYWP7rqA