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Can Mount Vernon learn from Marion's downtown alley project?

Grant Pepper

August 23, 2020 |

Knox Pages |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Marion, Ohio

The city of Marion, Ohio, has allocated an alley for use as a community hub where diners can eat, families can frolick, and revelers can listen to live music. The space has benefitted the local economy, encouraging residents to come out and support vendors on main street. During the pandemic, it served as a place people could safely gather while enjoying fresh air and a lively atmosphere. The nearby city of Mount Vernon is taking notes from Marion's success.

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Amazon ‘women warriors' show gender equality, forest conservation go hand in hand

Rosamaria Loures Sarah Sax

August 21, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Brazil, Maranhão

Women “warriors” of the indigenous Guajajara people in Brazil use drones to patrol their territory of the Amazon rainforest in an effort to prevent deforestation. Because of their work, they have been able to cut deforestation down to just 63 hectares in 2018 compared with 2,000 hectares in 2016. While the work can be dangerous and difficult at times, the women are committed to protecting the forests as a way to combat climate change. “If we don’t act, there would be no forest standing,” says one of the women warriors.

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How Ashland SWCD uses art to teach stormwater management

Katie Ellington

August 21, 2020 |

Richland Source |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashland, Ohio

As a way to raise funds and awareness for stormwater education, some cities are turning rain barrels into an art exhibit. Rain barrels catch water as it runs off rooftops, which can be used later for watering plants. It also reduces the amount of water that picks up pollutants and is carried into waterways. The Ashland Soil and Water Conservancy District in Ohio featured 10 rain barrels painted by local artists, allowing residents to vote and bid on their favorite design. Their efforts were inspired by a similar event in Indiana where they’ve auctioned 100 barrels for residents to use at home.

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Pandemic Thwarts In-Person Census Outreach, But Santa Barbara County Response Rates Rally

Giana Magnoli

August 19, 2020 |

Noozhawk |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Goleta, California

Althought the coronavirus pandemic thwarted the planned efforts originally intended to increase census participation in the city of Goleta, California, county census workers have found ways to still successfully reach community members. From door-to-door visits and car parades to lawn signs and educational campaigns, the city's efforts have "resulted in the highest local self-response so far."

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Meet three Black-owned grocery delivery services bringing fresh food to your door during the pandemic

Jessie Roti

August 19, 2020 |

The TRiiBE |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago-based grocery delivery services are alleviating the hardship faced by those who live in food deserts. Black and brown communities with limited access to groceries were hit especially hard during COVID-19, when shelves were emptied out by those who could afford to stock up. Black-owned grocery delivery meets a crucial need in a community that has limited access to fresh produce. The service is also able to deliver hard-to-find ingredients and is a comforting presence in neighborhoods that are braced for another possible wave of the virus, potentially making the upcoming winter especially difficult.

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Can an Army of Feral Cats Solve New York City's Rat Problem?

Brendan Crowley

August 14, 2020 |

InsideHook |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

New York's Hard Hat Cats turns feral cats into working animals, deploying teams in outdoor spaces and indoor workplaces with rat infestations. Breweries, a prison, and other buildings have seen their rat populations plummet once cats are welcomed and cared for. The feral cats come from colonies of rehabilitated animals who have been trapped and neutered. The colonies prove less annoying to people once they are fed. Despite a lack of help from city officials, the working cats have earned their keep by addressing a problem that New Yorkers often complain about.

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How the World's Largest Garbage Dump Evolved Into a Green Oasis

Robert Sullivan Jade Doskow

August 14, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Staten Island, New York

The former Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island is turning into a public park that will accept visitors in 2021. By capping the trash site with plastic, covering it with soil, and planting native grasses, city officials are restoring the area’s former tidal wetlands and scrublands; nearly 314 plant and animal species have already been sighted. While the successful closing of the dump nearly 20 years ago means that the trash is being sent to other neighborhoods in the United States where people dealing with economic hardship live, the project could be a model for sustainability and urban renewal.

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Zion National Park's shuttles are falling apart, but there is no funding to replace them. Why?

K. Sophie Will

August 13, 2020 |

St. George Spectrum & Daily News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Springdale, Utah

As part of a collaboration between Zion National Park and the nearby town of Springdale, shuttle buses were introduced to limit the amount of noise in the canyon and deal with issues of over parking. However, those shuttles have now reached the end of their lifespan and threaten to disrupt the flow of tourists into the park. Efforts to replace the buses with an electric fleet, that could also reduce carbon emissions, have hit roadblocks as they’ve been denied federal funding.

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Gun Violence Left a Mark on His Childhood. He Says People Like Him Should Lead Efforts to Reduce It.

Ann Givens

August 13, 2020 |

The Trace |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

The South Central Leadership Academy was started in Los Angeles by a college student who believes that gun violence survivors like him should lead the community response in finding solutions to violence. Its first year of paying more than a dozen student survivors to learn community organizing skills succeeded in attracting funding to expand to Nashville, Baltimore, and Atlanta. COVID-19 put the latter two expansions on hold, but LA and Nashville continued with well-attended classes learning remotely. Founder Marco Vargas hopes to turn this startup into a national network of youth leadership academies.

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Bogotá Is Building its Future Around Bikes

Andrea Jaramillo

August 10, 2020 |

Bloomberg |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Bogotá

To help essential workers navigate the notorious traffic of Bogota, the city built over 50 miles of an emergency bike network. The plan was in place before the arrival of coronavirus but the execution was sped up to meet the demands of increased bike usage. Other measures were also put into place to make the roads more bike and pedestrian-friendly: Reduced speed limits for cars, a 20 percent increase in private parking for bikes, and a bike registration system to deincentivize bike theft. Efforts to expand bike lanes not only eased traffic, they also helped relieve pressure on the overcrowded bus system.

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