Attached are a series of documents from various institutions and states that desribe their Adopt-A-Pond, Field, or Park Programs. These documents can serve as templates for those interested in adopting their own specific guidelines, applications, and...

Issue guides provide the overall framework for the deliberative discussion and help forum participants focus on alternative courses of action. Key to creating an issue guide is how it is framed - how the issue is defined and what alternative courses of...

Creating behavior change to mobilize transitions toward sustainability is a significant challenge of our time. Inspired by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Farmer Field School, we developed a novel community-based education...

Successful programs of crop wild relative (CWR) exploration, conservation, and utilization are ultimately dependent on sustained public prioritization and support, which in turn requires public awareness and engagement. Here we discuss the importance...

This paper examines Urban Advantage, a thirteen-year partnership in New York City, between eight cultural institutions (botanical gardens among them) and the Department of Education, as a ‘case’ of a long-lasting research practice partnership that has...

This Field Guide to Conservation in Cities captures the collective experience of The Nature Conservancy and Center for Whole Communities (CWC) from 2014 to 2016, as they initiated a network of urban conservation programs in 12 cities across the United...

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) has community engagement at its core. With health and environmental challenges facing society, its mission “to explore, conserve and explain the world of plants for a better future” is more important and...

Nearly 40 years of scientific research demonstrates that the experience of nature in cities contributes to our health and wellness. Having nearby nature in the vicinity of one’s everyday life – whether during your...

This EPA toolkit uses examples from outreach efforts in the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin to provide a helpful framework for state and local agencies, watershed groups, nongovernmental organizations and others in developing effective...

The Social and Emotiona Learning (SEL) Challenge was designed to identify promising practices for empathy, teamwork, initiative, responsibility, and problem solving. The Challenge was a partnership in eight...

How to scale (“pathways”), whom to involve (“partnerships”), and retention of program quality (“fidelity”) are three strategic decisions that can be critical to the scale up of beneficial social programs in societies. This report examines various ways...

Climate change is not a new issue for Latinos living in the United States. Many Latino leaders have provided leadership on climate, and organizations are working to engage Latinos in solutions. Latino climate leadership is accelerating, but further ...

This guide features stories from organizations and communities across America that have successfully engaged their constituents in programs and initiatives to elevate climate leadership, action, and solutions. From nurses to pastors to local leaders,...

Across scientific fields, there have been calls to improve the integration of scientific knowledge in policy making. Particularly since the publication of the Millennium Ecosystem...

The global environmental conservation community recognizes that the participation of local communities is essential for the success of conservation initiatives; however, much work remains to be done on how to integrate conservation and human...

Jerusalem Botanical Gardens has pioneered a change in the role public gardens play in their community. A large part of their social programming is dedicated to rehabilitation programs for demographics that are specific to the geographical location:...

As the #PlantsDoThat infographic shows, plants benefit society in many ways:

• Plants in the workplace reduce employee sick time by 14%
• Well-landscaped homes are more valuable; since homes represent 25% of personal wealth, outdoor
...

Adkins Arboretum’s mission is to promote the appreciation and conservation of
the native plants of the Delmarva Peninsula. The Arboretum’s diverse setting of
woodlands, meadows, wetlands, streams, and gardens serves as a model for land...

This project directly addresses that gap in the public gardens’ knowledge of how to embed their unique expertise into the broader agenda of sustainable community development. It carefully records the choices confronting gardens and communities from the...