At Groundwork, we know there’s strength in numbers! This is why we prioritize collaboration—not just within communities but across our entire network. One of our favorite ways to connect is through our Trust-to-Trust learning exchanges, which bring staff from different Groundwork Trusts together to share skills, strategies, and insights. It’s in these collaborative spaces that we witness firsthand how learning from one another strengthens not just individual community organizations, but the collective movement for environmental justice.
A Year of Collaboration and Shared Learning
Last year, we kicked off the Trust-to-Trust Learning Exchanges in Elizabeth, NJ, with a hands-on “Microforest” intensive led by Groundwork Elizabeth. Groundwork staff came together to learn the art of planting a microforest, an innovative approach to urban reforestation designed to increase biodiversity, improve air quality, and combat climate impacts like flooding and extreme heat. Participants also had the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and plant a microforest themselves! Building on this momentum, Groundwork Rhode Island is piloting their own microforest project to enhance climate resilience in their communities.
In Cincinnati, OH, Groundwork Ohio River Valley is guiding participants through the process of developing fee-for-service, young-adult workforce programs. These programs equip local youth with valuable job skills in fields like green infrastructure and environmental restoration. Participants walked away with practical tools and insights on how to launch similar workforce programs in their own communities.
This year, Groundwork Rhode Island hosted an immersive workshop on urban forestry in Pawtucket, RI. Participants explored the fundamentals of tree care, the process of launching urban forestry projects, ways to expand these initiatives in underserved communities, and strategies for developing a dedicated workforce to support urban forestry efforts.
“Groundwork Trusts are situated in communities that have a wealth of expertise and knowledge that can only come from being deeply embedded in the environmental justice movement. This is why it’s so important for us to come together and share the knowledge gleaned from their lived experiences,”
-Dr. Bruce Strouble, Senior Manager of Equitable Climate Resilience Programs
When diverse groups—government agencies, community organizations, and residents of all ages—come together, they blend a rich mix of knowledge, resources, and experiences to tackle complex environmental issues. By working together, we can spark innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of different communities and combine our strengths and diverse perspectives to shape a greener, healthier, more just future.
