FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2023
Resilient Together to Host Virtual Open House
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Resilient Together will be hosting an engaging, interesting, and informative conversation (although we will have a variety of subject matter experts in the room). First, we'll have a general presentation about the state of our area – the vulnerabilities we face, and how this effort seeks to help our community. Then, we'll open up topic-focused breakout rooms where you can visit, learn, and discuss heat and air quality, drought and flooding, and changing seasonal patterns and pests. You'll be able to move from room to room depending on your interests. Finally, we'll rejoin as a group and play a game designed to build understanding about what we might do (or have done) in a disaster or emergency.
Pre-register for the event HERE: https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/UppHCgJx78SqWvpvSZvzuG?domain=r20.rs6.net
Because planning for resilience requires community effort, we need you to be involved. Please join us!
About the Project
Through this project, we seek to define resilience, identify opportunities, and design strategies to build resilience.
We can think about resilience in terms of preparedness, emergency response, and recovery -- before, during, and after a severe weather event. Building resilience starts with identifying strengths (where the community is working well) and gaps (where there is a need for improvement) in how we prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters or extreme weather events.
This project will build on community strengths. Our community possesses numerous strengths we can leverage to build resilience to the impacts of climate change. These include neighborhood groups, local businesses, service-oriented nonprofits, schools, local governments, and informal mutual aid networks among community members, to name a few.
Solutions can take many forms, such as protecting and enhancing tree cover to provide cooling shade during a heat wave to increasing the capacity of emergency responders during a flooding event.
Through this planning process, we will gather input from community members, nonprofits, businesses, and local government staff to identify strategies that build on strengths and address needs for meeting the challenges that climate change is bringing to our region.
The planning effort will take approximately 18 months, resulting in two complementary plans that support each other and recognize the similarities, differences, and unique needs of both jurisdictions.
One Climate. One Community. We need you to get involved.
Your voice matters in this process. Creating effective climate adaptation and resilience plans for the City and County that serve our community requires meaningful collaboration among local government, partner organizations, and you.
Things you can do today include:
Media Contact
Afton Schneider
Director of Communications & Public Engagement
City of Charlottesville
917-841-9467
schneidera@charlottesville.gov
