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In Dallas' food deserts, community gardens ease — but don't end — food insecurity

Nazarene Harris

April 27, 2021 |

Dallas Morning News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Austin, Texas

A resolution in Austin, Texas, allows community gardens to use public land. It also created the City of Austin Community Garden Program to help people find partnerships and apply to create a garden. The government support allowed more community gardens to open and help fight food insecurity across the city.

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Co-Governing to Build Back Better

Hollie Russon Gilman Elena Souris Rebecca Rosen

April 09, 2021 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, York

The city of York trained volunteers to help identify causes and solutions to loneliness and social isolation, an issue with public health consequences. Volunteers conducted research and spoke to 1,000 fellow residents and 100 other stakeholders to identify community knowledge and priorities. Working closely with local partners, volunteers helped design and implement solutions, including pairing young runners with isolated older citizens to serve as coaches and provide motivation. Participants reported positive outcomes, like feeling less lonely and experiencing improved well-being.

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'Virtual rangers' help South African reserve keep poachers away

Akhona Matshoba Tanisha Heiberg

March 29, 2021 |

Reuters |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: South Africa, Johannesburg

Over 55,000 people have become “virtual rangers,” helping to protect South Africa’s Balule Nature Reserve from poachers. Officials at the reserve teamed up with Samsung and Africam to increase the ability to keep watch over the park, which is home to some of the most vulnerable animals to poaching, including rhinoceros, leopards, and elephants. Camera phones, held in protective cases, are mounted around the reserve and stream images to “virtual rangers” worldwide who have already reported hearing gunshots, which could indicate the possibility of poachers, and seeing trapped animals needing rescue.

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How Taiwan triumphed over Covid as the UK faltered

Helen Davidson Emma Graham-Harrison

March 24, 2021 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Taiwan

Taiwan was among the first countries to respond to COVID-19 with decisive actions that contained the virus’ impact on the population. Its 2003 experience with the SARS virus provided an established infrastructure to focus on eliminating the virus rather than its mitigating spread. In-bound travel was quickly regulated, a centralized office coordinated responses across sectors, and clear communication campaigns limited disinformation. Officials temporarily authorized “intrusive data collection measures” to track, trace, and isolate infections and masks were required and made widely available.

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Green space in cities can bring considerable health benefits for communities, but access is unequal

Ambika Chawla

March 19, 2021 |

Ensia |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

Platte Farm Open Space used to be a garbage dumping ground in Denver, but it’s now an urban green space thanks to the efforts from community members, organizations, and the government. This community-led project was able to secure funding to replace the contaminated land with fresh soil that now attracts animals and includes walking paths and a playground for children. This project offers lessons on how to build a green space in a diverse neighborhood and the health benefits that come from such an initiative.

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How Jersey City Middle Schoolers Stopped a Flood

Phil Roberts

March 12, 2021 |

Next City |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Jersey City, New Jersey

In a science class in a local New Jersey school, students came up with a green solution to a storm water management and flooding problem in their parking lot when it rained. With help from the Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program out of Rutgers University and funding from city agencies, they were able to build planters and install concrete to absorb the runoff. The project galvanized the community, encouraging the school to expand their STEM curriculum.

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Road Salt Is Imperiling Aquatic Ecosystems. It Doesn't Have To.

Anne N. Connor

March 11, 2021 |

Undark |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Lake George, New York

An experiment in upstate New York showed how town officials could maintain clean and safe roads during the winter season and protect the environment. By using a salt brine before winter storms, they were able to plow the roads more efficiently and, at the same time, reduce the amount of salt going into waterways that could impact freshwater ecosystems. The effort, launched by the nonprofit FUND for Lake George, required “a culture shift within the towns’ maintenance departments,” but the communities were able to cut their salt usage in half over two years.

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'Vaccine Altruists' Are Finding Appointments for Strangers

Anna Almendrala

March 10, 2021 |

Kaiser Health News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

Grassroots volunteer groups are helping people across the country make COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Get Out the Shot: Los Angeles has 100 vetted volunteers who have booked 300 appointments through the group’s system and thousands more on their own. Residents leave a message or fill out a Google form with their information and a volunteer picks up their case, books an appointment, and calls them to confirm. These volunteer organizations fill important assistance gaps in local government services that are stretched thin. Some groups focus on getting appointments for people from underserved communities.

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To serve kids in the pandemic, a tribe and a Washington school district create a unique learning space

Dahlia Bazzaz

March 09, 2021 |

The Seattle Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Port Angeles, Washington

Leaders from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Port Angeles School District had a vision of creating a go-between space for students while school buildings were closed. Within the span of a month, this small community managed to create one.

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Colorado District Uses High School Apprentices to Grow Its Own More Diverse Teacher Workforce

Asher Lehrer-Small

March 09, 2021 |

The 74 |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Colorado

The Cherry Creek School district is using apprenticeships to create a more racially diverse pipeline of K-12 educators in Colorado. High school juniors and seniors are paid to participate in the apprenticeship, and are able to earn college credit as well. This is one of the ways the district is working on having its workforce reflect its student bodies more accurately. Currently 85% of teachers are white, and half of its student body is kids of color. Now in its second year, the program has grown from an initial cohort of 12 youth apprentices to 26,

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