Fortune Brands Innovations’ Post

The Community One Stop for Growth’s Site Readiness Program helps transform abandoned and vacant sites and put them back to use as new businesses, housing, and community spaces.  We were in Woburn this week to celebrate more than $5M in grants through this program this year, including Woburn’s first One Stop award ever, which will support its New Boston Street Opportunity area!

For more than 50 years, Earth Day has signified a time for people to come together to invest in the health of the environment both locally and globally.🌎 As one of the largest groups of land managers and community service providers, park and recreation professionals and their agencies are essential to these environmental efforts. Several agencies shared their Earth Day and Month initiatives with us in the April issue of Parks & Recreation magazine. Read the full article to... 🌎Learn how Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation in North Carolina is promoting nature and agriculture as one of their main missions year-round. 🌎Explore what parks and recreation in Wichita, Kansas is doing to remind folks how important it is to take care of our environment. 🌎Discover the 2024 Annual Bike to Earth Day event held by the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation in Indiana. 🌎Hear from Douglasville, Georgia Parks and Recreation on replenishing the tree canopy in a recently renovated park, which suffered a loss of trees during construction. 🌎Get a taste of the fun events and volunteer efforts put on by the Forest Preserves in Cook County, Illinois that allow people to give back to the natural world. 🌎Find out how the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department in Cary, North Carolina is getting community members involved in climate actions and stewardship strategies through dozens of programs. Read the full article: https://bit.ly/4cI0dRV #PowerOfParks #NRPAEarthMonth #EarthDay #EarthMonth #Conservation #WhereYouBelong #ClimateHero #Parks #Recreation #Environment #Sustainability #Nature

Read more about the new field coming to Lodestar! https://lnkd.in/gvV_3y9R and the players that are looking forward to playing on a home field, https://lnkd.in/gFPk4cCT

Our Who I Am Foundation volunteers in #Phoenix will be doing another Family Hike and Trail Clean-Up (PHX)! SATURDAY MORNING (FEBRUARY 3RD) we will be cleaning up the Holbert Trailhead on South Mountain in South Phoenix! Difficulty: Difficult Access: Start at the Park Main Entranced. Take the first left on to Phoenix South Mountain Park. From this road, proceed to Holbert Trailhead to continue onto Holbert Trail. This trail offers a steady climb to the upper areas of South Mountain Park. Hike the extension trail that leads to Dobbins Lookout and be rewarded with a magnificent view of the valley below. The Holbert Trail also provides a route to connect with the National Trail just east of the T.V. Towers and west of Buena Vista Lookout. Distance: 2.5 mi Elevation Change: 1,100 ft. Hiking is an excellent low-impact workout, and is an outdoor activity delivering benefits beyond scenic and fun. Below are five reasons to hike with your kids: 1. Exercise. 2. Build self-confidence 3. Exposure to wildlife 4. Practice “Leave no trace” A great opportunity to talk about why we do not leave our trash in the park, and what happens to the litter that is left behind. 5. Unplug together We all know that kids spend a lot of time using digital media, and it is true for adults as well. Heading out for a family hike is a great way to take a break from your devices and connect with each other and the outdoors for a while instead. Make sure you dress appropriately!! For more information or to join: https://lnkd.in/g2zn7sKW #TeamWhoIAm_Phoenix

Last week, I had the honor of presenting our “Mission Moment” at the start of Great River Greening's monthly staff meeting—a tradition where a team member shares how their work ties back to our mission and values. It’s my favorite part of the meeting. I shared how this job is a constant learning journey for me—learning about the ecology, the plants, and especially the people who shape this work.   I recently attended the Partners in Community Forest Conference (https://lnkd.in/ge2_bEMS), hosted by the Arbor Day Foundation, and was deeply inspired by James Williams, a Forester with the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation (https://lnkd.in/gddMDV6w) in South Carolina. He shared about his predominantly Black community, which boasts 100% tree canopy coverage. This flips the usual narrative about tree canopy equity—an important asset for beauty, shade, habitat, and water filtration, but also a potential burden due to the cost of maintaining or removing trees damaged by storms.   James and his community turn that burden into opportunity. By training community members (including youth!) to repurpose downed trees into biochar, firewood, lumber, and more, they’re creating connections, jobs, and economic value while also solving a local challenge. Here in Minnesota, Minneapolis’ Wood From The Hood (https://lnkd.in/g_E3ckah) does similar work and I’m excited to learn more about them as well.   It’s a powerful reminder that solutions to community needs often come from within the community itself. Stories like these deepen my understanding of how we can support meaningful and equitable work through land restoration and stewardship.   What’s a recent experience that’s inspired you to see your work differently?

Bridging Generations Through Play! Discover the magic of intergenerational play. From cooking and gardening to storytelling and board games, these activities bring children and older adults together, fostering community resilience and cultural exchange. Let's build stronger, more connected communities through the power of play! Read more in our recent blog post: https://lnkd.in/ejaMWXJ4

One of the geekiest true statements I have made this summer: I cut beautiful turf. It's a point of pride because it's one of the many things organizers can do to set up their volunteers for success. When we remove needless barriers to success, volunteers are more likely to perform their tasks well AND to have a good time. It's worth a tiny bit of extra effort on the front end to cut easy to walk turf when the payoff is happy volunteers who can focus on the quality of conversations they are having with voters. And when that happens, volunteer retention soars - which is key to scaling up a field program. This cycle, every cycle, cut volunteer friendly turf! Pictured below: an old turf packet from back before everyone used MiniVAN.

Our Who I Am Foundation volunteers in #Phoenix will be doing another Family Hike and Trail Clean-Up (PHX)! SATURDAY MORNING (FEBRUARY 3RD) we will be cleaning up the Holbert Trailhead on South Mountain in South Phoenix! Difficulty: Difficult Access: Start at the Park Main Entranced. Take the first left on to Phoenix South Mountain Park. From this road, proceed to Holbert Trailhead to continue onto Holbert Trail. This trail offers a steady climb to the upper areas of South Mountain Park. Hike the extension trail that leads to Dobbins Lookout and be rewarded with a magnificent view of the valley below. The Holbert Trail also provides a route to connect with the National Trail just east of the T.V. Towers and west of Buena Vista Lookout. Distance: 2.5 mi Elevation Change: 1,100 ft. Hiking is an excellent low-impact workout, and is an outdoor activity delivering benefits beyond scenic and fun. Below are five reasons to hike with your kids: 1. Exercise. 2. Build self-confidence 3. Exposure to wildlife 4. Practice “Leave no trace” A great opportunity to talk about why we do not leave our trash in the park, and what happens to the litter that is left behind. 5. Unplug together We all know that kids spend a lot of time using digital media, and it is true for adults as well. Heading out for a family hike is a great way to take a break from your devices and connect with each other and the outdoors for a while instead. Make sure you dress appropriately!! For more information or to join: https://lnkd.in/g2zn7sKW #TeamWhoIAm_Phoenix

Check out our annual report!!