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The Blog of NSR

Tag: Climate Change

Triboro, Etna celebrate EcoDistricts certification

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt

Above: Mary Ellen Ramage, Etna Borough Manager, speaking with attendees of the 2019 EcoDistricts Summit about the future ECO Park during the Triboro Ecodistrict neighborhood tours.

In early November during the 10th Annual EcoDistricts Summit, the Borough of Etna became the world’s first certified EcoDistrict, a feat that Borough Manager Mary Ellen Ramage never thought possible because “it’s not something you ever think about.”

“Never in my life did I dream that I would be part of anything that was the first in the world,” Ramage said. 

Through a proclamation presented by Etna Mayor Tom Rengers, this Wednesday, December 11 will be recognized as Etna EcoDistrict Day, which coincides with the sold out EcoDistrict Celebration at Fugh Hall where the Triboro Ecodistrict partnership will be honored and Etna will publicly launch its EcoDistrict Plan.

Before embarking on the certification process, the borough already had a focus on sustainable practices including its Green Infrastructure Master Plan, Storm Water Management, and Green Streetscape projects, but the community’s interest in ecodistricts began in late 2016 at the EcoDistricts Micro-Incubator in Millvale.

Led by Triboro Ecodistrict Director Brian Wolovich and Millvale Sustainability Coordinator Zaheen Hussain, the micro-incubator informed participants of the EcoDistrict Protocol, how it worked when Millvale began the process in 2012, and practiced visioning sustainable development using the Protocol. Etna Community Organization (ECO) Board Member and borough resident Robert Tuñón said he and Mayor Rengers attended the workshop together.

“Both Etna and Millvale were making great strides in their physical improvements, but Tom knew the Ecodistrict movement in Millvale was catalytic in getting people to stay involved and volunteer,” Tuñón said. 

They left the micro-incubator and shared their knowledge with a small group of municipal and resident leaders, and started gathering information to create an asset based map that identified the positive things already happening in the community and how they could be built upon. Tuñón said these small meetings continued and slowly grew to around 40 residents before the initial public meeting in March 2018 that had over 100 people in attendance.

“We were shocked at the ability to have a grassroots movement start in the community with very little resources,” Tuñón said. “At the time we had no funding.”

Just a few months after the first public meeting, Etna received funding from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation through its partnership with the Triboro Ecodistrict, which also includes Millvale and Sharpsburg. The financial backing advanced Etna’s efforts and allowed them to hire evolveEA and begin an educational series that addressed a key component on the path to becoming an EcoDistrict: offer multiple rounds of opportunities for the community to give input and engage in the planning process, demonstrating that it’s an equitable plan.

Ramage said the educational series, a total of 35 public events, was “one of the most amazing things about the EcoDistrict process” and that she was “mesmerized” by residents engagement.

“People aren’t given enough credit,” Ramage said. “They just need an opportunity to learn and see how they can help and how they can be part of the change. It’s empowering.”

Including equity, communities pursuing the certification must address two other imperatives including “resilience with a broad lens that prepares for social, economic and environmental shocks and stresses,” and climate protection by building “a pathway to carbon neutrality,” according to the EcoDistricts website.

Tuñón said with the leadership of Alexis Boytim, Director of Etna Community Organization, three reports were submitted to EcoDistricts covering Equity, Resilience, and Climate Protection. 

After the third report was submitted, Boytim had a call with the national organization and that’s when she was informed that Etna was on track to become the first certified EcoDistrict. 

“We didn’t realize that would ever be a possibility,” Boytim said. “When we found out, we were excited of course, but recognized that we wouldn’t have been able to do that or even be where we are without the work done before us and [the partnership with the] Triboro.”

Tuñón echoed Boytim and said the Etna EcoDistrict would not have been imaginable without the guidance from Brian Wolovich in Millvale, Brittany Reno in Sharpsburg, and Mary Ellen in Etna.

“They were able to teach us from their lessons learned and pass those on to us, so in many ways some of the success we feel we’ve had was based on building off their experiences,” Tuñón said. “It all ties together.” 

A few projects on the horizon for Etna are the creation of the Etna Community Library and the Etna EcoPark planned for 37 Grant Ave. where a blighted building once stood and is now a vacant lot that the borough recently acquired. 

These projects are two reminders that the EcoDistrict certification is just the beginning. Over time, Etna must complete certain goals they set for themselves, track the boroughs progress, and report transparently to the national organization on how they’re doing, Tuñón said.

“The hard work starts now, but it’s work that you understand will make a difference far into the future,” Ramage said. “You have to leave it better than you found it… and that’s what EcoDistrict is all about.”

 

You might see varying forms of capitalization when exploring the idea of an ecodistrict in your community. This is intentional, and they each have their own meaning:

  • “ecodistrict” refers to the concept in the field of urban planning that integrates ecologically-sound practices with sustainable community development.
  • “Ecodistrict” refers to a specific community that is engaged in developing an ecodistrict. 
  • “EcoDistricts” refers to the parent organization that formulated and published the official Protocol and oversees a certification process. They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon.

Click here to learn more.

Posted in Events, ProjectsTagged Climate Change, ecodistrict celebration Fugh hall, EcoDistricts, EcoDistricts protocol, Etna, Etna eco park, Etna ecodistrict, evolveEA, millvale, New Sun Rising, opportunity, Sharpsburg, sustainability, Triboro ecodistrict, Vibrant Communities

Sustainability director raises bar for environmental quality of life

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Alyse Horn-Pyatt
Above: Zaheen Hussain (left) speaks on a panel discussion during the Climate Change Town Hall event hosted by Congressman Mike Doyle at Soldiers & Sailors Hall in August.

 

It can be extremely overwhelming for an individual to sit and think about the impacts of climate change. With the hottest June and July ever recorded alongside two of the wettest years in Pennsylvania history, we see and feel it happening. (Que existential dread.)

But with these mountainous challenges come the challengers invested in inspiring others and generating positive environmental impacts, one being Zaheen Hussain, Director of Sustainability at New Sun Rising.

Named one of NEXTpittsburgh’s “25 Essential Pittsburghers” for “his groundbreaking work building the Triboro Ecodistrict,” Hussain said his dedication for environmentalism and climate change was instilled in him at an early age.

Hussain immigrated from Bangladesh to the United States in the 1990s with his family in part due to the growing climate crisis. Even then, his father was aware of the position Bangladesh would be put in 100 years in the future: under water.

“The climate change conversation today in America is where the rest of the world was in the early 90s,” Hussain said. “The Rio [de Janeiro Earth] Summit, the Kyoto Summit… America committed to taking action on slowing down climate change and building resiliency, and then that went away.”

Bangladesh has a population of around 165 million people and as Hussain put it, is “about the size of Wisconsin,” which has a population of around 6 million. Alongside impending climate change and to increase the access to opportunity and quality of life for their family, Hussain’s parents applied for the Diversity Visa Program and began the process of emigrating to the US.

In high school and throughout college, Hussain studied environmental technology, environmental science, and natural resource economics, “but the policy and economic side really spoke” to him. After graduating college, Hussain worked as a park ranger at Harkness Memorial State Park and William A. Niering Nature Preserve in his home state of Connecticut.  It was then that he started searching the country for sustainability work around policy and economics, and applied for a number of Student Conservation Association Green Cities fellowships here in Pittsburgh.

“I didn’t get any of them, but the program manager opened my eyes to an opportunity with GTECH [now Grounded] Strategies for the Green Economies Initiative,” Hussain said. “I moved to Pittsburgh in February of 2012 thinking I’d be here for 10 months to build experience and go back east, but seven and a half years later here I am.”

Hussain said a large part of his professional journey has been the implementation of the Millvale EcoDistrict and Triboro Ecodistrict initiative in Millvale, Etna, and Sharpsburg that for him began in 2015 when he was hired as Millvale’s Sustainability Coordinator. The Millvale EcoDistrict Pivot Plan began in 2013, “which looks at Millvale’s economic development through the lens of sustainability in food, water, energy, air quality, mobility and equity,” Hussain said.

Christine Mondor, Principal at evolveEA, met Hussain after he was hired as sustainability coordinator and said literally and figuratively he was a “breath of fresh air for [Millvale’s] efforts.” Mondor said the two specifically did a lot of work together monitoring air quality, and that Hussain is “passionate and nerdy about it in the best way possible.”

“He’s curious, so he’s always trying to understand what things mean,” Mondor said. “He knows [the science] behind what’s happening and that’s important. He’s also really good at making people feel comfortable and bringing people into the conversation.”

In 2017, Hussain became Director of Sustainability for New Sun Rising while continuing his work as Millvale’s Sustainability Coordinator and “implement[ing] the Ecodistrict plan with attention towards leadership development,” Hussain said. “[Therefore], community organizations and individuals can become more empowered to be the leaders of the work and rely less on outside capacity.”

In his position with New Sun Rising, Hussain advocates for the Vibrant Communities Framework and heads Launch Sustainability cohorts that provides coaching, project development resources, and support to strengthen business plans or grant proposals. He also spends time creating partnerships with organizations like the Green Building Alliance, Allegheny County Conservation District, and Sustainable Pittsburgh. Hussain said it’s these partnerships that help grow NSRs Vibrant Communities framework, which encompasses creating a more sustainable and equitable Pittsburgh.

Rebecca Bykoski, Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant Program Manager, met Hussain when he was hired as Millvale’s Sustainability Coordinator and joined the Sustainable Pittsburgh Board of Directors. Bykoski said for the time that she has known Hussain, she has noticed that he has “helped create a culture change.”

“Sustainability isn’t always about being green,” Bykoski said. “He’s good at making sure equity and the needs of disadvantaged communities are part of the conversation and that the development that’s happening is equitable.”

With Pittsburgh being one of the worst cities in the country for air pollution and related deaths, Hussain said he is concerned by the continued investment in fossil fuel economies in the region and how that will negatively impact the progress made in the area involving environmental quality and quality of life.

“As a general philosophy, I think that people can’t look at human systems and infrastructure as something outside of nature,” Hussain said. “What people need to realize is that humans are part of natural systems like any other animal. The more we look at ourselves as something outside of nature, the easier it becomes for us to destroy the environment around us because we don’t see it as something impacting our lives.”

That kind of meaningful and cogent argument is a genuine sentiment from Hussain that encourages individuals, communities, and organizations to do better.
“He’s a very inspirational person and he makes you care more and want to do more,” Bykoski said. “The world would be better if it were full of Zaheen’s.”
Posted in ProgramsTagged Climate Change, ecodistrict, evolveEA, launch sustainability, millvale, New Sun Rising, sustainability, sustainable pittsburgh, Triboro ecodistrict, Vibrant Communities, VibrantCommunities

South Side Park Tree Planting

Join us in restoring an overgrown site in South Side Park’s beautiful Jurassic Valley! On Saturday, November 3rd from 9-12pm, we will be planting 10 trees and need assistance digging holes, clearing invasive species, and watering. Sign up in the ticket field. An email with details and event agenda will follow shortly after your registration. We will keep your contact information confidential. Contact us at christine@plantfiveforlife.org or call 724.315.5730 for any questions or additional information. Thank you!

Family Day Celebration

Interested in creating healthy communities for newborn children and their families? Care about the natural environment around Pittsburgh? Volunteer with Plant Five for Life at our inaugural Family Day Celebration!

Help us host this event for registered families to celebrate the first planting of 5000 trees for 1000 newborns. We need assistance on Saturday, October 27th with parking, registration, activities and a picnic. Please register to help on the URL provided, or through involvemint:

https://app.involvemintapp.io/#/volunteer/318a3f50-c2d0-11e8-8af0-758e0a2b6942

You will leave with a t-shirt, a great experience and our gratitude!

Planting Day for the Newborns

Interested in creating healthy communities for newborn children? Care about the natural environment around Pittsburgh? Volunteer with Plant Five for Life on one of the 3 planting days during a shift of your choice! Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is generously hosting the first pilot planting of 5000 trees for 1000 newborns. 1,200 were planted in April and on October 17, 24, and 27, we will plant 3,800 more. Work will involve planting restoration size trees and securing deer protection at a former coal mine site. Bring your friends! Complete our sign up form by clicking the ticket button or by copying this link: https://goo.gl/forms/RXK1ch7fRZeJhUQ72

Planting Day for the Newborns

Interested in creating healthy communities for newborn children? Care about the natural environment around Pittsburgh? Volunteer with Plant Five for Life on one of the 3 planting days during a shift of your choice! Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is generously hosting the first pilot planting of 5000 trees for 1000 newborns. 1,200 were planted in April and on October 17, 24, and 27, we will plant 3,800 more. Work will involve planting restoration size trees and securing deer protection at a former coal mine site. Bring your friends! Complete our sign up form by clicking the ticket button or by copying this link: https://goo.gl/forms/RXK1ch7fRZeJhUQ72

Planting Day

Interested in creating healthy communities for newborn children? Care about the natural environment around Pittsburgh? Volunteer with Plant Five for Life on one of the 3 planting days during a shift of your choice! Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is generously hosting the first pilot planting of 5000 trees for 1000 newborns. 1,200 were planted in April and on October 17, 24, and 27, we will plant 3,800 more. Work will involve planting restoration size trees and securing deer protection at a former coal mine site. Bring your friends! Complete our sign up form by clicking the ticket button or by copying this link: https://goo.gl/forms/RXK1ch7fRZeJhUQ72

UPMC Magee Tree Giveaway

In order to better communicate our mission of connecting children and their families with nature from birth we are hosting a tree giveaway in Magee Women’s Hospital cafeteria and need your help to ensure a successful day! Volunteers will discuss our mission and inaugural planting project with Magee faculty, staff, and patients and give away trees to take home, educating recipients on planting and maintenance.

Gifts of Trees – April 21, 2018 from 9am-12pm – Plant with us!

Hello! We are planting the life support for a new generation. 1,200 trees will be planted for 1000 newborns arriving in Pittsburgh at Magee-Women’s Hospital starting in April for a total of 5000 trees by October. Each child receives a gift of five planted in their name to mark the start of life and to contribute to their life-sustaining environment. The trees will be planted on a former coal mine site on Pittsburgh Botanic garden grounds with our community network of partners and volunteers, including Pittsburgh Botanic Garden and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Join us! (but please remember to RSVP and to receive more detail; we have limited spots!)

Brrrr… What’s going on with that climate change?

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Dan Stiker

A re-blog from the Millvale Community Library…

Zaheen Hussain, NSR Director of Sustainability, has just published an article on the MCL Blog that speaks to the nuances between weather and climate and what that means in the context of Climate Change.

Read the full article here.

Interested in learning more?  Join us at the Millvale Moose on Thursday, February 22nd at 6PM for a friendly conversation on climate change.  We will walk through the latest research together to gain an understanding of why the climate is changing.  Skeptical of climate change or still unsure?  You’re more than welcome, as we always appreciate a healthy conversation.

Posted in UncategorizedTagged Climate Change, millvale, sustainability

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