he Wasson Way is requesting $25,000 for the implementation of small-scale nature-based ecosystems to provide opportunities for outdoor science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM) education, to mitigate climate change through afforestation, and improve the community wellness.
The request is to build small-scale accelerated growth nature-based ecosystems, tiny forests in 30 feet circles, to advance the educational experience of nearby schools and colleges, provide an intervention for climate change, and improve the Wasson Way. The Wasson Way is being extended both east and west from its current terminus at Montgomery Road.The problem is that we are relying on yesterday’s thinking to solve the problems that we face; we need to create fresh solutions for the opportunities in front of us. Climate change, a long-term shift in temperatures and weather patterns caused by human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels, is adversely affecting everyone especially the next generation of our families.The solution is to build small-scale nature-based ecosystems, tiny forests, in linear greenspaces to mitigate the effects of climate change using carbon sequestration, improve biodiversity, and increase the tree canopy to reduce heat stress in underserved neighborhoods of our region while simultaneously improving the education of our children.
Program Goals:
The overarching goal is to provide the leadership to improve outdoor STEM education and implement small-scale nature-based ecosystems.
Objective:
The overarching objective is to provide outdoor education experiences through the implementation of small-scale nature-based ecosystems for accelerated growth along the Wasson Way linear green space.
The implementation is expected to improve STEM education and to provide climate change interventions, support for biodiversity, increase the tree canopy, and promote wellness.
This objective is aligned with the unmet urgent need to take responsibility for collective grassroots sustainability action by adding new small-scale ecosystems each year subject to funding availability.
There are four discrete objectives:
*1. Empower outdoor education systems to utilize the small-scale nature-based ecosystems for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs in our schools and colleges using project/problem-based learning programs
*2. Implement accelerated transformational sustainability programs to promote the wise use of resources through afforestation, carbon sequestration for climate change intervention, enhance biodiversity, and promote nature-based solutions through lawn conversions and greenspaces.
*3. Build wellness in our communities by educating the public of the value of exercise through biking, walking, and running. The mission of the Wasson Way/CROWN is "To promote and sustain Wasson Way. A beautiful, accessible and sustainable urban greenway trail for the benefit of the residents of greater Cincinnati."
*4. Support of underserved communities through canopy expansion to address heat stress, rainwater management, and air purity.
Measurements:
Two measures will be used to determine whether the goals and objectives are met.
*1. We will develop key result measures for education including the number and depth of outdoor education programs.
*2. We will develop key result measures, if practical, for canopy growth to assess the overall impact of the carbon sequestration.
Program Results:
A perennial keystone pollinator garden was implemented at Isabella and Paxton near the Wasson Way trail at the border between Oakley and Hyde Park. The goal of the perennial keystone pollinator garden is to promote sustainability, increase biodiversity, support educational activities, and provide low maintenance. Flowering keystone perennials are native plants critical to the food web and essential for many wildlife species to complete their life cycles. Without keystone plants, butterflies, native bees, and birds will not thrive, as 96% of our terrestrial birds rely on insects supported by these plants.
The project was funded by a combination of grants from the Charles H. Dater Foundation and the Nellie Leaman Taft Foundation.
: December 2022
