Julianne Stelmaszyk

Collecting, creating and connecting #storymaps of different kinds to weave greater awareness and intention towards a more just, sustainable and locally-owned regional #foodsystem. Would love to hear of other examples that connections here might know of and have access to! "While one of the smallest states, #Vermont has the highest percentage of farms that are practicing agroforestry in the US. These farms practice diverse #agroforestry practices, including the five USDA-recognized practices of (1) alley cropping - rows of trees with animals or crops between, (2) windbreaks - borders of trees around farms, (3) riparian buffers - trees alongside waterways, (4) silvopasture - animals grazing under managed trees, and (5) forest farming - high value crops planted in a managed forest, as well as other practices that are not recognized by the USDA. But do you know who and where they are? Join in this exploration of agroforestry in the state! "Click through the map to see some of the agroforestry farms, community gardens, and agroforestry nurseries in the state. Scroll below to read the #stories of five highlighted farms and find more resources for existing or aspiring agroforestry farmers or practitioners." https://lnkd.in/eUSZACdi

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I hope that this super important piece by Kenny Torrella at Vox will lead to some reflection among the big Green Groups like WWF, The Nature Conservancy, and EDF about their deeply misguided industry partnerships that give cover to the highly destructive meat and dairy industry in exchange for millions of dollars in donations. In the words of an EDF staffer: “Instead of calling them out for causing harm, EDF lets them pollute and praises them for what little they do in hopes we’ll eventually convince them to change. So EDF provides cover for businesses by letting them set their own ambition.” I am one of the greens mentioned in this article who have "expressed deep frustration over their fellow environmentalists’ indifference to the meat industry’s environmental destruction, or worse, some organization’s willingness to partner with companies on greenwashing projects." Whether it is the Global Roundtable on "Sustainable" Beef or Tyson's "climate-friendly beef," or other industry alliances, the Big Green groups' endorsement and promotion of these bullshit industry PR tactics gives license to the industry to expand their destructive practices. Worse, it undermines other groups' efforts to slash meat and dairy subsidies and push for meaningful regulations that will hold these polluting corporations' accountable for the deep harm they are causing to the planet and local communities.

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Watch how higher education leaders take climate action. Colleges and universities are research powerhouses, vibrant communities, and "living laboratories" for #sustainability. This year, I have gotten to meet and learn from dozens of sustainability leaders in higher education. They are all executing ambitious, multi-pronged #decarbonization plans while closely tracking the latest in climate science and carbon markets. Thank you all for your time, feedback, and guidance. Over the past few months, the Tradewater team has been working closely with Bridget Flynn, Meredith Leigh, and Bari S. at Second Nature to co-design a campaign to help higher education institutions tackle the world's most potent greenhouse gases on their own campuses and far beyond. Our shared goal is to enable the higher education sector to eliminate 1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent through the collection, control, and destruction of non-CO2 gases. Several schools have already joined us, through on-campus refrigerant management projects and carbon offset purchases, as founding members of the 1 Million Tonne Campaign. Reach out to us or Second Nature if you would like to get involved. And stay tuned for announcements on progress towards our bold goal! #HigherEd #ClimateAction #RefrigerantManagement #Impact https://lnkd.in/gET_b8bt

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It’s about meaningful relationships and thoughtful action. I just wrapped up my first month with Blue Forest, an innovative conservation finance nonprofit that punches above its weight. We’re close to a decade old, more than 40 team members strong, and growing — all focused on developing and delivering solutions that integrate: + COLLABORATION  |  building long-term partnerships with people and places, + SCIENCE  |  utilizing western science and traditional ecological knowledge, and + FINANCE  |  structuring investments into landscape-scale conservation. So, what exactly do we do? Let me share a short story and a TEDx Talk to illustrate our Why, How, and What. STORY:  My first day with Blue Forest was also day one of our annual team retreat. Our CEO and Co-Founder, Zach Knight, opened with something that resonated. He started, “We are not a conservation organization. And we’re not a finance organization.” For a split second, I thought, “Wait…did I sign up for the wrong conservation finance nonprofit?!” But then he quickly added, “We’re a relationship organization.” Everyone in the room was on board with this. Relationships underscore everything we do at Blue Forest. And that’s when I knew I’d found the right place with the right mission and the right people. TALK:  In her TEDxSunnyValley Talk, “Fighting Fire with Finance” [https://lnkd.in/gJ4XBb8S], Leigh Madeira, CFA, another Co-Founder, tells the origin story of Blue Forest, which begins: “A Wall Street banker and a Peace Corps volunteer walk into a bar…" This engaging 12-minute talk dives into how our hallmark conservation finance mechanism — the Forest Resilience Bond — works to: + reduce WILDFIRE RISKS, + improve WATER QUALITY, + boost WATER QUANTITIES, and + MUCH MORE (community needs, workforce development, Indigenous ways of knowing, carbon sequestration, improved biodiversity). Curious to learn more? Explore our launched Forest Resilience Bonds in California, Oregon, and Washington: https://lnkd.in/gH_rMhwm. As an Islander, father, and Blue Forest’s new Director of Beneficiary Partnerships, I’m here to build and deepen trust, and collaborate on measurable actions that will improve our watersheds, community safety, and overall resilience. Because in the end, it really is about building meaningful relationships, and taking thoughtful action together. Let’s start with a conversation, and explore how we might be able to make a positive impact — together. #BlueForest #ConservationFinance #Partnerships #Innovation #Wildfires #Watersheds #Water #Community #IndigenousKnowledge

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It’s Indigenous People’s Day! It’s a holiday here in the United States that honors Indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. Working in the regenerative agriculture space, the contributions of indigenous agricultural practices — and thinking — are all around us and yet, reminders of this are so important. Here are some great resources / information that I’ve come across: Some background reading: 📕 How Indigenous Land Management Practices Are a Blueprint for Climate-Resilient Agriculture ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gN8cheiq Some organizations doing great work: 🌎 Akiptan, Inc is a CDFI doing incredible work funding agriculture and food leaders across Indian country and led by one of our RFSI advisors, Skya Ducheneaux ➡️ https://www.akiptan.org/ 🌎 The Intertribal Agriculture Council's (IAC) mission is to pursue and promote the conservation, development, and sustainable use of agricultural resources for the betterment of our people ➡️ https://www.indianag.org/ Want to spend your money on native raised foods? 🍽️ American Indian Foods (AIF) is a program of IAC developed as a platform for American Indian food businesses to showcase their products and share Tribal cultures with the world ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gApD2Vts ...And a personal favorite: Irene Kearns, M.Ed (my bestie since kindergarten) leads work at the Smithsonian Institution creating educational materials for teachers to integrate indigenous history into their own curriculums. 🙌 She spoke with NPR this morning - listen here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gAaexfzM ✏️ You can find some helpful materials here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gffhi9Xx #indigenouspeoplesday #farming #agriculture #foodsystems

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Ceres, Inc. just released a Blueprint for Implementing a Leading Climate Transition Action Plan (CTAP). Congrats to Tyler McCullough and Laura Draucker on this fantastic resource. This implementation guide includes 45 real-world case studies, a new CTAP Ambition Spectrum tool, and specific recommendations in Six CTAP Action Areas: – Setting goals and targets – Decarbonizing the business – Ensuring a just transition – Advocating for public policy – Supporting integration and accountability – Tracking and reporting progress This implementation guide builds on and compliments strong transition plan disclosure frameworks from the Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT), Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), CDP, We Mean Business Coalition, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), and others. It is meant to equip companies to not only create a robust disclosure but to take near- and medium-term actions in response to climate-related risks and opportunities.

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