University of California, Riverside
EN-10: Community Partnerships

Recognizing the critical need for collaboration across sectors and jurisdictions in order to effectively address climate change, leaders from across the region came together to form the Inland Southern California Climate Collaborative (ISC3).

Through collective action, we strive to bolster local and regional efforts to avoid the worst effects of climate change while building resilience to the climate change impacts our communities face today — from extreme heat and droughts to wildfires and floods. We mobilize our members around a shared vision and policy agenda while providing local capacity-building support to catalyze equitable action at all scales.
http://iscclimatecollaborative.org/

EPA and UCR joined to reaffirm their 2010 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) again in 2019. The MOU is designed to increase EPA’s outreach to diverse and under-served communities by offering internships, joint projects, and scientific research opportunities to students and faculty members. The day was highlighted with activities from UCR’s Office of Sustainability, the Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT)http://news.ucr.acsitefactory.com/articles/2019/06/05/uc-riverside-reaffirms-mou-epa

RPU has provided $100,000 for electricity conservation education and research along with $50,000 for water conservation education and research to the Office of Research and Economic Development on campus.
https://www.riversideca.gov/utilities/businesses/rebates-grants.asp

The Riverside Green Network works to raise awareness, engage the community, and create connections that help Riverside become more sustainable in a variety of ways. The network hosts the “Riverside Green Festival and Summit,” which includes outdoor interactive activities, indoor lectures and workshops, afternoon movies, and a Summit forum held to solicit input from the community about ways that residents can partner with the city, businesses, and groups to create a “Green Renaissance” for the greater Riverside area. This is a collaboration between multiple agencies including the Riverside Community College. https://riversidegreennetwork.net/
Sustainability Summit with Riverside Public Utilities
Every two years RPU, the City of Riverside, CE-CERT, and the Office of Sustainability collaborate to showcase and educate the community on sustainability practices and create opportunities to make a difference.
https://sustainability.ucr.edu/2019-riverside-green-summit

R'Garden
UCR's R'Garden, a sustainable community garden works with local groups, citizens, and students to work on environmental and social justice issues around food security. The R'Garden provides fresh produce for food pantries and homeless shelters on and off-campus. The R’Garden also consulted with local community gardens with their design, planning, and implementation of their gardens.
Various underrepresented groups have communal plots and find a safe space for fellowship and cultural exchange. For example, native American groups plant ancestral seeds in the garden and conduct rituals and rites associated with the ancestral practices and beliefs
https://rgarden.ucr.edu/

Credit prepared by Michelle Baron and revised by Chelsea Lee.