The document discusses the creation of Community Resilience Organizations (CROs) to help communities work together on climate adaptation and building resilience. CROs are local teams that bring community members together to complete climate resilience projects and build social connections. They operate on an annual cycle of assessing needs, building team relationships, planning projects, engaging the community, and implementing projects. The author discusses several Vermont communities piloting CROs in 2015, with partners supporting the efforts. The goal is for CROs to help more people and communities prepare for climate impacts through collaboration.

1. Peg Elmer, AICP and
Rebecca Sanborn StoneMaking resilience everyone’s business.

2. Culture
Eats
STRATEGY
For Breakfast
- Peter Drucker

3. That quote has
never been
more applicable
than it is to the
climate change
challenge today.

4. As hard as we work to make plans and take action,
it won’t mean anything unless climate change
becomes everyone’s business.

5. It won’t mean anything unless people act and work
together.
Not just in disasters, but everyday.
And not just some people, but everyone.

6. We see it over and over again.

7. With Katrina.

8. With Sandy.

9. With Irene in Vermont.

10. Preparation matters.
Climate adaptation matters.
And community matters.

11. It truly takes a village to prepare for and to survive
the challenges that lie ahead…

12. … a village that can work together, talk together, and
especially dance together.

13. That’s why we started CROs.

14. CROs are local teams that bring the community
together to accomplish essential local climate
adaptation projects and build resilience.

15. Emergency
management
& incident
command
Environment
& climate
action
Social
services &
long-term
recovery
Most communities have silos. Committed people
don’t always work together or understand others’
issues.

16. Emergency
management
& incident
command
Environment
& climate
action
Social
services &
long-term
recovery
CROs help them to collaborate and see why
resilience is everyone’s business.

17. Resilient
Communities
Diverse
people engage
in climate
adaptation
work
Towns
accomplish
essential hazard
mitigation steps
Community
fun +
celebrations
build social
capital
CROs connect the dots between a lot of essential
community needs.

18. How does it work? CROs operate on an annual
cycle.
Assessment
Team
Building
PlanningOutreach
Action

19. First, teams are formed and they assess their
community’s resilience in a range of areas.
Assessment
Team
Building
PlanningOutreach
Action

20. Assessment
Team
Building
PlanningOutreach
Action
Then team members build trust and
communication at a retreat, and meet other teams.

21. Teams plan action projects that will strengthen
local resilience and engage residents.
Assessment
Team
Building
PlanningOutreach
Action

22. Then they spread the message far and wide,
engaging people across the community.
Assessment
Team
Building
PlanningOutreach
Action

23. Finally, the community comes together for a “Day
for CROing” – work, fun, and community building.
Assessment
Team
Building
PlanningOutreach
Action

24. • Clearing culverts
• Stream bank plantings
• Rain barrel installation
• Emergency preparedness kit distribution
• River corridor analysis
• Neighborhood readiness groups
• DIY resilience workshops
• …and so many more…
Potential projects include:

25. Waterbury
Hartford
Jeffersonville
Putney
Londonderry
We’re launching CROs with 5
Vermont pilot towns in 2015.
We will add 5 more each year.

26. Waterbury
Hartford
Jeffersonville
Putney
Londonderry
Windham
Regional
Commission
Lamoille
County RPC
AHS/Dept. of
Health
ANR / DEC /
Rivers
Management
Dept. of Housing
& Community
Development
Vermont
Emergency
Management
Department of
Transportation
VLCT
ISC
Upper
Valley
Strong
VNRC/AVCC/
Watersheds
United
VYCC/White
River
Partnership
NH/VT Red
Cross
We’re thrilled to have a lot of
committed partners.

27. Photo: Flickr / Nicholas Erwin
We’ll keep innovating too. In 2016, we plan to add
arts engagement to help more people engage and
think outside the box.

28. Eventually, we think the CROs model
can expand to communities across the
U.S. and beyond.

29. There’s a long road ahead.
We face a lot of challenges.
But we have a lot of reasons to be hopeful.
We think CROs is one of them.
After all…

30. Someone's
sitting in the
shade today
because
someone
planted a
tree
a long time ago.
- Warren Buffett

31. Join us and learn more.
www.gocros.org