Forging Resilience

We build free toolkits to encourage local, collaborative problem-solving for local environmental challenges.

Our vision

At the heart of Forging Resilience is the belief that healthy, vibrant communities can adapt to changing circumstances—including climate impacts. Such communities are resilient, inclusive, and resourceful—able to discuss difficult concerns and identify and enact solutions that work for the entire community.

Our goal is to bridge the gap between climate solutions posed by experts and the on-the-ground obstacles that prevent individuals and communities from adopting those solutions.

What we do

We support public libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions as community anchors by providing free resources for building civic participation around environmental challenges.

Forging Resilience starts with a host institution—usually a public library or a museum—but relies on community members to actively participate, engage in good faith, and enact solutions. Use of the toolkit involves many actors:

Host institutions use our toolkits to engage their community.
Community members experience the tools in many ways:
- By visiting the exhibits
- By participating in and hosting Living Room Conversations
- By participating in and facilitating Skills Workshops
- By building consensus around and advocating for solutions
Local institutions, groups, and leaders can participate as individuals and help host and facilitate the use of our tools.
Local and regional experts can be called on for special lectures or collaborations to supplement the tools in this kit.

Learn more

You can learn about how we build our toolkits, here. And you can learn about why we build our toolkits, here.

You can also learn more about the Forging Resilience project by what role you might play in using our toolkits:

For Library & Museum Officials

For Community Members

For Funders

Or, sign up for our (very) occasional newsletter by clicking here:

Join us!

Our Toolkits

We are creating toolkits based on eleven topics, each one representing an environmental challenge faced by communities across the United States. While we tailor each toolkit to the community we send it to, we will soon make available for download a generalized toolkit guide for each topic.

In the meantime, you can learn about our inaugural toolkit on inland flooding and extreme rainfall and our upcoming toolkit on changing growing seasons! Click on the images below.

Inland Flooding & Extreme Rainfall

A road flooded by the Russian River in California passes through similarly flooded vineyards, many of which are covered with light brown flood water.

Inland flooding can ravage infrastructure, destroy farms and businesses, and upend daily life. Click on the image above to learn more.

Changing Growing Seasons

Frozen pink tree flower buds with a blurred background.

Changing frost patterns, pollination cycles, and precipitation can wreak havoc for farmers and home gardeners. (Webpage coming soon!)