Philadelphia City Parks Association

Philadelphia City Parks Association (CPA) acts as a catalyst for change by advancing visionary thinking about natural resources in the urban community. From its founding in 1888 City Parks Association has 'encouraged the establishment and maintenance of public parks and open space in the city of Philadelphia'; its programs foster ongoing dialogue and collaborative action among people and communities committed to environments stewardship." LandHealth Institute (LHI) is an innovative Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to “Put Nature Back” through exploration and environmental education programming and community-based land revitalization services. All programs and projects aim to build environmental awareness and appreciation while enhancing the environmental, social, and economic vitality of the Philadelphia. The YLACES grant will provide a rain gauge and support for its installation, an IR thermometer, and for measuring surface soil moisture. These measurements will be used for participation in the GLOBE ENSO Campaign.

LHI will work together with CPA to engage students in nearby schools and residents to learn about and get trained on GLOBE.gov protocols and related citizen science projects at Urban Arboreta in West Parkside. The success of this effort will be evaluated to determine what, if any changes need to be made in order to improve future experiences.