What is resilience and how can you support your community to be more resilient?

Resilience is defined in many ways – from the simplest idea of “bouncing back” after a major hazard event to more forward-thinking improvements to support sustainability. The CREATE Resilience Research and Community Learning Hub project envisions a community where all populations are thriving that takes proactive rather than reactive action to improve preparation and response to the hazards we face.

We focus on resilience because the Lehigh Valley (and many other regions) face risks from a range of natural hazards, including flooding, extreme temperatures, and more. These hazards are being amplified by climate change, continued development pressures, and a growing population, intensifying vulnerabilities and potential impacts on those who live and work here. Resilience improves our ability to proactively address these issues and ensure continued human, environmental, and economic well-being.

Everyone in the community can learn about and prepare for hazards and climate change impacts, and help support resiliency planning and actions. There are likely numerous assets already in place that can support these efforts and goals, and action plans can help focus those efforts.  Nurture Nature Center has developed an in-person resilience exhibit and an online digital resource hub to support local municipalities in their progress to resilience.

The online resource hub provides information about what resiliency is, local hazards’ impacts, and how to create a resilience plan and take action. There are also specific resources for local municipal leaders. It provides links to essential resources and shares a resiliency plan template and regional resiliency plan that can serve as models for other communities looking to support their community in the resiliency journey. 

The in-person exhibit at NNC includes illustrated maps created by local artists for the six partnering municipalities that participated in the CREATE Hub project. There is also a video of local resiliency examples and a short survey to gather your thoughts on resiliency and local hazards. The artists and municipalities include 

  • Anna Kodama – Bushkill Township
  • Pat Delluva – Hanover Township
  • Tom Maxfield – Borough of Bath and East Allen Township
  • Linda Ganus Albulescu – Palmer Township
  • Jim DePietro – Upper Nazareth Township
  • Pam Danko-Stout – Portland Borough

CREATE Resilience Hub Participating Artists (from left to right: Anna Kodama, Linda Ganus Albulescu, Tom Maxfield, Jim DePietro, Pat Delluva, Pam Danko-Stout)

Visit NNC to see the exhibit, check out the website, explore the resources, and consider how they might apply to your community and ways you can get involved.  Reach out and let us know how you use these resources and if you have any ideas for ways to support resiliency!

Want to learn more or have questions for us?  We will have an online webinar about the project and share the resources and information developed as part of these efforts on Tuesday September 10th, 2024 from 12-1 pm. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/CREATEHub 

This post was prepared by the Nurture Nature Center, Inc. under award NA22SEC4690012​ from the Environmental Literacy Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA or the U.S. Department of Commerce.