Collaborative, Nature-Based Climate Action.
The Cool Boulder campaign forms partnerships between the city, local organizations and communities to address the climate crisis and biodiversity loss through nature-based climate action!
The campaign will mobilize and support residents to regenerate our soils, trees, and habitats for a resilient community, climate, and future.
Communities must begin preparing for climatic extremes. A host of scientific reports have underscored that the shading and evaporative cooling provided by trees and other plants will be an increasingly critical part of keeping communities safe and livable.
Alongside the climate crisis, we are facing an unprecedented loss of biodiversity, particularly the loss of crucial native pollinators. Furthermore, our landscapes are becoming increasingly degraded leading to poor soil health and reduced potential to hold water, carbon and nutrients. Planting and protecting trees and creating more diverse habitats for local species within cities can help address the impacts of both climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation.
Much of this work will need to take place on private land and be led by community members. City departments can provide support and training, but the scale of change needed will not be possible without the commitment of thousands of engaged residents.
Action Areas
Pollinator
Pathways
Pollinator Pathways are corridors of diverse plants that support cooling temperatures and foster biodiversity, especially for native pollinators. Creating and expanding an interconnected network of these corridors on both public and private land will provide important habitats and help manage carbon and water in ways that reduce the impacts of climate change.
Connected
Canopies
Connected Canopies help reduce temperatures and expand access to the benefits of urban trees. Boulder needs major investments to both maintain the health of the existing tree canopy and plant thousands of additional trees, most of which will need to be located on private land.
Absorbent
Landscapes
Absorbent Landscapes hold more carbon, more water, and more thermal energy, helping to cool our city as well as prevent dangerous flooding that Boulder is prone to. This collaborative effort is focused on improving carbon sequestration, soil health, and water retention/management through regenerative agriculture, sustainable grasslands and turf management, and other actions in the landscaped areas within our City as well as in the working lands surrounding Boulder.
We đź’› Pollinators
Learn about the Pollinator Advocates Program !
Cool Boulder needs you!
Become an organizational partner, join a community action team, and more. Click below to learn how you can become a part of the Cool Boulder campaign!