Nature-based Solutions and Our Impact: A Four-Year Lookback
and… Where We Are Headed Next!
The City of Boulder Nature-based Solutions division in partnership with the Climate Initiatives department and Cool Boulder mean making a difference! Below are just a few ways that NbS, Climate Initiatives, and Cool Boulder and its partners have made significant impacts for City of Boulder residents, and members of Boulder County at-large, since Spring 2022. And a few thoughts about our impactful work ahead!
Major Accomplishments: A Four-Year Review
NEED ENGAGEMENT NUMBERS = quick view chart would be a great lead-in [could even be a larger feature with the other two below]
Berlin Urban Nature Pact - 2025
International Biodiversity Seminar Series - 2025
The urban heat island impacts, water availability, insect or disease health risks, and invasive species require an expert group working for all residents in the City of Boulder to create actionable plans to support health, recreation, and quality of life.
Your City of Boulder Team, the Boulder Nature-based Solutions (NbS) team in partnership with Climate Initiatives and Cool Boulder, has embraced these challenges and has been working for the community.
NbS is a team of ecosystem stewards who believe natural systems have the capacity to restore and regulate themselves. The team's overall work sits at the center of one of the few truly ecosystem-based Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs in the country.
The NbS - Climate Initiatives Team
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Senior Division Manager,
Nature-based Solutions, City of BoulderLeads IPM
International Biodiversity Seminar Series (Fall 2025)
Developed and led program
Brett’s Key Programs/Projects:
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Senior Ecologist at City of Boulder, Climate Initiatives Department
Rella’s Key Programs/Projects:
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Dreamer, Team Player, Plant Lover, and Landscape Architect
Lauren’s Key Projects/Programs:Landscape code updates—Planning
Wildfire Resilient Landscape Guide—Planning, Fire, Parks, Utilities
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Caroline Petterson, AmeriCorps Fellow
Key projects: BVSD - BCSIS/High Peaks Climate Resilient Landscapes Design and Installation
Jasi Sikora, AmeriCorps Fellow
Cool Boulder oversight
Key projects: Leading efforts with Boulder Housing Project (BHP)
Community Composting
Tantra Lakes Food Forest
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Item description
Brett KenCairn, Senior Division Manager and Rella Abernathy, PhD, Senior Ecologist
Brett KenCairn, Senior Division Manager and Lauren Freels, Landscape ArchitectThe Nature-based Solutions team includes the senior ecologist position responsible for managing and monitoring the city’s unique Integrated Pest Management program. Unlike most other jurisdictions, the city’s approach focuses primarily on utilizing ecosystem-based approaches to controlling invasive species and insect/disease problems. This approach requires extensive monitoring, support for non-chemical treatment strategies, and ongoing evaluation, testing, and development of new non-toxic management strategies. The City of Boulder maintains one of the few ecosystem-based IPM programs in the Country.
Ecosystems
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trees given away for planting
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trees planted by partners
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biodiverse habitats installed
Undertaking a Desertification Risk Assessment:
Identifying where we will lose critical ecosystems = where drought renders lands useless.
Creating A Heat Vulnerability Index:
Who in Boulder are the most impacted and how can we help them?
Wildfire Resilience and Water Wise Landscaping:
A City Council Agenda brought to life by the Boulder NbS team
Wildfire Resilient Landscape Guide
Eurasian Water Milfoil Compost Project:
Controlling non-native invasive weed species in partnership with City of Boulder Utilities and Parks
Community
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Tree Tenders trained
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Pollinator Advocates trained
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community members engaged through outreach
Community Forestry Corps:
Supporting Boulder Youth — Providing Critical Tree Care
Pollinator Advocates:
Training Community to Care for the Community Pollinator Habitat Gardens - and in turn - getting to know others who hold a “pollinator and nature-based passion”
BVSD Placeholder
Nature Everywhere:
Creating “Nature-hoods” to Activate Community Members in Caring for Biodiverse Urban Landscapes
Cool Boulder Outcomes
Partner News/Successes (highlights from the year)
Accomplishments that Cool Boulder/NbS supported
Highlights for Partners
Do you have stats on year-over-year increases in partner recruits?
Are there aggregated stats on the total numbers your partners serve collectively?
Major initiatives any one of them have undertaken?
Regenerative Economies
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restaurants participating in Zero Food Print fundraising for regenerative work
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funds generated by ZFP restaurant
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of regenerative farms / projects supported by ZFP fundraising
2026 and Beyond - Our Initiatives
What the remainder of 2026 looks like - and beyond. THIS HAS SO MUCH CONTENT I WANT TO BE SURE IT IS ALL LEGIT BEFORE BUILDING PAGES, ETC. - I KNOW SHOWCASE NEEDS TO BE PROMINENTLY FEATURED SO WILL DO THAT.