Community Comes Together to Create Food Security and Climate Resilience through Nature-Based Solutions

This fall, the city's Nature-based Solutions (NbS) team worked alongside community members, students and local organizations to turn that shared care into action, transforming landscapes, restoring ecosystems and celebrating the pollinators that help sustain life in our city.

Building resilience, one project at a time
In late September, the NbS team hosted the lively Bee Boulder Festival at Civic Park, drawing more than 750 visitors to celebrate pollinators and local biodiversity. Over 30 volunteers and 16 community partners helped make the day a success, with kids dancing and learning through nature- and science-themed performances by Jeff and Paige. The festival reminded everyone that small creatures can make a big difference, and so can we.

At the same time, the team led two hands-on landscape transformations designed to strengthen climate resilience and food security in Boulder.

BCSIS/High Peaks Elementary School: Parents, students and staff replaced traditional turf with pollinator-friendly plants and trees, creating a greener learning space. The project was supported by Boulder Valley School District, PLAY Boulder Foundation/Tree Trust and other partners.

Tantra Lake Apartments: Community members joined forces with Boulder Housing Partners, the Arbor Day Foundation, Cielo Boulder Foundation and PLAY Boulder Foundation/Tree Trust to turn a vacant lot into a thriving food forest and pollinator garden.

Together, these projects revitalized nearly 18,500 square feet of land, planted 40 trees, and installed 391 perennial plants with 2,000 square feet of native seeding. The BCSIS/High Peaks site alone is expected to save about 26,000 gallons of water annually, a clear win for both the environment and community.

By restoring landscapes, planting trees and creating pollinator gardens, the NbS team helps Boulder work with natural systems to address climate challenges. In Boulder, that means restoring wetlands, planting trees and converting turf to native landscapes that support biodiversity, absorb carbon and reduce heat. These efforts help cool our neighborhoods, conserve water, improve food access and strengthen community resilience in the face of climate change.

Boulder invests in this work because nature isn't just part of our identity, it's part of our future. To learn more about these projects and other community-led efforts to make Boulder more resilient and regenerative, visit Cool Boulder.