skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers, warns of larger cuts to come; NYC music school teachers strike after union negotiations break down; Ohio advocates push for inclusive policies during Black History Month; Health experts recommend sunshine, socializing to cure 'winter blues.'

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Federal workers tasked with securing elections from foreign interference are placed on leave, parents' organizations reject dismantling Dept. of Education, and the Congressional Black Caucus presses discussions on slavery reparations.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

'Nuestros Bosques' to boost urban green spaces in disadvantaged communities

play audio
Play

Tuesday, October 29, 2024   

A national nonprofit dedicated to empowering Latino communities and improving access to public resources has launched a $10 million initiative to increase urban tree canopies in underserved areas across the United States, including the Sunshine State.

Hispanic Access has launched the Nuestros Bosques: Faith-Based and Strategic Local Investments program, which provides grants ranging from $50,000 to $1 million for projects to enhance environmental resilience, particularly in neighborhoods vulnerable to urban heat and pollution.

Amaris Alanis Ribeiro is director of forestry at Hispanic Access, and said the program is designed to empower communities with more than just greenery.

"I think our angle of calling it nuestros bosque signifies that it's about a reciprocal relationship with our forest," said Ribeiro. "This is our environment, and having that long-term relationship with the environment is key."

The Nuestros Bosques program, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, encourages faith-based organizations, Indigenous groups and local nonprofits to apply.

Its 80% funding focus is on disadvantaged communities. Applications are open until November 15, and interested organizations can apply through the Hispanic Access Foundation's website.

Ribeiro said the initiative highlights the role of faith-based organizations and Indigenous groups, among the key eligible applicants, in fostering a community-based approach to environmental care.

"The way our communities, especially Black and brown communities, connect with the environment," said Ribeiro, "with our ancestral knowledge, our indigenous knowledge, has been through a spiritual and cultural way."

Funding will be allocated to projects focusing on urban tree planting and maintenance, planning, and community engagement around forestry.

In Miami Beach, city officials plan to use the funds to expand native tree coverage along the Beachwalk path, which spans Miami's east coast, to mitigate urban heat and flooding risks.

The City of Hollywood plans to use the funds to plant nearly 500 trees in disadvantaged neighborhoods - including species such as the southern oak, royal poinciana and Sabal palms.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
In 2023, the Biden administration ordered a Bakersfield oil company to remove old oil rigs from Carrizo Plain National Monument in Central California. (Bob Wick/BLM)

Environment

play sound

Groups that fight to protect public lands are criticizing the Trump administration's new review of all oil, gas and mining on public lands. National …


Social Issues

play sound

Minnesota is little less than a year away from launching its paid-leave law, but state lawmakers are debating whether to delay the start until 2027…

Social Issues

play sound

A New York City music school's faculty is back in the classroom after a weeklong strike. The Manhattan School of Music's Precollege Program faculty …


The nonprofit Facing History and Ourselves offers a mini-lesson for teachers about the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack, designed for grades 6-12. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A New York bill would require schools to teach about the Jan. 6 insurrection. The bill calls for all K-12 students to be taught about the event…

Health and Wellness

play sound

An Atlanta-based group is making sure more people have access to an unconventional but effective treatment for their moderate mental health challenges…

Social Issues

play sound

With cost at the forefront of prospective students' minds, higher education institutions in North Carolina are rethinking how to overcome one of the …

Social Issues

play sound

Kentucky's Appalachian counties are expanding efforts to help ensure kids are off to the right start educationally. Research shows attending a high-…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021