Multi-City Stormwater Challenge
Addressing these challenges will require bringing together the interests and contributions of all stakeholders, including municipal governments, communities, and corporations. ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø has a long standing partnership with HSBC to develop global programs that engage HSBC employees in field-based research programs that contribute knowledge about environmental challenges but also advance sustainability programs at the bank. Starting in 2018, HSBC and ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø launched the Sustainability Training Program in six cities in the US and Canada: New York, Buffalo, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, and Vancouver.
These one-day programs combine hands-on fieldwork with interactive classroom sessions on sustainability issues and solutions.
The fieldwork addresses knowledge gaps in the functionality of bioswales (vegetated infiltration pits) over time and is being led by scientists from Brooklyn College, the University of Arizona, and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. Local municipal partners guide the choice of bioswales to be monitored and will use the data to improve the design, positioning and management of them.
Local HSBC employees in the US and Canada attend the one-day programs and are trained as citizen scientists to monitor the performance of bioswales. This allows the research team to gather more data than they could alone. The HSBC employees conduct infiltrometer tests, examine soil conditions, and determine key parameters of the local microclimate. The deployment of long-term sensors complements these field measurements.
Feedback has shown that by creating a hands-on experience, participants feel more connected to and have a greater understanding of environmental issues and how they can make a difference to be more sustainable. Our program encourages action at the business and local levels to strive towards a more sustainable future.
If you’d like to get your business or community involved, please contact us at info@earthwatch.org.
Participants assess the condition of a bioswale.
Participant measures bioswale infiltration rate.
A scientist explains how to do the research.
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Experience hands-on science in some of the world's most astounding locations. Meet a community of eco-conscious travelers and return home with stories filled with adventure.
YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS
ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø depends on donations—above and beyond what we raise from volunteers who participate in our expeditions—to deliver our global conservation mission. In fact, volunteer contributions provide only half of the total resources ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø needs to sustain over 20 global field research expeditions, a wide variety of educational programs, corporate sustainability trainings, and more each year.