San Leandro is a small city in the San Francisco Bay Area with a population that is predominantly people of color and foreign-born. The city is vulnerable to climate change impacts, and to address this, it has implemented a Tree Master Plan and is developing a resilience hub network. The Tree Master Plan focuses on expanding the urban canopy to reduce extreme heat and improve human and wildlife health while prioritizing racial equity and social justice. The city also partners with seven community-based organizations to serve as hubs for emergency preparedness and response, climate adaptation and mitigation, community care, and equity.
San Leandro will partner with FUSE Corps and FUSE Executive Fellow, Talia Benet, to implement the tree grant and strengthen the city’s efforts to promote climate resilience. Talia Benet will manage the grant, coordinate resilience hub advancement, and prepare for the community resilience center grant by working with key stakeholders such as the City Manager’s Office, the Public Works Department, and the San Leandro Unified School District to understand the City’s resilience work with a focus on racial equity and urban canopy. She will manage the implementation of the tree grant, including administrative oversight, logistics coordination, strategic communication, planning and executing events, coordinating outreach, and measuring the impact of tree planting.
