Host: City of Bellevue
Region: Washington
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Climate Adaptation (e.g., sea level rise planning, environmental justice, climate migration planning),Climate Mitigation,Ecosystem / Habitat Conservation / Biodiversity Protection, Urban Planning, Community Engagement; Urban Forestry
Skills Needed: Community Engagement, Project Management, Community Outreach, Volunteer Management,

Remote or On-Site Placement

Hybrid – Fellows will work in a hybrid environment, with an expectation that most weeks they will be in the office at least 2 days a week. Fellows will be expected to work out of the office at field events and activities on occasion. Fellows will need to be available to work nights and weekends approximately once a month for community events.

Service Needs & Plans

The Fellow will be supporting the City of Bellevue Sustainability Team (Community Development Department) with community outreach and engagement specific to climate change resilience & mitigation. Includes direct engagement with community organizations and residents, and internal capacity and support for city staff, in implementing community-facing elements of our Climate Vulnerability Assessment action plan and other related programs.

Project Description

Project 1: Climate Engagement

1. Goal of the Project
The Overarching goal for this project is to increase the community’s capacity to address climate change and increase overall resilience and quality of life, through individual & community action and effective advocacy.

2. Role of the Fellow on the project
The Fellow will help the city achieve that goal by supporting three concurrent city-led activities: a 5-year update of Bellevue’s sustainability plan; the launch of a new community climate leadership program; and implementation of specific actions suggested by our Climate Vulnerability Assessment.

3. Desired Project Outcomes
The Fellow will support the Sustainability Team through direct community interaction, both with and without City staff present, that may include tabling, webinars, walking tours, and meeting/communicating with partner organizations or members of the public. This support may also include assistance in developing and delivering public-facing materials related to climate resilience and sustainability.

The Fellow will be expected to lend technical and process support to the sustainability plan update; this may include technical analysis, research, graphics, and report writing, as appropriate for the Fellow’s knowledge, experience, and interests. Finally, the Fellow will support the Sustainability Program Coordinator in building out, launching, and managing the first cohort of our new community climate leadership program.

4. How these resources will help increase the agency’s capacity to address resilience challenges
With the Puget Sound region and Bellevue facing increasingly warm summers, extended period of wildfire smoke, and changes in precipitation patterns, this role is critical in helping to increase resilience for Bellevue’s most vulnerable residents, through education, community networks, and direct resilience actions.

Project 2: Urban Forestry

1. Goal of the project
The overarching goal of the project is to increase tree canopy in Bellevue, to reduce inequities, enhance quality of life, manage stormwater, reduce urban heat island, improve air quality, and support the implementation of Bellevue’s sustainability plan. The city has an adopted goal of 40% tree canopy.

2. Role of the Fellow in the project
The Fellow will conduct outreach and education of Bellevue residents around the value and benefits of trees, to promote tree preservation and tree planting. This may include leading trainings, tree tours, and educational events. The Fellow will lead the City’s annual tree giveaway, working closely with city staff, volunteers, and our nonprofit partner organization.

3. Desired project outcomes
The Fellow will support the distribution and planting of ~700 trees as part of the annual tree giveaway, deliver presentations and trainings to Bellevue residents, and support the development of materials related to urban forestry.

4. How these resources will help increase the agency’s capacity to address resilience challenges
With increasingly warm summers in the Puget Sound region and Bellevue, this role is critical in helping to increase resilience for Bellevue’s most vulnerable residents, through the distribution of trees through the Tree Giveaway and the education of residents on the value and benefit of trees. Bellevue is known as a “City in a Park” and this role is essential to helping fulfill that value, throughout the community.

Desired Skills

The ideal Fellow will have the following “soft” skills:
-Excellent verbal and written communications skills
-Comfortable speaking in public and 1-on-1 with members of the public
-Passion and knowledge of the natural environment and ecology, especially trees and urban forestry issues
-Strong project management and organizational skills
-Ability to work independently and with a team
-Passion for engaging with people of diverse backgrounds on environmental issues
-Flexibility with schedule and assignments

Desirable technical skills:
-Experience with MS Excel, Word, Powerpoint, Teams, and Sharepoint
-Survey design, website management, data analysis
-Research
-Familiarity with climate assessment tools such as GHG inventories and/or wedge analyses

Organization & Workplace Highlights

This project will be part of the City of Bellevue’s new Sustainability Team and will build on work developed by previous AmeriCorps and CivicSpark Fellows. This position has a leadership role in implementing Bellevue’s environmental DEI and environmental justice goals through the Tree Giveaway and climate resilience work. The Fellow will be part of a robust team of sustainability professionals and will also benefit from the expertise of Bellevue’s environmental educators and outreach specialists in Community Development, Parks, and other departments.

Community Highlights

Bellevue is a diverse and rapidly growing community with a strong commitment to environmental preservation and to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Bellevue is over 50% people of color and 40% of the residents are foreign-born. The city is a leader in environmental sustainability in the Seattle metro area and is the largest city outside of Seattle. It is known as a “City in a Park”, with an abundance of high-quality green space and nearby outdoor recreation opportunities.