Supporting residents with the resources and information needed to individually engage in local climate crisis issues not only empowers individual stakeholders but also builds more resilient communities and helps reach conservation targets by increasing local vested interest and overall awareness. Additionally, this engagement allows for an exchange of information between agencies and the local ecological knowledge of residents.

We get it, this is a bit of a buzzword, but for good reason. It truly does take a village to address the complexities surrounding the climate crisis, and this is especially true in wildland-urban interface community developments. These issues can’t be addressed independently and will need various perspectives and incorporate differing values if we are to reach viable, sustainable and equitable outcomes.

Research repeatedly shows that community-based organizations are crucial for linking needed resources and science to local ecological knowledge within exurban and rural communities. They also work to develop quality relationships with local stakeholders and residents. This complimentary approach improves outcomes through equitable exchanges and trust.

Building resiliency in wildland-urban interface communities comes with unique challenges, but the potential benefits are many. We believe building resilient exurban communities has to start with establishing the support and resources needed in order to work towards more self-reliance and equitable exchanges, through collaboration, land stewardship, economic benefits, and community engagement.