WEBINAR RESOURCES

Edible Landscape & Climate Resilient Communities

The presentation covers the benefits of trees to building climate resilient communities in historically marginalized areas, the value of fruit-bearing trees, integrating edible plants into a landscape, regenerative agriculture practices in small urban spaces, and sharing fresh local food with populations facing food insecurity.

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Presenters: The Rev. Dr. Shelly Barrick Parsons, Exec. Director of Capital Trees and Scharmel Roussel, Exec. Director of Arkansas Interfaith Power & Light
Shelly Barrick Parsons serves as the Executive Director of the non-profit Capital Trees in Richmond, Virginia, building a greener and more livable city through increasing public landscapes and tree canopy, sustainable management of completed projects, and community engagement and education.  She holds a Ph.D., M.A. in Christian Education, and M. Div. from Union Theological Seminary.  Shelly spent many years serving in pastoral roles and in non-profit leadership.  She has earned Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional Level 1 certification.
Scharmel Roussel serves on the national steering committee for Presbyterians for Earth Care and as executive director of Ark. Interfaith Power and Light. She serves as a ruling elder at First Presbyterian Church in Conway, Arkansas. She is co-chair of Ark. Citizens First Congress. She is the 2024 Ark. Peace Activist of the Year (Ark. Coalition for Peace and Justice).

Ark. IPL has been awarded several environmental justice grants related to regenerative agriculture from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS), and Climate Reality. A current “Grow More Food Where People Live” grant supports community gardens producing fruits and vegetables going to food distribution efforts in low-wealth areas; the grant trains a multitude of urban farmers, student interns, and volunteers on the benefits of earth-friendly agriculture methods that conserve water and protect soil health.

For Ark. IPL, sustainable food systems are related to reducing human impact on the planet and ultimately increasing food security.