 At summer events like Party in the Park, Pride Festival, and National Night Out, Green Iowa AmeriCorps and the City’s Climate Action and Outreach Division will provide a cooling station for attendees. Sit under the tent, rest, and mist yourself to cool off.
Want to learn how to stay safe during high heat days? Pick up information on heat related illnesses and grab free swag to start your heat preparedness kit, including a cooling towel and sunscreen stick. Find details at icgov.org/KeepCool.
 As part of an ongoing resilience hub pilot program, the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, Johnson County Public Health, and the City of Iowa City participated together alongside additional community partners in a tabletop exercise to increase the shared capacity to respond to high heat emergencies.
Resilience hubs are organizations and facilities that serve as focal points within communities, supporting residents and strengthening neighborhoods and communities. As trusted sources of information and resources for residents, they can serve as key partners before, during, and after disruptions like extreme weather events.
The tabletop exercise was part of high heat preparedness planning funded through a $20,000 award from the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Regional Collaboration Network.
 In April, eight Iowa City residents completed a nine-week training course to join the ranks of Iowa City’s Climate Ambassadors.
The City wishes to recognize Andrew Martin, Conrad Powell, Emma Bork, Ericka Petersen, Erin Moran Hood, Natalie Tapscott, Ray Muston, and Sarah Outterson-Murphy for their hard work and commitment to taking climate action.
As part of the program, Climate Ambassadors took a deep dive into all five sections of the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, learned effective climate communication strategies, and participated in weekly discussions.
For more information on the program, visit icgov.org/CAambassadors.
 Erin Moran Hood
Iowa City Climate Ambassador
 How do you take climate action?
My favorite way to take climate action involves engaging in my community. I recently became an Iowa City Climate Ambassador, which allowed me to meet like-minded people who share my values. It also made me appreciate all the efforts Iowa City is taking to reduce carbon emissions. In this current political climate, I firmly believe finding ways to help your community is the most effective way to combat climate change.
What can others do to take climate action?
One easy way to take climate action is by reducing meat consumption, especially beef. I know that seems like an unreasonable ask for many people, but it can be as simple as picking a day of the week to not eat meat. Climate action can feel overwhelming, but my advice is to start small.
Why is it important to take climate action?
Climate action is important to me because I care about the quality of life for future generations. As a teacher, I want to create a more sustainable world for my students. Additionally, climate action matters to me because it is intersectional - it impacts every social and political issue imaginable.
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