What is the impact of community green spaces in connecting communities? And what role do community gardens have in climate change? Specifically how do these gardens fit into the bigger picture in terms of community empowerment and tackling inequalities?

Join our Climate Researcher in Residence live discussion on Friday 1st of October at 1pm on the Fun Palaces Scotland Facebook page or Twitter with two guests and library host including:

Dr Cheryl McGeachan who is a Senior Lecturer for the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences at the University of Glasgow will be sharing her role in setting up the International Green Academy which is a collective of researchers, teachers and young people working together to build school and community gardens. https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/ges/staff/cherylmcgeachan/#researchinterests https://internationalgreenacademy.org/

Dr Ian Shaw who is an Associate Professor of Global Security Challenges at the University of Leeds will be sharing his research about the vital role of school and community gardens and his role in setting up the International Green Academy whose mission is to build school and community gardens that empower young people. https://essl.leeds.ac.uk/politics/staff/1331/dr-ian-shaw

Fraser Stewart is an Applied Public Policy Researcher at the University of Strathclyde, making clean energy and climate change work actively against poverty and inequality. He also sits on the board of Glasgow Community Energy, and works extensively on climate and justice issues both in media and in his local area. https://www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/meetourstudents/governmentpublicpolicy/fraserstewart/

Gail Colbron who is the Programme Development Librarian for Inverclyde Libraries who are working in partnership with Beacon Arts Centre, Belville Community Garden Trust and RIG Arts to form one of the seven Climate Beacons in Scotland. The Climate Beacons, led by Creative Carbon Scotland, provide a welcoming physical and virtual space for the public, artists and cultural sector professionals, environmental non-governmental organisations, scientists and policymakers to discuss and debate COP26 themes and climate action specific to each local area. https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/project/climate-beacons-for-cop26/

This talk is part of Explorathon which is a programme of online and face-to-face events connecting communities with researchers to find out about research taking place across Scotland. https://www.explorathon.co.uk/

This discussion is also part of Fun Palaces weekend which is the annual celebration of a year-round campaign celebrating communities, and the creativity, science skills, and culture we believe everyone already has while supporting connections, wellbeing and tackling social isolation. https://funpalaces.co.uk/

Alt text: Cupped hands holding soil and seedling and five small photos of faces of speakers.