The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Network on Smart and Sustainable Cities (ANSSC) will hold its next web meeting on Thursday, October 16, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. Eastern. The featured speaker will be Joanna B. Nadeau, associate director of environmental programs, Audubon International. Ms. Nadeau will discuss the organization's Sustainable Communities Program. Audubon International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering high-quality environmental education and facilitating the sustainable management of land, water, wildlife, and other natural resources in all the places people live, work, and play. Through education, technical assistance, certification, and recognition, Audubon International facilitates the implementation of environmental management practices that ensure natural resources are sustainably used and conserved.
The Sustainable Communities Program helps communities take steps to ensure that they are healthy and vibrant places in which to live, work, and play - both today and tomorrow. That vision is founded on the three pillars of sustainability: a healthy local environment; quality of life for citizens; and economic vitality. The program is tailored to each community to ensure that its specific needs, priorities, resources, and challenges are addressed. Through the program, the community establishes priorities, develops a plan with measurable indicators, and takes action that leads to meaningful results for the people who live, work, and recreate there. Communities that successfully complete the three stages earn designation as a Certified Audubon International Sustainable Community.
In addition to directing the Sustainable Communities Program, Ms. Nadeau oversees Audubon International's Green Neighborhoods Program, which engages community groups in projects that protect and enhance the land, water, wildlife, and other natural resources around them. She previously worked at the University of Arizona's Water Resources Research Center, the Nature Conservancy, and the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management.
Participation in the October 16 ANSI web meeting is open to individuals who have joined the ANSSC, a forum for information sharing among members of the standardization community, representatives of local governments, and experts in sustainable urban infrastructure planning and development [see related news item], and to invited guests. For additional information, please visit www.ansi.org/cities or email ANSI staff at [email protected].