In this interactive talk, Oliver López introduces the Tree of Solutions, a community-centered framework that uses the living structure of a tree—roots, trunk, and branches—to transform environmental and social challenges into collective action and regeneration.
Grounded in ecological stewardship, public engagement, and cultural storytelling, participants will work together to complete a Tree of Solutions exercise while exploring how communities can identify root causes, cultivate shared responsibility, and design practical, regenerative responses.
Drawing from programs developed in New York City and Ecuador, Oliver will share a series of community practices that have successfully transformed local challenges into opportunities for ecological restoration and social connection, including Sembratón, a permaculture-based reforestation initiative in Ecuador; Alas Latinas, a bilingual environmental education organization; Nature and Resistance, a collaborative public program developed alongside Indigenous leaders; and community engagement experiences from NYC Parks GreenThumb, where neighborhood gardens become spaces of stewardship, learning, and belonging.
The talk will also introduce the Indigenous Peoples Public Programs Toolkit, an evolving, collaboratively created resource that documents community practices, ecological philosophies, and public programming ideas from Indigenous leaders, educators, and environmental organizations worldwide. Participants can contribute their own ideas and experiences, becoming part of the toolkit’s ongoing collective creation.
Attendees will leave with a practical facilitation framework, new approaches for community-centered horticulture, and actionable strategies for building more inclusive, regenerative, and culturally rooted public programs—demonstrating that healthy landscapes and healthy communities grow through participation, shared knowledge, and collective care.
Speaker: Oliver López
Event Timeslots (1)
Conference Schedule
-
In this interactive talk, Oliver López introduces the Tree of Solutions, a community-centered framework that uses the living structure of a tree—roots, trunk, and branches—to transform environmental and social challenges into collective action and regeneration.
Grounded in ecological stewardship, public engagement, and cultural storytelling, participants will work together to complete a Tree of Solutions exercise while exploring how communities can identify root causes, cultivate shared responsibility, and design practical, regenerative responses.
Drawing from programs developed in New York City and Ecuador, Oliver will share a series of community practices that have successfully transformed local challenges into opportunities for ecological restoration and social connection, including Sembratón, a permaculture-based reforestation initiative in Ecuador; Alas Latinas, a bilingual environmental education organization; Nature and Resistance, a collaborative public program developed alongside Indigenous leaders; and community engagement experiences from NYC Parks GreenThumb, where neighborhood gardens become spaces of stewardship, learning, and belonging.
The talk will also introduce the Indigenous Peoples Public Programs Toolkit, an evolving, collaboratively created resource that documents community practices, ecological philosophies, and public programming ideas from Indigenous leaders, educators, and environmental organizations worldwide. Participants can contribute their own ideas and experiences, becoming part of the toolkit's ongoing collective creation.
Attendees will leave with a practical facilitation framework, new approaches for community-centered horticulture, and actionable strategies for building more inclusive, regenerative, and culturally rooted public programs—demonstrating that healthy landscapes and healthy communities grow through participation, shared knowledge, and collective care.