Erie County, NY

Josh Wilson, Tracy Skalski, Dr Monica Miles, Hillary Bialecki, Ruby Wilson, and Jason pose with screenprinted WNY Heat Watch shirt. Photo taken by Josh Wilson.

Erie County’s Heat Watch campaign exemplified the potential benefits of forming new collaborations. The Center for Collaborative Heat Monitoring invited two similar applications to work together, and the results far exceeded the Center’s expectations. By bringing together staff from the Erie County Sustainability Office, faculty from the University at Buffalo, and a community development corporation, the Erie County campaign was able to recruit volunteers, leverage Sustainability Office interns and resources, and draw on the expertise of academic faculty with experience in community-engaged research. The campaign data will help the community better understand the impacts of warming temperatures in upstate New York.