Robert Redford Conservancy Launches Powerful Environmental Data Tool
Celia Malone ’24 (left) and Nathan Lu ’25 demonstrate SoCal Earth to media and community partners Oct. 10 at the historic L.A. Central Library.
The Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California Sustainability launched the “SoCal Earth” interactive dashboard this fall. A partnership with global mapping and spatial data leader Esri, the innovative digital tool provides Southern California data on pollution, food security, habitats, and more to improve policy- and decision-making and prioritize vulnerable communities.
Student researchers and faculty who helped design the site were featured at an October campus celebration and a press conference covered by LAist and NPR, Politico, and others. The project was made possible by a $100,000 gift from The Eileen and (Pitzer Trustee) Harold Brown Foundation.
SoCal Earth arms users with information to combat climate change, protect communities and habitats, and address environmental inequities while promoting sustainable land use practices. Its data reveal the impacts of industrial development and pollution on air, land, and water quality, aiding in planning for a regenerative, equitable future. Data sets, from environmental justice indicators to biodiversity markers, allow users to map and pinpoint areas susceptible to climate pressure, identify appropriate action, and assess progress.
“SoCal Earth is an experiment in environmental communication, empowering everyone from fifth graders to municipal planners to ensure that the voices of those most affected by climate change are not only heard, but prioritized,” said Conservancy Director Susan Phillips.
“It is like a one-stop-shop for people who are passionate about climate action and community advocacy. SoCal Earth gives us a new approach to data visualization and spatial understanding of our problems and solutions,” said environmental analysis major Nathan Lu ’25.
“SoCal Earth makes complex data accessible, providing information that communities and the public and private sectors can use to take action. This tool will help improve community health, enhance resilience to climate change, and protect diverse ecosystems here in [our] global biodiversity hotspot,” said Piper Wallingford, Climate Resilience Scientist with The Nature Conservancy of California.
“With all that is on the line, SoCal Earth’s ‘community first, climate first’ call to action is exactly what we need right here—and beyond—for the sake of our oceans, rich species and habitats, and ourselves and our children,” said President Strom C. Thacker.
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