City In A Forest: Florida Climate Week Screening & Panel | Friday, October 9 | 6-9 p.m. | The Jessie Ball DuPont Center (40 E Adams St)

A Florida Climate Week event presented by St. Johns Riverkeeper’s Resilient Ribault Initiative | Hosted by COJ Sustainability Department – St. Johns Riverkeeper – Groundwork Jax – Greenscape of Jax

Atlanta calls itself the “City in a Forest,” but its tree canopy is under pressure from rapid development. City in a Forest is a documentary that follows the people working to protect that urban forest and asks what it takes to keep a growing city green.

Jacksonville faces the same questions. Trees cool our neighborhoods during extreme heat, soak up stormwater before it floods our streets, and filter runoff before it reaches the Ribault, Trout, and St. Johns Rivers. But canopy isn’t shared equally. Many Northside and Westside neighborhoods have less shade and more pavement, so they carry more of the heat and flooding burden.

RSVP

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is appreciated so we can plan seating.

After the Screening: Panel Discussion

Stay for a community panel on what urban forests mean for climate resilience, public health, and environmental justice here at home. Panelists will also share how residents can help protect and grow Jacksonville’s canopy.

Krystle Chanel

Krystle Chanel is an Atlanta-based artist and social practitioner whose work bridges art, community health, and social impact. Through photography and film, she engages communities to explore how the social determinants of health, as well as the natural and built environment, shape daily life. Her layered visual narratives highlight neighborhood strengths, environmental concerns, and community stories.

Trey Ford: Strategic Partnerships & Programming Coordinator for St. Johns Riverkeeper

Trey leads the Resilient Ribault Initiative — a place-based resilience program in Northside and Westside Jacksonville that connects tree canopy, park access, stormwater, and water quality to the neighborhoods living with those conditions every day. He is also an elected Supervisor on the Duval Soil & Water Conservation District and the founder of Florida Fish Pepper Co. — Growers Alliance, a trade association reviving the heirloom fish pepper across the Southeast. His work sits at the intersection of urban land, food systems, and environmental justice, with partners ranging from neighborhood associations and grassroots organizations to city agencies, universities, and national funders. A film producer and programmer as well, Trey uses documentary and cultural programming to bring conservation conversations to audiences who have too often been left out of them.

Nicole Kresse: Executive Director for Greenscape of Jacksonville

Nicole Kresse serves as Executive Director of Greenscape of Jacksonville, Florida’s oldest urban forestry nonprofit. With more than 18 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and international development sectors, Nicole brings a strategic yet hands-on approach to advancing Greenscape’s mission of protecting and expanding Jacksonville’s tree canopy. A passionate environmental advocate, Nicole is committed to deepening community engagement, growing impactful partnerships, and enhancing urban resilience through trees. Prior to joining Greenscape, Nicole managed over $500 million in U.S. foreign assistance with USAID programs and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer, with a focus on sustainable development and volunteer-driven initiatives. With a clear mission to Plant, Protect, and Promote trees, Greenscape is growing a lasting legacy with more than 356,900 trees planted or distributed in the region.

Gloria McNair: Chief Community Officer for Groundwork Jacksonville

Gloria McNair joined GW Jax in 2018 and leads the organization’s community outreach efforts. Gloria is responsible for engaging citizens in visioning and advocating for their community, helping to ensure residents have input in shaping GW Jax projects including McCoys Creek, Hogans Creek and the Emerald Trail.

One of Gloria’s major areas of focus is to help long-time residents stay in their homes and benefit from the prosperity the Emerald Trail will create.

Gloria’s professional career has been diverse, yet at the core of her work has been a dedication to service.  She joined the U.S. Navy and served 22 years of active service, first as a Hospital Corpsman and then as an Environmental Health Officer. After retiring in Jacksonville, she used her skills as an educator and preventive health advocate with the Florida Department of Health in Duval to support initiatives including Groundwork Jacksonville.

Gloria has a MA in Human Resource Development from Webster University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Excelsior and an Associates of Science degree in Environmental Health from Merritt College. Originally from South Carolina, Gloria now proudly claims Jacksonville as home for her and her husband and two daughters.