Episode 16: Quick Hits - Stop Defending the Past and Start Imagining the Future with Nuin-Tara Key

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What if resilience is not a finish line, but a way of moving through the world?

In this episode, Nuin-Tara Key, Executive Director of Programs at California Forward, shares a sharp reframe on resilience and adaptation. She unpacks why these terms are often confused - and why that confusion holds us back.

Adaptation is about responding to specific climate impacts. Resilience, she explains, is something deeper:  an ongoing process of learning, connection, and evolution. It is not a box to check or a one-time investment. It is about building communities that can adapt, thrive, and imagine new futures in the face of change.

Nuin-Tara also speaks candidly about her own sources of hope. From the creativity and compassion of people doing this work every day, to the freeing realization that we do not need to exhaust ourselves defending outdated systems - we can invest in building what comes next.

California Forward’s work reflects this mindset: advancing regional resilience while centering equity and sustainable local economies.

This conversation will change how you think about climate work, resilience, and what it means to show up for your community.

🎧 Listen in.  If it sparks something, share it with someone who would benefit from this perspective.

If you are not yet subscribed to Shared Ground, now is a good time to join us. We are building a library of voices on resilience, generosity, and rebuilding what comes next.

Shared Ground is produced by Sean Knierim and Allan Marks. Thanks to Cory Grabow, Kara Poltor, Corey Walles (from The Recording Studio) for your support in launching this effort.

For more stories of resilience & rebuilding, kindness & generosity: visit shared-ground.com and subscribe to Sean's substack. We invite you to share your own stories of resilience at the Shared Ground website - whether in response to the January fires in LA or other situations.

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