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Mass ECAN April News
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It's hard to believe how much has changed since last month's newsletter. Lately, I have really been appreciating my wonderful remote community of peers and I hope that you are finding peers to lean on too. For those of us working from home, remote communities of practice, such as ours, have become even more important. Remote collaborative groups are providing much-needed opportunities for connection during an isolated time and a way to still be productive with our work when much feels out of control.
See below for news specifically curated for our community of practice:
Feel free to forward this newsletter to your colleagues and encourage them to join us. At any point, you can reach out to massecan@umass.edu with ideas about what our Network should tackle next.
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Wishing you all the best in these challenging times,
Melissa Ocana
Climate Adaptation Coordinator, UMass Amherst
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The Mass ECAN Reader:
Connecting the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change
The current reality presents both challenges and opportunities for our climate adaptation work. There are clear parallels between these two global crises and actions being taken now on COVID-19 could hopefully provide lessons learned for climate action. It remains to be seen how COVID-19 responses and recovery will or will not build resilience to climate change, but I am hopeful for silver linings.
For example, during this time of physical distancing and staying close to home, many are reconnecting with nature in their neighborhoods. These times are underscoring the importance of having access to open space (which provide co-benefits for climate adaptation) and hopefully will inspire momentum and support for continued land conservation, backyard habitat, and nature-based solutions (especially in urban areas).
There are also many working towards potentially lasting impacts on wildlife conservation and combatting illegal trade. The spread of this zoonotic disease is a vivid reminder of how interconnected our natural systems are globally and how important it is to consider the role of people within ecosystems.
As the climate adaptation community responds and develops resources, we'll be sure to share those with you.
In case you've been wondering what to read in the meantime....
Here are some of the connections being made between COVID-19 and climate change by science communicators and academics:
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Mass ECAN Member Spotlight
Every month, we'll highlight someone in our community of practice so you can learn about the variety of adaptation work going on and "meet" a new colleague!
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Danielle Perry
Climate Change Adaptation Ecologist
Mass Audubon
Bio: Danielle is finishing her PhD at the University of Rhode Island. Her graduate research focused on improving the resiliency of wetlands to climate change. Working with coastal managers within Rhode Island, Danielle has helped to implement and monitor salt marsh climate change adaptation projects across the state. Danielle recently joined Mass Audubon, helping to enhance the resiliency of their sanctuaries to climate change.
Climate change adaptation project she’s currently excited about: Danielle is working on completing vulnerability assessments of Mass Audubon sanctuaries to determine how susceptible sanctuaries are to climate change impacts. Based on the results of these assessments, she and other Mass Audubon experts will develop appropriate climate adaptation initiatives to improve the resiliency of sanctuaries to climate change effects.
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Information Sessions - The MVP (Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness) Program FY21 RFR will be coming out this spring! Stay tuned here and learn more at pre-RFR webinars:
- April 8, 11am. Register here.
- April 9, 2:30pm. Register here.
Award Opportunity - Nominations for the Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards are now open! This honor recognizes the efforts to bolster America's natural resources and is organized by the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. Submit nominations here by May 15.
Award Opportunity - Extended! The American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP) is accepting nominations for their New England Regional Adaptation Leadership Award. Submit by May 11 here.
Upcoming Webinars -
Online course - The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science and USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub are hosting a seven session online training course on " Adaptation Planning and Practices". Register here by April 15.
Funding Opportunity - Extended! The Wildlife Conservation Society's Climate Adaptation Fund has announced their next round of grant funding for on-the ground adaptation projects that benefit ecosystems and wildlife. Pre-proposals due Apr. 22. Apply here.
Funding Opportunity - The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's National Coastal Resilience Fund is accepting pre-proposals until Apr. 8. This provides grants to improve natural infrastructure and protect vulnerable coastal communities. Find more information here.
Event - April is Global Adaptation Month - GAMe on! The month long virtual event will allow people, communities, provinces, and states to commit to taking climate change adaptation action.
Job - Program Coordinator and Climate Adaptation Fellowship, American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP), remote anywhere in US.
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Catch Up on Webinar Series
Everyone is in a different situation, but if you have found yourself working remotely with some extra time on your hands, here are some great climate adaptation webinar series with past recordings to catch up on!
- Forest Adaptation, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science and Forest Stewards Guild
- DOI Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center here.
- Weathering Change: Local Solutions for Strong Communities, Antioch University's Center for Climate Preparedness and Community Resilience here.
- National Adaptation Forum here.
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Learn about our Expert Work Groups
In case you missed it, you can read summaries of the Mass ECAN-affiliated expert work groups here!
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Here's to having a supportive community and network!
Remember that as practitioners who think about and work on climate change, you are already very familiar with the need to adapt and well-practiced in maintaining personal resilience in the face of global challenges. This wisdom and experience can be helpful now as we all balance the disruptions to our usual routines. I hope you are able practice some self-care this month!
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Why am I getting this email?
Welcome to Mass ECAN!
You are receiving this email because you joined Mass ECAN.
Welcome to a supportive community of climate adaptation practitioners and researchers who are interested in ecosystem resilience and natural resources conservation in Massachusetts.
Mass ECAN is creating a space for us to learn from and with each other. Together, we can build capacity for climate adaptation that promotes ecosystem resilience and weaves natural resources conservation into actions across sectors. |
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