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Mass ECAN September News
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Dear Mass ECAN,
See below for news specifically curated for our community of practice:
Feel free to forward this newsletter and encourage colleagues to sign up to stay up-to-date on climate adaptation happenings in the Commonwealth. I hope this finds you enjoying the Summer-to-Fall transition whenever possible given these challenging times!
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Best,
Melissa Ocana
Climate Adaptation Coordinator, UMass Amherst
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COVID-19 impacts on natural resources
The pandemic has been impacting all our systems, including ecological systems and natural resources consumption. Although some have pointed to positive side-effects of the pandemic on ecosystems and climate change (such as temporarily reduced greenhouse gas emissions), it's important to be cautious in pointing to any possible silver linings (see communications tips shared earlier this summer).
From a communications perspective, we certainly don't want people thinking the only way to achieve emissions and consumption goals is through incredibly disruptive disasters and pandemics. While being cautious in our communications about impacts of the pandemic on natural systems, we can still adopt lessons learned from this remarkable time.
Here are a couple recent interesting perspectives:
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Sharing your work in the context of COVID-19
The National Fish, Wildlife, & Plants Climate Adaptation Network along with the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies organized a virtual roundtable and sent a COVID-19 questionnaire to conservation and climate change professionals. Their proceedings report includes results on how the pandemic is affecting practitioners as well as implications for conservation and climate change.
Are you incorporating COVID-19 into your climate adaptation work?
Send your story to massecan@umass.edu.Thanks for everything you do to take care of yourselves and others, respond to the pandemic, and advance climate adaptation!
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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!
Gretchen Rabinkin
Executive Director
Boston Society of Landscape Architects
Bio: Gretchen leads the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, the MA and ME chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. For nearly a decade, a big part of that work has included projects to advance community and professional knowledge around climate adaptation, nature based solutions, and co-benefits. Prior to joining BSLA, Gretchen was Director of Civic Initiatives for the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) and BSA Foundation, and led the architecture program at Smith College. Gretchen leads the case study subgroup of our Mass ECAN Mainstreaming Nature Based Solutions Work Group.
Climate change adaptation project she’s currently excited about: Gretchen is organizing a design workshop series for spring 2021 that invites high school students to consider climate adaptation and nature-based solutions strategies for their own communities. This "Superstudio" will be a pilot for a longer-term series that brings high schoolers into teams with college students and design professionals to envision landscape-based, climate resilient strategies and inform larger conversations about the Green New Deal. BSLA is currently seeking high school climate clubs, environmental educators, students, and professionals to participate. For more info, contact Gretchen.
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Feedback Opportunity - Review the Commonwealth's Resilient MA Action Team's (RMAT) Resilient Design Standards and Guidelines Project to develop and provide climate change resilience standards and guidance. The public is invited to review and comment on the draft deliverables here through September 9th.
Job Opportunity - Ecological Restoration Specialist- Coastal Wetlands, MA Division of Ecological Restoration (DER), Boston. This position includes evaluating restoration techniques that emphasize improving coastal wetland adaptation to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. (Posted 8/19)
Job Opportunity - Climate Change Outreach Specialist, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, Remote. This position works with the Climate Change Response Framework team to synthesize and communicate how a changing climate may affect forest ecology and management in urban areas.
Job Opportunity - Senior Program Officer, Institute for Sustainable Communities, Remote. This position guides the design, development, and implementation of projects to foster collaborative climate solutions. (Posted 8/25)
Funding Opportunity - The MA Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is accepting applications for the FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant. Eligible applicants are local governments and state agencies. Statements of interest are due October 16th. Full applications are due December 11th. Additional information here.
Event - Join The Environmental Business Council and Sustainable Solutions Lab's Climate Adaptation Forum series for "How We Decide to Get Serious about Climate Solutions: Politics, Communication, and Framing" on September 25th, 10:00am - 1:15pm. Register here.
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Webinar - Join the Antioch University NE Center for Climate Preparedness & Community Resilience for their Weathering Change Webinar: Enhancing Opportunities for Socially Vulnerable Populations to have "A Seat at the Table" in Climate Resilience Planning. Sept. 17th, 12:00 - 1:15pm. Register here.
Climate Preparedness Week - Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW) is virtually hosting Climate Preparedness Week this year from September 24th - 30th. This year's theme is "Social Resilience is Climate Resilience" and will feature multiple webinars including a Sept. 30th conversation on climate justice. Register here.
Climate Café - Join Mass Audubon for their Climate, Community, and Connection climate café, which will use stories to enhance and facilitate a conversation about climate justice and its impacts. Sept. 29th, 5:30 - 6:30pm. Register here.
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Looking Ahead: Fall Conferences
See presentations by fellow Mass ECAN members at these upcoming conferences!
MACC Fall Conference (Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions), Oct. 17-24, Registration opening soon. Check their website for final schedule.
- Forestry in a Changing Climate: Practices for Resilience and Carbon Benefit.
- Lisa Hayden, New England Forestry Foundation
- Josh Rapp, Mass Audubon
- Resilient Mystic Collaborative: Preparing for Climate Change at a Watershed Scale.
- Melanie Gárate and Julie Wormser, Mystic Watershed Association
- Climate Change Resilience Challenges for Municipalities.
- Emily Sullivan, Town of Arlington
massFM First Annual Meeting (Mass Association for Floodplain Management), Oct. 22, Registration opening soon.
- Keynote Panel: From the Berkshires to the Bay - an overview of flood mitigation challenges
- Anne Herbst, Metropolitan Area Planning Council
- Kimberly MacPhee, Franklin Regional Council of Governments
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In case you've been wondering what to read next....
Climate resilient reforestation: This article provides the framework for the interested public on how the forest practitioner community is planting trees to maximize ecosystem and climate co-benefits. There has been increasing interest in reforestation and tree-planting for climate mitigation and adaptation co-benefits, especially with last week's launch of the U.S. chapter of the global 1 trillion trees initiative.
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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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