The new year has arrived with a bang, but hopefully the start of 2021 is finding you safe, rested, and looking forward to the months ahead. Here at Mass ECAN, we are excited for another great year of working together to share climate adaptation resources and best practices through peer knowledge exchange, build connections and networks, and promote ecosystem resilience/transformation. If you missed it, you can see our 2020 Mass ECAN highlights in the December newsletter.
In 2021, we anticipate more:
Hosting informal networking events on different adaptation topics to build connections among practitioners
Sharing about efforts of our affiliated expert work groups advancing cross-organizational coordination and collaboration
Gathering your feedback to make our community of practice more impactful and address adaptation topics you’d like to learn more about
Hosting our fifth Fall Conference/Event Series (in-person?!) providing the latest on adaptation in our state
The coming year is sure to be an important one for climate action. We look forward to helping share resources and make connections so you can have an impactful year advancing climate adaptation. Please share this newsletter with a colleague and invite them to join us!
See below for news specifically curated for our community of practice:
Every month, we highlight someone in our community of practice so you can learn about a variety of adaptation work and "meet" a new colleague!
Melanie Gárate
Climate Resiliency Project Manager
Mystic River Watershed Association
Bio: Melanie works with municipal staff, grassroots organizations, public health officials, and local residents to enhance climate equity among priority populations within the Mystic River Watershed via nature based solutions and social change. Melanie holds a Master of Science degree in Marine Ecology and Climate Change from the University of Rhode Island, where she obtained a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship to study mangrove ecology in Puerto Rico.
Climate change adaptation project she’s currently excited about: In collaboration with the Museum of Science, Melanie is co-leading Wicked Hot Mystic, a project of the Resilient Mystic Collaborative (RMC) to identify urban heat islands and cooling spots within the watershed. Volunteer community scientists will travel on predetermined transect routes in their communities to measure air temperature and air quality with sensors attached to their cars or bikes. This project will enable the RMC to identify and prioritize public nature-based investments, such as tree planting or wetland restoration, in environmental justice areas with extreme heat and air quality concerns.
Announcements
Webinar Series - The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program is hosting multiple webinars to increase collaboration and share best practices on topics of interest.
January 21, 10:00AM-12:00PM, Implementing Nature-based Solutions, Register Here
January 28, 1:00PM-3:00PM, Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Climate Vulnerable Populations, Register Here
February 4, 1:00PM-3:00PM, Building Resilience through Community Partnerships and Regional Collaborations, Register Here
Job Opportunity - Sustainability Coordinator, Town of Weston, MA. Identify town climate hazards, methods to reduce Weston's carbon footprint, and opportunities to enhance Weston's resiliency.
Job Opportunity - New England Program Manager, Land Trust Alliance. Lead program development and management, including trainings and expertise in climate change. Apply by 1/15.
February 25 at 4:00pm - Land Conservation & Climate Adaptation Networking Event - Co-hosted by Mass ECAN and MassLand as part of the Stronger Together Networking Series. Stay tuned for more details.
March 16 - May 6 - Local Solutions: Climate Preparedness Communities of Practice hosted by Antioch University's Center for Climate Preparedness and Community Resilience. Includes facilitated meetings 1-2 times weekly for the duration of the program. Apply by 1/31.
Work Group Updates -
Slow the Flow subgroup on
Watershed-Scale Collaboration
Over the course of the year, we'll be providing more updates on efforts of our affiliated Expert Work Groups.
The Slow the Flow Work Group's Subgroup on Watershed-Scale Collaborationis encouraging collaboratives that tackle climate adaptation and resilience at the watershed level. As a start, we are convening leaders/facilitators of four such groups in our state and sharing existing resources on this work. We believe that sharing the nuts and bolts of lessons learned from real peer examples will serve to promote these regional climate collaborations among practitioners and municipalities across the state and country. This subgroup is co-led by Carolyn Mecklenburg and Alison Field-Juma. Stay tuned for more from this group!
In case you've been wondering what to read next....
Biodiversity-focused adaptation: In the recent World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) Living Planet Report, Bruce Stein at National Wildlife Federation (NWF) provides an overview of how international and national adaptation leaders are promoting adaptation that enhances and conserves nature for biodiversity/species/habitat benefits alongside benefits to people -- introducing the term “biodiversity-focused adaptation” as a complement to “ecosystem-based adaptation.” References and the whole climate change report are here.
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.
