Mass ECAN March News

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Mass ECAN March News    Spring is around the corner! As we emerge from winter hibernation, we hope this month's Mass ECAN newsletter can help you keep up-to-date on the climate adaptation world and the amazing efforts of your peers across the state. See below for news specifically curated for our community of practice: Member Spotlight Mass ECAN Networking Event Announcements Spring Conferences Meet the Interns The Mass ECAN Reader Please share this newsletter with a colleague and invite them to join us! I also wanted to share a new group that may be of interest: Massachusetts Professionals of Color in the Environment (POCIE). We are bringing together BIPOC environmental professionals across sectors for community, networking and collaborating. Not exactly climate adaptation related, but community is important in these challenging times and this group was founded by several Mass ECAN members! See our Facebook Group or join here for updates. Best, Melissa Ocana Climate Adaptation Coordinator, UMass Amherst   Mass ECAN Member Spotlight 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! Nathaniel Thomas Regional Planner Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs Bio: Nathaniel has worked on both sides of the smart growth coin. At EEA, he assesses natural resources to do conservation through land acquisition and urban reforestation. He manages programs including Land Acquisition for Natural Diversity, Drinking Water Supply Protection, Landscape Partnership, and Greening the Gateway Cities. Previously, he helped confine urban sprawl in the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. He enjoys fishing, hunting, and exploring the Blue Hills with his family.   Climate change adaptation project he’s currently excited about: Strategizing ways to fit green infrastructure into urban frameworks is a key task Nathaniel believes will limit climate change. Having seen urban wilds developed, Nathaniel sees urban reforestation as essential for addressing cities’ challenges with tree canopy, impervious surface, and associated heat stress and flooding. To address these challenges, Nathaniel helped build foresters’ feedback into the Greening the Gateway Cities Program and promoted overlay zoning and vacant lot restoration as part of the Resilient Lands Initiative. Mass ECAN Networking Event Join our next joint networking event on: Fish & Wildlife Climate Adaptation March 31 at 3:30-4:45pm Register here. Co-hosted by Mass ECAN, MassWildlife, and the NE Climate Adaptation Science Center. Connect with fellow fish and wildlife practitioners interested in climate adaptation. It continues to be challenging to meet and mingle informally with colleagues during COVID times. We're excited to make a space to connect with and learn from peers! Thanks to everyone who attended last month's Land Conservation & Climate Adaptation event with MassLand! Announcements Webinar - The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program is anticipating the release of its next Request for Responses for both Planning and Action Grants in late March/early April. This webinar will provide an overview of the program, review anticipated changes to this round's applications, and answer questions. March 9, 2:00pm-3:00pm, Register Here  March 10, 11:00am-12:00pm, Register Here Webinar Series - While the National Adaptation Forum has been postponed until 2022, EcoAdapt is hosting several webinar series this year. The next is on Heat Stress to explore solutions being implemented around the country. March 10, 2:00PM, Heat Stress on Species & Ecosystems. Register Here. Funding Opportunity - Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance Grant Program. The Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) is seeking proposals from MA municipalities interested in replacing aging culverts with better-designed crossings that meet improved structural and environmental design standards and flood resiliency criteria. The application deadline is 3/18. Funding Opportunity - The Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center invites statements of interest for FY2022 Research Awards from Principal Investigators at a university consortium member institution or USGS. Due 3/19. Funding Opportunity - The National Coastal Resilience Fund, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). Pre-proposals are due 4/7. Job - EEA Climate Team Municipality Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program Summer intern. Unpaid. For college students to work with the MVP Manager and EEA's Climate team to support grant administration. Applications due 4/2. Apply here. Job - City of Chelsea. Posted 2/18. Sustainability Manager - Address the climate risks facing the North Suffolk region and help residents adapt to the impacts of climate change. Resilience Manager - Carry out the climate adaptation and mitigation agenda of the office and build capacity for adaptation and mitigation measures. Job - Policy Analyst - Climate Strategies, The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Cambridge. Advance climate change goals and contribute to projects focusing on community-driven climate change adaptation. Applications considered on a rolling basis. Job - Adaptation Fellow, The American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP), Part-Time, Remote. Lead ASAP's climate migration work preparing receiving communities.  Spring Conferences Don't miss these upcoming presentations on climate adaptation topics from your Mass ECAN peers! March 11, 18, & 25 - Massachusetts Open Space Conference will offer free opportunities to network and engage in peer-to-peer learning. View their Schedule and Register Here. Protecting and Building Resilience in Local Green Spaces Jennifer Hughes, Merrimack Valley Planning Commission Robert O’Connor, Exec. Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) Vandana Rao, EOEEA March 19 & 20 - Massachusetts & Rhode Island Land Conservation Conference. Hosted by MassLand and the RI Land Trust Council. View their Schedule, detailed Session Descriptions and Register Here. Adapting to Sea Level Rise: Climate Adaptation and Land Preservation for Salt Marsh Ecosystems Danielle Perry, Mass Audubon Adrienne Pappal, MA Coastal Zone Management Funding for Climate Resilience Mitch Hartley, US Fish & Wildlife Service Bob O'Connor and Kara Runsten, EOEEA Building Climate Action Ambassadors Through Community Based Land Trusts Alexandra Vecchio,Town of Brookline April 6-17 - Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) Annual Environmental Conference Week. View the schedule and session details. Register here. A3 Equity-led, Climate Resilient Park Projects in the Mystic River Watershed Melanie Garate, Mystic River Watershed Association D2 Making Good Land Conservation Decisions: Resources and Tools Scott Jackson and Lee Halasz, UMass Amherst D3 Massachusetts Healthy Soil Action Plan: Recommendations for Protecting Soil Function Keith Zaltzberg, Regenerative Design Group Robert O'Connor, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs G2 Preparing for Sea Level Rise: Assessing Coastal Vulnerability and Enhancing Resilience Danielle Perry and Danica Warns, Mass Audubon J2 Stressed Out Trees: Climate Change Impacts and Interventions Gillian T. Davies, BSC Group Inc. Meet the Mass ECAN Interns Our wonderful UMass Amherst interns work behind the scenes including getting this newsletter sent out to you every month! Alexis Monti Alexis is a junior double majoring in Environmental Science and Natural Resources Conservation. Her work with Mass ECAN has ignited her passion for climate adaptation. She is highly interested in climate and community resilience, science communication, and sustainability practices and she is eager to learn about all things climate change. These interests have inspired her plans for graduate school in which she hopes to gain the skills necessary to make a generational impact on the fight against the damaging effects of climate change.   Rebecca Schaefer Becca is a junior working towards a B.S. in Environmental Science with a certificate in Public Policy. After she graduates, she plans to go to graduate school to get a master’s degree in environmental policy. She hopes to work in climate change policymaking to make a difference for hers and the coming generations.       Isaac Wolfson Isaac is an Environmental Science major with minors in Political Science and Information Technology. He has interned with Mass ECAN all three years of college. Along the way, he has found many new professional passions, including the role policymaking in the pursuit of climate equity. Isaac is particularly interested in energy auditing and how the pandemic has impacted the carbon footprint of small businesses. He wants to explore the many potential co-benefits of renewable energy as it relates to adaptation planning, ecosystems, and the economy. The Mass ECAN Reader In case you've been wondering what to read next.... Mass ECAN Onboarding Resources: We have created a recommended reading list of adaptation resources that new members will receive when they join Mass ECAN! Celebrating Women's History Month: All We Can Save is a recent anthology of essays and poems by women climate leaders, including Mass ECAN member Susi Moser. 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. Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Banner photo: Olivia Douhan. Conferences photo: MACC Annual Environmental Conference.