Mass ECAN June News
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As I sit listening to a rumbling thunderstorm in 90 degree heat, it's clear that summer has arrived! I hope you are able to enjoy seasonal activities while staying safe and cool. In the climate adaptation community, the new season is already off to a busy start.
See below for news specifically curated for our community of practice:
Feel free to forward this newsletter to a colleague and invite them to join us.
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Best,
Melissa Ocana
Climate Adaptation Coordinator, UMass Amherst
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Upcoming Networking Event
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Let us know how we're doing! We're interested in learning how we are meeting Mass ECAN member needs and advancing adaptation collectively. Please take 5 to 10 minutes to complete our survey. We greatly value your feedback and thanks for all you do!
After completing the survey, you can enter to win our prize drawing for a $100 gift card from Patagonia or a copy of the book "All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis," edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson.
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Mass ECAN Member Spotlight
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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!
Rebecca Longvall
Conservation Agent
Town of Bolton
Bio: Rebecca’s work is a balance of wetland permitting, managing over 2,000 acres of open space with over 45 miles of trail, and working toward encouraging implementation of more climate resilient practices. In the past, she has worked for the Worcester Tree Initiative and served on two conservation commissions. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Salve Regina University and a Master of Science in Sustainability Science from UMass Amherst. Rebecca is ecstatic to be doing anything that gets her outdoors including camping with her two dogs, hiking, fishing and practicing archery.
Climate change adaptation project: Rebecca is currently completing a regional MVP Action project - Apple Country Natural Climate Solutions - to identify and deliver climate solutions while increasing the resiliency of our communities and ecosystems. When facing climate change, working with nature is crucial as this typically results in efficient, cost-effective resiliency through ecosystem services providing a multitude of co-benefits, including reduction of greenhouse gases and improved public health. Working with a team from Bolton, Devens, and Harvard, this project will identify site-specific opportunities for increasing the resiliency of natural infrastructure assets, particularly those that benefit adjacent downstream human communities, and for creating new nature-based solutions. You can contact Rebecca to learn more or to receive periodic updates on this project.
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Feedback Requested - The RMAT Beta Climate Resilience Design Standards Tool. As part of the tool piloting process, the RMAT (Resilient MA Action Team) is reaching out to potential users for feedback on the tool’s functionality and outputs to identify priority improvements over the coming months. For more details, see the tool training video and user guide. Submit your feedback via this survey by 6/11.
Funding Opportunity - Request for Information - Climate Equity Fellowship, Catalyzing Climate Careers - Barr Foundation. The Climate Program is seeking information from nonprofits interested in exploring a partnership to support a two-year climate and equity fellowship. Apply by 6/11.
Funding Opportunity - DER Partnerships Program. The Division of Ecological Restoration will be supporting Regional Restoration Partnerships that work to restore degraded aquatic ecosystems and increase climate change resiliency. The pre-RFR period is open until June 25. Email Jenny Sanders to learn more and register for the information session on 6/15 at 10am.
Job - Climate Justice Organizer, GreenRoots Inc, Chelsea. Carry out grassroots, base-building campaigns focusing on climate resilience including sea-level rise, flooding, green infrastructure and heat island impacts among other environmental and public health impacts caused by a changing climate.
Job - Climate Resilience Project Manager, City of Boston. Continue implementation of the Climate Ready Boston plan, integrating preparedness and climate change projections into all municipal projects, planning, and permit reviews.
Job - Coastal Scientist/Project Lead, Woods Hole Group, Bourne. Join the Coastal Sciences & Planning Team focused on supporting permitting activities and managing shore protection, climate resilience, and coastal restoration projects.
Job - Director of Legislative and Government Affairs, Mass Audubon, Boston. Develop legislative priorities and help to shape innovative solutions to address climate change and protect the nature of Massachusetts.
Job - Engagement Manager, Mystic River Watershed Association, Arlington. Run communications and stewardship efforts, and further connect to diverse communities in the watershed, at an organization committed to building climate resilience.
Job - Senior Water Resources Professional, Fuss & O’Neill, Springfield. Develop creative and sustainable approaches to help communities address issues related to climate-related hazards and engage with a wide range of projects including ecological restoration, water resources design, and nature-based approaches to climate resilience.
Job - Part-time Intern, Climigration Network, Consensus Building Institute, remote. Support communications and programming for the network, which provides practitioners and communities support on climate migration. Apply by 6/23.
Webinar - Funding for Enhanced Habitat, Climate Adaptation & Resiliency, Massachusetts Woodlands Institute. Learn how communities are accessing state and federal funding to implement wildlife habitat improvement and climate resiliency practices in town forests. 6/9, 6:30PM - 9:00PM. Register here.
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In case you've been wondering what to read next....
- Investing in Community Resilience: This Barr Foundation-commissioned report on Opportunities to Invest in Community Resilience for COVID and Climate helps to understand how community-focused responses to COVID can be built upon to support equity-centered climate resilience.
- Promoting Nature Based Hazard Mitigation: The Nature Conservancy and AECOM recently released a Guidebook on securing FEMA funding for nature-based projects.
- Celebrate Pride Month: Let's take time this month to celebrate the accomplishments of our LGBTQ+ colleagues working on climate change! Many practitioners and researchers are sharing their stories, such as through 500 Queer Scientists and Our Climate Voices. The climate vulnerabilities of LGBTQ+ communities are also gaining more attention, for example in a recent FEMA report and LGBTQ+ climate fund.
- Investing in a Better Massachusetts: The recent Climate XChange Report An Analysis of Job Creation and Community Benefits from Green Investments analyzes the potential job creation and quality of life benefits from investing in clean transportation, sustainable development, clean energy, and natural resource conservation.
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Why am I getting this email?
Welcome to Mass ECAN!
href="https://www.massecan.org/about-us/" target="_blank" style="mso-line-height-rule: exactly;-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%;-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;color: #00add8;font-weight: normal;text-decoration: underline;">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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