Mass ECAN January News
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Happy new year! 2021 was an eventful year thanks to all that you do to advance and support climate adaptation. Here at Mass ECAN, we closed out the year with 23 new members making our community of practice 500+ strong.
As we head into 2022, we remain committed to our goals of fostering collaboration, building community, and increasing knowledge sharing on climate adaptation. Mass ECAN serves as a big tent space for everyone working on climate adaptation and interested in natural resources/systems in our state to connect and learn from each other. We are all about connections: partnerships and relationships among practitioners and researchers, connecting the dots among our human and natural communities impacted by climate, and integrating ecosystems thinking into adaptation planning across sectors.
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. Here's to a re-invigorating 2022 full of accelerated climate adaptation!
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Best,
Melissa Ocana
Climate Adaptation Coordinator, UMass Amherst
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Thanks to the 41 of you who provided input through our Mass ECAN member survey! We had overwhelmingly positive responses and appreciated your valuable feedback on where we can improve. See a detailed summary of survey results here. We'll continue to reflect on how these results can inform what we work on next together, but in the short term, there were a few suggestions to get started on right away:
You asked for better documentation of Mass ECAN's accomplishments...we compiled our 2021 highlights here and will do this every year moving forward.
You asked for us to more frequently share the purpose of Mass ECAN...see our onboarding email (and reading list) that new members started receiving last March, and we will include reminders about goals in newsletters more often.
You asked for work group updates...starting next month, we will be including more updates of work group activities in the newsletters. Learn more about our work groups here.
You asked for more direction in work groups...we will be holding regular convenings and one-on-ones for work group leaders to learn from each other.
You asked for more ways to share your work in newsletters...see below for an easy way to suggest newsletter content.
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Do you have something related to climate adaptation that you would like to see in a future newsletter? Whether it’s a project you’re working on, a job posting to advertise, an event coming up, a new outreach product, or something else, we’re happy to hear about it! If you have something you’d like to submit for consideration for an upcoming newsletter, you can fill out this google form. Please note that this does not guarantee that your submission will be included. We’ll select the climate adaptation items most relevant to our community of practice to continue to provide a curated and digestible newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!
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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!
 Darya Mattes
Resilience Manager
North Suffolk Office of Resilience and Sustainability
Bio: Darya manages climate resilience projects for the newly-formed North Suffolk Office of Resilience and Sustainability, a regional initiative to support the cities of Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop’s climate action efforts. She manages both municipal and regional projects to prepare for local climate hazards including coastal and inland flooding and extreme heat, with a focus on ensuring equitable outcomes for all residents. Previously, Darya supported climate and environmental projects for Medford and Salem, and the Mystic River Watershed Steering Committee, a network led by the EPA to improve water quality and public access. She holds a MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University.
Climate change adaptation project: All three North Suffolk communities recognize that climate adaptation projects can be broadly appealing if they have co-benefits for residents, such as public open spaces. NSORS is supporting the design of new public spaces and green infrastructure that will reduce flooding and heat, while also providing places for residents to gather and, in some cases, access the waterfront or other local natural areas. Robust community engagement to gather input from potential users of the spaces is a key component of all of these projects and NSORS partners with community-based organizations to reach community members, such as youth and residents with primary languages other than English, who might not ordinarily engage in a municipal planning process. Contact Darya to learn more.
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Webinar - Exploring Climate Impacts on Natural Systems, Environmental Business Council of New England. We're helping organize this webinar and networking event on how climate change is affecting natural resources and how practitioners can help natural systems adapt. Speakers include Mass ECAN members Toni Lyn Morelli, Maddy Baroli, and Keith Zaltzberg. Register here. 1/13, 9:30am - 11:30am.
Webinars - 2022 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Winter Series
- #1 - Local and Regional Climate Adaptation Tools. Learn about existing tools to support the implementation of nature-based solutions and climate resilient regulations. 1/19, 10:00am - 12:00pm.
- #2 - Building Trust and Community Partnerships. Explore the intersection between municipal climate adaptation and partnership building efforts that center community groups. 1/26, 10:00am - 12:00pm.
- #3 - Networking Event. Meet others who are working to address climate impacts at the local and regional scale. 2/2, 3:00pm - 4:15pm.
Event - Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (RISCC) Management Network Symposium. Learn about topics ranging from marine invasive species risks to floodplain forest restoration and carbon co-benefits. View the agenda here and register here. 1/19 & 1/20, 12:30pm - 5:00pm.
Call for Proposals - National Adaptation Forum. Propose presentations and sessions related to all climate adaptation topics, especially those that connect science to management decisions and the implementation and evaluation of adaptation actions’ effectiveness. Submit by 2/4 for the conference 10/25 - 10/27 in Baltimore.
Grant Awards - The Division of Ecological Restoration awarded nearly $1 million in grants to strengthen community preparedness for large storms, improve climate-ready infrastructure, restore floodplain habitat and flood storage capabilities, and protect fisheries, wildlife, and river habitats. See the press release and grantees here.
Award Opportunity - The Environmental Business Council of New England is seeking nominations for their annual awards that recognize companies, organizations, and individuals for outstanding accomplishments, including Climate Change Project of the Year. Submit nominations here by 3/1.
Job - Coastal Project Manager, The Trustees of Reservations. Implement a strategic coastal strategy that includes both climate change resilience and mitigation efforts and support projects relating to saltmarsh restoration and expansion, flood and storm resiliency, and natural resources protection.
Job - Deputy Executive Director for Planning and Sustainability, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Boston. Oversee the agency’s technical assistance programs and position the agency as a trusted thought leader and partner in sustainable development, regional collaboration, advancing equity, and addressing climate change.
Job - Land Use & Natural Resources Planner, Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Greenfield. Perform professional, technical, and administrative work for projects addressing agricultural land preservation, open space planning, water resource and habitat protection, hazard mitigation and resiliency, and scenic resource planning. Apply by 1/18.
Job - Planning & Resiliency Program Manager, Ipswich River Watershed Association, Ipswich. Implement various river resiliency plans and actions, primarily via collaborative partnerships, and oversee related environmental education programming.
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Fall Event Series Proceedings
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Thank you to everyone who attended our 2021 Fall Events Series! ICYMI, see here for highlights from our field trips and here for details on our workshop and networking event. Stay tuned for events coming this year!
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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. Mass ECAN is coordinated by UMass Extension. |
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