Mass ECAN April News
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Happy Spring and Earth Month! Spring is a time of hope. In reading coverage of the latest dire report from IPCC (see Reader section), I really appreciated the hopeful and action-oriented language: “This Synthesis Report…shows that, if we act now, we can still secure a liveable sustainable future for all.” This is clearly a call to action. As people across the globe gather to celebrate Earth Month, this is an ideal time to inspire action.
Here at Mass ECAN, we tend to focus on responding to climate impacts that are upcoming or already being experienced. We don’t discuss mitigation much, though many adaptation actions have co-benefits for mitigation and nature is a necessary ally in carbon storage. Let’s keep brainstorming on how Mass ECAN can do more to help! And thanks for all that you already do!
See below for a particularly packed newsletter that's specifically curated for our community of practice:
Feel free to share this newsletter with a colleague and invite them to join us! Hope to see you at our conference!
Best,
Melissa Ocana
Climate Adaptation Coordinator, UMass Amherst
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Watershed Scale Climate Collaboration Conference
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Reminder: our free in-person gathering is May 3rd at Clark University, Worcester.
Register here today, space is limited!
See the initial agenda here, including sessions on municipal collaboration, getting started with new partnerships, centering equity in projects and community engagement, and planning on-the-ground watershed-scale work. We welcome those who are seasoned watershed practitioners along with those just testing the waters!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Benefactor-Level
 
Contributor-Level
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We're excited about our new pilot Peer Learning Program! This Program brings together a small cohort of climate adaptation practitioners to learn from each other and foster collaboration.
See the Call for Applications and apply here by April 14.
Please share the announcement with your colleagues!
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Zoom Networking Event: Climate-smart Restoration
May 15, 12:00pm - 1:15pm
We are excited to create a virtual space for you all to connect informally with fellow practitioners and discuss your work around climate change, invasives and restoration practices, including promoting future adapted natives and combating invasives when seed sourcing and planting.This event is co-hosted with the Northeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (RISCC) Management Network. Register here to join!
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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!
Krista Haas
Ecological Restoration Communications Specialist
MA Division of Ecological Restoration (DER)
Bio: Krista earned a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science in Marine Biology and has focused her career on environmental communication and outreach. She has held positions as a fifth grade science teacher and a science communicator at the NOAA Marine Debris Program and New York Sea Grant. At DER, Krista works to communicate the importance of ecological restoration and DER's mission to restore and protect rivers, wetlands, and watersheds in Massachusetts. She co-leads Mass ECAN’s Climate Communications Expert Work Group, and in her spare time she enjoys being outdoors, hanging out with her husband and pup, or tackling a never ending list of DIY home projects.
Climate Adaptation Project: DER is focused on restoring waterways throughout the Commonwealth to benefit both people and the environment through increased water quality, climate resilience, wildlife passage, and a range of other benefits. Krista is currently overseeing the creation of a series of videos to highlight restoration benefits and how restoration work with partners can improve natural systems. The first of these videos, which highlight some of DER’s culvert replacement and dam removal work, are available on DER’s website. Contact Krista for more on this project or just to say hi!
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Funding Opportunity - Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Action Grant. MVP grants support communities in MA to implement the priority actions identified through their planning process. See the Request for Responses here or attend an informational webinar on 4/12 at 12:00pm - 1:00pm. Apply by 5/4.
Funding Opportunity - National Coastal Resilience Fund. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is offering funds for planning, design, and implementation of natural and nature-based solutions to enhance protections for coastal communities from the impacts of storms, floods, and other natural hazards and to improve habitats for fish and wildlife. Submit your pre-proposal here by 4/12.
Funding Opportunity - The SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants (SWIG) funds programs and partnerships working to restore coastal ecosystems throughout Southeast New England. Submit Letters of Intent here by 4/7.
Funding Opportunity - The America the Beautiful Challenge Grant Program supports locally led ecosystem restoration projects that invest in watershed restoration, resilience, equitable access, workforce development, corridors and connectivity, and collaborative conservation. Submit a pre-proposal by 4/20.
Webinar - Let’s Do It – Actionable Climate Action Plans. This Environmental Business Council webinar will provide an overview of the characteristics of Climate Action Plans and include a cross section of officials that are carrying out Plans. Register here. 4/12, 9:00am - 11:30am.
Webinar - Creating Pathways into Climate Adaptation and Resilience: Training Future Leaders. Join the Environmental Business Council's Climate Adaptation Forum to hear about best practices nationally and local efforts to train climate adaptation professionals. Register here to attend in person in Boston and here to attend virtually. 4/14, 9:00am - 12:00pm.
Job - GIS Specialist, MA Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs, Boston. Provide support to the Environmental Justice and Climate Mitigation team's GIS needs, including developing the Natural and Working Lands greenhouse gas inventory and supporting the Environmental Justice viewer.
Job - Several Positions, New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF), Littleton. NEFF is hiring several positions focused on how climate-smart forestry can be implemented across New England, such as a Climate-Smart Commodities Project & Grant Coordinator and an Outreach Manager For Climate-Smart Forestry.
Job - Stream Crossing Specialist, MA Division of Ecological Restoration, Westfield. Improve habitat continuity, climate resiliency, and public safety at road-stream crossings and make crossing replacements fish-friendly and flood-resilient by offering technical assistance, tools, training, and grant funding to municipalities and other key stakeholders
Job - State Director, The Nature Conservancy, Boston. Support cross-boundary initiatives to conserve lands and waters and address climate change by leading the MA chapter staff and trustees, developing new and existing donors, forming partnerships, and building a broader constituency for conservation across the state.
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Learn from fellow Mass ECAN members at these upcoming conferences!
April 26 - 28 - Stone Living Lab Conference. Join researchers, students, adaptation professionals, and other leaders in climate resilience in Boston at this conference focused on Nature-Based Coastal Resilience in Urban Settings. Register here.
- Apr. 26, 1:00pm - 2:30pm. Lessons Learned: Policy, Permitting & Funding Strategies
- Alison Bowden, The Nature Conservancy
- Heidi Ricci, Mass Audubon
- Emma Gildesgame, The Nature Conservancy
- Apr. 26, 1:00 pm - 2:30pm. Resilient Coastal Design, Partnerships & Community Engagement (Part I)
- Darya Mattes, North Suffolk Office of Resilience and Sustainability
- Apr. 26, 2:45pm - 4:15pm. M&M: The Importance of Modeling & Monitoring Nature-Based Approaches
- Alan Bartels, UMass Boston
- Apr. 27, 1:00 pm - 2:30pm. Sustainable Waterfront Access & Flood Resilience
- Mark Costa, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin
- Apr. 27, 2:45pm - 4:15pm. Resilient Coastal Design, Partnerships & Community Engagement (Part II)
- Julie Wormser, Mystic River Watershed Association
- Apr. 27, 2:45pm - 4:15pm. Managing and Responding to Extreme Weather
- Katie Kahl, UMass Amherst Gloucester Marine Station
- Apr. 27, 2:45pm - 4:15pm. Communications & Community Climate Action: Looking Toward the Future
- Rebecca Shoer, Stone Living Lab
May 3 - Our Conference on Watershed Scale Climate Collaboration! Build community among adaptation practitioners, amplify the importance of watershed-scale collaboration for climate change adaptation, learn about existing efforts by collaboratives across the state, and grow our capacity to accomplish this work together. Register here.
May 16 - 17 - Local Solutions Conference: Climate Migration. Join stakeholders in Keene, NH to create an upper Northeast region that can become a climate refugia that is resilient, revitalized, socially just, and decarbonized. Register here and apply for a travel grant here.
- May 17, 1:40pm - 3:50pm. Prompting Engagement through Behavior Change and Strategic Communication
- Susanne Moser, Susanne Moser Research & Consulting
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In case you've been wondering what to read next...
- New IPCC Report: The IPCC has shared the latest part of the Sixth Assessment Report - the Synthesis Report. See here for a summary, or for a take from colleagues at TNC here and UCS here.
- Climate Resources from Federal Partners:
- The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released new resources to advance climate science and knowledge, and support leaders at every level of government in managing the impacts of climate change and building climate resilience in communities.
- FEMA released a Building Community Resilience with Nature Based Solutions: Strategies for Success Guide that highlights five key strategies for implementing successful nature-based solution projects to advance natural hazard mitigation and climate adaptation.
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Have Something to Add?
Sharing in the Newsletters
Do you have something related to climate adaptation that you would like to see in a future newsletter? If you have project, job posting, event, outreach product, or something else that you’d like to submit for consideration, you can fill out this google form. Please note that this does not guarantee inclusion. We’ll select the climate adaptation items most relevant to our community of practice to continue to provide a curated newsletter. We look forward to hearing from you!
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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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