Mass ECAN November News
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See below for our newsletter that's specifically curated for our community of practice:
Feel free to share this newsletter with a colleague and invite them to join in!
Best,
Melissa Ocana
Climate Adaptation Coordinator, UMass Amherst
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Collaboration and Community-Building for Municipal Climate Action
Dec. 18th, 12:00-1:15pm
Join us for a dynamic virtual networking event on fostering collaboration and community for local climate resilience! Now, more than ever, it's important for municipal conservation and sustainability professionals and partners to come together to advance climate resilience in our cities and towns. This event will provide an opportunity to connect, learn from each other, and explore overlapping work. RSVP here.
This event is hosted in partnership with the MA Society for Municipal Conservation Professionals (MSMCP) and MVP (Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness) Program.
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Today is our last field trip to explore the Quinapoxet Dam in West Boylston! It's been wonderful seeing many of you during our field trip series, organized in partnership with the MVP Program, MA Division of Ecological Restoration, and local project partners. Thanks to everyone who made these a success!
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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!
Patty Gambarini
Chief Environmental Planner, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
Bio: Patty has led a wide variety of environmental and climate resilience related projects in her 17 years at Pioneer Valley Planning Commission , from watershed to site level scale. Her training in landscape architecture and her years of working in communications during a previous phase of profession, give her important capabilities in community engagement, planning, and implementation. Patty also carries in all of her work and play a sensitivity to other cultures and other ways of being that she attributes to growing up as the daughter of Argentine immigrants.
Climate Adaptation Project: Given the uncertainty of climate impacts and human population movements, Patty is keen on ensuring that drinking water supply is adequately protected from what may come. Collaborating with public drinking water suppliers in the region, a range of local partners, and with support from the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program, she is leading an initiative to develop a regional drinking water plan with key implementation activities. These include land protection to address certain vulnerabilities for supply and engagement around the value of water that flows from our taps. An important thread in this work is that ecosystem health and safe and reliable sources of drinking water are inextricably linked.
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Bid Opportunity: Culvert Assessments Bid Request, Division of Ecological Restoration (DER). The Stream Continuity Program is seeking bids from vendors on the DER Technical Services Master Services Agreement to assess culverts in MA using the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) protocols. Due by 12/02.
Funding Opportunity: MVP 2.0 FY25 Grant Applications Now Open. This grant program builds on the work communities have done to date, and supports them with new processes, tools, and resources for building local and regional resilience. Due by 4pm on 12/04.
Congrats Coastal Resilience Grantees!: The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced $5.2 million in awards for coastal community resilience through the Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). Funding will help strengthen more than a dozen coastal communities against the impacts of climate change.
CZM Seeks Feedback for ResilientCoasts: CZM is conducting a public survey through 11/18 to collect input on the draft Coastal Resilience Districts and to solicit information about coastal resilience opportunities and challenges across MA. In addition, CZM is holding office hours to discuss questions or concerns related to the ResilientCoasts plan. Register here.
Event: Webinar, Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center. Speakers will share a comprehensive intertidal biodiversity monitoring framework to support future climate adaptation and restoration efforts for the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. 4pm on 11/13.
Event: Network Gathering, Regional Conservation Partnerships (RCP), UMass Amherst. An inclusive forum on collaborative landscape conservation in the Northeast. Explore the diverse elements of a healthy community and learn how, through collaboration, we can create a future where all people thrive. 8am-4pm on 11/14.
Event: New England Climate Change and Resiliency Summit, Environmental Business Council, Hybrid. Learn how the public sector is addressing challenges of climate change and resiliency, and see adaptation/mitigation goals across geographies. 9:30am-2:30pm on 11/15
Opportunity: Registry of Climate Adaptation and Resilience Professionals, Climate Smart Communities Initiative. The registry is accepting applicants that work in the field of climate adaptation and resilience, are committed to following best practices, and have a track record of high-quality results.
Opportunity: Dam Removal Preliminary Design Services, DER. Selected projects will be eligible to receive technical assistance from DER staff and contracted technical services from qualified vendors. Application due 11/22.
Opportunity: Stormwater Planning Series 2024-25 Cohort, Southeast New England Program Network. Free training and technical assistance to help guide through the process of developing a conceptual design for a nature-based stormwater retrofit in a selected drainage in a community. Applications due on 12/13.
Job: Water Quality Program Analyst, Merrimack River Watershed Council. Work closely with fellow staff to expand, integrate and manage MRWC’s activities in water quality monitoring. Engage a diverse group of stakeholders to solve water related issues.
Job: Director of Climate Resiliency, Mystic River Watershed Association. Catalyze and facilitate collective action in the Mystic River Watershed to create climate-resilient communities. Manage climate team and facilitate the Resilient Mystic Collaborative.
Job: Climate Resilience Engagement Associate, Charles River Watershed Association. Engage watershed residents in advancing community-driven stormwater and climate resilience projects and climate-smart policies across the watershed.
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Meet the Mass ECAN Staff!
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Jes Szetela (she/they) is the new Climate Program Associate. She came to this role following her graduation from the  University of Arizona with a Master of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She has dedicated the past six years to conducting climate-related ecological research across different biomes, while working collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams to understand the impacts of climate change at an ecosystem level. Throughout their academic and professional career, they have consistently sought opportunities for science communication, education, and outreach, as it is imperative for scientists to be able to convey their research to broad audiences. In this new role, they hope to facilitate the incorporation of both scientific rhetoric and stakeholder experience into our climate adaptation strategies to strengthen the bonds between environments and people. She also looks forward to meeting all involved in Mass ECAN!
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In case you've been wondering what to read next..
COP29 Summit: Leaders from around the world are convening to discuss global goals for tackling climate change. To learn what needs to happen, check out The Nature Conservancy’s Guide to the 2024 UN Climate Conference.
Convention on Biological Diversity COP: World leaders recently gathered to discuss global biodiversity issues. See takeaways here.
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Let’s celebrate the invaluable contributions of Native and Indigenous colleagues in championing nature and advancing climate adaptation. For example, read the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Climate Action Plan or learn about connections between climate, ash trees, and Indigenous communities here.
New Climate Council for Boston: Mayor Wu signed an Executive Order creating the Boston Climate Council, a key partnership to coordinate the City’s all-of-government approach to combating climate change and advancing resilience.
Invasive Species: The NE RISCC recently released a “Research to Practice” paper outlining how climate impacts plant phenology and what that could mean for invasive species management.
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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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