Mass ECAN December News
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Sometimes December can feel like a slow month. But not this year, with new announcements from the State and Federal governments (see the Reader for more) and the ongoing COP28 meeting (more on that next month). With all the excitement, we hope that you are still able to find some time for thoughtful reflection on your year and some peace going into the holidays season. We reflected on all that happened in 2023 and couldn’t believe how much we had accomplished together (see the Highlights below)! Wishing you a wonderful end to the year!
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 us!
Best,
Melissa Ocana
Climate Adaptation Coordinator, UMass Amherst
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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!
Matthew Cranney
MA Water Resources Project Manager
Merrimack River Watershed Council
Bio: Matthew coordinates the Merrimack Watershed Restoration Partnership, which aims to advance in-stream and wetland restoration projects throughout the Massachusetts portion of the Merrimack River watershed, with support from MA DER. Matthew was born and raised in Merrimack Valley and completed his MS in Ecological Design and Planning at the Conway School of Landscape Design in Northampton. Prior to MRWC, Matthew worked on ecological restoration, green infrastructure, sustainable affordable housing, and disaster recovery. Whenever possible, he prefers to be on the water or in the woods instead of behind a desk.
Climate Adaptation Project: Matthew is part of the project team for the Talbot Mills Dam removal in Billerica on the Concord River. The removal of the dam will reconnect more diadromous fish habitat than any other single dam removal project thus far in the state of Massachusetts. It will also remove the risk of catastrophic failure of a significant hazard dam, reduce upstream flooding, improve water quality, and reduce invasive water chestnut habitat. The project has a robust team, including the dam owner, state and federal agencies, and local non-profit environmental/academic organizations. Learn more and explore the storymap.
Matthew is in our Peer Learning Program and reflects on what he’s learned so far from his learning partner: “Our organizations have some overlap with the communities and stakeholders that we work with, so we have been able to share contacts and talk about building a regional approach to shared issues. She is also a great sounding board for troubleshooting projects, community engagement approaches, funding opportunities, and big-picture long-term thinking.”
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Funding Opportunity - Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant, EEA. The MVP Program supports communities seeking to advance climate adaptation. Now accepting Expressions of Interest for FY25 Action Grant Round, with anticipation of the RFR in March/April. Submit project ideas via this form by 12/15.
Funding Opportunity - Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program, The Nature Conservancy. Provides support for nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and other partners to engage in conservation efforts, including in Western Mass. Prioritizes network connectivity, resilience, and community impacts. Apply by 2/24.
Consulting Opportunity - Tree Planting & Protection Plan, Charles River Watershed Association. Seeking a qualified technical consultant to support plan development, including conditions assessments, identifying protection strategies and maintenance plans. Submit responses by 12/8.
Event - Coffee Talk, Northeast Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change (RISCC) Network. Discussion of the new RISCC publication “Out of Control? The Effects of Climate Change on Biological Control Agents and their Target Hosts.” Attend via Zoom 12/14 at 11am.
Job - Assistant Commissioner of Strategic Initiatives and Climate Policy, Department of Fish & Game, Boston. Plan and facilitate meetings with stakeholder groups. Be a crucial part of the development of climate and environmental strategic and implementation plans.
Job - Senior Climate Program Manager, City of Cambridge. Responsible for climate change planning and policy implementation, engagement and communication, strategic planning and administration. Build community-wide resilience, guided by the Net Zero Action and Resilient Cambridge Plans.
Job - Senior Climate Resilience Planner, Stantec, Boston. Partner with Stantec’s climate and environmental scientists, digital solutions developers, GIS experts, funding specialists, engineers, and planners to develop action-oriented resilience plans for municipal and agency clients across the Northeast.
Job - Environmental Analyst III, MA Department of Environmental Protection, Boston. Serve as stormwater technical specialist to implement guidance and regulation to address the effects of climate change, coordinate initiatives, and support project review and permitting.
Job - Chief Coastal Resilience Officer, Office of Coastal Zone Management, Boston. Manage the development and implementation of the ResilientCoasts Plan, coordinate coastal resilience efforts across the program, and communicate key priorities via outreach materials.
Job - Restoration Partnerships Coordinator, MA Department of Fish and Game, Boston. Support the Regional Partnership Program through coordination, capacity building, and outreach. Facilitate meaningful action to expand collaboration in restoration activities.
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Meet the New Program Associate
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Frances Duncan joins our staff as a Climate Program Associate. Frances’ background includes working to advance local-level greenhouse gas emissions reductions through electrification and improved materials management, creating tools to guide municipal climate vulnerability assessments, and facilitating collaboration through a regional climate action network in New York’s Hudson Valley. She holds an M.S. in Climate Science & Policy from Bard College and a B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy from Smith College. Raised in western Massachusetts, Frances now lives in Somerville, where she enjoys running and biking to learn her way around Greater Boston.
She is looking forward to meeting the adaptation professionals who make up Mass ECAN and is excited to support the network’s collaboration throughout Massachusetts. You can reach Frances here.
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In case you've been wondering what to read next...
- Fifth National Climate Assessment: It’s finally here! Read the U.S. government’s preeminent report on how our country is experiencing climate change, current and future risks, and how to build resilience. View eight major takeaways for MA. The USGCRP (Global Change Research Program) is hosting a series of webinars to dive into the NCA chapters. Learn more about the topics and register here.
- First National Nature Assessment: The U.S. Department of the Interior and the USGCRP are seeking author nominations and scientific inputs for this new effort to assess changes in nature as an aspect of global change. Learn more and submit nominations through 1/4/24.
- Report Card: The Healey-Driscoll Administration shared its first annual climate report card to assess how well the State is meeting goals. Read more here.
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ResilientCoasts: The Administration has also just launched the ResilientCoasts Initiative, a holistic strategy for addressing climate impacts along the MA coast, building from the 2023 ResilientMass Plan. Read more from the Boston Globe.
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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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