Mass ECAN News - May

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Mass ECAN News

Happy spring-summer! See below for updates specifically relevant to Mass ECAN members, including:

Feel free to pass this message along to colleagues and encourage them to join us. At any point, you can reach out to massecan@umass.edu with ideas about what our Network should tackle next.
 

Best,

Melissa Ocana
Climate Adaptation Coordinator, UMass Amherst

Highlights from Local Solutions Conference

Earlier this month, I attended the Local Solutions: Eastern Climate Preparedness Conference in Manchester, NH. This is our regional climate adaptation conference hosted by NOAA and Antioch University New England. You can find the conference presentations and proceedings here.

The number one highlight was getting to meet and see so many wonderful professionals in our field, learn from each other’s work, and start new regional collaborations. But, conferences take lots of time and resources to attend! So, here are some highlights from sessions that I attended that are relevant to our Mass ECAN community:

  • Susi Moser gave an honest, but ultimately hopeful talk. She provided a wonderful metaphor around rowing– the power of us all rowing together, though we have our backs to a future that is uncertain in the face of climate change, as we steer in that direction. I recommend reading the recent report on state of the adaptation field that she and others wrote for the Kresge Foundation.
  • Our network can learn much from and contribute to other networks in the region. It was insightful sharing with coordinators of networks such as the Climate Leadership Network for higher education, Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), and NH Coastal Adaptation Workgroup.

Continue reading >>
Mass ECAN Member Spotlight
Every month, we'll highlight someone in our community of practice so you can learn about the variety of adaptation work going on and "meet" a new colleague.
Michelle Staudinger
Science Coordinator, DOI Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center

Bio: Michelle is interested in coastal resilience and how fish and wildlife are responding to climate change through shifts in phenology. She co-led the primary working group and technical input underpinning the Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services Chapter of the 2014 National Climate Assessment (NCA), and is an Author on the 2018 NCA Ecosystems Chapter. Michelle has also co-authored 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers, helped lead development of the MA Climate Action Tool, and co-founded the Early Career Climate Forum. Next week, Michelle will be presenting at the 4th International Symposium on the Effects of Climate Change on the World's Oceans in DC, and later this summer, she will be an invited "monster" for the Monsters of Climate Science Workshop.


Climate change adaptation project she's currently excited about: Michelle is leading a project in collaboration with the MA Dept. of Marine Fisheries and other partners to better understand what influences alewife migration timing and run strength in 12 coastal river systems across the state. Results are expected to provide insights into alewife's adaptive capacity to changes in the coastal environment and identify where and what adaptation actions may have the greatest impact in restoring this iconic fish.

Announcements & Opportunities

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Conference - The National Adaptation Forum call for proposals is now open. Submit by Aug. 3rd. Hope to see you next year in Madison, WI, April 23-25, 2019!

Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program - a new service provider training should be announced soon!

Award - Congrats to Mia Mansfield of Climate Ready Boston on being Runner-up for the ASAP New England Regional Adaptation Leadership Award!

Job Opportunity - Director of Climate Adaptation & Resiliency for the Massachusetts Executive Office Of Energy and Environmental Affairs in Boston, MA (posted 5/7)

Workshop - Protecting Biodiversity in a Changing Climate is geared towards land trusts and will discuss building climate resilience into your priorities, where plants & animals can adapt, and online mapping tools!
WHEN: Tuesday, June 12, 2018, 9:30am - 4:00pm
WHERE: Brigham Hill Community Farm, 37 Wheeler Road, Grafton, MA
RSVP: Contact kcampbell@massland.org by June 6th.

Conference - Registration is now open for the 2nd Annual Northeast Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change (RISCC) Management Symposium! Attend this one-day event to share perspectives on climate change and invasive species management issues on a regional scale.
WHEN: Thursday, July 12, 2018
WHERE: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
RSVP: This event is free and open to the public. Register here.

Online Resource - The Baker-Polito Administration recently launched the resilient MA Climate Clearinghouse,which provides access to new statewide climate change projections.

Online Resource - CAKE, the Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange, has launched a new version to make it even easier to access climate adaptation case studies and resources.
  
Sharing Your Organization's Adaptation Publications

We'll be uploading materials we've created or curated to the "Resources" section on our website. If you shared materials during our Fall conference, we'd like to offer you an opportunity to showcase them on the "From Member Orgs" page. These climate adaptation materials and publications can be submitted to massecan@umass.edu this month. Later this year, we'll collect additional resources to share in preparation for the Fall conference.
Why am I getting this email?
Welcome to Mass ECAN!

You are receiving this email because you joined Mass ECAN.
Welcome to a new community of practice for climate adaptation practitioners and researchers who are interested in ecosystem resilience and natural resources conservation in Massachusetts. Since launching in October, we've grown to 165 members.

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.