From the Merrimack River Watershed Council–reprinted by permission.
Are you interested in taking a deeper dive into climate change-related issues that will affect the Merrimack in years to come? Join us for our annual State of the Waters conference on Friday, December 7 at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport.
This day-long discussion will tackle the climate-related problems and solutions that face the river and all those who live in the Merrimack watershed — from the White Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. It should be of particular interest to public officials, river advocates, policymakers, land trusts, regional planners, emergency managers, and conservation commissions — among others.
This is a unique opportunity to hear from experts on pressing issues that are specific to the Merrimack watershed, and how we can work together cooperatively to identify optimal strategies to address this growing threat.
Seats are limited to 70, and free until November 16. After that, we’ll charge $35. Interested in learning more? Check out our website
MRWC to host workshop on ‘Climate Change’s Impact on the Merrimack’ on Dec. 7
This will be the third year in which the Merrimack River Watershed Council sponsors a State of the Waters workshop. State of the Waters is an opportunity for watershed advocates, public officials, land trusts, and others concerned about the health of the Merrimack to convene to discuss their common goals and varying challenges.
For 2018, MRWC is designing a workshop around the issue of climate change and how it is affecting (and will affect) the Merrimack River and its large watershed. This year’s event will take place in Newburyport on Friday, December 7. Admission is free; coffee and lunch provided.
Although playing the key role in organizing State of the Waters, MRWC is interested in teaming up with other groups who’d like to co-sponsor the program. Also in the coming weeks, we plan to sign up local business and others as financial supporters.
As we have known for a while, climate change affects entire ecosystems, including those that shape our watersheds. A river and its tributaries are not just visual signs of our interconnectedness; they of course also represent the very quality of interconnection that climate destabilization threatens to upset.
Still, we don’t often consider how land and water organizations, including the many that focus on just a portion of our bi-state watershed, see their world through the lens of climate dynamics and or discuss ways in which they can more effectively work together on issues linking the environment to climate change, and both to the prosperity and vitality of the region and perhaps its most prominent natural resource.
Please save the date (December 7, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Newburyport). Invitations are coming very soon — if you’re interested, let us know right away.
Questions? Contact Rusty Russell, MRWC’s executive director, at rrussell@merrimack.org.
State of the Waters: A Workshop for the Merrimack
Focus: Climate Change and the Watershed
Friday, December 7, 2018
9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Visitors Center, Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport, Mass.
9-9:30: Coffee, tea, pastries and informal hellos
9:30-9:45: Introduction:
Plan of the day
Key questions
Goals for the workshop
9:45-10:30: Keynote Speaker
10:45-11:45: Panel One — Key issues for the Merrimack watershed
11:45-12:30: Keynote — Mayors and the municipal response
12:30: Lunch (provided)
12:45-1:45: Table Topics and Reports Out (led by students participating in Climate Café program)
2-3: EPA Region 1’s proposed databank and the need for accessible data
3-4: Panel Two — Shoring Up the Advocacy Agenda
4-4:30: Open Forum — Next Steps and New Approaches
Founded in 1976, Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC) is dedicated to promoting a clean and accessible Merrimack River and watershed. As “the voice of the Merrimack,” the Council’s mission is to protect, improve, and conserve the Merrimack River watershed for people and wildlife through education, recreation, advocacy, and science.
