Tag Archives: LID

Meet Our Team: Danica Warns

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Christina W

This month, our Shaping the Future of Your Community Program welcomed Danica Warns to the team as our new Southeast Regional Coordinator. She’ll be working with communities throughout the Taunton River Watershed to guide targeted land conservation and smart, sustainable development in that region.

Danica joins us from New York City, where she worked with NYC Parks to protect and restore wetlands throughout the City’s five boroughs, with a focus on volunteer stewardship of natural areas. While there, she engaged community members in wetland restoration and maintenance, aquatic wildlife monitoring, and migratory fish and oyster restoration. Working in the realm of land conservation in NYC, Danica has learned to identify and appreciate the pockets of natural areas that exist in a large city, and the importance of protecting these highly valuable resources.

Danica’s educational background is in coastal ecology, having received both her Bachelor’s in Marine Science and Master’s in Marine Conservation and Policy from Stony Brook University. She is also trained in science communication, and environmental outreach and advocacy have always been a focus of her career. She has previously worked with an environmental non-profit in Belize to communicate their research and monitoring work, on a whale watching boat in Cape Cod to monitor whale populations and educate passengers about marine conservation, and in an aquarium to inform visitors about marine life.

With a passion for finding nature’s hidden gems scattered across an overwhelmingly urban landscape, Danica’s mission is to introduce as many people as possible to the natural world around them and empower them to conserve and protect it. In her new role with Mass Audubon, she is most excited about the opportunity to help communities and land planners identify and protect local natural areas of importance and to continue to promote healthy coastal watershed management that benefits both people and nature.

The Intern Intel Report #2

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Christina W

by Kylie Armo

Hello again! This is Kylie, Mass Audubon Conservation Policy Intern, back with another report on my summer endeavors. Many of my latest experiences have provided me with the chance to learn from the organizations and individuals around me, while others have allowed me to contribute skills of my own.

Inspiring Learning Opportunities

Throughout the summer I have been able to learn about Mass Audubon and conservation in the Commonwealth by attending a variety of seminars and workshops. These events have ranged from a talk at The Nature Conservancy on building climate change resilience to weekly educational lunch sessions hosted by the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) for Boston environmental and legislative interns.

Interns attend ELM’s workshop series. Photo credit: ELM

A highlight of these educational experiences was my visit to Broad Meadow Brook (BMB), one of the wildlife sanctuaries – of which there are 100+ – under the care of Mass Audubon.

Located in Worcester over an expanse of 430 acres, Broad Meadow Brook is the largest urban wildlife sanctuary in New England and serves as a “sanctuary in the city” for the residents of the Worcester.

During my visit, I learned that they are currently in the process of renovating their visitor center, and are using Low Impact Development (LID) techniques to do so as sustainably as possible.

LID is an approach to land development that works with nature to manage water runoff, and includes the use of practices and tools such as rain barrels, permeable pavers, and “no mow” areas. Benefits of LID solutions include the reduced flooding, improved water quality, and protection of natural landscape features.

It was amazing to learn about and view first-hand BMB’s purposeful growth, ultimately aimed at servicing future visitors in a positive, accessible and eco-conscious way.

Broad Meadow Brook Conservation Center & Wildlife Sanctuary

Writing & Research Contributions

As a Mass Audubon intern, I have also had opportunities to support the Legislative Affairs office’s development of communication materials through an assortment of writing and research projects.

Opportunities to write have arisen not only through this blog series, but through other forums as well. On behalf of Mass Audubon, I recently wrote a letter to the Senate President and the House Ways and Means Chair urging them to override Governor Baker’s budget cuts as they slashed funding for the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency dedicated to supporting arts and culture in Massachusetts. Securing funding for environmentally-oriented organizations and programs is a significant component of Mass Audubon’s advocacy work.

I’ve also taken on a few small research projects digging into background materials and sources on current legislative issues and writing projects. Recently, I did some investigating into “climate change lawsuits”: court cases that are being brought against state agencies and corporations by citizens claiming that the greenhouse gas emissions emitted and permitted by these organizations is a violation of the Public Trust Doctrine, the principle by which the government holds in trust designated resources (such as navigable waterways) for public use and benefit. These individuals are attempting to leverage the judicial system to protect our climate and future generations, and their cases are a fascinating component of the intricate relationship between climate change and the political system.

My time engaging with environmental and political matters at Mass Audubon this summer is nearing its end, but I am excited to continue learning from and participating in the environmental advocacy field in the weeks that remain!

Kylie Armo is Conservation Policy Intern, Summer 2016

2016 Drought Can Help Us Prepare for Climate Change

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Christina W

By Daniel Brown, Heidi Ricci, and Stefanie Covino

The grass on the Common in front of the State House is brown. Plants and trees at Mass Audubon sanctuaries are looking a bit wilted. Community reservoirs are running low. It’s not your imagination. It’s been very dry.

Severe Drought in Massachusetts

About a third of Massachusetts is under severe drought. Another third is in a moderate drought, and the rest of the state is abnormally dry. Since roughly the beginning of the year, Massachusetts is about 5 inches below normal precipitation totals. That means we’ve seen 20-25% less precipitation than by this point in an average year. June 2016 ranked as the 12^th driest on record since 1895. April through June ranked as the 14^th driest.

US Drought Monitor map of MA July 2016

While the current level of drought is unpleasant and problematic, it’s certainly not unheard of. We’ve seen conditions like the current state of affairs 4 times since 1980 both in terms of short term and long term drought. So why all the attention now? The short answer is climate change.

Old Problems with a New Dimension

Many of the problems with water and land use in Massachusetts have been apparent for some time. Land use patterns in Massachusetts break the natural water cycle. Most new residential developments have wide roads, and big, thirsty lawns. Commercial and industrial parking lots, impervious to rain, reduce the amount of water that percolates back into the ground, leading to dry aquifers and streams. Meanwhile, demand on water supplies for residential, agricultural, and commercial use has led to the depletion of water across eastern Massachusetts and in many other locations.

Impacts to Nature and Public Health

If these land and water use trends continue, our seasonal water supply will be increasingly stressed with each drought. Rivers and streams will continue to dry up. The impacts on nature, including fish kills, algae blooms, and degraded habitat for other aquatic species like turtles, amphibians, and mussels, will become even more pressing.

Example of an algal bloom. Photo credit: MA Department of Environmental Protection

Climate Change and Future Drought Conditions

Climate change amplifies the existing challenges of land and water use. Most climate models project that summer drought conditions like this will become more frequent in the future. We can’t say this single drought is caused by climate change, but we can say climate change will make these types of dry periods more likely. And when the rains do come, it is more likely to be in intense downpours that can cause erosion, flooding and damage to infrastructure–especially in areas where pavement prevents the water from soaking into the ground and instead channels it into high-volume flows.

Using Droughts of Today to Prepare for Climate Change of Tomorrow

While these are troubling problems, there are realistic, practical solutions we can pursue, and there are positive actions we can take. If we want our communities to prepare responsibly for future water use and the challenges of climate change, droughts like this one can be used to directly identify what challenges may become more frequent or costly in the future. By addressing current problems that pop up during what is now a relatively infrequent set of conditions, we can better prepare for a future where those problems occur more often. It is an unfortunate teachable moment, but one that can help us learn how to better manage our natural resources.

Poor Farm Brook in Shewsbury. The City of Worcester recently installed a rain garden to aid flow in this brook.

Poor Farm Brook, Shrewsbury. The City of Worcester recently installed a rain garden to aid flow to this brook that borders both communities.

What You Can Do

Most importantly, encourage your communities to protect open spaces and natural areas. In undeveloped areas, the most effective solution to climate change and drought is to let nature take care of itself.
Encourage your community to utilize Low Impact Development (LID) options that provide the housing and jobs we need while making our cities healthier and more attractive.
Urge your state legislators to support climate change preparedness and sustainable water management
You can help by using water efficiently around your home and yard. Avoid nonessential uses car washing during the drought and collect rainwater all year long to use when you really need it. Let your grass grow a little taller, helping it grow long roots to retain moisture – and follow our State House’s example – let your lawn turn brown, and encourage your neighbors to do the same! When cooler weather comes, they’ll green turn once again

Daniel Brown is Climate Change Program Coordinator, Heidi Ricci is Senior Policy Analyst, and Stefanie Covino is Project Coordinator, Shaping the Future of Your Community Program