![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/Claire_Leverett_Pond.jpg\")
As I conducted research for\u00a0my first\u00a0novel\u00a0this year,\u00a0I\u00a0learned\u00a0more\u00a0about\u00a0the impact of\u00a0climate change\u00a0on birds and\u00a0other\u00a0animals.\u202fI wanted to\u00a0write about\u00a0the way\u00a0they\u00a0were being forced to find new homes or change their migration\u202fpatterns.\u00a0So\u00a0I bought a pair of binoculars, made a few birder friends,\u00a0and\u202fbecame\u00a0amazed by the herculean task of migration. Yet I\u00a0was also\u00a0troubled by the ways human-caused climate change can\u00a0alter\u00a0when and where\u00a0birds\u00a0migrate\u00a0because of temperature changes or availability of food.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In my job as a health\u202fcommunicator, I see\u00a0firsthand the ways that climate change affects\u202fhuman health\u00a0in addition to animals.\u202fThrough this\u202f work, I \u202fhave seen\u202fcommunities struggle against intense hurricanes, mosquito- and water-borne illnesses, or displacement from their homes\u202fbecause of climate change. I\u2019ve seen how\u00a0systemic racism\u00a0creates\u00a0conditions that put \u202fpeople of color and people in poverty \u202fmore at risk\u202fof respiratory illnesses and other public health threats borne from climate change.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m fighting for the climate on all of these fronts.\u202f <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This year, I completed a certificate program in Climate Change and Human Health to\u00a0learn\u00a0how we can mitigate, adapt to, and communicate\u202fabout climate change\u2019s public health impacts.\u202fI wrote to my senators in support of the\u00a0Green New\u00a0Deal\u00a0for\u00a0clean\u00a0energy and millions of\u00a0new jobs. I signed up to support the youth-led Sunrise Movement.\u202fI\u00a0phone banked and wrote postcards to get out the vote.\u00a0I donated to wildlife conservation organizations like Mass\u00a0Audubon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyone can take actions like these. We can all do our small part to protect the natural world and work towards a safe and healthy future for humanity and all living things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A few months ago,\u00a0my\u00a0mom\u00a0asked\u00a0if\u202fmy 8-year-old nephew could have my old bug box. He\u2019d found it buried somewhere in the\u202fbasement, a bit worse for the wear. I said yes, of course.\u00a0I want\u00a0him\u00a0to\u00a0find joy in\u00a0the beauty of\u00a0nature, just as I did at his age, and I\u2019ll do whatever I can to make sure it survives for his generation of kids\u00a0and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n – Claire Berman, Mass Audubon Member.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My connection to nature sparked as a \u202fkid in the eighties.\u202fI owned a bug box\u202f\u2013 my \u202fgrandmother\u2019s neighbor made them in bulk and then let the kids on the block decorate them. It was a simple wooden construction with a panel door that swung sideways and up, with fine mesh netting \u202fthat let the bugs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[178],"tags":[246,344,150],"class_list":["post-14942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate","tag-climate-action","tag-climate-champion","tag-climate-change"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/Claire_Leverett_Pond.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-3T0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11344,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/fired-up-about-fireflies\/","url_meta":{"origin":14942,"position":0},"title":"Fired Up About Fireflies","author":"Hillary T.","date":"July 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"When it comes to summer rituals, watching fireflies light up the night sky has to be one of the most magical. For generations, these flying insects have been providing wondrous moments for people of all ages. Lately, though, scientists are curious if firefly populations are growing or shrinking. And in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Nighttime Fireflies JS Mcelvery","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/07\/Nighttime-Fireflies-credit-JS-Mcelvery600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/07\/Nighttime-Fireflies-credit-JS-Mcelvery600.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/07\/Nighttime-Fireflies-credit-JS-Mcelvery600.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7615,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/bugs-slugs-slither-and-slime-yucky-programs-for-young-explorers\/","url_meta":{"origin":14942,"position":1},"title":"Bugs, Slugs, Slither, and Slime: “Yucky” Programs for Young Explorers","author":"Ryan D.","date":"June 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Let\u2019s face it\u2014kids love the \u201cYuck Factor.\u201d And thankfully, there\u2019s a lot to learn from the world of slime! At Mass Audubon\u2019s wildlife sanctuaries, kids \u00a0are encouraged to look under rocks and rotting logs to see what they can find, because there\u2019s a whole world of wonder waiting to be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/eastern-red-backed-salamander-from-West-Mountain-by-Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/eastern-red-backed-salamander-from-West-Mountain-by-Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/eastern-red-backed-salamander-from-West-Mountain-by-Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14656,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/hemlocks-and-climate-ama\/","url_meta":{"origin":14942,"position":2},"title":"You Asked, We Answered \u2013 Land, Hemlocks, and Climate Change","author":"Rishya N.","date":"September 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week, Olivia Barksdale, Mass Audubon\u2019s Conservation Restriction Stewardship Specialist, journeyed into Rutland Brook wildlife sanctuary in Petersham to talk about land, hemlock trees, and climate change. Photo \u00a9 Clark University An Overview of Hemlocks Hemlock trees are evergreen conifers that are widely distributed across Massachusetts. 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It would be easy to simply bury our heads in the sand and ignore the climate crisis, but nature needs us now more than ever before. And what\u2019s more, we need nature too. As 2021 begins, we can all make some\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/1672AndrewWeber5788.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/1672AndrewWeber5788.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/1672AndrewWeber5788.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/02\/1672AndrewWeber5788.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15603,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/mvp-program\/","url_meta":{"origin":14942,"position":4},"title":"The \u201cMVP\u201d of Climate Adaptation","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"April 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Climate change impacts all of us. Along with sea level rise, we\u2019re seeing extreme weather, inland and coastal flooding, and severe heat at a greater frequency and intensity. To adapt to climate change means to prepare for impacts like these, and one way that Mass Audubon is acting is through\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Advocacy"","block_context":{"text":"Advocacy","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/advocacy-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/10.14.20-4191.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/10.14.20-4191.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/10.14.20-4191.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/10.14.20-4191.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14471,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/local-climate-lessons\/","url_meta":{"origin":14942,"position":5},"title":"The Importance of Local Climate Lessons","author":"Rishya N.","date":"July 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Climate change can sometimes feel like something happening far away that\u2019ll only reach us in the future.\u00a0Even more worrying is that\u00a0Americans are\u00a0least likely\u00a0to think\u00a0they themselves will be harmed by climate change, and over half of Americans say that haven\u2019t personally experienced\u00a0its effects.\u00a0 These findings demonstrate a need to emphasize how\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Climate"","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/07\/0061_RoxburyLatin2017_061.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/07\/0061_RoxburyLatin2017_061.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/07\/0061_RoxburyLatin2017_061.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/07\/0061_RoxburyLatin2017_061.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14942"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14981,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14942\/revisions\/14981"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/Bug-Box.png\")