APA-MA Fall Speaker Series: Apple Country Natural Climate Solutions

The American Planning Association Massachusetts Chapter’s (APA MA) Sustainable Development Committee invites you to Apple Country Natural Climate Solutions: A Regional Collaboration with Nature and Community to Enhance Resilience with Rebecca Longvall, Gillian Davies, and Keith Zaltzberg

Wednesday, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
12:00 am - 1:00 pm
Register: Webinar Registration - Zoom

Funded by MVP, Bolton, Devens, and Harvard collaborated with Nature to deliver Nature-based Solutions to climate change and biodiversity loss while managing regional development pressures responsibly. This project identifies how wetlands, floodplains, forests, soils and other ecosystems fit into broader resilience planning efforts, and expands communities’ capacity to protect, restore and enhance carbon sequestration and other critical ecosystem services such as flood control by:

1. Providing a model for community-driven assessment of Nature-based Solutions

2. Identifying site-specific NbS opportunities to:

   1. Protect and restore wetlands, forests, floodplains, soils and biodiversity;

   2. Increase carbon stored in ecosystems

3. Identifying opportunities to improve wetland, forest and other ecosystem soil health and land management

4. Providing recommendations to improve regulations, such as incorporating climate resilience, carbon storage, and biodiversity into local wetlands bylaws

5. Developing and providing educational materials and opportunities, including a wetlands and climate StoryMap and self-guided field tour

This presentation is relevant on both a strategic and practical level and will show how wetlands, forests and soil can be integrated into broader climate resilience and carbon mitigation planning projects. We believe the information will be useful to:

1. Learn about a first-of-its kind Municipal Vulnerabilities Preparedness Program project in central Massachusetts,

2. Learn about, and gain access to, substantial educational resources regarding wetlands

3. Plan for detailed assessments of specific opportunities for Nature-based Solutions,

4. See how to conduct these assessment and planning projects as community-driven, regional projects.

Attendees will then be able to ask presenters questions about the projects following the presentations.

Speakers:
▸ Rebecca Longvall, Conservation Agent, Town of Bolton
▸ Gillian Davies, PWS, Senior Ecologist/Natural Climate Solutions Specialist, BSC Group
▸ Keith Zaltzberg-Drezdahl, Founder and Managing Director, Regenerative Design Group

Moderator:
▸ Jeanettte Tozer, AICP, Planner, CIty of Worcester