Ebb&Flow #10

The Division of Ecological Restoration Ebb&Flow #10 - November, 2011

An electronic newsletter from the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER)
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/der

Welcome Letter
Feature Article
Grant, Prize, Contest, Award and Fundraising Opportunities
Calendar
On-line Resources
Non-Governmental On-line Resources
Publications, etc.

Welcome Letter

Greetings, restoration friends and colleagues,

The world river community has given its highest honor to a Massachusetts river. With the awarding of the prestigious Thiess International River Prize by the International RiverFoundation to the Charles River, the Charles River Watershed Association’s (CRWA) 46 years of hard work has been aptly recognized. [Click here for a WBUR Radio Boston segment on the Charles River that aired on Monday, November 21st.]

CRWA is the gold standard of watershed associations: their mix of advocacy, science and education has been a potent combination that literally turned around the fate of the watershed, transforming the Charles River from being synonymous with “dirty water” to one of the cleanest urban rivers in the nation. We look forward to working with CRWA on future endeavors and acknowledge that their many accomplishments have helped restore and revitalize rivers in the basin and across the state.

As every river and stream is important to the communities through which it flows, so too are the watershed associations, stream teams and other groups important for their work to protect and restore our waterways and adjacent lands. The state of Massachusetts is fortunate that counterparts to the CRWA are active in most of the Commonwealth’s 27 major river basins, and DER is grateful for the opportunity to partner with these groups on many different types of aquatic habitat restoration projects.

Two other announcements in the world of ecological restoration include a proposal for statewide regulatory changes that impact pro-active restoration projects and the launch of the new DER flickr photo site.

DER is co-leading a task force with MassDEP on enhancing the regulatory process for ecological restoration projects. DEP is seeking feedback on a range of regulatory changes under the banner of the MassDEP Regulatory Reform Initiative. One important component of the overall reform package includes a provision that would expedite permitting for ecological restoration projects such as dam removal and culvert replacement. You can learn more here and have until December 5th to submit comments.

See you on the water.

Sincerely,

Tim Purinton,Director	Hunt Durey, Acting Deputy Director

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Feature Article

Rivers and Volunteers Response to Tropical Storm Irene
By Carrie Banks, DER Stream Team and Westfield River Wild and Scenic Committee Coordinator

DER staff and Stream Team volunteers have been out in the field over the past several weeks documenting the effects of Tropical Storm Irene on floodplain corridors in western Massachusetts. Breached dams, blown-out culverts, and eroded roads remind us of the power of rivers in full flood. Yet, floods are natural part of the river’s ecosystem, building and shifting habitat for aquatic species. Documenting geomorphic changes from floods helps us plan for storms and eliminate unsafe infrastructure. It also helps us build more ecologically beneficial infrastructure that allow rivers and streams to flex their muscles during extreme weather conditions without harming our safety and ecosystem health.

August 2011 was the 2nd wettest on record in Massachusetts in the last 117 years and western Massachusetts received 329% of the average rainfall for August. Although the winds from Tropical Storm Irene were barely felt, the 4-10 inches of rain resulted in record flows. Rivers rose rapidly – going from a tranquil 80-100 cubic feet per second (cfs) on Saturday on the North River to a torrential 53,100 cfs at the same spot by mid-morning Sunday. In Massachusetts, nine USGS gaging stations recorded floods of record.

Table: USGS Provisional Data, Streamflow Peaks Resulting from Hurricane Irene Rainfall. The USGS gage on the Deerfield River in Charlemont is not included as peak flows are still being calculated. According to reports from Brookfield Power, the peak flows from Fife Brook Dam – upstream of the USGS Charlemont gage – reached 58,329 cfs. These flows are well-above the previous peak level set in 1938. The Charlemont station has 98 years of flow records.

Photo: Greenfield water supply dam breached during the flood washing out the road leading to Eunice Williams bridge. (Credit, Carrie Banks, Division Ecological Restoration)

Rivers are dynamic systems and understanding those dynamics begin with observation. When you sit by a river, it is always changing. Watching it you begin to understand some its dynamics – e.g. the faster, deeper water is on the outside bend which is more prone to erosion, the shallow water on the inside bend is where depositional features are often observed as the floodwaters recede. Our volunteers and river stewards have helped us capture these observations both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Our Stream Team volunteers conduct Shoreline Surveys – visual assessments – along their river corridors and our River Continuity volunteers help inventory and assess road and stream crossings to determine impacts to fish and wildlife passage. Shortly after the floods, DER and these volunteers dispersed across western Massachusetts to document conditions along their rivers. Using the training they received from DER on photo-monitoring protocols, the volunteers captured many unique before and after perspectives.

Photo: Keith Herzig. Left photo taken on August 21st, right photo post flood. Note the big rocks and green vegetation; they're gone now! Note the big boulders newly deposited in lower left below the bridge.

Photo Upper Left: River Continuity Volunteer Training at Walker Brook Crossing (2010). Photo upper right: Crossing post Tropical Storm Irene. Photo Lower right: Replacement culverts.

Further, volunteers from the Deerfield River Watershed Association,Westfield River Wild & Scenic Committee and Westfield River Environmental Center are teaming up to collect macroinvertebrate data from several locations in each of the two watersheds. These data will be used to compare richness and density of macroinvertebrates collected in previous years by these organizations as well as the Division of Watershed Management to post storm conditions. DER staff and volunteers will brave the cold waters to collect samples on a monthly basis.

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Resources and Grants

Grant, Prize, Fellowship, Contest, Award, Fundraising, etc. Opportunities
(presented in rough chronological order by application/nomination/entry deadline)

The U.S. EPA’s Office of Brownfields & Land Revitalization recently announced the availability of FY12 funding for several brownfields-related programs: Brownfields Assessment Grants (each funded up to $200,000 over three years; coalitions are funded up to $1,000,000 over three years); Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants (each funded up to $1,000,000 over five years); and Brownfields Cleanup Grants (each funded up to $200,000 over three years). These grants may be used to address sites contaminated by petroleum and hazardous substances, pollutants, and other contaminants. Cleanup grants provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at specific brownfield sites owned by the applicant. A total of $28 million is expected to be available, with up to 90 separate awards anticipated. The proposal deadline is November 28, 2011. Click here or here for more info about the grant opportunities, and here for Brownfields contacts at the EPA Region One/New England office; see also MassDEP’s Brownfields Redevelopment Toolbox.

The Regional Partnership between the NOAA Restoration Center and the Association of U.S. Delegates to the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (GOMC) recently announced its 2012 Habitat Restoration Grants Partnership, which provides funding and technical expertise aimed at restoring native diadromous fish and other marine, estuarine and riverine species of regional significance. The projects, which are selected to offer long-term ecological benefits and promote effective community restoration, have focused on restoring degraded riverine habitats, salt marshes, eelgrass meadows and shellfish beds. The deadline for uploading optional Letters of Intent is 5:00 PM EST on November 30, 2011. Online Applications may be submitted from February 1-29, 2012. Click here to download the Request for Proposals document or contact Hunt Durey of DER at hunt.durey@state.ma.us or (617) 626-1245 for more info.

Administered by the MassDEP, the Section 604(b) Water Quality Management Planning Grants Program provides funding for watershed- or sub-watershed-based non-point source assessment activities that support MassDEP’s assessment efforts, including data needs that are identified in the Massachusetts Watershed-based plans, the EOEEA Watershed Action Plans, the Massachusetts Nonpoint Source Management Plan, MassDEP’s watershed water quality assessment reports, the Massachusetts Estuaries Project, TMDL development, and water supply source protection planning. Mass DEP encourages respondents to propose other suitable water quality assessment/planning projects that will lead to direct actions by municipalities and others to implement water quality improvements. MassDEP is seeking project proposals that will identify water quality problems and provide preliminary or final designs for BMPs to address these problems. A Request for Responses (RFR) for the next (2012) §604(b) grant round is expected early next year. Click here, here or contact Gary Gonyea at (617) 556-1152 or Gary.Gonyea@state.ma.us for more info; or go to http://www.comm-pass.com, click on “Search for a Solicitation”, and then type BRP 2011-02A into the “Keywords” box.

The Haymarket People's Fund is committed to strengthening the movement for social justice throughout the six states of New England. The Fund provides Sustaining Grants, ranging from $3,000 to $12,000, for grassroots social justice organizing work (including environmental justice). The application deadline is December 7, 2011 (requests for Urgent Response Grants are accepted any time). Click here for more info.

The American Rivers – NOAA Community-Based Restoration Program is now accepting proposals for river restoration grants.  This partnership seeks to enable environmental and economic renewal in local communities through the removal of stream barriers. Proposals for Construction phase funding may request a maximum award of $150,000, and proposals for Engineering Design or Feasibility Analysis phases may request a maximum award of $100,000.  The deadline for receiving proposals is December 9, 2011. Potential Applicants should click here or here for more info, or contact Amy Singler [(413) 584-2183, asingler@americanrivers.org] or Brian Graber [(413) 585-5896, bgraber@americanrivers.org] to discuss proposals.

The U.S. EPA is currently seeking applications for its Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) undergraduate fellowships for bachelor level students in environmental fields of study. Subject to availability of funding, and other applicable considerations, the Agency plans to award approximately 40 new fellowships by July 30, 2012. Eligible students will receive support for their junior and senior years of undergraduate study and for an internship at an EPA facility during the summer of their junior year. The fellowship provides up to $19,700 per academic year of support and $9,500 of support for a three-month summer internship. Applications are due December 12, 2011; click here for more info.

The American Planning Association (APA)'s Community Assistance Program provides place-based assistance and advisory services to communities, regions, and neighborhoods. The program engages planning professionals and demonstrates the benefits of planning to communities around the country. The APA’s Community Planning Assistance Team (CPAT) Initiative pairs multidisciplinary teams of expert planning professionals from around the country with community members, key stakeholders, and relevant decision makers to foster place-based community education, engagement, and empowerment. Each team is selected for the specific expertise needed on the project to offer pro bono assistance in developing a framework or vision plan that promotes a sustainable, livable, economically vibrant, and healthy community. Projects focus on localities with a demonstrated need for assistance, where planning resources and expertise may not otherwise be available. The next deadline for communities to apply for CPAT assistance is December 13, 2011; click here to apply or for more info.

The AmeriCorps State and National Grants Program provides support to improve lives in communities across the country through national service in areas where service can make a major impact. AmeriCorps awards grants to organizations to implement programs that utilize AmeriCorps members to engage in evidence-based interventions to strengthen communities. The six focus areas for 2012 are Disaster Services, Economic Opportunity, Education, Environmental Stewardship, Healthy Futures, and Veterans and Military Families. The letter of intent deadline (not required) is December 15, 2011. The application deadline is January 18, 2012. Click here, write to: americorpsgrants@cns.gov or call (202) 606-7508 for more info.

The American Hiking Society’s National Trails Fund is the only privately supported national grants program providing funding to grassroots organizations working toward establishing, protecting and maintaining foot trails in America. Many of our favorite trails need major repairs due to an enormous backlog of badly needed maintenance. National Trails Fund grants help give local organizations the resources they need to secure access, volunteers, tools, and materials to protect America's cherished hiking trails. Groups interested in applying for a 2012 National Trails Fund grant should read the 2012 National Trails Fund Guidelines.  The application is posted here; the submission deadline is December 15, 2011. Grants will then be announced and awarded in the spring or early summer of 2012.

The 2012 Call for Nominations has gone out for the National Wetlands Awards, which are presented annually to individuals (not groups) who have excelled in wetlands protection, restoration, and education (click here for info on past awardees). The awards program is administered by the Environmental Law Institute and supported by a number of federal natural resource agencies. Awards will be given to individuals in six categories: conservation and restoration; education and outreach; landowner stewardship; science research; state, tribal and local program development; and wetland community leader. Nominators must e-mail the nomination form and all supporting materials to wetlandsawards@eli.org by December 15, 2011; click here to download the nomination form.

The Temper of the Times Foundation promotes the use of standard marketing concepts to increase environmental awareness. Recognizing that organizations working to protect the environment often have limited access to paid media, the Foundation provides funds to underwrite advertising designed to promote wildland ecosystem conservation and restoration in the United States. Grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 may be used to fund the production of print, radio, or television ads; to pay for advertising space or airtime; or to produce or distribute pamphlets, books, videos, or press packets. The application deadline is December 15, 2011. Visit the Foundation’s website to submit an online application.

The Boston-based Cabot Corporation’s Corporate Giving Program is designed to support Cabot's community outreach activities, with priority given to science and technology education and community and civic improvement efforts in the communities where the company operates. Funding decisions are generally made four times a year – in January, April, July and October – by the Foundation's Board of Directors. Grant requests should be received at least 30 days before a Board Meeting to be considered at that particular meeting. Otherwise, requests will be considered at the next meeting. Contact Jane A. Bell, Executive Director, Cabot Corporation Foundation, Inc. at (617) 345-0100 for more info.

The U.S. EPA’s 9th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet is currently (until December 22, 2011) seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design innovative solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. Areas of interest include:  Energy, Built Environment, Materials and Chemicals, Water, Agriculture, and Green Infrastructure. $1.05 million expected to be available, up to 45 awards anticipated. Click here or contact Cynthia Nolt-Helms at nolt-helms.cynthia@epa.gov for more info.

The White House’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the EPA are seeking applications for the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators, which recognizes outstanding K-12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education and use the environment as a context for learning for their students. Two teachers from each of the ten EPA regions will be selected to receive the award. Recipients will receive a commemorative plaque and an award of $2,000, to be used to further their professional development in environmental education. In addition, the local education agency employing each teacher will receive an award of $2,000 to further the recipient’s environmental educational activities and programs. Applications are due by December 30, 2011; click here to apply or for more info.

The President’s Youth Environmental Awards (PEYA) Program promotes awareness of our nation’s natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Since 1971, the President of the United States has joined with EPA to recognize young people across the U.S. for protecting our nation’s air, water, land, and ecology. One outstanding project from each EPA region is selected for national recognition. Projects are developed by young individuals, school classes (K-12), summer camps, and youth organizations to promote environmental stewardship. Winning projects in the past have covered a wide range of subject areas, including environmental science projects, construction of nature preserves, major tree planting programs, videos, skits, and newsletters that focused on environmental issues. The application deadline for the regional PEYA awards is December 31, 2011 applications for PEYA certificates are accepted on a year-round basis. Click here or contact Kristen Conroy at (617) 918-1069 or conroy.kristen@epa.gov at the EPA’s Region One/New England office for more info.

The Andrus Family Fund provides funding to organizations seeking to apply Transition Framework principles to address conservation conflicts, community reconciliation and other issues seeking a facilitated and transformative solution. Letters of inquiry are invited at any time and will be taken up at the Fund’s quarterly meetings (to be considered at the April 2012 meeting, submit your letter before January 1). Click here for more info and here to read a case study where the Transition Framework was used to help resolve a dispute involving watersheds and water allocation.

The Echoing Green Fellowship Program invests in outstanding emerging social entrepreneurs to help them launch new organizations that deliver bold, high-impact solutions to society’s most difficult problems. Each year, Echoing Green awards 12 to 20 two-year fellowships to entrepreneurs worldwide who are creating innovative social change organizations. Fellowships are provided to individuals (at least 18 years of age) or partnerships (organizations led by two people) with creative solutions to significant social problems; strategies to create high-impact, sustainable change in people’s lives; and the ability to grow and lead a new organization. Fellows receive seed funding ($60,000 for individuals and $90,000 for partnerships) and technical support to turn their innovative ideas into sustainable social change organizations. The application deadline is January 9, 2012.

The goal of the Switzer Environmental Fellowship Program is to support highly talented graduate students in New England and California whose studies are directed toward improving environmental quality and who demonstrate the potential for leadership in their field. Awards have been made to students pursuing environmental policy, economics, land and water conservation, public health, journalism, architecture, environmental justice, business and law as well as the more traditional sciences of biology, chemistry and engineering (click here for examples of what Fellows have done). Fellowship applicants are evaluated based on their commitment to environmental problem-solving and their potential for creating positive environmental impact. The Fellowship provides a one-year $15,000 cash award for graduate study as well as networking and leadership support to awardees. The application deadline is January 15, 2012; click here and here to apply or for more info.

River Network and the Waterkeeper Alliance are hosting a T-shirt Design Contest for the official shirt for River Rally 2012. Submitted designs will be voted on by members of Waterkeeper Alliance and River Network Partners, and the creator of the winning design will receive a $500 River Rally registration scholarship, and a t-shirt in the size of his/her choice. The deadline for designs is January 16, 2012; click here for more info. [Click here to nominate a River Hero (due February 3, 2012), and here to see some or the presentations made at the 2011 River Rally.]

The U.S. EPA recently announced that it is inviting proposals for its Urban Waters Small Grants program. The agency expects to award between $1.8 to $3.8 million in funding for projects across the country to help restore urban waters by improving water quality and supporting community revitalization. The funding is part of EPA’s Urban Waters Program, which supports communities in their efforts to access, improve, and benefit from their urban waters and the surrounding land. Healthy and accessible urban waters can help grow local businesses and enhance educational, recreational and employment opportunities in nearby communities.

The goal of the Urban Waters Small Grants program is to fund research, studies, training, and demonstration projects that will advance the restoration of urban waters by improving water quality through activities that also support community revitalization and other local priorities such as public health, social and economic opportunities, general livability and environmental justice for residents. Examples of projects eligible for funding include:

• Education and training for water quality improvement or green infrastructure jobs
• Public education about ways to reduce water pollution
• Local water quality monitoring programs
• Engaging diverse stakeholders to develop local watershed plans
• Innovative projects that promote local water quality and community revitalization goals

The deadline for submitting proposals is January 23, 2012; click here for more details on this grant opportunity, and you may want to register for an informational webinar for prospective applicants scheduled for December 14, 2011 or January 5, 2012.

The Nonprofit Boating Safety Program provides support for initiatives designed to help reduce recreational boating deaths, injuries, or property damage. Proposed initiatives should focus on partnerships, including the following: exploring other sources, linkages, in-kind contributions, cost sharing, and partnering with other organizations or corporations. The application deadline is January 27, 2012; click here, here, or contact Carlin Hertz, Non Profit Grants Coordinator, at (202) 372-1060 or carlin.r.hertz@uscg.mil for more info.

In 2012, the TKF Foundation will begin an initiative called Open Spaces Sacred Places: The Healing Power of Nature, an award program will fund the creation of significant Open Spaces Sacred Places that are designed specifically with the intent to study and communicate the impact of a specific type of urban public greenspace on users. Grants will be awarded from a total funding pool of $5 million. Funding will be provided to cross-disciplinary teams that conceptualize, plan, design and implement a physical space, conduct associated research study(s) and disseminate findings. The funding will be enacted in two sequential phases. While the deadline for the first phase (an optional first step in the Open Spaces Sacred Places Awards process, applicants could have applied for a planning grant) was September 1, 2011 (click here to access the Request for Proposals (RFP), applicants may apply for Open Spaces Sacred Places Awards beginning February, 2012. Click here for more info, including transcripts of two information sessions with prospective applicants. 

The Massachusetts Office of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently announced three rounds of 2008 Federal Farm Bill funding for four conservation programs: the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP), Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA), and the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP). NRCS will offer three ranking periods with the following closing dates: February 3, March 30, and June 1, 2012. Farmers can submit applications for these programs anytime throughout the year; all complete applications will be batched and ranked on these closing dates for funding decisions. One regional initiative, the New England/New York Forestry Initiative, will be offered to non-industrial, private forest landowners to implement forest management plans on their land. Click here for more info. In the meantime, the MA NRCS office has put out an eight-page handbook walking farmers and others through the process of determining eligibility and applying for grants. Click here to download a copy of Understanding the 2008 Farm Bill Conservation Programs.

The Coca-Cola Foundation partners with nonprofit organizations and supports programs that focus on one of the following four categories: Water Stewardship promotes access to clean water and sanitation, watershed protection in water-stressed regions, utilization of water, and water conservation. Healthy and Active Lifestyles supports physical activity and nutritional education programs, programs that motivate behavior modification, and programs that encourage lifestyle/behavioral changes. Community Recycling addresses litter abatement efforts, recovery and reuse, community recycling awareness, and research and innovation. Education focuses on scholarships, school drop-out prevention, access to education programs, and other education initiatives. Online applications may be submitted throughout the year. Click here and here to review the community request guidelines and application procedures.

Established in 2006, the Tempe, AZ-based Swanson Family Foundation provides funding in the areas of education, leadership, the environment, and health and lifestyle related issues. Prospective grant seekers should click here for more info or contact Tim Bates, Director, Environmental Grants, at (602) 740-3688.

The Marshfield, VT-based Harris and Frances Block Foundation “seeks to make the world a better place by addressing the root causes of social and environmental problems. Its goal is to promote positive social change through innovative approaches to community problem-solving”. The foundation supports a broad range of projects, giving its highest priority consideration to social and economic justice, peace, environmental protection, community development and education. The Foundation is particularly interested in funding non-profit grassroots organizations working on community and self-help projects. Although the Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, it welcomes letters of inquiry, which may be submitted at any time; click here for more info.

The Boston-based Germeshausen Foundation’s fields of interest include innovative approaches to positive change in youth culture, leadership development for young adults, environmental and ecological values, and imaginative media projects on current issues. In all grants, the foundation seeks to advance the idea of interconnectedness among people, and between people and the environment. The Foundation is willing to accept letters of inquiry seeking support for new ideas for addressing challenges in our society within its fields of interest. The foundation seeks to support smaller organizations with the entrepreneurial capacity to develop and sustain an initiative or program. Letters of inquiry must be no more than two pages and describe an organization, its goals and needs, and the program or purpose for which funding is requested. Matters relating to grants, letters of inquiry or grant proposals should be sent to: Martin S. Kaplan, trustee, Germeshausen Foundation, c/o WilmerHale, 60 State Street, Boston, MA 02109.

The Exeter, NH-based Caswell Foundation (no web page), a small family foundation, has provided funding for educational, youth and environmental programs and projects in eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire as well as Palo Alto, CA. Groups seeking funding should submit a proposal in writing stating the purpose for which finds are sought along with the requested amount. Additional financial information may be requested. Proposals should be sent to: Dorothy D. Caswell, 10 White Oak Drive, Z228, Exeter, NH 03833. Telephone: (603) 580-1207.

The Summit, NJ-based Speedwell Foundation (no web page) provides grant funding for urban parks and other projects (see, e.g., moreparks.org), primarily along the East Coast. Grant requests may be made at any time and may be made in the form of a letter including a brief description of the purpose of your organization, the focus of the grant request (the anticipated use of the funds) and the dollar amount of the request, along with proof of your organization’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Letters should be addressed to: Mr. Michael G. Messner, Speedwell Foundation, 34 Locust Drive, Summit. NJ 07901. Telephone: (908) 273-8052.

The Boston-based Beech Tree Trust (no web page) makes grants for nature conservation research and other programs and projects in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Requests for funding should describe the needs of the charitable organization and the intended use of the funds, and should be submitted in writing to: Malcolm L. Davidson, Beech Tree Trust, c/o J.M. Forbes & Co., LLP, 3 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109.

The NYC-based Falconwood Foundation (no web page) provides funding for education, environmental research and other projects in the Northeast and beyond. Requests for funding should be sent to: Falconwood Foundation, c/o Stanley A. Lefkowitz, Vice president/Secretary, 67 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003. While there are no specified forms or deadlines, your intended use of the funding should be described in some detail.

Grantstation.com offers a variety of webinars of interest to grantseekers (such as How to Secure Funding from Foundations, on Thursday, December 8). Click here to access a list and description of upcoming programs. Not to be outdone, Guidestar recently posted several useful articles for grantseekers, on the anatomy of a grant proposal, helpful resources to draw upon for your next foundation grant proposal, and Nine Ideas to Take Your Fundraising to the Next Level.

Last but not least (for your holiday, etc. gift consideration): the Good Card, created by the Network For Good on-line fundraising support system, operates like a conventional gift card to a retail store, but the recipient uses it to contribute to their favorite cause(s) instead. The Good Card gift card’s stored value can be redeemed as a donation to any of more than 1.2 million charities. Click here for more info on the Good Card, and nonprofits can call (toll-free) (888) 284-7978 ext.1 to find out how to become eligible for Good Card donations.

Calendar

(sorted chronologically by date of event, submission deadline, etc.)

The Annual Meeting of the Greater Boston Chapter of Trout Unlimited (GBTU) will be held on Monday November 28, 2011, beginning at 7:30 PM, at Mass. Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary, Route 117 in Lincoln. Immediately following a short business meeting for the election of Directors and Officers, guest speaker Nick Wildman, River Restoration Priority Projects Coordinator for DER, will speak about dam removal efforts throughout the Commonwealth. All interested persons are invited to attend Nick’s talk.

Over the last 50 years, the amount of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollution entering our nation’s waters has escalated dramatically. For example, 30 percent of U.S. streams have high levels of N and P pollution. Also, reported drinking water violations for nitrates have doubled in the last eight years. The EPA’s Watershed Academy webcast, entitled Tools for Developing State Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Reduction Strategies and scheduled for Wednesday, November 30, 2011 from 1:00PM-3:00PM, should help states and others understand key tools they can use to combat this serious and growing environmental problem. The webinar will demonstrate EPA’s new N and P Pollution Data Access Tool (NPDAT), which is designed to help states develop N and P reduction strategies. The webinar will also demonstrate the new, interactive SPARROW Decision Support System (DSS), designed by U.S. Geological Survey. The DSS can be used by water managers, researchers, and the general public to map long-term average water-quality conditions and source contributions by stream reach and catchment, as well as track N and P transport to downstream receiving waters, such as reservoirs and estuaries. (Click here to access archived versions of related webcasts, and here for info on a Friday, December 2 USGS webcast entitled New Online Management Tool to Help Guide Action on Excessive Nutrients in Rivers and Estuaries.)

What happens when we lay the weight of the world’s burdensome environmental problems on the shoulders of young children? We overwhelm them, scare them and alienate them from the natural world. Using a variety of short videos and public service announcements, Antioch/New England Professor Dr. David Sobel examines the messages about rain forest destruction and global warming that children are awash in every day and talks about why this approach is flawed. Finally, he will look at positive examples of educational approaches that connect children to nature, engage them in constructive activities and provide the foundations for responsible environmental behavior.  Dr. Sobel will be offering a workshop in Boston on Thursday, December 1 entitled Global Climate Change Meets Ecophobia, which will explore and discuss interactive ways to teach children about this topic. The two-hour workshop will be followed by dinner with Dr. Sobel and an hour-long lecture, which is a part of the New England Aquarium Lecture Series. Click here for more info on the workshop + dinner ($30), and here for more info on the evening lecture (free).

Protecting, enhancing and preserving natural resources throughout the northeastern United States, and beyond, requires innovation in the technical and political methods and approaches used for watershed planning and management in rural and urban areas. The densely developed northeastern US possesses unique challenges associated with its highly urbanized watersheds, climatic and geomorphic setting, regulatory environment and a host of other attributes. These unique regional attributes have resulted in innovations at levels extending from the site to watershed scale and beyond with a truly global influence. The Northeast Chapter of the International Erosion Control Association’s 2011 Conference and Trade Exposition: The Changing Climate in Sediment and Water Management from December 1-3, 2011 in Natick, MA, will include several erosion and sediment control and stormwater management technical sessions, certification review classes and exams, legislative updates from Massachusetts and beyond and a trade show with vendors. Click here for more info and here to register.

The removal of dams and other stream barriers is one practical way to meet dam safety requirements and eliminate public safety hazards, while restoring rivers, improving water quality, and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat. Managing the regulatory, funding and practical requirements of a successful dam removal can be daunting to dam owners and potential project managers. Maine Rivers, along with several other organizations, is hosting a Dam Removal Workshop on Friday, December 2, 2011 at the Viles Arboretum in Augusta, ME. Maine's first training workshop on managing dam removals will lead you through the steps to evaluate and successfully complete a project. This workshop is open to members of the public, including dam owners, who may be interested in learning from experienced dam removal managers. The workshop will be geared to assist those who expect to be managing a dam removal project in the future. Members or staff of land trusts, watershed associations, Conservation Commissions and planning boards, as well as local and state officials are welcome to attend. Workshop participants will receive a Dam Removal Project Manager Manual, containing relevant information about funding, permitting, and related logistics. The workshop costs $20, which includes lunch and the training manual, starts at 9 AM. Contact Ms. Landis Hudson at Maine Rivers [landis@mainerivers.org or (207) 847-9277] with questions and Dylan King at Maine Rivers [dylan@mainerivers.org, (207) 838-7160] to register.

The Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council (CCLC) will hold its fourth “Turning a New Leaf” Conference on Friday, December 2, 2011 in Lancaster, PA. The conference provides professionals with the latest information on sustainable landscaping and development best practices. Because every effort to be sustainable counts, this year the conference tracks are titled Every Design Counts, Every Drop Counts, Every Plant Counts and Every Message Counts. The conference also hosts an EcoMarketplace featuring a variety of local organizations and green businesses. Click here to read the session abstracts and here to register or for more info.

Every organization likes the idea of receiving large donations.  But what is planned giving?  How can your nonprofit implement a successful planned giving program?  In the free workshop Planned Giving: Establishing a Program that Opens the Door to Large Lifetime and Legacy Gifts, two attorneys who specialize in nonprofit law and estate planning will demystify "planned giving" so that you understand the gifting techniques available to your nonprofit, as well as the steps to take to either start or reinvigorate your planned giving program. This workshop will take place on Monday, December 5, 2011 from 8:30 – 11:00 AM at the Boston Private Bank & Trust Company, Ten Post Office Square, Boston, 2nd Floor, Great Room. Call (617) 912-3919 or click here to sign up (the deadline is December 1). 

Are you involved in a municipal stormwater management program, stormwater research, engineering consulting, construction-site management, or design and implementation of best management practices? If you have interesting data, case studies, and observations, please consider sharing your experience and expertise at StormCon 2012. StormCon, the world's largest conference on stormwater pollution prevention, is seeking abstracts for its 11th annual conference, which will be held August 19-23, 2012, in Denver, Colorado. The deadline to submit abstracts is Tuesday, December 6, 2011. Abstracts are invited for the following conference tracks:

• BMP Case Studies
• Green Infrastructure
• Stormwater Program Management
• Water-Quality Monitoring
• Advanced Research Topics

Presentations for StormCon 2012 will be 30 minutes long, including a question-and-answer period. Click here or contact Steve Di Giorgi at (805) 679-7629 or stevedg@forester.net for more info.

Stream restoration is a multibillion dollar industry worldwide. In fact, the explosion of stream restoration as a watershed management practice has helped create another series of questions regarding the effectiveness of stream restoration in meeting overall watershed and project-specific goals. The Center for Watershed Protection will be presenting a webcast on Stream Restoration on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 from 12:00 Noon to 2:00 PM. This webcast will get to the root of the issue and present different points of view from academia, watershed managers and stream restoration practitioners. Cost: $149 Registration ends 12/2/11. AWSPs members receive $60 off regular registration. Click here to register.

Sponsored by the American Ground Water Trust, the New England Water Law and Policy Conference is scheduled for Wednesday, December 7 from 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM at the Holiday Inn in Marlborough, MA.  This conference, intended for an audience of local government officials, elected representatives, environmental attorneys, town & county planners, business owners, landowners, and environmental consultants, will provide state and federal regulatory updates and clarifications, information about current water issues and litigation, and cost-effective groundwater protection strategies. Click here to view the conference program and here to register, or contact Jacqueline Daoust (jdaoust@agwt.org) for more info.
 
The New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) has issued a call for abstracts (until December 16) for its 23rd Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference, which will take place from May 15-16, 2012 in Portsmouth, NH. Topics sought include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Successful watershed-based plan implementation (case studies)
• Fluvial geomorphology and pollutant loading
• NPS project optimization – finding the most pollution reduction at the least cost
• Use of economic systems to reach water quality goals (e.g. the role of NPS sources in pollution trading programs)
• Legal barriers to low impact development – identification and fixes
• Leveraging resources through multi-partner projects (case studies)
• Social marketing to affect changes in behavior – what works and what does not
• Pollutant transport and fate and their roles in designing successful NPS projects
• Implementation tracking tools for large and small watersheds.
  
  Click here or contact Clair Ryan at cryan@neiwpcc.org for more info.

Ecosystems such as streams, rivers, inland and coastal wetlands, grasslands, and forests provide numerous services that fundamentally support human health and well-being. Ecosummit2012, an international conference taking place next fall in Columbus, OH, will explore innovative science-based strategies that are socially and culturally acceptable to create, manage, and restore these ecosystems, ensuring that society has access to all these ecosystem services. Click here to read the Call for Abstracts (the submission deadline is January 20, 2012) and here for a 5-minute video on the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park.

Community Leaders & Citizens: do you live in a community that borders a national or state park, wildlife refuge, forest or other public land? Is your community feeling the pressures of increasing tourism or rapid growth? Conversely, is your community seeking a viable mechanism to jump-start economic growth? Is your community concerned about losing its unique character and special places? Does your community want a better relationship with the managers of a neighboring public land? The Conservation Fund is sponsoring a course entitled Balancing Nature and Commerce in Communities that Neighbor Public Lands which will take place from January 30 - February 1, 2012 at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in Shepherdstown, WV. During this 3-day course, ‘teams’ will focus on the economics, natural resources and community character of their area and learn valuable partnership building skills. At the end of the course, teams will leave with a specific action plan for implementing a collaborative project in their community. This course is offered in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Click here or here for more info (the deadline to sign up for the course is December 16).

Presentation and poster abstracts are now being accepted for Fish Passage 2012: The 2nd National Conference on Engineering & Ecohydrology for Fish Passage, to be held at UMass/Amherst from June 5-7, 2012. The conference will be of interest to researchers, educators, practitioners, funders, and regulators who have an interest in advancements in technical fishways, nature-like fishways, stream restoration and stabilization, dam removal, road ecology, and the myriad of funding, safety, climate change, and other social issues surrounding connectivity projects. Fish Passage 2012 will be a three-day conference with concurrent sessions in engineering, biology, and management and social issues. The conference will also feature plenary talks, professional networking opportunities, and a poster session. Fish Passage 2012 follows the successful Fish Passage 2011 conference, held at UMass/Amherst in June 2011. Contact Austin Polebitski at polebitski@ecs.umass.edu or (413) 577-1275 for more info.

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On-line Resources

The U.S. EPA’s Healthy Waters Initiative (HWI) recently announced the release of its Healthy Watersheds Initiative (HWI) National Framework and Action Plan. The HWI is intended to protect the nation’s remaining healthy watersheds, prevent them from becoming impaired, and accelerate restoration successes. Healthy watersheds provide many ecological services as well as economic benefits (click here to sign up for a webinar entitled Economic Benefits of Healthy Watersheds, scheduled for Wednesday, December 7 from 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM). The EPA will work with states and other partners to identify healthy watersheds at the state scale and develop and implement comprehensive state healthy watersheds strategies that set priorities for protection and inform priorities for restoration. If successfully implemented, the HWI promises to greatly enhance our nation’s ability to meet the Clean Water Act Section 101(a) objective of restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.

The EPA’s Watershed Central web page includes a clearinghouse of watershed tools, including a new interactive Watershed Central Wiki which allows for dynamic discussions among watershed groups and partners. You can create a page about your organization, add your group or project to a nationwide map, and connect with other watershed protection groups. You might also want to check the EPA’s Adopt-A-Watershed database to see if information about your group is included and/or up-to-date (click here to access the current info about the Massachusetts groups in the database, and here to add or edit info about your group). Contact Mike Masnik of the EPA’s Water Resources Center at (202) 566-1731 or masnik.michael@epa.gov if you need assistance in adding and/or updating your group’s info.

The presence, condition and numbers of types of fish, insects, algae, plants, and other organisms are data that together provide direct, accurate information about the health of specific bodies of water. Studying these factors as a way of evaluating the health of a body of water is called biological assessment. Biological criteria, on the other hand, are a way of describing the qualities that must be present to support a desired condition in a waterbody, and they serve as the standard against which assessment results are compared. The EPA’s Biocriteria web page offers a wealth of resources on both biological assessments and water quality criteria, including a newly-posted web page including the new document A Primer on Using Biological Assessment to Support Water Quality Management. This technical document explains the role of biological assessments in a variety of water quality management program applications, including reporting on the condition of aquatic biota, developing biological criteria, and assessing environmental results of management actions.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently set up a Start with Science web page to share info about and solicit public comment to guide the agency’s direction regarding the USGS Science Strategy, and, specifically, for each of USGS’s mission areas: Climate and Land Use Change, Core Science Systems, Ecosystems, Energy and Minerals, and Environmental Health, Natural Hazards and Water.

U.S. Topo is the new generation of digital topographic maps from the USGS. Arranged in the traditional 7.5-minute quadrangle format, digital US Topo maps look and feel like the traditional paper topographic maps for which the USGS is so well known. At the same time, US Topo maps provide modern technical advantages that support wider and faster public distribution and enable basic, on-screen geographic analysis. US Topo maps are available free on the Web through the USGS Store. Each map quadrangle is constructed in .pdf format with geospatial extensions (GeoPDF®) format from key layers of geographic data – orthoimagery, roads, geographic names, contours and hydrographic features - found in The National Map. Click here and here for more info. The USGS also provides digital versions of earlier edition topographic quadrangle maps through the Historical Topographic Map Collection, also available for download through the USGS Store.

Flood Frequency Estimates for New England River Restoration Projects: Considering Climate Change in Project Design (Fact Sheet FS-2011-01), a document released earlier this year and now available on-line at the Habitat Protection section of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s website, provides practitioners with a basic background on hydroclimatic flood trends in the region, how they can affect flood frequency estimates, and some suggestions for data review and analyses to at least avoid underestimating design discharges. The suggestions are intended as interim approaches until more sophisticated non-stationary estimation techniques are developed and widely accepted. Contact NOAA hydrologist Matt Collins at (978) 281-9142 or Mathias.Collins@noaa.gov for more info.

The Fall 2011 issue of the Massachusetts Bay Window, the newsletter of the Massachusetts Bays Program, is chock-full of good stories about coastal wetland and waterway restoration efforts, such as identifying and controlling invasive plants and marine organisms, restoring native species, protecting anadromous fish species and passage, as well as efforts to promote paddling in coastal waterways. Click here to access the newsletter in PDF format.

An updated version of the Massachusetts Outdoor Recreation Map is now available from the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). This map is packed with information for residents and visitors looking for places to enjoy outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, hunting, camping, hiking, wildlife watching, and swimming across the Bay State. Besides showing the location of all DCR state parks and forests and DFW Wildlife Management Areas, the map also identifies all boat access, sportfishing piers, and shore fishing areas built by DFG's Office of Fishing and Boating Access (OFBA). The map also includes info about outdoor safety and ethics, licensing requirements for fishing and hunting, and web addresses for more info about recreational opportunities on state properties. Click here to view the on-line (.pdf) version of the map. Hard copies of the Massachusetts Outdoor Recreation Map are also available from many individual DFW and DCR offices, or, to obtain a map from DFW by postal mail, send a self-addressed, 64-cent stamped business-sized envelope to: Outdoor Recreation Map, DFW Field Headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Rd, Westborough, MA 01581.

In 2012, all hunters, anglers and trappers seeking to conduct those activities in Massachusetts lands and waters will need to purchase licenses, stamps, and permits electronically, through an online computer system called MassFishHunt. License buyers will still be able to purchase a license at a license vendor or DFW office if they don't have a computer. The major difference will be that the license is computer generated, eliminating the traditional handwritten licenses. 2012 licenses will be available for purchase in early December at www.mass.gov/massfishhunt. Click here for more info.

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Non-government On-line Resources

(in rough alphabetical order – the following are offered for information purposes only and are not an endorsement of the items listed below)

An Artificial Distinction: Clean Water Act Tools for Flow Protection
http://www.rivernetwork.org/cwaflow

Although fish and others who rely on our rivers don’t see the separation, our legal system has long treated water quality and quantity as unrelated concerns. Water quality is regulated by the federal Clean Water Act, while state laws govern water quantity. River Network’s “Artificial Distinction” web page is intended to support watershed and river groups interested in better using the Clean Water Act to protect and restore flows. Resources on this page include a 2011 white paper identifying Clean Water Act and related tools that could be better used to drive in-stream flow and habitat restoration and protection efforts and a June 2011 archived webinar on the same topic. [River Network also hosted a free webinar on November 18, 2011 entitled The Clean Water Act Through the Biological Lens: Using the Clean Water Act to Protect & Restore Habitat/Flow; an issue of River Voices was also devoted to this topic.]

American Rivers’ Blue Trails web page
http://www.americanrivers.org/our-work/protecting-rivers/blue-trails

A “blue trail” is a dedicated stretch of river that enjoys special clean water safeguards and is a destination for fishing, boating, and other recreation. Blue trails, like hiking trails, help people discover rivers and provide a connection between urban and rural communities and the great outdoors. Blue trails provide a fun and exciting way to get youth outdoors and are economic drivers benefiting local businesses and quality of life. American Rivers is forging partnerships with land trusts and other local groups to create blue trails as an innovative way to protect clean water and critical riverside lands, while promoting river recreation, sustainable economic development, and community pride. Click here to view a short video entitled Blueways - Protecting Watersheds, Connecting Communities and here to read about how the blue trails/blueways concept fits into the Obama Administration’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. [See also the Millers and Otter Rivers Blue Trails and the ExploreRI web page, which covers “blueway” paddling opportunities in RI and adjacent sections of MA.]

Change.org
https://www.change.org

Change.org is a user-friendly, online advocacy platform that empowers anyone, anywhere to start, join, and win campaigns for social change (including environmental issues). Millions of people sign petitions on Change.org each month on thousands of issues, winning campaigns every day to advance change locally and globally. Examples of topics for which petitions have been filed at Change.org include Westfield River salmon habitat, the Clean Water Act and herbicide use on Cape Cod.

Desperate Alewives
http://video.mpbn.net/video/2135374738

Recently aired on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network program Sustainable Maine, Desperate Alewives focuses on the anadromous alewives that once migrated up New England rivers by the millions but have declined dramatically. The information on the history of alewives and what can be done to help restore the species is applicable for the whole northeast and for other migratory species as well. Click here to view the show and for related info.

Dropbox
http://www.dropbox.com

Dropbox is a free* service that lets you bring all your photos, documents, and videos anywhere. This means that any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, phones and even the Dropbox website. Dropbox also makes it super easy to share with others, whether you're a student, volunteer or professional. *The basic Dropbox service (with up to 2GB of storage) is free; groups collaborating on complicated projects that involve large files might want to upgrade to the Dropbox for Teams or other fee-based service. Click here to take a product tour and here to access the Dropbox FAQ page.

EarthProtect
http://www.earthprotect.com 

Earth Protect is an online community and social hub advocating personal action for global sustainability using video and digital content created by passionate, talented people from novice to expert. At Earth Protect, you can view videos and blogs on 32 different sustainability issues, expand the conversation by commenting on posts, blogs and videos, or create your own content. Here you can find the inspiration globally to create your own impact locally. Or better yet, be the inspiration for others. Educators, students, interested businesses, nonprofit groups, filmmakers and those interested in creating a more sustainable planet will find information here that supports, challenges and expands their current understanding of the issues facing our worldwide society. Examples of the content accessible via this website include a promotional video for Save Water America; an interview with Patuxent Riverkeeper Fred Tutman; and a recording of a presentation entitled Constructed Wetlands For Wastewater Treatment: A non-technical overview.

Eco Company
http://www.eco-company.tv

Eco Company is a nationally syndicated TV show produced by Red Willow Films based in San Jose, California. Hosted by a dynamic and diverse group of teens, Eco Company airs in markets all across the country reaching over 90% of U.S. households. Each week Eco Company explores all aspects of being green and understanding how we impact our world. The E-Co Team reports on a wide variety of environmental issues, including salt pond restoration, forest restoration and water conservation. Eco Company also shows Eco-Wise tips that provide practical ways in which teens and people of all ages can contribute to a sustainable planet. There’s even an opportunity for others to submit videos for possible airing to a national audience.

Ecological Landscaping Association (ELA)
http://www.ecolandscaping.org

Articles recently posted on ELA’s website include Porous Surfaces – How Are We Doing? by Steven Roy of Geosyntec Consultants, and Restoration Enhances Ecosystem, Recreation, and Water Quality at Fresh Pond, by Tom Benjamin.

Forging the Link (FTL)
http://www.unh.edu/unhsc/forgingthelink

Developed by the University of New Hampshire’s Stormwater Center in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University and Antioch University New England, the Forging the Link website links the economic advantages of Low Impact Development (LID) with municipal land use decisions. The fact sheets and other info available at this website demonstrate that substantive economic benefits for both construction budgets and project life-cycle costs can be realized by municipalities, commercial developers, and others when using green infrastructure for stormwater management. Click here to access the .pdf version of the 172-page document entitled Forging the Link: Linking the Economic Benefits of Low Impact Development and Community Decisions.

Grounds for Change: Activating Vacant Land
http://www.gfcactivatingland.org

Recently established by the Center For Community Progress, the Grounds for Change webpage is an interactive resource for communities, individuals, and policy makers interested in improving their neighborhoods through strategic green reuse of vacant land. Grounds for Change: Activating Vacant Land is designed to inspire implementation in your community, and spur on others to create innovative, ecologically sound, and sustainable solutions that bring economic value and beauty to urban vacant and abandoned lands. Born out of an innovative effort in Philadelphia that sought new design solutions for the city’s 45,000 vacant parcels, Grounds for Change has gone national as a place to share ideas – real and imagined, and from all over the U.S. The web page provides a searchable list of resources – including organizations, web links, print resources and original articles – to help guide you in creating green projects on vacant land in your community. Support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Claneil Foundation helped to establish this on-line resource.

Gulf of Maine Council's EcoSystem Indicator Partnership (ESIP)
http://www.gulfofmaine.org/esip/index.php

ESIP has developed indicators for the Gulf of Maine and is integrating regional data for a new Web-based reporting system for marine ecosystem monitoring. ESIP indicators include: coastal development, contaminants and pathogens, eutrophication, aquatic habitat, fisheries and aquaculture, and climate change. The ESIP web page includes a number of fact sheets (see, e.g., the recently-produced aquatic habitat fact sheet, which summarizes data for three key indicators - eelgrass, salt marsh, and tidal restrictions). [Click here to read a recent Gulf of Maine Times article on the proposed Northeast Great Waters Habitat Restoration & Conservation Initiative.]

IdeaEncore Network
https://www.ideaencore.com

A nonprofit resource center, IdeaEncore helps organizations to build their reputation, spread their mission, and create earned income by providing a nonprofit and social enterprise marketplace for document sharing. Online file downloads and sharing services enable you to publish, browse, share, and retrieve files to better understand what your peers in the nonprofit community are doing. Why re-invent the wheel when you can re-use tools and templates to better manage your work and assist your daily work? IdeaEncore is a user-generated knowledge management and online file sharing system. IdeaEncore offers free and easy registration, online file sharing, some free file downloads and free file browsing. Preview, post, or find documents by browsing user-generated items in its nonprofit resource center. Browse topics like fundraising, capacity building and volunteer recruitment and management.

Initiative for Natural Corridors (INC)
http://www.wildlifehc.org/initiative-for-natural-corridors

Sponsored by the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC, an organization focusing on improving the habitat value of corporate and other company-owned lands) and other partners, INC seeks to link the other programs involved with WHC to additional projects, programs and organizations to create wildlife corridors or habitat pathways in order to support both migratory and resident species of wildlife. INC collaborations will link together Certified WHC sites with another conservation area, greenway project, or landscape level initiative, and/or host a citizen science or research aspect in order to monitor the success of the collaborative.

Intelligent Use of Water (IUOW) Film Competition
http://www.iuowfilm.com

The annual Intelligent Use of Water film competition solicits entries from amateur and experienced filmmakers who showcase their creative filmmaking talents while raising awareness of the need for effective, efficient and responsible use of water. The competition is open to all narrative, documentary, animated, experimental and/or student-made short films, 1 to 10 minutes in length, that creatively explore methods and ideas to responsibly manage and use Earth’s most precious resource. The winning entries for 2011: “Fun and Games”, “Just Don’t Flush It”, “Water Ways”, “Thank You”, “Save Water” and “Water Partners: Ranching, Stewardship and Trout in the West” , were presented at a screening this past September in Beverly Hills.

Heart & Soul Implementation Guides
http://www.orton.org/page/heart_soul_implementation_guides

Recently produced by the Middlebury, VT-based Orton Family Foundation as part of its Heart& Soul support for community planning, these implementation guides are designed to provide quick and user-friendly help to community members participating in community planning processes. Current topics in this series are Enhancing Local Character; Encouraging Inclusive, Local Government; Promoting Housing Opportunities; Supporting Local Businesses and Jobs; and Fostering a Sense of Community. Contact John Barstow at (802) 388-6336 or jbarstow@orton.org for more info.

Living on Earth (LOE)
http://www.loe.org

This weekly environmental radio program, originated two decades ago by host Steve Curwood, is still produced in the Boston area. Every week approximately 300 Public Radio stations broadcast Living on Earth's news, features, interviews and commentary on a broad range of ecological issues. Recent stories heard on LOE include The Most Sustainable Street in L.A., a street and neighborhood re-engineered by the Council on Watershed Health to capture rainwater and eliminate runoff; Eager Beavers Engineer Ecosystems and Leave It to Beaver; Removing Dams in Maine; and Catch the Rain, covering the burgeoning interest in the U.S. for rainwater harvesting for domestic (even potable) consumption. [See also the Water Efficiency article A New Old Water Source for more info on this latter issue.]

Parker, Ipswich, Essex Rivers’ Restoration Partnership (PIEr2)
http://web.me.com/jm3/PIEr2/PIEr2_Home.html

Made up of a dozen organizations and state and federal agencies (including DER) active in the Great Marsh-Coastal Rivers region of Essex County, MA, the objective of the PIEr2 Partnership is to facilitate a strategic and coordinated effort to safeguard the lands, waterways and habitats of this ecologically significant region. The PIEr2 web page serves as a repository for scientific studies, reports and data, including mapping the location of culverts, a first step in identifying which pose the greatest adverse impacts on fish and wildlife passage and prioritizing those for remedial action. [Click here and here to view a two-part video series produced by The Nature Conservancy and UMass/Amherst entitled Roads & Wildlife: Creating Critical Linkages in Massachusetts.]

Patagonia’s “Our Common Waters” Campaign
http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=1865

This year, Patagonia’s environmental campaign, Our Common Waters, spotlights the need to balance human water consumption with that of animals and plants. Resources on this page include the videos Our Common Waters (a brief intro to water resource management problems and solutions) and Chasing Water (a mini-documentary on the threats posed to the Colorado river from over-allocation for irrigation and other out-of-stream uses), and End of a River?, an article on a similar theme.

Public Allies
http://www.publicallies.org

Public Allies’ mission is to advance new leadership to strengthen communities, nonprofits and civic participation. Public Allies signature AmeriCorps Ally Program identifies diverse young adults and prepares them for leadership through paid full-time nonprofit apprenticeships and rigorous leadership training. Public Allies’ training and consulting arm, The Leadership Practice, magnifies results by helping leaders and organizations better harness the assets of diverse teams and communities.

River Herring Network
http://www.riverherringnetwork.com

Established earlier this year with the award of a grant from the Massachusetts Bays Program to the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association, the River Herring Network’s goal is to increase the numbers of alewife and blueback herring in the waters of Massachusetts. To that end, the Network seeks to facilitate communication among herring wardens and other river herring enthusiasts, support herring wardens in their role as active participants in fisheries management processes, and document and communicate the natural and cultural history of the herring runs. Resources at this web page include a blog, discussion forum, peer reviewed research articles, DMF regulations and recent herring-related news items, as well as tips to how to find grants and funding for your fish run or habitat restoration project. [Click here to read a related, recently-posted announcement: NOAA to Consider Whether Listing River Herring Under Endangered Species Act is Warranted.]

River Life
http://riverlife.umn.edu

Launched this past summer by the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota and grounded in a conviction that future river managers will need to be conversant in the sciences, public policy, design, planning, and in the engagement programs that reach the broadest sectors of the populace, the River Life website uses social media, a digital atlas, and case study reports to develop and share knowledge on the scientific and professional practices that create inclusive, sustainable rivers. The site also discusses science, planning, engagement, inclusion, sustainability, and other river-related issues.

Runoff Rundown
http://www.cwp.org/newsroom/runoff-rundown.html

Runoff Rundown is a free, quarterly electronic newsletter published by the nonprofit Center for Watershed Protection. The latest edition (Fall 2011) contains a number of informative articles on the “waste” (in terms of excess water volume) in wastewater, rainwater harvesting on the farm, maintenance of stormwater BMPs and using watershed planning to meet TMDL goals, along with announcements, upcoming conferences and cool links. The CWP’s Watershed FAQ page offers answers to many questions regarding stormwater BMPs and related topics.

Salesforce Foundation
http://www.salesforcefoundation.org

The philanthropic arm of the Salesforce.com’s “cloud’-based business management and marketing tool, the Foundation offers 1% of salesforce.com’s time,product and equity to benefit nonprofit organizations and charitable causes. Click here to read about product donations to nonprofits, here for info on the Nonprofit Starter Pack, and here to read a WiserEarth blog posting about WiserEarth’s use of this service to help manage donors and volunteers.

The Stream
http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/category/the-stream

Compiled by Circle of Blue, a website where an international network of leading journalists, scientists and communications design experts report and present information necessary to respond to the global freshwater crisis (see, e.g., the recent in-depth article on how efforts to pass federal legislation to keep pharmaceuticals and other drugs out of our waterways and water supplies is being thwarted),The Stream is a daily on-line digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter or sign up for the newsletter.

Water Ethics Network
http://waterethics.org

Sponsored by the Water-Culture Institute, the Water Ethics Network facilitates sharing of experience, ideas, and information about events and activities relating to water ethics. The aim is to bring an awareness of water ethics into the everyday discourse of water policies and management decisions, so that choices about water use and water ecosystem management are consciously informed by values. Resources at this web page include a monthly blog and opportunities to network on water ethics via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

WaterGrass
http://watergrass.org

A product of the Maryland-based LeadGreen consulting firm, WaterGrass is a member/donor/volunteer database that has been specifically tailored for use by river and watershed organizations. Resources at this page include the articles “6 Lessons for River Groups’ End-of-Year Appeals” and When will the donations arrive?

Waymarking.com
http://www.waymarking.com

Maintained by Groundspeak, a geocaching website whose mission is “to inspire outdoor play using location-based technology”, the Waymarking.com website provides tools for anyone to catalog, mark and visit interesting and useful locations around the world. “Waymarking” is a way to mark unique locations on the planet and give them a voice. While standard GPS technology allows us to pinpoint any location on earth, mark the location, and share it with others, Waymarking.com’s features enable categorizing and adding unique information for that location (click here to view already-posted entries on publicly-accessible open space in Massachusetts). If this piques your interest, you may want to read the frequently asked questions page or create a free membership to track your progress online and share your locations with others.

WeLoveBirds.org
http://www.welovebirds.org

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) partnered with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to create this website as a place for bird-lovers to share stories and information about birds and to help protect birds from activities that harm them and their habitat. Resources on this page include videos and other contributed content from birding enthusiasts, a community blog to post sightings, ask for ID help, etc., and a photo contest where you can vote for your favorites.

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Publications and Videos, etc.

(the following are offered for information purposes only and are not an endorsement of the items listed below.)

Experienced and budding botanists, restoration ecologists, environmental consultants, foresters, land managers, conservation commissioners, and wildflower enthusiasts will be interested to learn that The Vascular Plants of Massachusetts: A County Checklist has been recently revised and is now available for purchase either as a hard copy or CD. Authored by former and current Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife botanists Bryan Connolly, Melissa Dow Cullina, Paul Somers, and Bruce Sorrie, the 270-page booklet includes 319 new taxa and 676 new county-level records since the first Checklist was published in 1999. Among the new and updated features of this revision are current Massachusetts Endangered Species status, invasive rank categories, and a function on the CD allowing for searches by older scientific names. A hard copy of the Checklist is $25 and includes a CD. The CD alone can be purchased for $5. Make checks payable to: NHESP—DFW and mail the check to “Plant Check List Booklet”, NHESP, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough MA 01581. You can also access more info about the book and an order form by clicking here.

Eagerly awaited by botanists, the new book New England Wild Flower Society's Flora Novae Angliae: A Manual for the Identification of Native and Naturalized Higher Vascular Plants of New England, compiled by Arthur Haines with illustrations by Elizabeth Farnsworth and Gordon Morrison, offers accurate, up-to-date, and clear information for identifying New England's remarkable array of vascular plants (excluding mosses). With fully-researched entries on some 3,500 native and nonnative species, the book is the first in decades to provide a complete and correct botanical reference for the region’s noncultivated plants. The volume includes many new species not documented in New England before, while also excluding many species that have erroneously appeared in earlier manuals. Flora Novae Angliae is largely dedicated to identification keys and to species entries that provide scientific name, origin, regional conservation ranking, common name, synonyms, distribution, ecology, and other miscellaneous items of interest. Nearly one-third of the entries are accompanied by helpful black-and-white line illustrations. Click here to order the book and related info, and here for info on a lecture and book signing event in Framingham on Saturday, December 3.

Do you ever wonder how to tell the trees apart in your local forests? Would you like to know more about the function and origins of the characteristics that define each tree species? Celebrate and learn about trees with naturalist Michael Wojtech, author of the new book Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast, and become better connected with the landscape where you live. Wojtech writes about, conducts workshops on, illustrates, and photographs the identifying characteristics, physiology, and ecology of trees. Click here for more info about Bark: A Field Guide book, here to see sample pages and here for info on Wojtech’s upcoming classes, speaking engagements, etc. on this subject.  

The new book The Green Garden: A New England Guide to Planning, Planting, and Maintaining the Eco-Friendly Habitat Garden, by Spencer, MA-based farmer and landscape designer Ellen Sousa, is a comprehensive and holistic resource for why and how to enhance the ecological value of residential landscapes. The book starts at the conceptual level by making the case for why habitat gardening is so important and then moves quickly to the pragmatic realities of how to succeed at this goal. Ms. Sousa’s numerous chapters cover topics such as steps for planning the garden, important considerations for choosing native plants, converting lawn area to habitat, and much more. She also takes care to put this material into the context of the diverse ecosystems we care for, whether they are small urban garden spaces or larger woodlands, meadows, or shoreline locations. Best of all, the book is wonderfully well illustrated with extensive photographs, making it especially useful as a resource as well as fun to read. Click here to order the book and here for more info on the author.

Author/photographer Mark Seth Lender’s home is on the edge of a salt marsh. From his front porch and back yard he is witness to an astonishing array of wildlife, but nothing he sees is more beautiful and inspiring than the birds that fill the air, perch on trees and wade in shallow water. His reports on the sighting of birds like great horned owls, little blue herons and snowy egrets are featured in the segment “Salt Marsh Diary” heard on NPR’s Living on Earth. For the first time, he has chronicled the marsh’s life in Salt Marsh Diary - A Year on the Connecticut Coast, a book penned from his perch. With the soul of a poet and the precision of a naturalist, Lender transports the reader to the edge of his salt marsh and makes us both see and hear kingfishers, terns, bluebirds, egrets and other wonders that fill the sky above us. Click here to order the book or for more info.

The environment that we construct affects both humans and our natural world in myriad ways. There is a pressing need to create healthy places and to reduce the health threats inherent in places already built. However, there has been little awareness of the adverse effects of what we have constructed-or the positive benefits of well designed built environments. The new book Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-being, and Sustainability presents a diagnosis of--and offers treatment for--problems related to the built environment. Drawing on the latest scientific evidence, with contributions from experts in a range of fields, it imparts a wealth of practical information, with an emphasis on demonstrated and promising solutions to commonly occurring problems. Click here to order the book and here for more info.

While much of the global warming conversation rightly focuses on reducing our carbon footprint, the reality is that even if we were to immediately cease emissions, we would still face climate change into the next millennium. In Finding Higher Ground: Adaptation in the Age of Warming, recently published by Boston-based Beacon Press, author and ecologist Amy Seidl takes the uniquely positive – yet realistic – position that humans and animals can adapt and persist despite these changes. Drawing on an emerging body of scientific research, Seidl brings us stories of adaptation from the natural world and from human communities. She offers examples of how plants, insects, birds, and mammals are already adapting both behaviorally and genetically. Within ten years, one plant species in a drought-stricken area has evolved to fit its life cycle into the shorter growing season. Red squirrels are breeding earlier to take advantage of the food supplied by an earlier spring. And some birds are migrating shorter distances, or not at all, as their northern habitats become milder. Click here to order the book or for more info.

In October 2010, the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force published a Progress Report to the President identifying freshwater resources as a priority area for greater attention.  In June 2011, the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released a draft National Action Plan: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate for public review and comment. This fall CEQ released the final plan, taking into account public comment. The final national action plan is to be used as the foundation for federal agency efforts to manage freshwater resources as the climate changes.  It is designed to help freshwater resource managers assure adequate water supplies, safeguard water quality and aquatic ecosystems, and protect human life, health and property. The final document, National Action Plan: Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate, can be downloaded by clicking here. To obtain hard copies, send an email stating an addressee, mailing address, and the number of copies you would like (limit of 3) to adaptation@ceq.eop.gov.

Earlier this fall, the Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) released the Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Report, which provides a comprehensive overview of observed and predicted changes to Massachusetts climate, along with anticipated impacts and potential adaptation strategies to prepare for climate change. The report, prepared by EEA and the 34-member Climate Change Adaptation Advisory Committee, established under the Global Warming Solutions Act, includes a sector-by-sector look at how climate change may impact natural resources and habitat, infrastructure, human health and welfare, local economy and government, and the coast and ocean. The report finds Massachusetts has experienced increasing sea level rise and storm surges, higher temperatures, and changes in precipitation over the course of this century – all of which could contribute to profound impacts on our coastal infrastructure and businesses, public health, and natural ecosystems in coming years. EEA and its agencies plan to evaluate potential strategies contained in the report and work with stakeholders to prioritize them and assess feasibility of implementation. Click here for more info.

Recently produced by the U.S. EPA’s National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) within EPA's Office of Research and Development, Aquatic Ecosystems, Water Quality, and Global Change: Challenges of Conducting Multi-Stressor Vulnerability Assessments investigates the issues and challenges associated with identifying, calculating, and mapping indicators of the relative vulnerability of water quality and aquatic ecosystems across the U. S. to the potential impacts of global change. Using a large set of environmental indicators drawn from the scientific and management literature, this final report explores the conceptual and practical challenges associated with using such indicators to assess how the resilience of ecosystems and human systems may vary as a function of existing stresses and maladaptations. Click here to download a copy of the report or contact Chris Weaver at weaver.chris@epa.gov or (703) 347-8621 or for more info.

Barriers and Gateways to Green Infrastructure, a report recently issued by the Clean Water America Alliance, summarizes the results of a recent survey and is based on ongoing green infrastructure research and education programs of the Alliance. Recommendations were developed and refined through conversations with partner organizations including American Rivers, The Conservation Fund, Low Impact Development Center, Smart Growth America, and the Alliance’s Urban Water Sustainability Council. The research survey was funded by the Turner Foundation to help inform U.S. EPA’s upcoming Stormwater regulations due to be released in the near future. Click here to download the report. [The Alliance also sponsors the annual United States Water Prize, a celebration of sustainable solutions that advance holistic, watershed-based approaches to water quality and quantity challenges. Nominations for the 2012 award are due December 7, 2011; click here for more info.]

Want to create 1.9 million American jobs and add $265 billion to the economy? Upgrade our water infrastructure. That's the message of Water Works: Rebuilding Infrastructure, Creating Jobs, Greening the Environment, a report by Green For All, in partnership with American Rivers, Pacific Institute, and the Economic Policy Institute. The report looks at an investment of $188.4 billion in water infrastructure – the amount the EPA indicates would be required to manage stormwater and preserve water quality. That investment would inject a quarter of a trillion dollars into the economy, create nearly 1.3 million direct and indirect jobs and result in 568,000 additional jobs from increased spending. Click here to download a free copy of the report in .pdf format.

Recently produced by the Connecticut Nonpoint Source Education for Municipal Officials (CT NEMO) Program of the University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR), Responding to an Impervious Cover-based TMDL: A Brief Step-by-Step Guide is intended to provide succinct guidance for communities who are required to use an impervious cover (IC)-based framework for protecting and restoring their water resources. That said, the Guide can be used by any community, regulated or not, since there are advantages to using this type of approach to stormwater management. The Guide is largely the result of experience gained from the Eagleville Brook Impervious Cover TMDL, issued by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection in 2007, and the first total maximum daily load (TMDL) in the country based on impervious cover (IC).

America's Vulnerable Waters: Assessing the Nation's Portfolio of Vulnerable Aquatic Resources since Rapanos v. United States, a recently-issued report by the Environmental Law Institute, assesses which wetlands and waters are not being protected by the Army Corps of Engineers since changes in federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction following the Supreme Court's 2006 decision in Rapanos v. United States. The America's Vulnerable Waters report also examines which states lack regulatory programs for these waters, finding that at least half the states do not regulate activities in waters not regulated by the federal government. Click here to download a free copy of the report and here for info on related ELI programs.

If a stretch of water is identified as needing improved instream flow, and a realistic opportunity for improving water efficiency exists, willing partners generally can build the bridges necessary to overcome other challenges.  That is the principal finding of Water Efficiency for Instream Flow: Making the link in Practice, a recently-released report based on a project funded by the Walton Family Foundation, where the Alliance for Water Efficiency, American Rivers and the Environmental Law Institute partnered on an analysis of practical possibilities for linking water efficiency efforts and healthier instream flows in the Colorado River basin. Click here for more info, here to download the report, and here for info on a free webinar discussing the findings of the project and answering questions on Wednesday, December 7.

Heart of Dryness, a new nonfiction narrative by “drought doctor” James G. Workman, is set in southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert and dramatizes the timeless struggle over water, the fulcrum of political power. Facing drought, scarcity and climate change the besieged indigenous Bushmen use voluntary survival strategies while Botswana’s government enforces regulatory rule. Their rivalry foreshadows our world, where two in three thirsty humans will soon endure shortages, resource conflict, a $900 billion market, and a global fight for water as a human right. Heart of Dryness illuminates the present and coming tensions we will all face over water and shows how, from the remoteness of the Kalahari, an ancient and resilient people is showing the world a viable path through the encroaching Dry Age. Click here to order the book or for more info.

Based on the 1983 novel by David James Duncan, the recently-released film The River Why is the story of 20 year old Gus Orviston, the Mozart of fly fishing, who leaves his big city home in rebellion from his parents to live in a secluded cabin on the banks of a wild river and do nothing but fish. Instead of finding fishing bliss, his isolation drives him on a reluctant quest for self-discovery. In the process he comes in contact with an assortment of eccentric characters who help him in his journey to adulthood - including a philosopher, a reporter and a mysterious woman who will change his life forever. Click here to read about the theatrical premiere of The River Why hosted by River Network, here to see the trailer, and here for info about Greenlit, a documentary examining whether or not “green” filmmakers match their rhetoric, focusing on the filming of The River Why.

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The Mass. Watershed Coalition (MWC)’s “mwc-list” listserv is a great source of information on river- and watershed-related funding and job opportunities, upcoming events, recent articles and more.  Many of the posted items are time-sensitive and can’t wait until the next edition of Ebb&Flow.  You can access the mwc-list listserv at http://lists.topica.com/lists/mwc-list@igc.topica.com, where you can subscribe to receive the posted messages to your e-mail address, or simply read them on-line.  Highly recommended! 

Coordinated by the Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), The Great Outdoors Blog is dedicated to Massachusetts outdoor activities, events, wildlife, state parks and local agriculture that features a calendar of Massachusetts outdoor events. Learn about native marsh species, guides for the state’s best paddling adventures and learn about wetlands restoration projects that protect recreational and commercial fisheries. [Click here for the related “Green Massachusetts” photo gallery.]

See our photos on Flickr

 

Division of Ecological Restoration Staff:

Tim Purinton, Director
Hunt Durey, Acting Deputy Director
Carrie Banks, Stream Team and Westfield River Wild and Scenic Committee Coordinator
Jeremy Bell, Wetland Restoration Specialist
Russell Cohen, Rivers Advocate
Cindy Delpapa, Stream Ecologist
Eileen Goldberg, Assistant Director
Alex Hackman, Project Manager 
Franz Ingelfinger, Restoration Ecologist
Georgeann Keer, Wetland Scientist and Project Manager
Beth Lambert, River Restoration Scientist
Chris Leuchtenburg, River Restoration Data Researcher
Laila Parker, Watershed Ecologist
Nick Wildman, Priority Projects Coordinator

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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Deval L. Patrick, Governor
Timothy P. Murray, Lieutenant Governor
Richard K. Sullivan, Jr., Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Mary B. Griffin, Commissioner, Department of Fish and Game

Visit the DER Staff page