Watershed Roundtable
OARS' Watershed Roundtable is our opportunity to gather and learn about what is going on in our local ponds, streams, and rivers. This year we are going virtual and lined up three experienced and engaging speakers to talk about issues of importance to our communities, with time to answer your questions!
Date: Wednesday, July 8
Time: Noon to 1:30 pm
Zoom: to get the link, you must Register Here
Agenda
Welcome and Introductions
Dragonflies and Mercury in Rivers - Sarah Nelson, Appalachian Mountain Club
Ecological Approach to Mosquito Management - Heidi Ricci, Mass Audubon
Water Chestnut Management - Glenn Pransky, Hop Brook Protection Association
Conclusions and Closing
About the Speakers
Sarah Nelson is the Director of Research at the Appalachian Mountain Club. Prior to AMC, she was at the University of Maine for 21 years, as an Associate Research Professor in the School of Forest Resources and as Director of the Program in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding the effects of atmospheric pollution and climate change on forests, foodwebs, and freshwaters. Current research includes geochemistry in lakes, climate change with a focus on changing winters, and mercury contamination in Maine, the White Mountains, and national parks including Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Mass. Dr. Nelson holds a PhD from University of Maine in Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
E. Heidi Ricci is the Assistant Director of Advocacy at Mass Audubon, with decades of experience in environmental policy and community engagement. She created and oversees the Shaping the Future of Your Community program, which assists communities in building resilience through low-impact development and targeted conservation. She serves on the Nashua River Wild & Scenic Study Committee and on the Boards of the Citizen Planner Training Collaborative, Mass. Association of Conservation Commissions, and the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance. She has received several awards including an Environmental Merit Award from EPA Region I. Ms. Ricci holds a BSc degree in Biology from Tufts and an M.S. degree from Antioch University New England.
Glenn Pransky is on the Board of Directors of the Hop Brook Protection Association in Sudbury. He received his MD from Tufts, MPH in Environmental and Occupational Health from the Harvard School of Public Health, and has been an Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School for over 30 years. He specializes in work and environment-related illnesses, and helped develop environmental case studies for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Dr. Pransky has published over 130 scientific articles on occupational and environmental health, health services research, and evidence-based care.
