Essex County Greenbelt recently released the video Exploring Sea Level Rise and Coastal Resilience featuring stunning vistas of Greenbelt’s Allyn Cox Reservation in Essex, the Great Marsh and the Essex River. Part of a larger project funded by a Coastal Resilience grant from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, the video includes interviews with local experts and Greenbelt staff and volunteers to explore local impacts of sea level rise and flooding - including threats to natural systems and coastal properties like the Cox Reservation – and Greenbelt’s innovative work to address climate change.
Exploring Sea Level Rise and Coastal Resilience from Essex County Greenbelt on Vimeo.
“The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management was pleased to award Essex County Greenbelt Association its first Coastal Resilience Grant last year to collaborate with communities on identifying land conservation priorities focused on coastal ecosystem preservation,” said CZM Director Lisa Berry Engler. “CZM looks forward to building on this partnership to help increase long-term climate resilience in this region.”
Essex County Greenbelt has worked with local individuals, families, farmers and communities to protect the farmland, wildlife habitat and scenic vistas of Essex County since it was founded in 1961. Greenbelt has protected nearly 18,000 acres of local land.
In addition to the video, Greenbelt also produced two climate-themed story maps featuring photography, video, narrative and interactive mapping.
The Climate Partnerships story map features a diverse group of projects underway throughout Essex county that address and mitigate climate change.
The Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding story map tells local climate stories and allows users to explore sea level rise and coastal flooding projections in their communities.
This work was performed by Greenbelt’s Land Conservation Department, spearheaded by Abby Hardy-Moss, Conservation Planner & GIS Manager and Dave Heacock, Geographic & Technical Support Specialist.
“Land conservation has emerged as an effective and cost-efficient tool to help our communities respond to climate change,” says Hardy-Moss. “Greenbelt is excited to be incorporating resiliency planning into our conservation work.”
