"Every person, young and old, can make a difference"

Think you can’t make a difference on climate change? Think again! Every person, young and old, can make a difference on climate change, not just on personal energy use, but also on legislation. We need both the personal and political to reduce emissions to acceptable levels.

Youths Making a Difference

My focus is on state-level carbon pricing legislation. Most recently, I was on the bill-writing group for the Green Future Act (H.3292), a carbon pricing bill currently in the Massachusetts House. At every step in the lobbying process, youths have been involved. Youths make a difference! Here are some of my experiences:

At one of our Zoom meetings for Citizens Climate Lobby, I asked if anyone was interested in doing research.

Vanessa (age 17 or 18) sent a note in the chat saying she would like to do it. She was fantastic! I sent her questions about many topics, including carbon pricing in British Columbia, gas tax in Massachusetts in 2013, gas tax in New Hampshire, and background on the chair of the key committee in the House.

She was thorough and provided sources with the information. In lobbying, knowledge is power. Vanessa made us more powerful.

Several high school students organized and ran a lobby meeting with our state representative, Jerry Parisella, about carbon pricing. I was on the Zoom call, but Julia did the organizing and two other students participated.

We met with state Sen. Joan Lovely about carbon pricing with three young people on the call. Sen. Lovely said she wanted to read the bill and would consider co-sponsoring it.

There were about 7,000 people at a youth rally in Boston two years ago. I was signing young people up to a petition in favor of a carbon pricing bill. Over and over, students asked, “Is it OK for me to sign? I’m only 14 (or 12 or 15).” Of course, they should sign!

"It is important to be bold"

Everyone knows, including political leaders, that climate change will have the greatest impact on young people. One thing I’ve learned as a climate activist is that it is important to be bold. People I thought might be hostile ended up asking more about climate change, and some of them joined climate change groups.

These are just some of the interactions I’ve experienced with young people in the last two years. Representatives have repeatedly said they want to hear from young people. One representative, who was the chair of the key committee for climate legislation, said in a meeting with high school students that he wanted to meet them again.

"Climate legislation is necessary to save civilization"

So, continue to cut emissions in your personal life, in your family, in your school and in your community. But we also need every person, young and old, to be involved at the state or national level because climate legislation is necessary to save civilization from the ravages of climate change!

If nothing else, you could call your state representative and senator and ask them to support the Green Future Act. Email me for more information: kevin@mr-o.net

This column was coordinated by ACES Youth Corps member Caleb Bradshaw. To share any comments or questions, send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, go to www.aces-alliance.org.

Stewardship is one of the most important concepts we can define. According to Merriam-Webster, stewardship is “the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.”

At Mass Audubon’s Joppa Flats in Newburyport, nine summer interns brought this definition to life every day through public interpretation, animal care and conservation efforts.

"Joppa is here to teach!"

Intern Jake Greco said, “I have learned that Joppa Flats has the power to give people of all ages new knowledge. There is always more to learn, and Joppa is here to teach!” Jake is one of five animal husbandry interns who manage the daily care, feeding and maintenance for a wide variety of insects, pond life and marine life on-site.

Some days, our interns were feeding fruit flies to tiny American toadlets and the next day, they were counting newly hatched horseshoe crabs!

This is not a behind-the-scenes, sitting-on-a-lab-stool kind of job.

Interns are always interacting with participants during programs, answering questions about our butterfly gardens, or offering advice to visiting birders on where the “hot spots” on Plum Island are.

We also train our interns to share information about local conservation efforts, climate action and smart environmental practices for families to try at home like partial mowing, or installing a rain barrel or raising native milkweed for monarch butterflies.

"It’s inspiring, humbling and important work”

Intern Rowan Mulder said, “My time here at Joppa Flats has helped kindle my passion for conservation and ecology not just by learning about the [effects] that climate change has on the environment, but also by fostering encounters with some of the creatures that are being put at risk because of our actions. Pepper weed removal, talking about the disappearing habitat of the salt marsh sparrow and the challenges of coastal erosion and sea level rise on Plum Island are just some of the conservation themes that we bring to our programs. It’s inspiring, humbling and important work.”

There are also interns who focused more on public interpretation and education. These four interns initiated some new public programs this summer about birding and our local biodiversity that we can offer at no charge.

The objective was to offer live animal programs to families not just in the Newburyport area, but also to gateway cities and towns nearby.

In six weeks, we welcomed families from 22 cities to enjoy an outdoor program with live animals and a chance to learn about stewardship firsthand through the interpretation that our interns provide. The best part is the interns ran these programs with support from education volunteers and Joppa Flats teen naturalists on a weekly basis.

“It’s so amazing to watch kids of all ages interact with our creatures and learn about native wildlife,” said animal husbandry intern Gillian Audier. Some interns, like Gillian, also challenged themselves by participating in programs where they got to share their knowledge with youth and families at the pond, the tide pools, and in the riverside yard at Joppa Flats.

By sharing experiences, our interns had the chance to bring our Meet Beach Creatures programs to some youth groups from Lawrence Public Schools as part of the Lawrence summer program.

Many of these young participants were seeing tide pool creatures or holding a live crab for the first time. A favorite comment of mine came from a 9-year-old who said, “At first, I was really afraid to touch this stuff. Now, I am kind of in love with them!”

Another child asked if we could come back again and a third with a huge grin on her face said, “I’m 12! When are you gonna hire me?”

It is encounters like these where our youths can find joy, wonder, confidence and concern about the environment that really shows that what our interns are doing matters.

This is just one example of how our interns are connecting to hundreds of kids and their parents and where the positive effects of fostering environmental stewardship happens on a daily basis.

This column was coordinated by ACES Youth Corps member Caleb Bradshaw. To share any comments or questions, send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, go to www.aces-alliance.org.

"I'm feeling somewhat optimistic about COP26"

Despite the fact that thousands of young people led by Greta Thunberg and others protesting what they see as inadequate response by the conference, I’m feeling somewhat optimistic about COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland.

I’m most encouraged by corporate and financial firm pledges. I know a lot of it is greenwashing — companies talking green but working brown. But the number of pledges is big; lots of it will stick and others will follow.

COP26 has also brought new commitments on phasing out coal, restricting public oil and gas finance, fighting deforestation and much more. At least 450 global businesses promised to reduce their carbon footprints.

The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero, a network of banks and other investors, has pledged more than $130 trillion of capital and is “committed to transforming the economy for net zero.” Businesses will be rewarded or punished financially based on how good they are as climate citizens.

On Tuesday, global leaders announced that more than 100 countries had signed a pledge to reduce their methane emissions 30% by 2030.

Locally, there are lots of natural gas leaks in Newburyport, Salem, Haverhill and Amesbury. They are not as bad as what caused the explosions in Lawrence, but we pay for all that lost gas and we should demand the utilities clean it up.

A drop in demand for oil and gas will reshape the geopolitical landscape, and countries and companies that are slow to reduce fossil fuel use are likely to suffer. Early movers toward renewable sources will profit. Because it will reduce our dependence of Middle East oil, it will reduce our need to engage there militarily.

"How can we work locally and act personally?"

With all this “thinking globally” at COP26, what about completing the axiom? How can we work locally and act personally to confront the climate emergency?

Newburyport has been working for years building resiliency to climate change. We are designated a Massachusetts ”Green Community” as are local neighbor towns. Donna Holaday and city councils have done a lot of good things for the environment, from recycling to solar power, to coastal armoring. But our wider community can do more.

Buses are a great climate solution vs. auto use and the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority could raise its aspirations for increased ridership and innovative route flexibility. MassPort needs to open bus routes from here to Logan Airport. Maybe, a Logan Express/downtown express depot from Newburyport’s bus lot on Interstate 95 can be started.

Newburyport loves its trees and trees sequester CO2. But why not partner with businesses to plant more?

There could be hundreds more in the Lord Timothy Dexter Business Park. Maybe our Tree Commission and the Friends of Newburyport Trees can call for volunteers and find grants to boost the number of tree plantings on Arbor Day, April 29.

Maybe, the student leaders of the Tree Walk program at Maple Crest Farm in West Newbury can extend the model to Newburyport’s parks and streets.

Climate change has affected the global food system. It won’t recover overnight even with good COP26 news. We need to grow more food locally, designate more community garden space, and encourage year-round vertical farming under solar grow lights in old factories along the Merrimack. Consider more Essex County oyster farming.

With a new mayor who has educational chops, and several new School Committee and City Council members who are environmentalists, maybe we can find a way to transition to electric school buses. The solar farm to be built on our old landfill could produce the energy for them.

"Let’s make more locally"

Global supply chains for manufactured goods have proven fragile. Let’s make more locally. Shoes, clothing and furniture have deep roots in our region.

Seek out ways to make more here and not “over there.” Start with reuse, repair and repurposing, and create new small-business incubators for more businesses like Mill 77 and Design of Mine.

The world is big and Greater Newburyport and New England are much smaller. But with a strong wind in our sails from COP26 and U.S. infrastructure funding, everyone can help make climate care a reality.

We can't just talk. We all need to do our parts.

We all should feel energized by the big inflection point in human history that COP26 will come to represent. But we can’t just talk environmentalism. We all need to do each of our parts if it’s to be made real.

Pick something you love, whether it’s gardening with bees and butterflies in mind or making preserves like your granny did. Go thrifting for your next item of clothing. It’s a good way to help the environment. Refinish some used furniture for resale. Join the Tinkerhaus on Graf Road and learn how to make things.

And let’s all be grateful for COP26. It’s an event that will still be written in the history books when your grandkids have grandkids.

Ron Martino lives in Newburyport. He is an adviser and mentor to www.aces-alliance.org and publishes “GreenTalk Daily” on Twitter @ronmartino4.

Send comments or questions to acesnewburyport@gmail.com.

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NEWBURYPORT — An ecobrick collection bin recently placed outside the gate of the Colby Farm Lane Recycling Center encourages people to create alternative building materials using soft plastics that would otherwise end up in landfills or burned in a trash incinerator.

Nathan Gray, the organizer behind this collection bin, is the founder of House Factory Foundation, a nonprofit seeking to change the housing market with environmentally efficient and affordable housing made from reclaimed materials.

To make an ecobrick, reuse a 16- to-20-ounce plastic bottle, approximately seven to nine inches tall, and stuff it with clean, dry soft plastics. Make sure the bottle is also clean and dry before stuffing it.

Soft plastics include single-use shopping bags, plastic film, straws, cellophane, candy wrappers, chip bags and other packaging.

To fit these plastics into the bottle, clean up any food residue and then cut them up into smaller pieces and stuff them into the bottle. Use a stick around the sides and in the middle to stuff the bottle as tightly as possible.

The ecobrick should be compacted tight like a brick and weigh at least five ounces before it can be donated. Loose plastics are not accepted at these bins; only completed ecobricks.

Once the ecobrick has been filled, screw the cap back on and drop it off at the ecobrick collection bin at 23 Colby Farm Lane.

Other collection bins are located at Unpacked Living, 156 Cabot St., Beverly; Lynn Department of Public Works, 250 Commercial St., Lynn; Marblehead Transfer Station, 5 Woodfin Terrace, Marblehead; MacRae’s Sustainable Goods, 108 Washington St., Marblehead; Salem High School, 77 Wilson St., Salem; and Gray Homestead and Education Center, 345 Dryhill Road, Barrington, New Hampshire.

According to facts written on the collection bin, “Eight million tons of plastic waste enters the ocean from coastal nations each year,” “Plastic litter takes at least 400 years to break down,” and “91% of plastic is not recycled and ends up in landfills or incinerators.”

Though Gray has found ways to work with the single-use plastic problem, he advocates for people to reduce their plastic use in general.

For Halloween, he recommends families make their own costumes or buy secondhand; compost their pumpkins and plant seeds in their gardens; and seek both decorations and trick-or-treat options that are plastic-free.

To learn more about how ecobricks are used or to watch a video on how to make them, visit https://homefactory.us.

Staff reporter Heather Alterisio can be reached via email at halterisio@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3149. Follow her on Twitter @HeathAlt.

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Actively involving students in an environmental project is rewarding on many levels.

The Indian Hill Reservoir Tree Walk in West Newbury, which was created by Newburyport High School students Jackson Darling and Nicolas Forestell, interns for Maple Crest Farms, is an example.

With my guidance, the two students identified and named 16 trees around the Indian Hill Reservoir roadway. While the Indian Hill Reservoir is in West Newbury, it is owned and managed by Newburyport.

Interns identified each of the trees and developed plaques

Nicolas and Jackson researched and identified each of the trees and then developed educational plaques for each of the tree species, which included the English and Latin names of the trees, a picture of the leaf or needle, and an informative writeup of the tree’s history, its impact on the environment, and its use in our lives.

For example, the write-up on a shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) included that “the wood is famous for its tough, yet flexible qualities and is used to make carriage wheels, tool handles, and sporting equipment. The savory and sweet nuts are also best tasting of any Hickory and were used extensively by Native Americans.”

The write-up for a black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) says it was used to build the first homes at Jamestown and the American ships at the Battle of Plattsburg Bay during the War of 1812. It is said the durable wood helped the ships hold up against the British cannons – helping the Americans win the battle.

In yet another tree description, the quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) write-up states that it is the most wide-ranging tree in North America. It reproduces by cloning and one clone in Utah is over 80,000 years old, covering 100 acres.

These are just a few of the research and write-ups that Jackson and Nicolas created. Even the name of the project, the Indian Hill Reservoir Tree Walk, was suggested by Nicolas.

"Their work is most impressive and environmentally relevant"

Their work is most impressive and environmentally relevant. In all my years in education observing student work, these two students are at the top of the list! They even used the NHS school colors, crimson and old gold, for the borders of the signs.

We were fortunate also to have Coastal SpeedPro Imaging, a sign company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, generously volunteer to produce the signs for no charge. The signs are printed on one-eighth-inch-thick aluminum composite material that has a PVC plastic material core.

"reinforces a critical message about the importance of trees"

The stewardship work by Jackson and Nicolas reinforces a critical message about the importance of trees in our world. In fact, trees are sometimes called the lungs of the Earth because they absorb pollutants through their leaves.

Trees contribute to our environment by providing the oxygen we need to live, improving air quality, climate amelioration, conserving water, preserving soil and supporting wildlife. Without trees, we would not be here.

If you have not walked the Indian Hill Reservoir Tree Walk yet, we encourage you to do so and enjoy the knowledge gained from the signage. There is parking for it right next to the Reservoir roadway on Moulton Street.

It is ACES’ desire to have this project be a model for others, which will educate more citizens and visitors about the importance of trees. Our youths are ready for the next project.

This column was coordinated by ACES Youth Corps member Caleb Bradshaw. To share any comments or questions, send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, go to www.aces-alliance.org.

John Elwell is owner of Maple Crest Farm in West Newbury. He can be contacted at johnelwell@verizon.net.

NEWBURYPORT — Calling all users of the Merrimack River: The Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards needs help gathering different perspectives from those who frequent the watershed for recreational and commercial purposes.

Rick Jacques, founder of EbbTide Rowing in Haverhill and a member of ACES, has been one of the key people working to distribute the survey.

The alliance has received about 270 responses since launching the survey in late June. About a third of those responses have come from Newburyport residents, but the group wants to reach as many river users between New Hampshire and Massachusetts as possible.

This is not limited to boaters, swimmers, kayakers and marina residents.

It also means bird-watchers, landowners and the more than 500,000 people in Lowell, Methuen, Andover, Tewksbury and Lawrence who get their drinking water from the river.

The survey looks to gain insight on how people use the river, what they see through their unique perspectives, and what they understand about combined sewage overflows.

As Jacques explains, it’s pretty common to see brown rings around the sides of boats, “especially on a tidal river like ours where the levels are going up and down and up and down, picking up natural debris or particles from vegetation, animal life and all the things that are normal to see in a river.”

Though the river has visible signs of pollution, it’s actually the bacteria that a person cannot see that is of real concern, he said.

“What makes the river dirty, you actually can’t see it,” Jacques said.

“How many people really even know it’s dirty?” he said, explaining the goals of the survey. “How many people know that it rained like crazy last night and how many hundreds of millions of gallons of sewage flowed from Manchester, (New Hampshire) into the river? How many from Lawrence, Lowell and Haverhill?”

Though there are plenty of other pollutants such as microplastics, chemicals and storm runoff that are of concern, Jacques believes CSOs provide a starting point for addressing the health of the Merrimack.

CSOs occur when there is a power outage or too much rain for a community’s sewage system to handle, discharging untreated sewage into the water.

Though there is increasing awareness of this problem, there are still many who do not realize that it might be best to stay out of the river after a heavy rainstorm.

With this survey, ACES hopes to gain an understanding of what people are actually seeing and experiencing when they use the river, whether it is someone who paddles in the Merrimack every day or someone who just happens to live nearby and may have questions about their drinking water.

In 2019, ACES conducted a pilot survey of adult masters-level rowers using the Merrimack between Newburyport and Manchester.

This provided the alliance with useful information about what rowers know about the Merrimack, but this new survey hopes to garner a much wider reach.

Anyone who can help ACES reach a broader audience is encouraged to reach out. The alliance is looking for ways to connect with as many Merrimack users as possible.

In 2016, the American Rivers Association listed the Merrimack as one of the country’s 10 most endangered rivers. The U.S. Forest Service has ranked the watershed as the most threatened due to forestlands development, the fourth-most threatened due to water quality issues, and the seventh due to loss of habitat for at-risk species.

To learn more or to participate in this 10- to 15-minute survey, visit www.aces-alliance.org/post/merrimack-river-users-survey.

Staff reporter Heather Alterisio can be reached via email at halterisio@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3149. Follow her on Twitter @HeathAlt.

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No one knows what this decade will bring. But to quote a Climate Cafe Alum, we are “bravely taking the driver’s seat in our own future.”   Young people are making their voices heard about the state of the environment, they are building bridges across generational and political divides and they are shaping the future through dialogue.

For over five years, a dedicated group of area high school and college students have also been doing their part by hosting Climate Cafes. Each month they invite community members to join in “conversations that matter” about how we can shape the future of the Great Marsh.  At these student-led Cafes we talk about the challenges of protecting our watersheds and saltmarshes, preparing for extreme weather and sea level rise, and our responsibilities as ethical, well-informed citizen-leaders. 

Unlike typical conversations that often degenerate into serial monologues, Climate Cafes follow a more structured format that ensures time for everyone to share their personal perspective, time to listen respectfully to different points of view, and time to “think together” in new ways.  

This year our Cafes will explore issues related to water and weather.  Each student Host, trained in the “art of hosting,” will guide a small group of adults and/or peers through a series of increasingly challenging questions which explore these issues through different lenses. 

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To surface personal perspectives, the first round of conversations will invite guests to share a personal experience or an initial opinion about the topic at hand: Tell us about a personal experience you had during a severe storm or a severe drought.  What steps have you taken to reduce your water footprint? In your opinion, what are the consequences of community development on water security?

The second round of conversations will move on to how well we understand our local ecosystem and the ways in which everything is interconnected: Where does your drinking water come from? How will higher tides impact the way we live?  What will be our greatest need for water in the future? 

And if time allows, we will tackle some deeper questions: To whom does water belong?  Do rivers have rights?   What would a fair water management policy look like?  Why should I care about future generations?

But the value of Cafe conversations is much greater than just exploring important issues or learning dialogue skills. It is also about building relationships with others, shifting our mindsets and expanding our own worldviews.

Cafes also give students a public platform on which to share their perspectives. Students say “it’s great to finally be taken seriously by adults,” and adults say these passionate young people “give them hope for the future.”  It’s a good place to begin.

Thanks to the ongoing support of many Great Marsh organizations, especially the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and the Ipswich River Watershed Association, Climate Cafes are making steady progress toward nurturing a culture of dialogue in our communities. Working with local environmental leaders also gives students a better understanding of the challenges we face and a chance to practice the social and communication skills they will need to navigate the future. 

We encourage you to participate in upcoming Climate Cafes.  Every Cafe is an exciting, unrehearsed adventure! It will give you an opportunity to get to know these amazing students, to help them develop a love for this special place and a concern for others with whom they share it.

Our most recent Cafe was a conversation among a few Cafe Aums, area educators and community members to explore new ways to engage youth in civic life.  It was our first “in person” Cafe in a long time and it was wonderful to get together, especially since we may have to be virtual again this fall. 

Stay tuned for our next Cafe and check out our website, Climate-Cafe.org to learn more about who we are and what we're up to! 

For Information about hosting a Climate Cafe in your community or classroom, please contact: Shari Melto, s.melto@nautilusleader.com 

This column was coordinated by ACES Youth Corps member Caleb Bradshaw. To share any comments or questions, send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, go to www.aces-alliance.org.

In a time where the current and future generations are being called to properly address changing climate, environmental education has become more crucial than ever. Several community members have taken it upon themselves to spread environmental education using a variety of media. The artwork displayed at the PEG Upsurge exhibition, the Remembrance of Climate Futures plaques, and the Indian Hill Reservoir Tree Walk are all forms of creative communication about environmental challenges. They foster environmental stewardship through a creative lens. These presentations are meant to inspire reflection, interpretation, and action.

A Gallery of Esteemed Eco-Art

Paula Estey uses her gallery in downtown Newburyport to promote and demonstrate artists' passion for environmental activism. Her gallery has evolved with her values as an activist since its opening in 2014. Paula is currently holding an exhibition titled Upsurge: The Environmental Show. a “multi-media exhibition by New England artists about Nature’s impermanence” until Aug. 5. The artists’ work promotes environmental activism through their assemblages and even the elements used in their creations. Each artist has a unique approach to spreading awareness and education.

Artwork of the Wrack Line

Rebecca McGee Tuck, an artist and collector of “lost objects”, spends most of her days gathering what washes up on the wrack line at Humarock beach. Most of her collections are used in her art, what cannot be used is recycled or disposed of. This typically consists of marine industry products such as bait bags, lobster traps, clothes, and balloons of which she weaves together. Rebecca says, “Working with all the stuff can be overwhelming at times because there is exponentially more.” Rebecca intends for her work to spread hope and educate people about the small actions they can take to help the environment.

The Mammoth Impact of Microscopic Waste

Michelle Lougee is a sculptor who strives to spread awareness about how much plastic we use becomes waste. Taking notice of how much individuals contribute to this waste may inspire them to reconsider their choices as consumers. Her work in the PEG exhibition portrays microscopic marine phytoplankton at enlarged scale, crocheted with plastic material such as newspaper bags, that are spun into small fibers. Michelle hopes for viewers to realize how small plastic particles can harm these organisms and make people more aware of the consequences for what we release into oceans.

Resplendent Collages from Roadside Trash

Anne Cummings is a steward of nature who embraces ethical intent down to the materials she uses in her work. Her collages are completely composed of recycled waste, or “recycled media,” and plant-based materials. Hoping to send an environmental statement through her work. Her Climate Change Series displayed at the PEG represents “a visual manifestation of the changes in the climate.” Anne seeks for viewers to acknowledge their own path of discovery and meaning while viewing the collages. She sees her work as an eco-artist as “an act of hope and giving.”

A Message from the Future

Thomas Starr, a professor of art and design at Northeastern University, is promoting environmental awareness through another creative lens. His Remembrance of Climate Futures plaques will make their way around 10 Essex County communities. His most recent installments are on the revetment that recently completed the waterfront section on the Clipper City Rail Trail in Newburyport in June. These are not the traditional plaques one would expect to come across because they are descriptions from the future climatic state with a QR scan code feature that leads viewers to a site with more comprehensive information about how we must adapt for the future. The plaques encourage viewers to acknowledge the reality of the climate future of that area, which will inspire people to take action.

Educational Signs That Come with Roots

The Indian Hill Reservoir Tree Walk in West Newbury was created by Newburyport High School students Nicolas Forestell and Jackson Darling, interns for ACES. John Elwell, a retired teacher and principal who now spends his days at the family’s Maple Crest Farm where the Tree Walk is located, supervised the internship project. The plaques honor nature and educate the viewer about 16 different tree species. Nicholas and Jackson hope to replicate this educational program in other locations such as parks, trails, and woodlands in the area to continue spreading awareness.

Ellie Kerns is a student at Amherst College with a prospective Environmental Studies and Economics major and a member of the ACES Youth Corps. As an intern she is working on the Remembrance of Climate Futures Project and contributing to the educational efforts of the organization.

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Sitting recently with my friend Art from the ACES Alliance (www.aces-alliance.org) in The Coffee Factory, we spoke of how good the ideas of reuse and repurpose were for the environment.

As we chatted, it clearly came into focus. Newburyport is an epicenter of that complex of culture and business that really encourages these two important components for any environmental strategies for the future.

As we enumerated places like the Leeward Light, Oldies and Mill 77, we continued to add up all the places that contribute to this ethic of reuse.

We listed off places and habits such as Todd Farm Flea Market, the Green Plum on State, the city’s own robust recycling efforts, and the way people just leave their good stuff streetside and how quickly there are eager pickers.

The more we talked, the more we agreed that a good map of such places and with the help of the Chamber of Commerce, might be able to promote both Newburyport businesses while promoting ecotourism, something that is good for the planet.

We parted, agreeing to revisit the topic at a later date.

Two weeks later, in the same coffee shop, two fortysomething women are looking for a place to sit, and since I’m about to leave, I offer them the table. Then, I said, "Do you mind if I ask a question about something a few of us were working on?”

They said, "Of course not" and I proceeded to describe the idea of making a map of vintage, antiques, thrift stores and consignment shops.

With a burst of laughter, they almost simultaneously said, “You need an app, not a map.” Then, they waved their smartphones and said that when they go anywhere with friends or family, they always ask their phones for suggestions.

The more we spoke, the more they loved the idea and made one more suggestion: To add local farm stands to the app, since those things went together in their minds as a weekend outing cluster of things they like to do.

An app, not a map, was needed.

Three weeks later, walking with my wife around downtown, we headed to The Tannery to use the ATM and my wife swings into Gentry’s, the women's fashion consignment shop, to look around.

At that point, I ask the young saleswoman, who turns out to be an owner of the shop, about the app vs. map idea. She says, of course, you need an app and it needs to accommodate every store’s social media handles whether on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, etc.

As if on cue, just as she says TikTok, three high school-age women walk into the shop with serious searching and shopping intent. The shopkeeper says, "These young kids are all into 'thrifting' as a way to be fashionable yet climate friendly. I see a lot of them in here."

It seems they care about the fabric used, too. Natural ones like linen, cotton and silk are preferred — not petroleum-based synthetics.

In the face of the dramatic and urgent climate crisis, it's not just the governmental top of the food chain that we need doing the right thing. We need all levels of our American civilization to help with the environment. And if looking good and helping a business prosper are a part of that, cool!

If that takes a new app to help catalyze and support good habits of thrift and style, great.

Maybe, as a younger generation rises at the Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry, they can bring more people into town with a “vintage, antique, consignment, thrifting" app-map or map-app or M(App)?

Ron Martino lives in Newburyport and publishes "GreenTalkDaily" on Twitter @ronmartino4.

LAWRENCE — The Merrimack River Watershed Council has released a new video and web page explaining why sewage is frequently discharged into the Merrimack, and what is being done to help solve the problem.

The eight-minute “explainer” video, narrated by council environmental science fellow Jose Tapia, looks at the causes of the Merrimack’s sewage discharges — known as combined sewer overflows or CSOs for short, according to a press release.

The video includes interviews with regional leaders who are trying to address the problem, as well as tips on what concerned residents can do to help. It can be viewed by subscribing to the council’s YouTube account, or by going to the following link: youtube.com/watch?v=hS6ACfygDU4&t= 152s.

The video was produced by Elevated Thought, a Lawrence-based art and social justice nonprofit, and is the first to specifically address CSOs in the Merrimack River.

The video is paired with the release of a new educational webpage (https://merrimack.org/cso) that further highlights important data points and describes pathways to solving the problem.

CSOs have become a frequent news headline in the Merrimack Valley, and have fueled much discussion and debate on social media platforms.

“We field many questions from the public about sewage overflows, said John Macone, the council’s policy and outreach specialist, in the release.

“There is a lot of concern and outrage over this problem, but there are also a lot of misunderstandings about the facts of CSOs,” he added. “This video is intended to give people an accurate overview of the CSO problem in the Merrimack.”

CSOs often occur during moderate to heavy rainstorms. They happen in five of the Merrimack Valley’s cities — Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Nashua and Manchester — where street drains are connected to sewer lines.

During rainstorms, too much water enters sewer lines, so excess quantities are discharged into the river to prevent damage to sewer plants and sewage overflows into homes and businesses.

“CSOs are a relic of 19th and early 20th century sewer systems that were built in the Merrimack Valley’s industrial cities,” Macone said. “Those old sewer systems were designed to dump all sewage into the river, and they are very expensive and complicated to replace.”

On average, about 500 million gallons of CSO wastewater is discharged into the Merrimack in a typical year. That’s a significant drop from 20 years ago, when an average of 780 million gallons were discharged in an average year, according to the council.

The reduction is due to drought conditions in recent years, and also work being done in cities to replace their sewer lines and upgrade infrastructure – work that is required by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The cost of these upgrades can be in excess of $100 million, and progress can be slow because they are funded almost entirely by sewer fees collected from city residents and businesses. But lawmakers in Massachusetts are considering a plan that could provide up to $400 million in American Recovery Plan Act funding for water and sewer projects.

This year has already proven to be an unusually active year for CSOs. This month — one of the rainiest Julys on record — more than 160 million gallons of CSO waste have been discharged into the Merrimack, according to data from the region’s sewer treatment plants.

Scientists have predicted that climate change will result in heavier rainfalls in the Northeast, which would increase the likelihood and frequency of CSOs.

For more information, visit merrimack.org.

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Chance for significant progress on river pollution

(A continuation of the story above)

The peak of the summer season is upon us, and along the Merrimack River, there’s a sudden burst of activity — thousands of boats of every kind, and tens of thousands of people swimming, wading and fishing all along the river.

From Lowell’s popular riverfront parks to the sandy shores of Plum Island and Salisbury Beach, the river is being enjoyed as one of our region’s premier outdoor resources.

But this year has been different, and according to climatologists, it’s a climate change canary in a coal mine.

After a long period of drought, July pounded us with rain — one of the wettest Julys on record. Frequent downpours sent roughly 200 million gallons of untreated sewage and wastewater spilling into the Merrimack in July alone.

As climate change wreaks havoc on the Earth’s jet stream, we are seeing a glimpse of our future. We can expect to see New England go through long periods of heat and drought, punctuated by intense periods of rain. This is not the weather that we in New England are used to.

On the Merrimack, where five cities struggle to handle rainwater that infiltrates their sewer systems, July has been notable for an unfortunate statistic. Over the past month, the river has been too contaminated with bacteria for people to safely swim or wade.

Why, in the 21st century, are sewers overflowing due to rain? It’s called a CSO, short for combined sewer overflow, the technical term for the discharge of untreated sewage and stormwater into a river.

This happens in over 800 cities across America, mostly in older industrial centers where street drains and sewer lines are interconnected. During downpours, sewer plants can't handle all the water coming into them, so they discharge some of it into a river. It’s a relic of our nation’s industrial past, and one that is hugely expensive to fix.

But right now, there is hope to make a major change in our CSO woes. Gov. Charlie Baker has proposed spending up to $400 million of the state’s $5.3 billion American Rescue Plan Act funds on water and sewer infrastructure, including CSOs. The Massachusetts Legislature is drafting its own proposal. This is a visionary moment to reduce one of climate change’s major impacts on our rivers and our health.

The Merrimack has a long history as an industrial river, where some of the nation’s first manufacturing centers were born — and dumped their waste. Today’s Merrimack is far cleaner than a half century ago.

The bustle of the riverfront mills has been replaced by an explosion in river-facing activity — recreation, development and water-based businesses. Not to mention that 600,000 people get their drinking water from the Merrimack, and that hundreds of species of flora and fauna count on a healthy river as their home.

We urge Massachusetts legislators to support spending at least $400 million on CSO and water-related infrastructure projects.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make significant progress on a messy problem that has been plaguing our rivers for nearly 200 years.

Matthew Thorne is executive director of the Merrimack River Watershed Council.

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If you want to share your input on the Merrimack Rivers health please take this survey below

link...

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NEWBURYPORT —

The latest in a series of public art plaques documenting the history of climate change from the point of view of a future date in the 21st century have been installed along the recently opened section of the Clipper City Rail Trail behind the wastewater treatment plant on Water Street.

The series, “Remembrance of Climate Futures,” is a collaboration involving 10 Essex County communities and four landholder partners – The Trustees of Reservations, Salem State University, Mass Audubon and Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

The messages reflect that climate change knows no boundaries — a fact that will be made evident as people encounter this network of plaques throughout the county, according to a press release.

In addition to increasing awareness of local adaptation efforts, public art offers an opportunity for residents and visitors to imagine their role in mitigating climate change.

Please send any comments or questions via email to Caleb Bradshaw, a Youth Corps member, and our website content coordinator, at acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, please view our WEBSITE –  https://www.aces-alliance.org

Complete the new ACES survey

NEWBURYPORT — The Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards is asking Merrimack River users to complete its new survey to gather perspectives and opinions from those who frequent the watershed for recreational and commercial purposes.

Efforts to improve the health and quality of the river have increased over the years with multiple municipalities, state and federal officials, and numerous local organizations and agencies getting involved.

The survey, which was launched two weeks ago and will run through the summer, looks to gain insight on how people use the river, what they see through their unique experiences, and what they understand about combined sewage overflows.

All are invited to participate

Boaters, anglers, swimmers, kayakers, bird-watchers, landowners, marina residents and other river users are all invited to participate.

In 2019, ACES conducted a pilot survey of adult masters-level rowers using the Merrimack between Newburyport and Manchester, New Hampshire.

Lon Hachmeister, a member of the ACES board of directors, said the first survey went "very well" and provided the alliance with useful information about what people know about the river. With this new survey, ACES hopes to reach a much broader audience.

For groups such as ACES to understand the state of the river, they need insight from those taking advantage of its multitude of uses.

"Experts are the people that use the river"

"Experts are the people that use the river every day," Hachmeister said, noting that he is interested in learning more about what people see and their concerns.

He added that ACES might conduct this survey every couple of years to see how opinions change.

ACES Youth Corps, the organization's high school- and college-aged interns, will work on all aspects of the project. This includes raising awareness of the survey at local events, analyzing the data, writing reports and presenting the findings later this year.

The Merrimack River drains into a watershed of 5,000 square miles that sustains more than 2.5 million people, supplies drinking water to 600,000 Merrimack Valley residents, and provides recreational opportunities to more than 200 New Hampshire and Massachusetts communities.

The health of the Merrimack

In 2016, the American Rivers Association listed the Merrimack as one of the country's 10 most endangered rivers. The U.S. Forest Service has ranked the watershed as the most threatened due to forestlands development, the fourth-most threatened due to water quality issues, and the seventh due to loss of habitat for at-risk species.

To learn more or to participate in the survey, visit www.aces-alliance.org/post/merrimack-river-users-survey.

- By Heather Alterisio

Food waste has gained a lot of attention in recent years — documentaries, new nonprofits and lots of money have poured into raising awareness and trying to mitigate food waste.

What worries us about food waste? As a lifelong member of the “Clean Plate Club,” the thought of wasting anything sends me on a spiral. Sending billions of pounds of food to the landfill has significant environmental consequences.

And, finally, the juxtaposition of 30% of our food going to the trash while 1 in 10 Americans doesn’t have enough to eat just doesn’t make sense.

How can we fix this issue and what have we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic? Our food system is complex, but if you are serious about increasing food security and reducing food waste, these are some actions you can take to help balance the supply and demand.

First, let’s ensure people have the means to purchase the quality and quantity of food they need for a healthy lifestyle. What can you do?

Call Rep. Seth Moulton and Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey; let them know you support increasing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to keep pace with the cost of food (Massachusetts has almost the highest cost per meal in the nation).

Contact state officials: Reps. James Kelcourse and Lenny Mirra, state Sen. Diana DiZoglio, Sen. Bruce Tarr and Gov. Charlie Baker to ask them to push through the common application to make it easier to apply for SNAP. Every $1 in SNAP benefits actually creates $1.50 in the local economy. Win! Win!

Second, we are lucky to live in a region with an abundance of local agriculture. With so much food going to waste, we don’t need to grow more.

We must create a food system that provides equitable, quality, sustainable access to food whether you can afford to buy it or not. What can you do?

1. Let your elected officials know they need to prioritize support to small, local farms and create incentives and accountability for food producers to keep food local and affordable.

2. Find out if the farm you shop at accepts SNAP EBT cards. If they do, thank them. If they don’t, ask why and tell them it’s really important to you as a loyal customer. They may give you some feedback to relay to your elected officials.

3. Invest in a local food safety net that can meet the scale of need.

In 2019, more than 6,000 of our neighbors were food insecure. Today, food insecurity is a real problem for more than 10,000 men, women, seniors and children living in our neighborhoods.

While food donations and community gardens may temporarily alleviate someone’s hunger, to create food security we need year-round, sustainable infrastructure to ensure the wholesome, nutritious food gets to everyone — even after a pandemic.

Lyndsey Haight is executive director of Our Neighbors’ Table in Amesbury, www.ourneighborstable.org.

This column was developed to share knowledge to positively impact our environment. Send comments or questions via email to Caleb Bradshaw, a Youth Corps member who coordinates these columns, at acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES: https://www.aces-alliance.org.

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Reflecting and Honoring all those who gave their lives

Memorial Day was an important day to reflect upon and honor all those who gave their lives in service to the United States and additionally all of our family members and friends who are no longer with us. It might also be a day to reflect on all the loss of individual species that have become extinct and no longer contribute to Earth’s ecosystems.

Understanding our Relationship with the Planet

For context, our environment supplies what all living things need to survive: shelter, water and food. This environment includes such physical factors as air, temperature and soil as well as other living things — organisms, which interact with other organisms.

These symbiotic relationships benefit us all. Organisms that do not make their own food survive by eating other organisms as illustrated by the fact that the vegetation that humans and other species consume as food allows us to live.

Looking to the future, we know the lives and well-being of future generations depend on the actions we need to take now to address the planet’s climate and the environment’s health for the next 30 years.

We understand that the health of our natural world has a direct impact on the health of humans, yet we often ignore that interdependence and what it means for our survival. Today, we congratulate and honor all the individuals and organizations that are stewards of our environment for the future. They take organized and personal action to contribute to the well-being of all humans and all species in some manner.

"thanking the following ACES ally organizations"

To ensure healthy lives in Greater Newburyport and beyond, please join us in thanking the following ACES ally organizations for their contributions as stewards and guardians:

Healthy water – Ipswich River Watershed Association, Merrimack River Watershed Council and the Parker River Clean Water Association.

Healthy shelter and soil – Essex County Greenbelt Association, Friends of Maudslay State Park and The Trustees of Reservations.

Healthy food – High Road Farm, Maple Crest Farm, Nourishing the North Shore, Our Neighbors' Table, The HERB FARMacy

Healthy air – C-10 Research and Educational Foundation, Citizens Climate Lobby, Coastal Trails Coalition, Friends of Newburyport Trees, Livable Streets, MassBike.

Healthy minds – Climate Café, Friends of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, the Gulf of Maine Institute, Joppa Flats Education Center, Merrohawke Nature School, Newburyport Public Schools, River Valley Charter School, Small Solutions — Big Ideas, Storm Surge, The Repair Café, Tinkerhaus, Transition Newburyport and Women in Action Huddle.

Acknowledge the Contributions of the ACES Youth Corps

We also want to acknowledge the contributions of the ACES Youth Corps. As integral members of ACES programs, projects and operational teams, they are working diligently to make a difference in everyone’s lives and working to create a healthier environment.

We especially want to recognize active Youth Corps members Alex Fincher, Andres Liang, Caleb Bradshaw, Charlotte Gretz, Ellie Kerns, Emily Miga, Jackson Darling, Lucas Daignault, Nicholas Foristell, Nolan Smith, Samson Leblanc and Sophia Franco.

Send comments or questions by email to Caleb Bradshaw, who coordinates these columns, at acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, go to https://www.aces-alliance.org.

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“Last sighting in Essex of the American Bittern, at this spot — August 29, 2061”

“Bridge connecting Conomo Point to mainland first opened to traffic — March 1, 2074”

“Storm surge flooding closes Main Street — January 4, 2018”

This is the future (and recent past) of the Town of Essex according to a pilot installation of Remembrance of Climate Futures. The project is a multi-site series of public art plaques documenting the history of climate change throughout the 21st C. Combining elements of site-specific art with wayfinding and the conceptual language of time travel, it brings the enormous scale of climate change down to the intimate scale of the individual. Based on scientific projections, pedestrian-oriented ‘historical’ plaques of the future portray climate events from the perspective of the 22nd C. to imbue climate change effects with palpable certainty.

The project is now expanding in Essex County.

Based on the success of the pilot, the project is now expanding in Essex County. With ACES serving as the fiscal sponsor, project funding was secured from the Essex County Community Foundation to make a broad-based presentation possible. By spring 2022 it will reach its intended scale of multiple sites in each of 10 Essex County coastal municipalities and 4 institutional landholders, totaling 90-100 unique installations.

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Newburyport High School Principal Andy Wulf speaks Saturday during the dedication of the new Tree Walk at Indian Hill Reservoir in West Newbury. The informational walk, featuring a series of plaques teaching walkers about the trees they find along the path, was created by NHS students Nicolas Forestell and Jackson Darling (background, left) as part of a youth internship program with the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards, or ACES. About 20 people attended the event. Listening at right is David Moody of West Newbury.

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Newburyport is an "artsy" city, so it seems a good way to start by speaking of it using colors.

The through lines of the economic prosperity of the city and the region are threads of green and threads of blue. We'll let the green represent the natural world on land and the blue represent our waters.

Together, they are what makes up our Earth’s surface – 71% water and 29% land. Ecotourism, a term that includes a very significant portion of the visiting and spending, is so big here because of where we are at the intersection of two beautiful ecosystems.

"a world-class environmental epicenter of ecosystems"

Newburyport is a world-class environmental epicenter of ecosystems. It’s a place where the lines of continental bird migrations cross the exit point of North American weather systems.

It’s on the Atlantic and the Gulf of Maine, sitting on the rim of the Gulf Stream, which brings migrating humpback whales and great white sharks off shore. Our ocean edge is rippled in shades of blue. It's where Newbury's "First Settlers" arrived and began farming and fishing.

As the Merrimack River runs through its valley past Lawrence, Haverhill and Amesbury, it picks up speed as it heads out to sea past Salisbury and Plum Island.

It brings with it New Hampshire's mountain silt. Some of it goes into the Great Salt Marsh. Most of it continually replenishes our beaches. The marsh is a nursery of the sea and one of the most productive ecosystems of Earth.

It’s a cradle of water and grasses that host many of the fish babies that we think of as quintessentially New England's. It sequesters carbon and stabilizes the land's edge. Their green and blue ribbons, swirled together by the changing tides in the Merrimack bring boaters, fishermen and day-trippers to its shores and to Market Square.

Most of the vitality of public life in Newburyport is connected to green and blue

Most of the vitality of public life in Newburyport is connected to this weave of two threads of green and blue. All the marinas, restaurants and shops are part of the weave. It's an ecosystem of really enormous complexity with glacial soils and farm fields, forests that once supplied ship masts for the British Empire and our early Navy as well.

Later on, those same upriver forests enabled building the great clipper ship fleets that created the China trade and the grand mansions of High Street in Newburyport. Our maritime heritage reflects both green forests with the blue ocean nearby.

Our tour brochures speak proudly of our history, as do the plaques around town that tell us George Washington dined at the library and that the first company of Marines was organized here before the Revolutionary War.

Clearly, our history has always been front and center to our city's self-image. But our history stands not just in a particularly special time but in a particularly special place.

ACES chose its colors for a reason

The fast-growing environment and climate alliance "ACES" was started here in Newburyport. Its colors are green and blue for a reason.

Its 30-plus allies have come together to think globally, work locally, and act personally in recognition of the responsibility of stewardship we all have for these beautiful and valuable gifts.

This kind of stewardship is open for every type of citizen involvement locally, not just the environment. It could be for the arts such as with the Firehouse or the Newburyport Art Association or history related such as with the Custom House Maritime Museum. We'll use different colors for that discussion.

"Greater Newburyport is a place woven of green and blue gifts"

We live in a unique place. It’s one that deserves worldwide recognition for its beautiful and abundant confluence of ecosystems. Greater Newburyport is a place woven of green and blue gifts of nature. Let’s work together to protect it and prosper from it.

Ron Martino is on Twitter as “GreenTalkDaily” @ronmartino4.

This column was coordinated by ACES Youth Corps member Caleb Bradshaw. To share any comments or questions, send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, go to www.aces-alliance.org.

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WEST NEWBURY —

The Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards invites the public to join the launch of the Indian Hill Reservoir Tree Walk on Saturday, May 22nd at 9 a.m.

The event starts at the beginning of the reservoir access trail off Moulton Street.

The Tree Walk was developed to honor the importance of trees through an education plaque program.

Newburyport High School students Nicolas Forestall and Jackson Darling created plaques for each tree, detailing the specific species, as part of an internship project with Maple Crest Farm.

This stewardship-based internship program is part of a youth leadership initiative of the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewards, also known as ACES.

The program is designed to provide meaningful experiential learning opportunities for students interested in addressing climate and environmental challenges.

The project began with the students researching the trees around the Indian Hill Reservoir access road and writing descriptions for prominent trees. These descriptions inspired the creation of 16 durable composite plaques, which were produced for 16 trees by SpeedPro of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Parking is available on Moulton Street adjacent to the entrance to the access trail and at Maple Crest Farm, 102 Moulton St.

For those who arrive at the farm at 8:30 a.m., there will be coffee. Contact John Elwell with any questions at 508-641-5955 or johnelwell@verizon.net.

The rain date is Sunday.

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Samson LeBlanc – Sophomore at UMass-Lowell

The restoration and preservation of our environment are essential for our survival, but this should not be the reason we save our environment. It should be because we care about one another as well as all species. Seeing the things that nature is capable of and what it provides for us is truly outstanding. You can simply look to the rivers and oceans, which hold a whole world beneath us that we almost never see. The idea of preserving these species and their environments should push us to become motivated to make needed changes. But with global warming changing the weather, we are experiencing more and more natural disasters, with many more on the horizon. Our effort to save the environment should include preserving these biomes and habitats before we start to suffer the way that they are currently experiencing. Change needs to happen, and we can come out of this saving not only us, but our planet if we are strong enough.

Will Roelofs – Pingree School Freshman

Being able to escape to the outdoors is something that many people take for granted, including me. Here in Newburyport, we are fortunate enough to have a variety of places to go and that is something that I love to take advantage of. Whether it's going for a quick bike ride to Maudslay or taking a swim at the beach, I always have options. Not to mention the fact that we live just one or two hours away from the amazing mountains up north, where I love to ski, hike, bike, and camp. That being said, there are many people who are losing their access to nature because of land development, climate change, and COVID-19. It is important to take a step back and appreciate where we live and the access we have because we need to do our part in ensuring other people can enjoy the outdoors as much as we do.

Charlotte Gretz – Newburyport High School Senior

The discussion of climate change in mainstream media often comes in the form of a nature documentary, such as campaigns to save the turtles, or an article about how sustainability opens up job opportunities. While relevant, these topics just touch on the basic consequences of climate change. It’s actually a multifaceted issue and one of the facets often overlooked is its link to racial justice. People of color are disproportionately affected by environmental issues. Black and Hispanic communities are more susceptible to high concentrations of air pollution that they aren’t at fault for. Many of the poorest areas in the U.S. are populated by people of color and those are the areas whose economy will be hit hardest by the damages of climate change. Climate activism has been a movement dominated by white people, but in order to tackle environmental damage, we need to address the deep-rooted racism woven into it.

This column was coordinated by ACES Youth Corps member Caleb Bradshaw. To share comments or questions, send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, please view https://www.aces-alliance.org.

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A shout-out to city youths and the organizations that guide them

I'd like to give a shout-out to Newburyport Youth Services, the Alliance of Climate and Environmental Stewardship (ACES), the district's school staff and administrators, and the city and local businesses at large for giving young people in our community opportunities to share their talents and passions, express and raise their voices, and offer opportunities for them to engage as active citizens.

We must "continue to print articles where students' voices are heard."

I also want to thank The Daily News and encourage them to continue to print articles where students' voices are heard. I've enjoyed and learned from reading student opinion columns about climate change and suggestions for all community members to help save the planet that these young people live in and care about.

I've been inspired seeing student artwork hanging in downtown shops. Our city's youth have a lot of important things to say and I am encouraged to hear that we as a community are listening. - Sharon Kennedy

Kylie Woekel, NHS, Senior 

COVID-19 has both positive and negative effects on climate change.

The positive effects include less air pollution due to less transportation and international travel. Also, more European countries such as Germany and France are investing in electric vehicles which will help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Perhaps the most significant negative effects is more plastic being used: in masks, gloves, disposable shopping bags and plexiglass dividers in stores. There are masks and gloves found on the street and in the ocean. It was estimated in March that by 2021 there will be over 1 billion masks that have entered the ocean. It takes about 450 years for a face mask to fully dissolve. Even with all the benefits of the reduced transportation and increase of electric vehicles, COVID causes more negative climate change impacts than positive ones. Just last March was recorded as the second warmest March in history.  

Josie Palma NHS, Freshman

All over the world, currents are pulling together trash floating in the ocean to create huge patches of trash.

Hearing about the trash and debris in our oceans for the first time made me realize how big of an impact everyone has on the earth. Every plastic water bottle I’ve finished, every straw I’ve used, all the plastic wrappers I’ve thrown away could have contributed to these piles. In that manner, I could be putting the lives of marine animals at risk. The ocean has always been special to me, as it’s a place I can relax and spend time with my family and friends. Realizing with more clarity that I could be part of the problem of pollution in the ocean, has made me commit to be a greater part of the solution.

Audrey Cooper, NHS, Junior 

What if someone filled your house with trash?

Wouldn’t this make you angry and confused? Well this is what thousands of marine animals go through every day. Humans are merely just visitors of the ocean, and we repay the animals by trashing their home? Haven't your parents taught you better? Traveling to beaches around the world and living in a beachy town has taught me to love the ocean and inspired me to help spread the word on keeping trash away from the environment. According to Ocean Conservation, an advocacy group for cleaner waters, “a million metric tons of plastics enter our ocean on top of the estimated 150 million metric tons that currently circulate our marine environments.” If we keep up at this rate, the Ocean Conservation argues that “By 2050, ocean plastic will outweigh all of the ocean’s fish.”  If we all work together to recycle, stop littering, and clean the already polluted beaches, then we can prevent a permanent world altering disaster.

This column was coordinated by ACES YOUTH CORPS member, Caleb Bradshaw. To share any comments or questions, please send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, please view our WEBSITE –  https://www.aces-alliance.org

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Overview of Career Exploration Opportunities

Goal: To contribute to the growth and success of the organization by serving on a team of leaders supporting selected stewardship initiatives as a relevant and meaningful, learning experience.

‍Scope: Through participation with a school’s internship program, we interview and select motivated, positive students who are interested in a variety of applied learning experiences. We expect that the overall experience will contribute building blocks to a student’s envisioned career track. The work encompasses a variety of activities in working with and/or supporting other team members that relate to a student’s learning experience objectives. This could include working with an ACES initiative team; such as Waste Reduction, or on a specific project; such as, the Environmental Stewardship Internship program with multiple schools.

Responsibilities: The specific responsibilities and project will depend upon the student’s interests and focus.

Fields of Study/Projects: The nature of the project will be designed around the organizations needs and the student’s pursuits – whether he/she be exploring a sustainability leadership, environmental science, environmental engineering, environmental history, business management, administrative services, accounting, or marketing/communications career track.

Qualifications:

• A positive attitude toward life and learning and a personal interest in being an environmental steward.
• An interest in understanding more about the work associated with a specific career track and the skills to make a contribution given the priorities and activities of the organization or one of its Allies.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and a high degree of comfort with the world of social media.
• Strong computer skills using Microsoft’s Office Suite and Google’s G Suite supported systems. Specific software competency related to one’s career track may include Photoshop, Sketch Up, Illustrator or Quick books.
• Proven competency in writing reports and developing presentations.
• An interest in details and accuracy as well as being orderly and organized.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain open communications, a close working relationship with and the confidence of a variety of individual personalities.
• Ability to manage time and accomplish tasks as agreed.
  

Contact Art Currier or Alex Fincher at acesnewburyport@gmail.com to set a time for a conversation about any questions, your interests, the current initiatives and what internship experiences could be meaningful for you or a student.

Riley McLoy, Newburyport High School freshman

Everything that I love to do takes place outdoors, from playing sports and going skiing to relaxing on the beach and traveling. Being active outside allows for a release from the stress of school, and gives a break from technology. It's really easy to glance at your phone, and then realize you have been looking at it for an hour. Especially with COVID-19, people are inside more than ever with ever more temptation to get lost in these distractions. We are having fewer breaks from stress and social media. But even though restrictions make it hard to be active, it's really important that we get outdoors for our mental health and overall happiness. That is why it is essential that we take care of our environment, because if we don't, we will lose all of the amazing opportunities it gives us.

Caleb Bradshaw, Newburyport High School freshman

For me, being outdoors is a huge part of my life. It is in most of the sports and passions I pursue. Fortunately, everything that I need is right out my back door, making it easy to try new things and embrace being outside. But what if you don’t have easy access to a town park? Or a local trail system? Finding a place to go can be hard for people looking to get away from society and into the outdoors. In the past year, COVID-19 has shed some light on the ways we view outdoor recreation. Health officials are advising against traveling far for outdoor activities, so people have come up with simple and easy ways of getting out of the house to take in some fresh air. Walking, running, cycling and hiking are all great ways of getting outdoors at a time when people need it the most.

Lucas Daignault, Newburyport High School junior

As we enter into a necessary “green reset,” it is imperative that youth begin to take ownership of the movement so that they can continue it. Schools are where the spirit of the green reset can and must be fostered. Many actions can be taken in order to encourage stewardship; for instance, local field studies, the connection of sciences with other classes, the promotion of these issues by parents and other adults, and the promotion of jobs and internships with organizations hoping to further the cause of environmentalism. The local field studies, in my opinion, are by far the most important piece. Students are more likely to pick up on and get involved in an issue that they can organically discover as opposed to one learned in a classroom. Having students naturally pick up on the importance and urgency of the task at hand would go a great way to the eventual passing of the torch.

This column was coordinated by ACES Youth Corps member Caleb Bradshaw. To share comments or questions, please send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, visit https://www.aces-alliance.org.

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Sam Cooper, Newburyport High School senior

It’s 2016 and a nor’easter spawns off Virginia, trekking toward Massachusetts. My sister and I were exuberant, acting like reporters and imitating our favorite weatherman, Al Roker. We watched as he weathered major gusts — his rain slicker flapping like wings.

Meteorology immersed me into a world of mathematics and models, a world I found energizing yet frightening. A study cited in The Washington Post found “a global increase of 8% per decade in the likelihood of a tropical cyclone becoming a Category 3 or greater.” Newburyport has already lost homes and property to storm surge, and it devastates me to think this could become more commonplace. The beaches I played at, the parks and shops I went to with my family, and the beautiful city I hope to show my children, all could be lost.

But through ACES, I have a chance to prevent this from happening, and I will continue to use it.

Sophia Franco, Newburyport High School freshman

A healthy environment helps us in ways that aren’t always evident, but in its absence, humans would not exist as they do today. We rely on our planet for the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. It is vital to understand the importance of our environment, because despite what some may think, one small action can have a great influence. It may be hard to comprehend how picking up one piece of trash, or recycling one plastic bottle can change the world, but if every person did a single thing to help the planet each day, imagine the impact it would have. So the next time you see a wrapper flying in the wind, instead of looking away, run to catch it. We need to protect the Earth, not only for our futures, but for generations to come.

Andres Liang, Emmanuel College senior

Contributing to helping the planet stay healthy while contributing to our society isn’t difficult. What motivated me to be interested in the environment and the importance of taking care of it was a sense of empathy and consideration toward our Earth. Thinking long term, this is especially important so future generations can enjoy the planet’s natural resources and admire their magnificence. In a macro sense, the big picture reflects the modern paraphrase “As above, so below” from the Emerald Tablet. This ancient text still makes sense today. We cannot expect our minds to be healthy and in peace if our temples (bodies) are not being taken care of. Hence, there would be a conflict to wish for a good life for our descendants if they will live in an unsafe world full of pollutants and toxins in the environment as a result of our present actions. Everyone making some contribution to our health and that of our planet can have a huge impact on the future.

This column was coordinated by ACES Youth Corps member Caleb Bradshaw. To share comments or questions, send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, go to www.aces-alliance.org.

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A "Green Reset"

Post-COVID, post-election, with a battered economy and in the face of looming climate disaster, motivation is high worldwide for more dramatic climate action. A “green reset” is happening at every level and in every corner of the political, business and nonprofit ecosystem as it regards climate. And it’s a really needed one. In general, the U.S. and other countries can do this by leveraging the pent-up demand for upgraded and new forms of infrastructure and the jobs that they generate. Building that new infrastructure will be a great investment opportunity and it will generate good, new jobs. Jobs that may require new job skills. A big investment in much-needed new infrastructure, designed with green needs in mind, will energize community colleges and high schools to work with employers and business groups along with trade unions to invent new forms of apprenticeships for young America. Working to alter the course of climate degradation isn’t harmful to our economy. Rather, it’s the way forward to better jobs and a better economy. New investments in our economy can have a big payback both financially and in terms of climate.

Local changes are already occurring

Locally, Newburyport has climate and environmental challenges of its own. Consider rising seas, a river that floods when moderately big storms hit. Consider the vulnerability of Plum Island and our sewer and water systems. Fortunately, our city leaders have worked to address some of these issues with upgraded sewer systems on Plum Island and coastal armoring underway at our wastewater treatment plant.The mayor and City Council have reduced streetlight electricity costs, purchased solar power at greatly reduced rates, encouraged the community to adopt renewable energy and recycle and compost, upgraded storm drains, banned the use of disposal plastic shopping bags, fixed sidewalks, and built biking and walking paths. But there is a lot more to do. Small things like forming rain gardens in the new waterfront park spaces to buffer storm surge overflow. Bigger things like preventing saltwater intrusion into the Artichoke Reservoir. Intergovernmental things like working with the state and the Merrimack Valley Region Transit Authority to plan for “last mile” circulating minibus bus routes throughout the city usable by schoolchildren and home office workers alike. We need negotiations with business like pressing utilities to fix the gas leaks all over the city. They may not be explosive, like in Lawrence, but they certainly add to global warming and affect the air we breathe.

The city has many opportunities

The city has many opportunities — working with building and mall owners to provide bicycle racks and bus stop wind shelters. And why not make space for community gardening, maybe along the entry to the Senior Center? As a new generation of aspiring politicians emerge on the local scene, we might ask them what they see they can do to create this needed “green reset.” How can they help make every neighborhood safe for biking and walking? How can they encourage and zone for walkable destinations like corner stores, coffee shops, meeting places and lunching in the neighborhoods as many more people telework and are in town during the day? As a new generation of Newburyport youths emerge to lead in their own right, what are the things they might do to encourage their peers and parents to address climate change? What are the new green jobs they might aspire to pursue? How can the community arrange apprenticeships and internships to help them get started? How can we, as a community, support them? Please watch for future ACES columns that will present their perspectives. Let’s encourage our local political, business and education leaders to see their roles in a wide-angle way, through a wider aperture that takes climate and the environment into serious consideration. Let’s push the big green reset button now for Newburyport.

As President Joe Biden has written:

“The undeniable reality of climate change is exacting an incalculable toll on lives and livelihoods in every community across the country. It is a challenge that requires us to act immediately.”

Ron Martino is an ACES adviser and lives in Newburyport.

This column was coordinated by Aces Youth Corps member Caleb Bradshaw. To share any comments or questions, send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, visit www.aces-alliance.org.

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One year ago, we considered a new and unusual trend toward light enrollment in our outdoor education programs. We asked ourselves, “Are we no longer as relevant as soccer to local families?” While attendance had always been strong since our founding year in 2007, in late 2019 we noticed some road bumps and contemplated what we could do differently in the new year.

Never could we have foreseen the demand for outdoor education

Never could we have foreseen, as spring 2020 arrived, the groundswell of demand for outdoor education that would surge by summer, not only in Newburyport but also across the county, state, and country. While 90% of summer programs across New England closed because of COVID-19, we persevered. We endeavored to make sure that local youth, as in so many summers past, could continue to grow strong by nature, outdoors with their friends at Merrohawke, both in the forest and upon the sea at Boat Camp.

Following the best available health and safety guidance, and despite absorbing increased COVID-19 costs and sacrificing significant lost revenue, we ran at half capacity and served as many children and families as we could.

Parents shed tears of gratitude at drop-off that we had found a way to keep some kind of normalcy in their child’s summer by staying open. Yet hundreds of children were left on waitlists.

Waitlists are building again

This year, with waitlists again building, we continue striving to meet the unprecedented and overwhelming demand for outdoor education programs. We will do all that we can to ensure that, during these most tumultuous times, children can experience the immeasurable health benefits of spending time outdoors, together with families and apart with peers. Never before has the value of spending time in nature been so relevant.

As author David Sobel writes, “If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it." Time in nature, now more than ever, fosters love and future stewardship, of the earth.

We remain deeply committed to making sure as many children as possible, as safely as possible, have an opportunity to grow strong by nature at Merrohawke, now and in the years ahead.

At Merrohawke, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, youth grow strong by nature through experiential learning on land, river and sea. Learn more at www.merrohawke.org

This column was coordinated by ACES YOUTH CORPS member, Caleb Bradshaw. If you have comments or questions, email acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES: https://www.aces-alliance.org.

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Storm Surge

Storm Surge, a community volunteer group working on local resilience to climate change impacts, has just released three narrated multimedia presentations for middle and high school students.

The presentations and adapting to change

These presentations were created with input from Newburyport schools and include a 10th-grade level introduction to climate change and a two-part program for seventh-grade students on the Great Marsh. Each presentation provides opportunity for class discussion and comes with supplemental material for teachers.

Storm Surge received a grant from New England Biolabs in late 2019 to create educational presentations for Newburyport schools about local climate change impacts.

The presentations were to address the causes of climate change and its impacts on coastal communities. When COVID-19 struck last March, closing schools and making in-person meetings impossible, Storm Surge needed to rethink how to present the information to Newburyport students.

Rather than the in-school presentations originally envisioned in the grant proposal, narrated multimedia presentations were created that could be used by teachers working with students in the classroom or remotely.

As a result, these presentations can be shown to smaller groups of students and can be shared with other school districts, homeschoolers and curious adults.

How it is seen in the classroom and at home

The presentations address climate change issues at the local level. The first, for high school students, presents the causes of climate change due to rising greenhouse gases and rising sea levels and investigates Newburyport's historical role in the burning of fossil fuel. It discusses why climate change is still an issue for political debate.

The others for seventh-graders form a two-part series on the Great Marsh, the green infrastructure that buffers our communities against storm surge and sea level rise.

Together, they present the history of the Great Marsh and the challenges it is facing now, raising and responding to questions about why we should all care about the Great Marsh and what can be done to protect it.

A slide for the middle school presentation about the Great Marsh and its carbon trapping power.

Storm Surge is looking forward to developing another presentation on Newburyport coastal geology for high school and middle school students in 2021 thanks to an additional grant from New England Biolabs.

For more information about Storm Surge visits https://storm-surge.org

To view these and other Storm Surge educational resources, click here: https://storm-surge.org/education-resources/

This column was coordinated by ACES YOUTH CORPS member, Caleb Bradshaw. To share any comments or questions, please send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, please view our WEBSITE –  https://www.aces-alliance.org

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Making Trails through a Pandemic

“The pandemic can’t stop us,” says the December newsletter of the Coastal Trails Coalition. Last spring, our CTC Board pivoted to virtual meetings to help ensure that local trails continue to provide opportunities for enjoying nature, exercise and fresh air, and safe places to bike or walk with family and socially distance with friends. This year finds even more trails and connections, such as between Salisbury’s Ghost Trail and Elm Street in Amesbury. The other works underway are too many to list here, so please visit coastaltrails.org where you may sign up for the newsletter.

After granting funds to assist with Newburyport’s Harborfront path between Joppa Flats and the boardwalk downtown, the next big project for the CTC is the missing link through Newbury connecting to Georgetown trails.

Overcoming Challenges

Some people say the Newbury trail is a pipe dream, but I’ve been on the Coalition board long enough to remember when the Garrison trail on the I-95 Whitter Bridge was a pipe dream, and more recently so was the Salisbury trail all the way to New Hampshire.

In fact, Salisbury’s progress was recently acknowledged by the East Coast Greenway, the alliance that oversees the national route from Maine to Florida. On greenway.org they wrote: “The strategy and persistence shown by the local advocates to make this work is remarkable.”

I would like to applaud Jerry Klima, our intrepid CTC leader, as well as governments from top down to local towns, and citizens who have contributed in ways large and small with donations, volunteering, or cheering us on.

**BREAKING NEWS** The Coastal Trails Coalition has donated another grant of $10,000 for ongoing work on the Newbury trail.

Together we are stronger in so many ways. Thank you all, especially in these challenging times, for supporting the goal of building pathways to connect communities.

To contact the Coastal Trails Coalition board, write to info@coastaltrails.org. To learn more, volunteer or make a donation, visit coastaltrails.org. See you on the trails!

This column was coordinated by ACES YOUTH CORPS member, Caleb Bradshaw. To share any comments or questions, please send an email to acesnewburyport@gmail.com. To learn more about ACES, please view our WEBSITE –  https://www.aces-alliance.org

Support from the community

Friends of Newburyport Trees (FoNT) needs support from the community to address the impact of the current pandemic on our neighborhood trees. Trees that contribute to the health of our local environment. Many activities we had planned in April around Earth Day and Arbor Day had to be cancelled. We are trying our best to keep working until next spring’s planting season.

Helping the trees and FoNT

Unfortunately, COVID-19 put a stop to all our outreach efforts with the Newburyport community. Our main project each spring in conjunction with the Tree Commission is pruning and mulching of trees that have been planted over the past few years. It is important for young trees to be limbed up out of the way of pedestrians and street traffic, and to correct any tree imperfections – broken branches, water sprouts (branches which grow straight up), rubbing and crossing branches.

It is harder to raise funds when we are not visibly undertaking tree work in the community. So we held a mini Arbor Day celebration on Oct. 3 with a small tree planting at the Library and a book display on trees in order to remind the community that FoNT is active, thinking about the future, and needs support.

Our popular Guide to Newburyport Trees is available for purchase for $20. All funds donated to FoNT are tax deductible and help grow and maintain Newburyport’s healthy urban forest. Learn more at www.FoNTrees.org.

Jean Berger is as Massachusetts certified arborist and FoNT Board member. Reach her by email at Greenjeans33@comcast.net.

To learn more about ACES and its stewardship Initiatives:  https://www.aces-alliance.org

The PDF below provides a overview to what ACES is, who we are, and what we are striving to achieve.