Raising Awareness
Greenbelt is committed to highlighting the future challenges facing Essex County by mapping sea level rise and providing valuable insights through our newsletters and Film & Lecture Series.
Sea Level Rise
The northeast is experiencing a range of climate related impacts, but is particularly susceptible to sea level rise and flooding. Higher-than-average rates of sea level rise measured in the Northeast have led to a 100% to 200% increase in high tide flooding in some places, causing more persistent and frequent impacts over the last few decades.
Mapping Climate Change
Greenbelt partnered with Salem State University students and professor Stephen Young to host an exhibit highlighting the use of innovative mapping techniques, satellite imagery and other climate data to show the future impact of sea level rise and storm surges in our region.
The Salem State University researchers showed how just a one-foot rise in sea level would bring flooding – ranging from minor to severe – to every coastal community in Essex County. In Essex, 27 percent of the town has been found to be at risk of coastal inundation.
Impacts of a Warming Planet
The evidence of our changing climate is becoming increasingly apparent. We see its effects in the shrinking streams, drying wetlands, and depleting wells. Early blooms in our gardens signal shifts in seasonal patterns, while more frequent "king tides" flood roads and parking lots. Clearly, the natural world is showing unmistakable signs of climate stress.
Film & Lecture Series
The impact of climate change, both present and future, has been a central theme in numerous Greenbelt Film & Lecture Series events, including the 2020-2021 series, which was generously funded by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management.
Invasives
Join Greenbelt’s Dave McKinnon on a walk through Cox Reservation in Essex, to identify and discuss various invasive plants, including Oriental Bittersweet, Multiflora Rose, Garlic Mustard, Purple Loosestrife, Phragmites, Black Swallow-wort