| This Month's Five Minute Task |
Check out the profiles of the 2013 Fellows, and reach out to introduce yourself and welcome them to the Switzer Network, especially if your work is aligned.
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This one bears repeating! What changes would you like to see on our website? We will be undergoing extensive updates and some structural re-design in the coming months - email Erin with your thoughts!
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| Upcoming Events and Webinars |
Sept. 27-29: New England Fall Fellows' Retreat, Ashland, MA
Oct. 4-6: California Fall Fellows' Retreat, Sausalito, CA
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Professional Conferences
Let Erin know if you will be attending any of these!
Sept. 17-19: Land Trust Alliance Rally, New Orleans, LA
Oct. 2-6: Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference, Chattanooga, TN
Oct. 18-20: National Bioneers Conference, San Rafael, CA
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Welcome, 2013 Switzer Fellows!
The 2013 class of Fellows represents another outstanding group of environmental leaders working on a wide variety of issues, from a diverse set of experiences and persectives. This year, we were able to fund 22 Fellowships out of a total of 299 applications. There are now 530 Fellows worldwide! Read all about the new Fellows on our website.
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July Highlights: Switzer Network News and Discussions | |
Low income neighborhoods are more often exposed to poor environmental quality when compared to wealthier communities, and scientists are saying this gap will increase as climate change is more widely felt. This video is part of our series on the environmental impacts of the goods movement industry, especially in California. The other reports are:
Fellow Perspective: Lara Hansen, Executive Director and Chief Scientist at EcoAdapt, on Inaugural National Adaptation Forum: Whole lotta adapting going on! For those adaptation fans out there who couldn't make it to Denver the first week of April, you missed out on an event that is getting rave reviews. Despite restrictions on federal agency staff travel (a/k/a the sequester), the inaugural National Adaptation Forum drew nearly 500 people to its 68 symposia, 28 working groups, and 12 training sessions. Representing 43 states and the District of Columbia, two territories, five Canadian provinces, and two continents, a diverse crowd shared their ideas and questions relating to the challenges climate change brings to their work and lives. Depending on your perspective either none of us was an expert, or we were all experts. Regardless, we were all engaged in the issues and eager to create solutions where today there may only be problems.
Featured Fellows:
Brian Beal, a clam's best friend. Brian Beal, 1992 Fellow and Professor of Marine Ecology at University of Maine-Machias, is conducting research on the biotic and abiotic factors influencing growth patterns of soft-shell clams in Maine. Brian is also involved with research on the use of field-based nurseries for stock enhancement of American lobster populations, and on bringing a new fishery, European oysters, to downeast Maine.
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| Switzer Program and Network News |
SWITZER LEADERSHIP GRANT AWARDED TO INTERNATIONAL RIVERS
International Rivers, based in Berkeley, California, received a $40,000 Switzer Leadership Grant in May to work with 2008 Switzer Fellow Dipti Vaghela in creating the new position of Energy Solutions Coordinator. In this position, Dipti will provide needed expertise in community-based micro hydropower as an alternative to large-scale dams to bring electricity to small rural communities in developing countries. Dipti's expertise with the technology and cultural dimensions of this work will bolster International Rivers' advocacy efforts in targeted regions in south Asia and Africa. |
SAVE THE DATES FOR FALL RETREATS!
New England: September 27-29, 2013 at the Warren Conference Center, Ashland, MA
California: October 4-6, 2013 at NatureBridge, Marin Headlands, Sausalito, CA
The fall retreats will include time for networking and for career and leadership discussions with staff and Fellows, and we will bring back our ever-popular "flash talks"! The retreats will also include a one-day intensive communications training with our partners at COMPASS. This year's training will focus on how experts and scientists can improve their skills in communicating with policy-makers. What do policy makers need to hear from you? How can you distill the most important points you need to make when you talk to an elected official or his/her staff? Past Fellows welcome to participate. Invitations coming soon!
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MISSED OUR RECENT WEBINAR? MATERIALS NOW AVAILABLE!
Climate Adaptation Helpline (Switzer Foundation Webinar Series), with Fellows Lara Hansen, Chief Scientist and Executive Director of EcoAdapt; Amber Pairis, Assistant Secretary for Climate Change, California Natural Resources Agency; Patrick McCarthy, Director of Conservation Programs at The Nature Conservancy in New Mexico; and Healy Hamilton, Senior Research Fellow at the Marine Conservation Institute and Senior Research Associate at Sound Science, LLC.
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When you stand up and speak out - to the media, or policy makers, or you write an opinion piece or blog post - it is like a drop of water hitting the surface. It sends out ripples with unexpected repercussions - often, good ones. Doors may swing open, opportunities may arise. You will meet new people and make new connections. Yet, there are also challenges. Being a leader also means learning how to deal with the criticisms that arise, and keep on keeping on. One thing, however, is clear - putting yourself and your work out there is a form of practice, learning, and giving. And, by giving in that way, it will somehow come back to you ... thus, a spirit of good intent is important.
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Fellows in the News Highlights (remember, these are just a few recent highlights! Catch up on all Fellows in the News on our website!)
David Kramer's (2004) work on a Belizean fisheries project that could help protect indigenous lands while easing border tensions was featured on Ecosystem Marketplace.
Jefferson Hall (1991) was profiled in the Financial Times on how to make the most of the 'wild wealth' in the Panama Canal watershed.
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