It’s time again for the annual speaker series: Making Waves in Coastal Conservation. Experts will present innovative ideas, exemplary projects and new technologies involving coastal wildlife, water and habitat conservation. There is no cost, and all are welcome to attend.
Talks will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. every other Saturday from January 16 through March 12, and on April 2, in Plymouth at Brewster Chapel on Church St. (uphill from Town Square). For a map showing location and parking, click here.
David Gould. Photo credit: DMEA
The first speaker is Plymouth’s own director of the Department of Marine and Environmental Affairs,David Gould. His presentation is entitled: Coastal Waters and Habitat Conservation in Plymouth. Under his direction, the Department has made great strides in conservation, becoming known for ambitious and successful river restoration projects; the protection of open space; a model beach management plan; and stormwater pollution remediation projects.
On January 16, Gould will explain his perspective on land and water conservation and describe several of his current projects, such as the restoration of Town Brook, which required the removal of five dams to allow herring passage to historical spawning grounds, the improvement of water quality in Plymouth Harbor permitting the first safe (and legal) harvesting of shellfish in 30 years in the area, and the restoration of the headwaters of the Eel River, involving, among other things, the planting of 17,000 Atlantic White Cedar seedlings.
The restored headwaters of the Eel River in Plymouth.
Acoustic buoy being deployed. Photo credit: WATD
Gould will also speak about the use of new technologies that have been embraced by the forward-thinking Department, such as acoustic monitoring for great white sharks, and the deployment of trail cameras to document poaching and dumping.
Future speakers will cover a range of topics relevant to Plymouth, New England and beyond. See full list below and click on the title of interest for more information. Each talk will be followed by a question and answer session and time to speak one-on-one with the presenter, if desired. The last talk will feature high school and college students who will each speak for ten minutes about their own projects, outlooks and inspiration.
- January 16: David Gould, Coastal Waters and Habitat Conservation in Plymouth
- January 30: Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe, The Audubon WildLife Guards: A Coastal Stewardship and Youth Conservation Training Program
- February 13: Dorie Stolley, O is for Osprey: A Conservation Success Story
- February 27: Meredith G. Morehouse, Shorebird Lifecycle Protection in the Americas: It Takes a Network
- March 12: Glorianna Davenport, Living Observatory at Tidmarsh Farms: Documenting a Restoration in Progress
- April 2: Jordan Baker & TBD, Student Presentations
For more information, please contact Dorie Stolley by email (dss@goldenrod.org), or phone (508-746-0769).
The location is provided free of charge by First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Plymouth.
