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Oct. 12: The Future of Water Symposium

September 24, 2012 – 11:38 am

Cloudy with a Chance of Solutions:
The Future of Water

Friday, October 12, 2012 | 9 am – 5 pm

 

Radcliffe Gymnasium, 10 Garden Street, Radcliffe Yard
Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Radcliffe Institute’s annual science symposium will focus on the important and challenging topic of water. Water is a theme that encompasses issues as varied as environmental contamination, public health, agricultural shortages, and geopolitical disputes. “Cloudy with a Chance of Solutions: The Future of Water” will focus on the ecological and human health hazards of environmental contaminants, the threats to drinking water of fracking, the promise of new technologies for water treatment, the need for national water policy, and the role of urban and other areas in conservation. The majority of the talks will focus on the “hard science” of water-related issues; others will offer the perspectives of experts from the policy, business, or urban-planning worlds to put the scientific discussions in a broader context and to link them thematically.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.  

For more information and to register, please visit www.radcliffe.harvard.edu or call 617-495-8600.

Register Now!

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Conference “Anticipating Climate Disruption: Sustaining Justice, Greening Peace”

September 18, 2012 – 6:42 pm

On October 4th through 6th, the Peace and Justice Studies Association, in conjunction with the Tufts Initiative on Climate Change and Climate Justice, will hold its 2012 annual conference at Tufts. Entitled “Anticipating Climate Disruption: Sustaining Justice, Greening Peace,” the conference will be featuring presentations from a wide range of disciplines, professions, and perspectives on the many complex issues now unfolding amidst disruptive climate change, which promises to be among the most significant social justice concerns in the 21st Century.

The impressive list of plenary session panelists includes: Christian Parenti (Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence), Ken Conca (Environmental Peacemaking), Betsy Hartmann (“Don’t Beat the Climate War Drums”), Ellie Perkins (“Women and Participatory Water Management”), Darlene Lombos (Community Labor United), Burt Lauderdale (Kentuckians for the Commonwealth; New Power Initiative), Wenonah Hauter (Executive Director, Food & Water Watch), Gregor Wolbring (University of Calgary; energy/water ethics), John Peck (Family Farm Defenders), Greg White (Climate Refugees or Mere Migrants: Climate-Induced Migration, Security, and Borders in a Warming World), Tariq Banuri (renewable energy and climate change), Eveline Shen (reproductive justice), and Julian Agyeman (Just Sustainabilities; Cultivating Food Justice)

The Tufts Institute of the Environment is co-sponsoring this event, and Tufts community members are encouraged to attend. Student volunteers are also needed.

To register, visit http://www.peacejusticestudies.org/conference/registration.php or e-mail Dale.Bryan@tufts.edu

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Sept 4-Oct 5: Register for EPA’s Campus RainWorks Design Challenge

September 10, 2012 – 4:20 pm

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has opened registration for student teams from colleges and universities across the country to participate in its new design competition, the Campus RainWorks Challenge, through which teams will compete to develop innovative approaches to stormwater management. This first annual competition, will help raise awareness of green design and planning approaches at colleges and universities, and train the next generation of landscape architects, planners, and engineers in green infrastructure principles and design. Stormwater is a major cause of harmful water pollution in urban areas in the U.S., impacting tens of thousands of miles of rivers, streams, and coastal shorelines, as well as hundreds of thousands of acres of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds.

Student teams, working with a faculty advisor, will submit design plans for a proposed green infrastructure project for their campus. Registration for the Campus RainWorks Challenge is open from September 4 through October 5, and entries must be submitted by December 14, 2012 for consideration. Winning entries will be selected by EPA and announced in April 2013. Winning teams will earn a cash prize of $1,500 – $2,500, as well as $8,000 – $11,000 in funds for their faculty advisor to conduct research on green infrastructure. In 2013, EPA plans to expand Campus RainWorks by inviting students to design and complete a demonstration project assessing innovative green infrastructure approaches on their campus.

EPA is encouraging the use of green infrastructure as a solution to help manage stormwater runoff. Green Infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage stormwater runoff at its source and provide other community benefits. Green infrastructure is increasingly being used to supplement or substitute for single-purpose ³gray² infrastructure investments such as pipes, and ponds. The Campus RainWorks Challenge will help encourage the use of green infrastructure projects on college and university campuses to manage stormwater discharges.

More information on the Campus RainWorks Challenge.

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Sept 8: Meet Me at the Mystic

September 7, 2012 – 9:26 pm

When: Saturday, September 8th, 9am – noon

Where: Starting from the Mystic Lakes Dam, Medford (map)

Paddling, Art, Music, and a Bicycle Tour too!

The Mystic River Watershed Association a full family-friendly schedule of artists and music along the banks of the Mystic Lake and River for your morning enjoyment, as well as discounted boat rentals! 

Come by bike, boat, on foot or drive. Bring strollers and your dog – whatever usually brings you to the shores of this urban beauty.

Rent a canoe or kayak!

Boats will be available at 9AM at adiscounted rental fee - $15 for single kayaks and $25 for canoes and double kayaks, but you must reserve in advance.Reserve your boat here! Of course, you can also bring your own boat to join in the fun. Join others in a trip down to the Alewife Brook starting at 9:30 a.m.

Bicycle Tour

Join the fun of this movable festival along the Mystic River. Cyclists will meet near the canoe launch at the Mystic Lakes Dam, Medford at 9AM. Read the full details here. This is a fun, leisure paced ride for the whole family. Art bikes, fun bikes and fat tired cruisers recommended.

Calling All Artists!

Beginners or professionals, join artists on the banks of the Mystic River to draw, paint, sketch en plein air with a core group of accomplished artists. Bring your own easel and materials. Appropriate for children – simply bring a sketch pad and chair or blanket along with markers, pencils or crayons. Whether your art involves nature, light, trees, people, water, come find inspiration with a morning en plein air! Details here.

Join your friends and neighbors in an early morning cheer to the river and watershed ­ a resource that has brought so much enjoyment to our community. Meet us at 9:00AM on Saturday, September 8 at the parking lot beside the new dam between the Upper and Lower Mystic Lakes in Medford and Arlington.Download the brochure.

This event is part of the Mystic River Watershed Association’s 40th Anniversary! Read more about Meet Me at the Mystic and other special 40th Anniversary events here.

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16 Sep: Applications due for Student Speakers at DROPLETS: SHORT TALKS AND PERFORMANCES ABOUT WATER

August 8, 2012 – 8:07 pm

Student presenters wanted for Droplets: Short Talks and Performances about Water, an event sponsored by the Tufts University Art Gallery and the Tufts Institute of the Environment in conjunction with the FoodWaterLife/Lucy+JorgeOrta exhibition at the gallery. The event takes place on Thursday, November 8th, 2012, 7 to 9pm. Any Tufts student, undergraduate or graduate, is encouraged to apply.

Apply at: https://adobeformscentral.com/?f=LpXk7KWUsfpcyi8hvXghzQ

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Watershed Management Assistant (Cambridge, MA)

July 17, 2012 – 1:41 pm

Application deadline: August 3, 2012

The Watershed Management Division of the Cambridge Water Department is seeking an enthusiastic, self-motivated individual for the position of Watershed Management Assistant. The Watershed Management Assistant will support the Watershed Protection Supervisor in reservoir, tributary, and construction site monitoring and aid the Watershed staff with office and field activities. This position provides on-the-job training, opportunities for independent research, and experiences in natural resources management, field data collection and analysis, and watershed protection.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist Watershed Protection Supervisor with water quality monitoring;

• Conduct in-stream flow measurements;

• Manage water quality monitoring databases and assist with Annual Source Water Quality Report;

• Maintain and calibrate field equipment;

• Conduct construction site and dam inspections, as well as haz-mat spill response equipment inventories;

• Review site plans and draft comment letters

• Create GIS maps and develop/edit spatial data;

• Update Watershed Division website;

• Create posters, presentations, brochures, and other outreach materials for Watershed projects;

• Perform other duties as they arise.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Minimum requirements:

Candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree in one or more of the following areas: biology, hydrology, ecology, environmental sciences, or related natural sciences field. Must be proficient with Microsoft Office programs, ArcGIS. Strong Excel and Access skills a plus. Candidate must have the ability to work in field conditions on a daily basis, regardless of weather. Strong writing and verbal communication skills and attention to detail a must. Must have a valid driver’s license. Experience with water quality monitoring equipment, GIS/GPS, environmental sampling, water resources management desirable. Boating experience a plus.

Physical demands:

The Watershed Management Assistant will lead and assist in field sampling, so must be able to carry up to 25 lbs over rugged terrain, walk distances in wooded areas, and bend. Both office setting and field work will be required.

Rate: $34,723 yearly salary, health insurance, 13 paid holidays

One year position, 40hrs/week

Please send a cover letter and resume to David Kaplan at dkaplan@cambridgema.gov<

mailto:dkaplan@cambridgema.gov> or to the Cambridge Water Department, Attn: David Kaplan, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge, MA 02138
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Jun 13: Citizen Scientist Training Workshop

June 11, 2012 – 5:51 pm

Mystic River Watershed Association will offer a Citizen Scientist Training Workshop on Wednesday, June 13th, 6-8pm in Somerville. This Workshop allows interested volunteers to learn about water quality monitoring methods and concepts. By completing this workshop, you’ll be prepared to join MyRWA’s Baseline Monitoring Program. The Baseline Monitoring Program requires a monthly commitment between 6am and 8am. No experience is necessary – all are welcome!

Space is limited - you have to register for this event. To register email Beth@MysticRiver.org today!

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April 28: Mystic Earth Day River Cleanup

April 12, 2012 – 5:10 pm

When: Saturday, April 28th from 10:00am until noon

Where: Assembly Row, Waterfront Park in front of the Staples lot, 165 Middlesex Avenue, Somerville, MA

Join the Mystic River Watershed Association and Gentle Giant Rowing Club for an Earth Day River Cleanup along the Mystic River on Saturday, April 28th from 10:00am until noon. Parking is available in the Staples parking lot and volunteers are needed to remove trash along the banks of the Mystic. Find out more here (http://mysticriver.org/watershed-clean-ups/). At noon volunteers can join the City of Somerville at the DCR Blessing of the Bay Boathouse on Shore Drive for a spring clean-up BBQ.

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April showers and that resource called water

April 11, 2012 – 3:15 pm

April showers have definitely arrived and our thoughts turn to that most valuable resource: water. Don’t let that rain outside fool you! Water is still in high demand and any efforts on our part to limit water waste make a world of difference.In fact, the Water, Systems and Society (WSSS) program is holding its 3rd annual symposium on April 27 and the theme is “The Glass Half Full: Valuing Water in the 21st Century“, exploring the various complex and interlinking factors of valuing water throughout developed and developing nations.

Here at Tufts, the Campus Sustainability Council’s Water Working Group has begun reviewing current usage and existing initiatives related to water, such as the installation of rain barrels to capture roof run-off for landscape irrigation and low-flow shower heads and dual-flush toilets as part of bathroom upgrades in residence halls. The group is working towards preparing specific “SMART” goals for the university over the coming months. Feel free to submit your suggestions for any of the Council’s working groups (the other two focus on Waste and Energy/Emissions) – the Office of Sustainability will collect and summarize the suggestions on behalf the Council.

On a related note, the 24oz light blue Nalgene with a water bottle-stomping elephant on it has become a familiar sight around the Tufts Medford campus. You may recall that beginning last fall, the sale of single-serving beverages was eliminated from Hodgdon Good-to-Go, thanks to a campaign by student action group Tufts Against Plastic (TAP). Tufts Dining supported the initiative and even helped promote it by giving away the clear “Choose to Reuse” water bottle for free with the sale a fountain drink during the first two weeks of the semester. (Dining has since made the Nalgene bottles available for sale wherever plastic bottles of water are still sold and they offer a beverage discount for those who bring reusable bottles to Hodgdon Good-to-Go, Tower Café, Mugar Café, and The Commons.)

A full semester after the initial change took place, Patti Klos, Director of Dining and Business Services, estimated a reduction of over 133,000 disposable bottles per semester! That’s 73% fewer bottles from the previous school year when single-serving beverage bottles were still sold in Hodgdon. Read more about this story.

In the meantime, let’s continue to work on keeping our personal water usage to a minimum – from shortening our showers to turning off the faucet when we brush our teeth. See our Green Guide to Living and Working at Tufts for more tips on how to conserve water.

- Anne Elise Stratton
Communications Intern, Office of Sustainability

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Campus Sustainability Council update: Water Working Group kicks off

March 26, 2012 – 10:51 am


Since the official announcement from President Tony Monaco last February, members of the Campus Sustainability Council have been getting busy as each of the three working groups (focusing on Water, Energy/Emissions and Waste) began holding their regular meetings.

The Water Working Group met for the first time on March 2nd and reviewed its roles and responsibilities, which include reviewing current usage, existing initiatives and goals, as well as creating recommendations for goals and implementation plans to present to the Campus Sustainability Council.

The group found that very few institutions of higher education have any public water-related goals.  In fact, Johns Hopkins is one of a rare few that have a specific goal (to decrease university wide potable water consumption by 3%). The members also learned that many water-saving initiatives at Tufts are already underway, including:

  • Efforts to use ground water for irrigation
  • Low-flow shower heads in all Medford and Boston residence halls
  • Bathroom upgrades in Medford residence halls which include dual flush or low flush toilets
  • On‐going Medford campus condensate loss reduction efforts
  • Front Load washing machines requiring less water, energy and detergent installed in most residence hall laundry rooms
  • Rain barrels installed at 520 Boston Avenue to capture roof run‐off for landscape irrigation

The working group members discussed the differences between Tufts’ campuses, regulatory and compliance issues, the environmental impact of wastewater, ways to evaluate proposed solutions and appropriate metrics for evaluation.

Scott Horsley, a lecturer in the Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning department, and Bob Burns, Director of Tufts Facilities Services, are the co-chairs of the water working group and will be working to guide the group towards specific “SMART” goals for the university over the coming months. Sustainability standards will be incorporated into all proposals for new construction and renovation projects.

As always, Tufts community members are welcome to add their own suggestions for the working group through the easy, on-line form available on the Office of Sustainability’s website.

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