Keep reading to learn about what we’ve been up to this fall, and to hear about our upcoming projects.

Happy fall! During this cold and wet season, please make sure to check on your neighbors.

Climate disasters are receiving more news coverage than ever, as climate disasters like tropical storms and major flooding continue to worsen their impacts in communities across the United States and the world.

Closer to home, CREW is happy to report on a successful first annual Climate Preparedness Week with dozens of events and dozens of partners across the greater Boston area.

Do you have any questions or ideas that you would like to share with us? Are you inspired to join or to start a CREW? Let us know! We would love to support you and your community!

Cheers!

Craig S. Altemose
Founder and Executive Director

CREW Events, Past, Present, & Future:

Climate Preparedness Week 2018

Climate Preparedness Week took place from September 24-30, 2018.

We’re still tallying up total numbers, but it appears that well over 1,000 people attended 30+ events all around the region.

Activities took place in Cambridge, Somerville, Medford, and many different neighborhoods of Boston— JP, Eastie, Roxbury, Charlestown, Southie, Fenway, Downtown, and more.

We had a diverse range of service opportunities, including tree planting, de-paving, and coastal cleanup projects— not to mention a wide variety of educational presentations, lectures, and discussions, as well as community events such as Discover Moakley Park, a youth march, and a BBQ party.

A big thanks to our interns summer interns Amber and Rebecca, and to our fall intern Grant, who helped make these great events possible.

Wellesley Climate Preparedness Panel

Thanks to our hosts from EnAct Wellesley for a great conversation on climate impacts and community resilience in greater Boston. Aaron Troncoso, CREW's Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, was joined by Julie Wormser of the Mystic River Watershed Association, Julie Wood from the Charles River Watershed Association, Erich Matthes from Wellesley's Department of Philosophy, and Alisha Pegan from Climate Ready Boston.

Coming Up: Faith, Vulnerability, and Climate Change

CREW is partnering with interfaith leaders to host a summit in the spring. We will discuss how the faith community can help prepare vulnerable members of their congregations and the broader community for the coming climate impacts. To learn more about the project, and to get involved, contact [email protected].

CREW Team Happenings

Meet Erica, our new Director of Development!

Erica has recently joined our team as the new Director of Development. She comes to Better Future Project with 10 years of fundraising experience, previously at Bikes Not Bombs, the Center Against Domestic Violence (in NYC) and Head and Hands (in Montreal). Erica will be managing the individual giving and grants and foundations program to make sure that BFP has the resources we need to continue moving Massachusetts towards renewable energy. Reach out to Erica at [email protected].

Welcome to Grant, our fall intern!

Grant arrived in September and was a big help during Climate Preparedness Week. Grant joins us from Dartmouth College, where he is pursuing a double major in Earth Sciences and Government.

Check out great climate resilience events happening in our community this fall:

Building Inclusive Community Resilience in East Boston

Thursday, Nov. 1 at 7:00 PM at the New England Aquarium

Three East Boston leaders are taking steps to engage diverse residents in activities to help foster community resilience in light of the challenges. The New England Aquarium is collaborating with these leaders on a project called Communities Advancing Science Literacy. The panelists will discuss why they do their work, how it is making a positive difference, and how more people can get involved to foster community resilience. Panelists include Magdalena Ayed of the Harborkeepers, Alex DeFronzo of the Piers Park Sailing Center, and Kannan Thiruvengadam of Eastie Farm and CREW. This event is free— to register, see this link.

Climate Change & the Future of the Boston Coastline

Monday, Nov. 5 at 7:00 PM at the Cambridge Innovation Center

Sourcing Boston: A Food Security and Resilience Hackathon

Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 10-11 at Northeastern University

Global impacts of the 2018 tropical storm season

The ongoing 2018 tropical storm season set a record for the highest ever in the eastern Pacific, and was above average in each of the four Northern Hemisphere cyclone basins. 

Record-setting storms in the United States

Several storms set records in the United States. Typhoon Yutu became the second-strongest storm to ever hit the United States when it slammed into the U.S. territories of Tinian and Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hurricane Michael became the strongest storm on record to hit the Florida panhandle, and the third-strongest ever in the lower 48 states. In September, Hurricane Florence became the wettest storm ever in the Carolinas.

Winter weather predictions

NOAA issued its Winter Outlook for the United States, in which the agency predicted a 

warmer season than average across much of the country, with above-average precipitation in the South and the East. Meanwhile, the year's first Nor'easter struck the East Coast earlier this week, causing eight feet of flooding in parts of the mid-Atlantic.

For tips on preparing for winter weather, see these links from the Department of Homeland Security, the Red Cross, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Keep in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook at @climatecrews for more news about climate preparedness, community resilience, and extreme weather.

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Support our work!

Please help us build neighborhood resilience across New England by donating on our website, or sending a check to 30 Bow Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

Your support will make it possible for us to reach out to more communities and help them prepare for extreme weather events.