Last weekend, we were pleased to partner with committed volunteers from The Haiti Initiative to host a presentation and community conversation on climate change in the Port neighborhood of Cambridge. We discussed why the climate is changing, how the impacts are being felt in Cambridge, and what we can do to prepare for increases in extreme heat and flooding.

Using the City of Cambridge’s FloodViewer tool, we explored how the “ten-year floodplain” of the neighborhood is changing over time, and looked at pictures of the major storm that hit the Port in July 2010.

The group discussed how “Chanjman Klimatik” affects us all—from Cambridge to Arniquet—but doesn’t do so equally. We learned how to prepare ourselves, our families, and our neighbors for extreme weather events like heat waves and floods, and made emergency plans.

We were proud to work with the Haiti Initiative’s committed volunteers on this project, and are excited to see how this important partnership grows over time. Next time, we hope to be putting together emergency preparedness kits.