Nature Wins Podcast: A Climate Adaptation Journey

Nature Wins Podcast Episode 9: The Neighborhood Resiliency Project

In this episode of Nature Wins, host Maureen Aylward is joined by guests Collin Buckner and Kyle McWilliam-Lopez to discuss TownGreen’s Neighborhood Resiliency Project. This episode provides listeners with an overview of the Neighborhood Resiliency Project. The City of Gloucester’s Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross are partners with TownGreen. Discussion will touch on a growing network of nonprofit organizations and programming goals: completing household emergency plans and giving away emergency go-bags. The three entities are embarking on neighborhood-by-neighborhood programs that focus on social connectedness and flood risk information.  Brief Bios * Collin Buckner, City of Gloucester Assistant Director, Office of Emergency Management Collin originally moved to Massachusetts from Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2018 for a national year of service with the AmeriCorps Cape Cod program, where he served with the Barnstable County Regional Emergency Planning Committee and Town of Falmouth: Marine & Environmental Services. While there, Collin got hands-on experience with emergency planning and operations. Since then, Collin has lived between New England and the Gulf Coast, working in emergency management and disaster response roles for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the American Red Cross, the water and wastewater industry, and local government. His drive to make lasting, positive changes in systems and the environment is what brought Collin to Gloucester. * Kyle McWilliam-Lopez, Executive Director, American Red Cross NortheastKyle is a California native who found his way to Massachusetts through a career dedicated to community and humanitarian service. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia—teaching beekeeping and leading water infrastructure projects—and working in workforce development and renewable energy in California, Kyle joined the American Red Cross in 2017. His eight years with the organization have taken him from hurricane recovery operations in Florida to managing statewide recovery services and government relations across Massachusetts. He now serves as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Northeastern Chapter, overseeing disaster response and emergency preparedness across 62 cities and towns. Kyle holds a Master's in Public Policy and International Relations from the Middlebury Institute and a BA in Sociology from UC Davis. Outside of work, Kyle coaches his son's soccer team and enjoys running, cooking, and cold water plunging in Cape Ann.

Episode 8: Cape Ann MARCH

Nature Wins Podcast Episode 8: Cape Ann MARCH Host Maureen Aylward is in conversation with Greg Federspiel, Cape Ann MARCH Director, and Brendhan Zubricki, Town of Essex Town Administrator, to discuss the launch and details of the new municipal working group. Description: In this episode of Nature Wins, host Maureen Aylward is joined by guests Greg Federspiel, Cape Ann MARCH Director, and Brendhan Zubricki, Town of Essex Town Administrator, who discuss Cape Ann MARCH, a new municipal working group launched by TownGreen in September 2025. This episode provides listeners with an overview of how Cape Ann municipalities, community-based organizations, and academic institutions are convening to look at regional coastal adaptation projects and the possibilities of what they can achieve together.

Episode 7: Coastal Relocation

In this episode of Nature Wins, host Maureen Aylward discusses coastal relocation with Emma Gildesgame from The Nature Conservancy, and Leigh Meunier and Lexi Lafferty from CREW (Communities Responding to Extreme Weather). Across the New England coast and the Eastern Seaboard, coastal relocation and retreat are difficult but necessary topics for communities to tackle. This episode provides listeners with an overview of how communities are thinking about relocation, how they’re talking about it, and examples of where it's working.  Brief Bios * Emma Gildesgame, Climate Adaptation Director, The Nature Conservancy https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/our-people/emma-gildesgame/ [https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/our-people/emma-gildesgame/] Emma Gildesgame is a Climate Adaptation Director for The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. Emma is passionate about elevating and empowering communities [https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/massachusetts/stories-in-massachusetts/equitable-funding-climate-community/] most often impacted by climate change * Leigh Meunier, Project Manager, CREWhttps://www.climatecrew.org/our_team [https://www.climatecrew.org/our_team] Leigh Meunier is a Project Manager at Communities Responding to Extreme Weather also known as CREW, which is based in Cambridge. She coordinates community engagement work for a number of CREW projects including the Charles River Flood Model project, Coastal RnR events, and a community participatory research study in downtown Boston. * Lexi Lafferty, Community Engagement Intern, CREWhttps://www.climatecrew.org/our_team [https://www.climatecrew.org/our_team] Lexi Lafferty is the Community Engagement Intern at CREW. She is pursuing a masters degree in urban and environmental policy and planning at Tufts, and has worked on environmental justice and floodplain management and policy research.

Episode 6: Neptune’s Harvest and SaLT

Host Maureen Aylward is in conversation with Ann Molloy from Neptune’s Harvest about the spring planting season and Bart DiFiore, a core crew member of Gloucester Land and Sea Together.  In this episode of Nature Wins, host Maureen Aylward speaks to Ann Molloy from Neptune’s Harvest about the spring planting season and discusses how Neptune’s Harvest fish fertilizer builds organic matter to retain moisture so a garden needs less water, plus it will sequester more carbon. In Segment 2 we will hear from Bart DiFiore, a core crew member of  Gloucester Land and Sea Together [https://www.gloucestersalt.org/]. Gloucester SaLT is a group of farmers, fishermen, scientists, educators, and community members passionate about increasing understanding for how food is grown and harvested from local lands and waters. Its goal is to increase access, promote education, and support professional training programs related to local food harvested from both land and sea. Since fall 2022, SaLT has offered community courses during the fall and spring seasons. Typically, courses are offered weekly for 3-4 weeks, culminating in an celebratory evening preparing the "fruits" of your labor. Previous topics have covered optimum growing conditions for your farm or garden, introduction to fish species, ecology of the Gulf of Maine, and fish fileting and preparation. BIOs Ann Molloy, Neptune’s Harvest  Ann Molloy was born and raised in Gloucester, MA. After several years of traveling around the country and world, she settled back there and has been helping run her family business. For almost 25 years, Ann has overseen the marketing and sales for the Neptune’s Harvest division of Ocean Crest Seafoods, which came about to fully utilize 100% of the fish, by turning the gurry (everything that’s left after you filet a fish) into an organic fertilizer. She has a wide knowledge of organic fertilizers, and the fishing industry. She also loves to paint, write, and see live music. Bart DiFiore, Gloucester Land and Sea Together Bart is currently finishing a PhD in marine ecology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Before deciding to pursue a career in the marine sciences, Bart managed diverse vegetable and fruit farms in Massachusetts and Hawaii for six years. He is a licensed captain with the USCG and has worked on and around the waterfront in Gloucester since he was 14. He currently lives in Gloucester. Notes and Resources Resources for Neptune’s Harvest Segment * Click Here For The Website [https://www.neptunesharvest.com/] Resources for Gloucester Land and Sea Together * Click Here For The Website [https://www.gloucestersalt.org/] * connect@gloucestersalt.org ========================= Want to discover more about climate change and what difference you can make!? Subscribe, Follow and Like us on all of our channels to stay in touch, it also helps us out! Connect with us! Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/towngreeninc [https://www.facebook.com/towngreeninc] Follow us also on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/towngreeninc/ [https://www.instagram.com/towngreeninc/]  Come see some of our important webinars, talks and watch all the other informative and useful content we have! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi4yhC3sUXM29xHZH4sha2A [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi4yhC3sUXM29xHZH4sha2A]  ____________________________________ Come watch The Nature Wins podcast on YouTube!  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdhv6InnwkKUMnmI3ngTFYzOnVhuTQwD4 [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdhv6InnwkKUMnmI3ngTFYzOnVhuTQwD4]  You can also listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nature-wins-podcast-a-climate-adaptation-journey/id1710371497 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nature-wins-podcast-a-climate-adaptation-journey/id1710371497] If you want to learn more check out our website to subscribe to our newsletter, see updates and have access to resources! https://towngreen2025.org/ [https://towngreen2025.org/] ========================= Thanks for listening to Nature Wins Podcast, we appreciate your support! #naturewins #climatechange #saveourplanet #capeann #sustainability #lovecapeann #saveourplanet

Episode 5: It’s Regional: North Shore Climate Groups

This is Cape Ann’s climate story. Nature Wins is exploring the climate adaptation journey of this storied coastal region of Massachusetts. Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, and Manchester-by-the-Sea are communities of people who know their way around a storm. Yet, the region and its people face serious climate change impacts – and the mitigation, adaptation, and acceptance work that needs to happen is slowly making progress. In this episode of Nature Wins, host Maureen Aylward speaks to members of climate groups on the North Shore about their organizations and program offerings. Listeners will hear from Dean Berg from Green Beverly , David Smith from Hamilton/Wenham Climate Action Team, and Louise Bullis Yarmoff of Sustainable Marblehead. Dean Berg is Green Beverly’s executive director. The organization’s mission is to help all Beverly residents and businesses lead more sustainable lives through actionable information, inspiration, and education. David Smith from the Hamilton/Wenham Climate Action Team will explain the group’s success over the last several years with climate mitigation initiatives and provide a history of the organization. Its mission is to protect and preserve the environment for future generations and work towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving natural resources, and promoting sustainable living practices. Louise Bullis Yarmoff former Executive Director of Sustainable Marblehead, is an educator and communicator. Louise has a long-held interest in sustainability. She previously taught English as a second language at Pathways Adult Education in Lynn and served as project manager for an educational exchange program for French young professionals. ======================================== Want to discover more about climate change and what difference you can make!? Subscribe, Follow and Like us on all of our channels to stay in touch, it also helps us out! Connect with us! Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/towngreeninc [https://www.facebook.com/towngreeninc] Follow us also on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/towngreeninc/ [https://www.instagram.com/towngreeninc/]  Come see some of our important webinars, talks and watch all the other informative and useful content we have! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi4yhC3sUXM29xHZH4sha2A [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi4yhC3sUXM29xHZH4sha2A]  ____________________________________ Come watch The Nature Wins podcast on YouTube!  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdhv6InnwkKUMnmI3ngTFYzOnVhuTQwD4 [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdhv6InnwkKUMnmI3ngTFYzOnVhuTQwD4]  You can also listen to us on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nature-wins-podcast-a-climate-adaptation-journey/id1710371497 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nature-wins-podcast-a-climate-adaptation-journey/id1710371497] If you want to learn more check out our website to subscribe to our newsletter, see updates and have access to resources! https://towngreen2025.org/ [https://towngreen2025.org/] ======================================== Thanks for listening to Nature Wins Podcast, we appreciate your support! #naturewins #climatechange #saveourplanet #capeann #sustainability #lovecapeann #saveourplanet