CRWA at 35th Annual Nonpoint Source (NPS) Conference

Leigh Meunier, Alfredo Con, and Max Rome at Wolf’s Neck in Freeport Maine during their travel for NEIWPCC NPS conference.

CRWA’s Max Rome and Alfredo Con, joined by Leigh Munier (CREW), took the trip to Portland Maine to catch an April snowstorm and present on recent developments with the Charles River Climate Compact.

NEIWPC’s Annual Nonpoint Source Conference is a chance to connect with watershed and state environmental groups around the latest stormwater science, strategies, and success stories.  In our urban watershed, where more than 60% of residents live in state-classified Environmental Justice neighborhoods, stormwater and flooding are not always the communities’ top priority. For CRWA, a key has been meeting residents where they are and identifying climate mitigation projects that address existing community needs. We shared some lessons we have learned working with watershed communities and especially engaging residents who may not self-identify as environmentalists.  Max shared updates about our work with Newton along Cheesecake Brook, and Leigh shared a range of play-based strategies that the climate compact has used in engaging with residents.