Resilient Boston Harbor: Research for a Sustainable Future
Join the Stone Living Lab and the Boston Harbor Ecosystem Network for our first annual research conference.
About this event
The Stone Living Lab and the Boston Harbor Ecosystem Network (BHEN) held our first annual conference, “Resilient Boston Harbor: Research for a Sustainable Future” virtually on Tuesday October 26, 2021, with Boston Harbor field trips on Monday October 25th & Wednesday October 27th.
Conference Schedule I 10:00am – 5:00pm
- 10:00am – Welcome, Land Acknowledgement, & Opening Remarks
- 10:15am – Opening Plenary – Secretary Kathleen Theoharides, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
- 11:00am – Break
- 11:10am – Researcher Lightning Talks
- 11:40am – Poster Session/Ask a Researcher
- 12:15pm – Lunch
- 1:15pm – Breakout Session 1: Conducting Experiments in Boston Harbor | National Park Service
- 2:20pm – Breakout Session: Resiliency of Natural and Developed Coastal Systems I UMass Boston
- 3:30pm – Break
- 3:45pm – Breakout Session: Co-Benefits of Resiliency Measures & A Welcoming Waterfront I Boston Harbor Now
- 4:50pm – Summary & Report Out
- 5:00pm – Closing Remarks
For more information, contact Brittany Knotts: bknotts@stonelivinglab.org
The Stone Living Lab is an innovative and collaborative initiative for testing and scaling up nature-based approaches to climate adaptation, coastal resilience and ecological restoration in the high-energy environment of the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. A “Living Lab” brings research out of the lab and into the real world by creating a user-centered, open, innovative ecosystem that engages scientists and the community in collaborative design and exploration.
The Stone Living Lab is a partnership of the City of Boston, UMass Boston School for the Environment, Boston Harbor Now, the National Parks of Boston, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation.
The Boston Harbor Ecosystem Network (BHEN) – formerly the Boston Harbor Habitat Coalition – is comprised of individuals and organizations with a shared interest in preserving, conserving, and restoring estuarine habitats and resources within the Metro Boston region of MassBays National Estuary Partnership. BHEN aims to increase communication and facilitate collaboration among people and groups working toward common goals of protecting estuarine ecosystems in and around Boston Harbor, as well as the coastal communities that are inherently linked to these ecologically important and economically valuable habitats.
BHEN includes and welcomes participants from local, regional, state, and federal agencies, watershed and community groups, academic institutions, science education centers, the private sector, community science efforts, and local communities; all are encouraged to attend and participate in BHEN events, which typically including spring and fall meetings and several field trips, to discuss research, initiatives, and projects in BHEN, MassBays, and beyond, to network with a diverse community, and to learn from experts and practitioners about best practices and opportunities in estuarine health and management.
This conference was also made possible due to the support of our partners at the National Park Service.