In March 2025, the Stone Living Lab released findings from three projects funded by grants to three external organizations. These publications all explore nature-based approaches (NbA) through lenses of public health, open space access, economic opportunity, and climate justice. The three grant-funded projects confirm that NbA can deliver significant social co-benefits, such as cleaner air
Marc Albert is the Director of Natural Resource Partnerships for the National Parks of Boston, which includes the Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park, Boston National Historical Park and Boston African American National Historic Site. Marc facilitates the study and management of natural areas and cultural landscapes of the parks through partnerships and community
Join the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh at the Orient Heights Yacht Club (61 Bayswater Street, East Boston) for a talk by Dr. Jarrett Byrnes of UMass Boston on three Living Seawalls that have been established and are being studied in Boston Harbor. This event is free and open to the public; no registration is required.
To visit a ‘showroom’ is to enter a space between commerce and exhibition. In fashion, design, and manufacturing, the showroom crafts an elevated experience, with select objects thoughtfully presented for the audience to consider. More importantly, it crafts a vision of the future and pulls the audience toward it. the ShowRoom applies that construct, not
Shake off the winter blues and let your inner scientist loose. This popular annual event offers the opportunity to interact with professional scientists and amateur collectors while trying your hand at simple science explorations. Meet Harvard scientists who study extinct animals, zombie flies, and black holes! Learn from the Stone Living Lab, Boston Mineral Club,
Kristin Uiterwyk has more than 15 years of professional experience working in ocean and coastal policy and planning. As Director of the Urban Harbors Institute at UMass Boston, she leads a team of researchers and students to conduct applied research on topics pertaining to climate change and resilience, working waterfronts, seafood systems, coastal planning, natural
Melba Torres Sosa is a PhD student to UMass Boston working in the Byrnes Lab and on the Living Seawalls project. She is particularly interested in investigating the hidden world of microbes in urban environments, and is passionate about uncovering how microbial communities shape ecosystems & how we can recruit them to enhance nature-based) solutions. She is
Jasmine is this year’s Summer Education and Programs Intern for the Lab! She will be assisting the team in developing and implementing community activities around Boston Harbor and designing outreach materials. Jasmine is a rising senior at the University of Vermont, where she serves as President of the BIPOC Environmental Collective and as a Student
Join Boston Children’s Museum for a one-day climate event featuring hands-on activities outside on the boardwalk. Explore natural materials, design a tool to help clean trash out of the ocean, and more!
The Lab’s April seminar presentation will be an overview of Jessica Lillquist’s doctoral research: Understanding Opportunities and Limitations of Nature-based Strategies for Transformative Adaptation: An Examination of Stakeholder Values and Evolving Social Contracts in the Case Study of Boston. Jessica is a doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Boston in the School for the