Monday, December 9, 2024
11:00AM-2:30PM
Harvard Senior Center
16 Lancaster County Road, Harvard, MA 01451

Back by popular demand!!! Part field equipment show-and-tell, part “wetland scientist fashion show”. It’s an opportunity to share what you gotta have when you head out into the field, and what you’ll never buy again.

It can be whatever makes your job easier (or harder): from tick repellents and field guides, to clothing and equipment, to trail food on those days you have to skip lunch to finish reviewing a delineation, or investigate a violation. Anything goes if it’s important to you. You can wear it, bring it, or just tell us about it. Information on where to get it and what it costs would be appreciated.

We will also have some time for general networking so bring your questions and projects to share with your peers!

Finally, we will hold our annual potluck lunch, so bring your dish, appetites, and containers for leftovers. 

Wednesday, December 18, 2024
12:00PM-1:15PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

Join us for a dynamic virtual networking event focused on fostering collaboration and community for local climate resilience! Given the current moment, it’s more important than ever for municipal conservation and sustainability professionals to come together to advance climate resilience in our cities and towns. This event will provide an opportunity to connect, learn from each other, and explore overlapping work.

This event is hosted by Mass ECAN (Ecosystem Climate Adaptation Network), the MA Society for Municipal Conservation Professionals (MSMCP), and the MVP (Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness) Program. 

Wednesday, January 15, 2025
(Rain date January 29)
9:00AM-3:00PM

Wildlife Tracking at Quabbin Reservoir with Bob Etzweiler, Vermont Wilderness School. On this interactive, full day workshop outside, we'll get to know the non-human animals that we share this part of the planet with by slowing down and looking closely at the tracks and sign (evidence other than tracks) that they leave behind. The Quabbin Reservoir is a rich natural environment with a lot to offer, explore, and learn from.

LIMITED TO 10 participants at cost to participant.

More details to come soon.

Wednesday, November 20th, 2024
11:00AM - 12:30PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

Mike Gendron, Open Space Act Coordinator, will present an overview of An Act Preserving Open Space in the Commonwealth (“The Open Space Act”), and specifically the role the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs (EEA) plays in this new process. Mr. Gendron will also discuss the interaction of The Open Space Act and EEA’s existing Article 97 Policy. Finally, Mike will provide a summary of Article 97 bills passed in the 2023-2024 session and lessons learned. Ample time will be provided at the end for questions.

Thursday, November 7, 2024
11:00AM-1:00PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

Jennifer Steel, Chief Environmental Planner, Newton, MA, will present suggestions for administrative systems that can streamline your daily office responsibilities (agendas, minutes, Wetland Protection Act paperwork, etc.). She will illustrate strategies and provide templates that can help structure your tasks and help you use your time efficiently. Ample time will be provided at the end for questions.

Wednesday, October 30, 2024
12:00PM - 1:15PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

Conservation Commission members and their staff can play a critical role in educating their residents and municipal officials to stop using Rodenticide Poison. Join Heather Packard, Mass Audubon’s Community Organizer, to learn about the harms of rodent poisons, alternative rodent control options, and how to get involved. One of Mass Audubon’s top advocacy priorities is its Rescue Raptors program which supports groups in communities across Massachusetts to reduce the use of these poisons on both municipal and private properties. Currently, only 30 municipalities have local advocate groups. After the event, all registrants will receive Mass Audubon’s Rescue Raptors Tool Kit to help you get started in educating your community! This event is co-hosted by MSMCP and MACC.

Thursday, October 24, 2024
6:00PM - 7:30PM
"Uno's Pizzeria & Grill"
820 Hall of Fame Ave, Springfield, MA 01105

Many of us have seen the nightmares and frights that can accompany a wetlands application. It can be difficult to remain positive when met with a trick rather than a treat. Along with indulging in $11.99 pasta Thursdays (or of course any other options or boos you may want), let's have a gourd time and share examples of times we've navigated spooky filings, and how you were able to the ghouls at bay.

Wednesday, October 16, 2024
10:00AM - 2:00PM
Harvard, MA

Join Kristin O'Brien, Conservation Restriction Manager, at Sudbury Valley Trustees, for an overview and onsite presentation on monitoring conservation restrictions (CRs). Stewardship of CRs by conservation organizations requires both initial documentation and annual monitoring of the resources on the property. The monitoring process creates the opportunity to develop a relationship with the landowner, educate them about land stewardship, to learn whether land has changed hands and to help educate successor owners about the terms of the CR. Following an overview, participants will head to a nearby conservation parcel with a CR, to learn the skills of monitoring.
Limited to 15 MSMCP Members.

Wednesday, August 23, 2023
11:00AM - 12:00PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

Are your trails correctly represented on AllTrails? If you're looking to correct any misplacement of your trails on AllTrails, check out their new tool: the Public Lands Program. Designed exclusively for land management organizations, it gives you the ability to manage trail information on AllTrails and view data analytics on visitation. Pitt Grewe, Head of Public Land Partnerships will describe some of the editing features available to land managers.

After the presentation, Michele Grzenda, Lincoln Conservation Director, will share her incites on correcting information on both AllTrails (via Public Lands Program) and Open Street Maps.

Thursday, September 12, 2024*
6:00PM - 7:00PM
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge

MSMCP is partnering up with MACC's Young Professionals Committee to bring you a western MA event! Rich Parasiliti, Northampton Tree Warden, will lead a walk at the Silvio O. Conte Wildlife Refuge in Hadley, MA where he'll point out indicators of stress and pests in our typical New England forests, and will share tips on how to mitigate these as land managers.

Afterward, the group will retire to The Quarters in Hadley for drinks, food, and networking (and games if you're interested!).

* This event was postponed from July 17, 2024.

Wednesday, August 7, 2024
11:00AM - 12:00PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

Climate-smart agriculture does not necessarily define new farming practices. It includes and builds upon many practices that farmers and ranchers already use, like cover cropping, nutrient management, and conservation tillage. Advancing these practices with the goal of adapting to the current climate or preventing any potential impacts to it, is what makes them “climate-smart”. USDA offers financial assistance and one-on-one technical advice through a suite of voluntary programs to directly support farmers, forest landowners, and partners in implementing climate-smart management solutions. NRCS will provide an overview of program opportunities available to help with land conservation.

Thursday, July 18, 2024
11:00AM - 1:00PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

Brandon B. Faneuf, President of Ecosystem Solutions will provide an introduction to effective enforcement under the WPA, but with emphasis on ticketing under your local Bylaw. His presentation will include step-by-step instructions on how to do it, and who within Town Hall to ‘make friends with’ in order to maintain support, right up to conducting a hearing at your local District Court (if you’re so lucky!).

Tuesday, May 14th, 2024
9AM - 3:30PM
Stow Acres
Stow, MA

We will be learning about Stow’s efforts to protect and restore a large golf course property, looking at vernal pools, field ID of plants and animals, and supporting the removal of invasive species at a restoration area. All with lots of time for networking during the day along with an optional meet up after the meeting for socializing.

All dues-paying members are invited to attend at no extra cost, and we hope you will decide to join us!

See Flyer here. RSVP here.

If you are not a member yet but want to attend please join now.. If you want your municipality to pay by check, download the form and submit it to your accounting department. You also now have the option of paying for a membership online with a credit card. It is just $20 per fiscal year per town.

Thursday, April 25th, 2024
Starting 5:30PM
"Northampton Brewery"
11 Brewster Ct., Northampton, MA 01060

Thank you for everyone who was able to make it in March! We've added some new folks to our email list, so I'm excited to see who can come to our next meet-up!

(No RSVP or MSMCP Membership required!)

This time around, we'll be meeting in Northampton at Northampton Brewery. Western Region DEP Circuit Rider, Mark Stinson, will also be joining us and the topic to consider is land management vs. your capacity! We'd love to meet you and have a chance to get your opinion, share stories, ask advice, and make friends.

These events are open to any conservation professionals out there, not just Agents! So, please share this with anyone else you think could be interested or please let us know if you would like to be removed from this list going forward.

Any questions or suggestions?
Reach out to Angela Panaccione (MSMCP Vice President & Senior Environmental Planner at PVPC) at apanaccione@pvpc.com or 413-222-4934 OR Cassie Tragert (MSMCP Board Member & Easthampton Agent) at ctragert@easthamptonma.gov or 413-529-1463.

Hope to see you there!

Sponsored by Lincoln Conservation Department &
Lincoln Land Conservation Trust/Rural Land Foundation

Thursday, April 4, 2024
8:30AM – 9:30AM
Zoom

Join Michele Grzenda, Lincoln’s Conservation Director as she shares a virtual presentation on vernal pools. These seasonal wetlands are home to an array of plants, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife.

Learn about why vernal pools are so important, how to identify vernal pool wildlife, and discover how we protect them. Michele will also teach us how to identify frogs by their ‘trills’ and ‘croaks’.

After the presentation, Conservation Department and LLCT Staff will update you on recent and upcoming conservation projects.

Direct Zoom Link below: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/91366699916?pwd=cXFlWXJ3UjNCVDFKRmpJS3A4bHlNZz09

Please contact conservation@lincolntown.org
or 781-259-2612 with any questions.

Thursday, March 21, 2024
Starting at 5:30PM
"Fame"
386 Dwight Street, Holyoke, MA 01040

Join us for the very first of our new monthly meet-up events for agents in western Mass!

(No RSVP or MSMCP Membership required!)

MSMCP is working to increase the connections between conservation professionals across the state. However, towns in western mass can sometimes have a hard time getting to networking events that happen closer to the eastern part of the state. To help with that, we've reached out to all the WERO town agents we could find!

We'll be meeting in a different western region town each month and to kick-off, we're starting in Holyoke at Fame (fameholyoke.com). The topic for the evening will be the new DEP regulations and their impact on our towns. We'd love to meet you and have a chance to get your opinion, share stories, ask advice, and make friends.

Please share this with anyone else you think could be interested or please let us know if you would like to be removed from this list going forward.

Any questions or suggestions?
Reach out to Angela Panaccione (MSMCP Vice President & Senior Environmental Planner at PVPC) at apanaccione@pvpc.com or 413-222-4934 OR Cassie Tragert (MSMCP Board Member & Easthampton Agent) at ctragert@easthamptonma.gov or 413-529-1463.

Hope to see you there!

Thursday January 25, 2024
11:00AM - 1:00PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

Division of Conservation Services (DCS) is a division of MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) that offers funding to cities, towns, and nonprofit groups so that they can purchase and develop land for conservation or recreation purposes. DCS also reviews Conservation Restrictions (CR), administers the Conservation Partnership, PARC, and Land and Water Conservation Fund grants, reviews and approves municipal Open Space and Recreation Plans, administers the Conservation Land Tax Credit (CLTC) Program, and supports Conservation Districts. Grab your lunch and join Bob Wilber, Director of Conservation Services, Melissa Cryan, Grant Programs Supervisor, and Sheri Widdiss, Conservation Restriction Reviewer, to learn more about DCS and its various programs.

Wednesday, January 24, 2024
11:30AM - 1:00PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

MACC, MSMCP, and AMWS have joined together to host an informational roundtable discussion on the Climate Resiliency Package. Join us to learn more!

(Also, be sure to sign up for one or more of the DEP regulatory Information sessions - Info can be found here).

Wednesday, December 13, 2023
11:30AM - 2:30PM
10:30AM - 11:30AM: Board Meeting (All are welcome to attend)

Pequitside Farm
79 Pleasant Street
Canton, MA 02021

With special guest Ingeborg Hegemann Clark.

Join MSMCP for our annual holiday potluck and networking event. Ingeborg Hegemann Clark, professional wetland scientist and 20+ year member of the Stow Conservation Commission who will give a short talk with tidbits of inspiration – and we also have some other fun activities planned.

Bring your dish to share, appetites, and your own plate, utensils, cloth napkins, reusable cup! Please also bring extra containers for leftovers. We try each year to make this a “zero waste” event. Please bring cold items in a cooler as there is not a refrigerator. Outlets will be available for crock pots- please indicate in your item description. There is a small kitchenette with a sink and a small microwave available.

Wednesday, November 15, 2023
12PM - 1:30PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

Gregor I. McGregor, Esq. of McGregor Legere Stevens PC will present on Local Climate Action to the Massachusetts Society of Municipal Conservation Professionals. This will build on the popular 2022 and 2023 Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) presentations on the subject and Mr. McGregor’s presentation to the MA Municipal Lawyers Association (MMLA) last August.

Cities and towns need and want this valuable information, which includes reliable sources of actual wording to revise local Wetland Protection Regulations (without needing to amend the Home Rule Wetland Protection Bylaws) as well as to amend the Bylaws themselves to move a municipality from mere adaptation (reactive) to long-term resilience (proactive). Conservation Commissions have an important leadership regulatory role to play in this progress.

Attendees will receive information on the resource known as the Climate-Smart Wetland Regulations Provisions Website.

Wednesday, October 25, 2023
11AM - 1PM
Acton Arboretum
2 Taylor Rd, Acton, MA 01720

Join Russ Cohen for a woodland walk looking for edible native plants. Russ has been leading groups exploring edible plants for nearly 50 years.
Before “retirement” Russ worked many years for the Riverways Program (now part of the Division of Ecological Restoration) as the Rivers Advocate. Russ has received numerous awards for his rivers and advocacy work.
His foraging book, Wild Plants I Have Known...and Eaten, published by (and all proceeds benefiting) the Essex County Greenbelt Association, came out in June of 2004, and is now in its eighth printing.
To learn more visit: http://users.rcn.com/eatwild/bio.htm

Wednesday, October 18, 2023
11:00AM - 12:30PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

Eric Carlson, DCR Flood Hazard Management Program, will discuss the process involved with FEMA’s Flood Map updates which are currently underway in Massachusetts. He will cover requirements for communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) including updating local regulations to adopt new maps and also to comply with the State Model Bylaw. Inland and coastal Conservation Agents will not want to miss this.

After the formal presentation, Michele Grzenda, MSMCP Board member will be the moderator of the Q&A session:

We’d love to hear from any conservation professionals who are serving as the Floodplain administrator or assisting with the drafting of the floodplain zoning changes in your community.

What department(s) in your community review and permit work in the floodplain?

Thursday, September 7, 2023
12PM - 1PM
Virtual Event via Zoom

How can you increase the likelihood that a site walk will prepare your Commission for opening a wetland hearing, illuminate the effect of the proposed work on the surrounding resource areas, and help the Commissioners visualize what is to be built, all in an efficient manner?

Please join us for a short presentation of best practices gleaned from your peers, as well as lessons learned from the presenter Julie Meyer, Wetland Administrator for the Wellesley Wetland Protection Committee. If you wish, bring your favorite pro-tip and/or cautionary tale.

Wednesday, July 12, 2023
11AM - 12PM
Zoom

MACC and MSMCP are excited to co-host MassDEP's David Hilgeman, P.E., and UMass Professor, Scott Jackson on this overview of the recently released/revised Massachusetts Handbook for Delineation of BVWs & Massachusetts Inland Wetland Replacement Guidelines. New methodologies align better with U.S. Army Corps and are backed by current science under the U.S. Clean Water Act.

This presentation provides an overview of the new document highlights. A tentative schedule of upcoming field training classes will be provided for more in-depth, future outreach events for the late spring and early summer of 2023.

Tuesday, July 11, 2023
11AM - 1PM
Natick, MA

Join Claire Rundelli, Natick Planner Conservation Agent, and Andre Stongbearheart Gaines and Kristen Wyman of the Nipmuc people as we visit an Atlantic White Cedar Swamp. The Natick Conservation Commission in coordination with the Nipmuc tribe have submitted a DCR Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Grant to develop a stewardship plan for this Atlantic White Cedar Swamp. Straight grained, light, and insect resistant, Atlantic white cedar was used in many ways, including for boat and ship building. Atlantic white cedar can only colonize open boggy areas because its seedlings do not grow well in the shade. Atlantic white cedar trees (Chamaecyparis thyoides) actually create this very rare wooded wetland habitat found in a narrow band only within 100 miles of the coast along the eastern seaboard. The goal for Natick’s forest is to ensure the ecosystem is preserved and maintained according to indigenous practices, allowing for future educational opportunities of traditional practices for young Nipmuc tribe members.

Wednesday, June 7, 2023
10AM - 3PM
Nature’s Classroom
Charlton, MA

MSMCP’s 2023 Annual Meeting will be held at Nature’s Classroom in Charlton, MA and will provide participants an opportunity to attend 4 out of 8 breakout topics throughout the day that are relevant to conservation agents and other conservation commission staff at all stages of their career.

Annual Meeting Flier with detailed descriptions of the breakout topics can be found here.

You must be a FY23 MSMCP member in order to attend.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Zoom

Susan Rask, Former Concord Public Health Director will present tick facts and life-cycle information, tick-borne diseases in Massachusetts, and practical prevention strategies.

Michele Grzenda, Lincoln’s Conservation Director will give us a brief overview on how eastern Massachusetts’s deer population has changed over time. She will also review the impacts deer have on forest health and the relationship between deer and deer ticks.

Wednesday, April 12, 2023
11AM - 2PM
Stow, MA

Join Scott Smyers, AMWS Past President and Vice President and Senior Scientist at Oxbow Associates and Jennifer Carlino, MSMCP Vice President and Easton Environmental Planner, as we visit several Potential Vernal Pools to collect data under the MA Natural Heritage and Engendered Species Program Guidelines for the Certification of Vernal Pool Habitat. In this field practical we will identify vernal pool species and learn tips on data collection including how to take good photos and audio recordings. Space limited to the first 20 registrants.

Wednesday, April 5, 2023
11:00AM - 12:00PM
Zoom

MassWildlife and The Nature Conservancy of Massachusetts released an updated BioMap tool in November 2022. The newly-enhanced BioMap is an online resource that identifies critical land and waterways throughout Massachusetts most in need of conservation. BioMap’s comprehensive approach identifies the most critical habitats for rare species, fish, and wildlife, along with intact and climate-resilient ecosystems and landscapes. It includes regional connectivity data, statewide conservation priorities, and resources unique to each municipality for making informed local decisions. This presentation will cover what’s new with BioMap, a live demonstration, and time for questions.