The SNEC Board of Directors would like to thank all of our fabulous speakers for their energy and expertise!

Speaker Biographies and Contact Information (PDF)

Workshop and Presentation Descriptions and PDFs

Keynote Address:  Adapt CT – Outreach Efforts for Resilience and Adaptation (6 MB) | CT Sea Grant, the Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) and UConn Extension have partnered to develop Adapt CT, a unique collaboration to bring information, interaction and dialogue to the most pressing resilience and adaptation issues faced in CT.  This presentation will focus on the numerous and challenging problems raised by stakeholders across CT and how we are working to move forward on many of these resilience issues.
– – -> Juliana BARRETT | Extension Educator, UConn Sea Grant Program

Soil Workshop #1:  Getting to Know Soils in an Urban/Suburban Environment (5 MB) | Exploration of the unique hazards faced by urban soils and of the many benefits they offer.  Ideas for improvement and protection to sustain a healthy urban environment for the future.  Overview of urban soil types, mapping and practical measures to take when working with them.

“Urban soils are under unique stresses, but they give a lot too!”
– – -> Lisa KRALL | Resource Soil Scientist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Sustainability and Urban Forestry (5 MB)  | What makes for a sustaining urban forest?  That answer is as complicated as answering what makes an urban forest – as one considers what it takes for a tree to thrive in today’s dynamic urban environments.
– – -> Chris DONNELLY | Urban Forestry Coordinator, CT DEEP Division of Forestry

Sustainable Stormwater BMPs from the Municipal Perspective (4 MB)| Rarely is the sustainability and cost of maintenance by the cities, towns and private parties who will eventually own and maintain them a consideration prior to installation of stormwater management BMPs.  Case studies of local projects provide a real-life view of storm water management challenges and practical measures implemented to resolve them.
– – -> Charles EATON | Director of Municipal Services, CME Associates

Soil Workshop #2:  Urban Soil Health and Permaculture/Agriculture in Urban Areas (7 MB) | A look at managing the urban landscape to improve soil function and nutrient cycling, and to increase carbon sequestration, infiltration and water holding capacity.  Permaculture, the development of agricultural ecosystems intended to be sustainable and self-sufficient, will be highlighted.

“I have a passion for conservation, primarily through soil health and ecosystem restoration.  I am an avid believer that humans, while widely considered the problem to environmental issues, can also be the solution to them; and that we can, through the facilitation of understanding, improve the planet we live on.  It is with this torch I carry myself in my life and my career as a conservationist.  Become the change you want to see in the world, and see it done.” 
– – -> Raymond COVINO | District Conservationist and Soil Health Specialist, USDA NRCS

Municipal Resiliency: Local Problems, Local Actions | Seeing the impacts of climate change first hand, municipal and regional leaders are adapting to the changes at the local level. This session will cover the relationship between adaptation and land-use planning, and a recent resiliency project:  a Low-Impact Development Design Manual for the town of Morris (funded by CIRCA and overseen by NHCOG.  Attendees will learn about starting the adaptation planning process, where to find tools and informative case studies.
– – -> Joanna WOZNIAK-BROWN | Planning Assistant, Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG)

Bringing Wetlands to Market: Examining the Role of Nitrogen in Blue Carbon (5 MB) | Coastal wetlands have carbon sequestration rates three to five times greater than tropical rain forests; but excess nitrogen inputs and other stressors have the potential to alter carbon cycling and storage within wetlands.  Bringing Wetlands to Market is a collaborative project that provided data and a model for predicting carbon uptake rates (and greenhouse gas fluxes) from coastal wetlands.
– – -> Katelyn SZURA | Graduate Student, URI Moseman-Valtierra Laboratory

Practical Applications for Drones in Data Collection (5 MB) | Discussion of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (i.e.  drone technology), the regulatory environment and examples of commercial grade products delivered for clients.  Overview includes inspection and mapping for civil/environmental projects, documentation, stakeholder engagement and general considerations for planning and executing successful missions.  Example products & deliverables include Point Cloud/3D renderings, ortho-mosaics and elevation models.
– – -> Jon BUDRESKI | Co-Founder and Director of Business Development, AirShark

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BROCHURE

Speaker Biographies and Contact Information