What would you do if a forest fire broke out in Acton? Does your household have a plan for where to go and where to meet? Weather extremes, such as the current drought, make these questions more immediate. The issue of wildfire is just one example of the many challenges Acton leaders must consider as they develop a municipal vulnerability plan.
When local residents gathered at the Acton Memorial Library for the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Community Potluck on November 16, they gave input on a range of climate impacts from flooding and stormwater runoff to extreme heat to resilient transportation. However, another element of vulnerability was uppermost on everyone’s minds—social resilience. Acton has received a $50,000 MVP 2.0 grant to help make sure that all people in our community can be resilient in the face of an emergency, from older adults to English learners to youth and beyond. One goal of the meeting was to elicit ideas about how best to spend this money so that everyone’s concerns and resources are taken into account. Input is also welcome via an online survey available at bit.ly/MVPACTON sponsored by the Acton Sustainability Office.
Molly Shea, Senior Environmental Planner with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), was on hand to highlight the importance of involving Acton residents through the MVP 2.0 Plan. “Municipal leaders do vulnerability planning every five years,” Shea explained. “But with the MVP 2.0 process, the goal is to involve community members, especially those whose voices are not normally heard.”
Acton Sustainability Director Andrea Becerra expressed her excitement. “We have a team of interns from different parts of the Acton community. They have been reaching out to others and sharing great ideas.” One intern, an Acton mom named Jenny, mentioned discussion of “climate education hubs” around Acton. Sustainability Director Becerra pointed to the example of Medford, MA, where they have created a “Resilience Hub,” that is both an emergency location during climate events and a trusted place for other community services.
Other ideas mentioned at the MVP Community Potluck included developing a variation of a “neighborhood watch” or Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for education and emergency situations, sharing maps of flood-prone areas, creating evacuation routes, having community charging stations available if the power goes out, and being clear about where our most vulnerable households are and how they will be included in emergency plans.
“The real goal,” Becerra emphasized, “is to ensure genuine communication throughout the community, so that everyone knows about potential risks but also knows about Town resources available to them.” For instance, several participants at the potluck mentioned being unaware that the Acton Memorial Library is a cooling center for summer heat emergencies.
A number of recent studies, including work on flooding in North Carolina by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S. Dept of Commerce), emphasize the importance of community awareness for resilience, including home and business emergency plans, municipal communication about impending weather events, and strengthening ties between neighbors.
MVP 2.0 student intern Juliet mentioned that the whole process of exploring resilience in Acton has been a meaningful experience of community. “As an Acton-Boxborough High School student, my life is focused on teachers, fellow students, and family. It has been a good reminder to be in touch with other sectors of our Town. Climate change affects all of us. As we discuss in English class, life is more than mirrors. We need windows, too! We need to see beyond ourselves.”
Town Environmental Analyst, Lauren West, summed up the MVP Community Potluck, “These events always involve great feedback. And it is a plus to share good food!”
Karen Root Watkins is on the admin team for EnergizeActon.org, a community website and clean energy/climate education group sponsored by the Acton Climate Coalition and the Town of Acton Sustainability Office.