Upcoming Events — Mass Pollinator Network

Global leaders and governance organizations are calling for transformative change as a way to navigate our future, thereby achieving a stable and livable climate and reversing the current biodiversity crash. Through a Rights of Nature/Wetlands lens, such a shift considers humans as part of Nature, not separate or superior to Nature. Indigenous Peoples who, for millennia, have viewed Nature as kin have often led the Rights of Nature movement. This paradigm shift translates the ethical valuing of Nature’s rights to exist, to have a place to exist, and to regeneratively participate in Earth’s natural processes into legal rights that can be defended, as a means of halting the current trajectory of ongoing degradation and destruction of Nature. Attendees will learn about the development of the Rights of Nature movement, with a special focus on Rights of Wetlands, and efforts to implement Rights of Nature and wetlands. Attendees will learn about key decisions during implementation of Rights of Wetlands, successful approaches, and lessons learned from some of the less successful cases. When implemented strategically, outcomes for wetlands, climate, and biodiversity can be improved. Links to materials will be shared including: Rights of Wetlands infographics/Quick Guides; Transforming Our Relationship with Wetlands: A Guide to the Rights of Wetlands; the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands; links to peer-reviewed journal articles on ROW; and a link to the Rights of Wetlands website.

Gillian Davies is a Senior Ecologist and Natural Climate Solutions Specialist at BSC Group, Inc., focusing on climate change and wetlands, ecological restoration, working to develop Nature-based Solutions, and operationalizing Rights of Wetlands. She is a Visiting Scholar at Tufts University Global Development and Environment Institute, chairs the SWS Rights of Wetlands Section, serves on the INTECOL Wetland Working Group, is a Society of Wetland Scientists Professional Certification Program representative to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Scientific and Technical Review Panel, was the 2016-2017 Society of Wetland Scientists President and was the 2021-2022 SWS Professional Certification Program President. She has a Master of Environmental Studies degree, concentration in ecosystem ecology, from Yale School of the Environment, and a bachelor’s degree from Williams College. She is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist and a Registered Soil Scientist and has given numerous presentations and co-authored journal articles on wetlands and climate change, rights of wetlands, and wetland soils in Massachusetts, nationally, and globally. She is the recipient of the Society of Wetland Scientists Merit Award, 40th Anniversary Award, and President’s Service Award, as well as the City of Taipei, Taiwan Ambassador of the City Award of Appreciation.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) stewards nearly a half million acres of public land. Across this diverse system are recreational spaces such as ball fields, pools, rinks, and playgrounds. Within these spaces there are many areas that present opportunities to create habitat, strengthen biodiversity, and enhance community green space. 

Through partnerships with local organizations and communities, DCR explores new ways to activate these spaces beyond recreation to create native plant habitat that supports pollinators and broader ecological goals. 

Join Patrick Lindquist, who leads the Growing Wild Massachusetts program for DCR, and Renée Scott who runs the Massachusetts Pollinator Network for Grow Native Massachusetts, as they discuss their collaboration at Foss Park in Somerville, to establish a native plant garden in an under-utilized space as a joint DCR/Grow Native MA/Community project. They will share how the idea developed, the process of bringing the garden to life, lessons learned along the way, and how this partnership model could be replicated in other communities across Massachusetts. 

Patrick Lindquist has coordinated the Growing Wild Massachusetts program for the last three years, after coming from the Greening the Gateway Cities Program.

Dr. Evans will share the latest science on how pesticides impact health, children’s unique vulnerability, and steps that families can take to reduce pesticide exposures.

Sarah Evans is an Associate Professor of Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She obtained her doctorate in neuroscience from Weill Cornell Medical College and her Master of Public Health degree from Mount Sinai, where she also completed a three-year fellowship in Environmental Pediatrics. Her research focuses on how early life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals like BPA and phthalates shape the brain and behavior. Through her work with the Mount Sinai Center on Health and Environment Across the LifeSpan (HEALS), Children’s Environmental Health Center (CEHC), Region 2 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU), and the New York State Children’s Environmental Health Centers (NYSCHECK), Dr. Evans is committed to translating research to action to promote safer practices and policies that protect communities from toxic chemicals. To this end, she is also a member of the New York State Public Health Association (NYSPHA) Policy Advocacy Committee and the New York State Cancer Consortium Environmental Action Team. Lastly, Dr. Evans co-directs the NYSCHECK Summer Academy, an 8-week training program that provides foundations in environmental health and advocacy to the next generation of public health professionals. 

Healthy soil is the foundation of a thriving garden and a resilient backyard ecosystem. In this practical workshop, participants will explore what soil health means from a home gardener's perspective and learn simple, accessible ways to improve the soil they already have.

We will look beneath the surface to understand how soil structure, organic matter, water, nutrients, roots, and soil organisms work together to support healthy plants. Participants will learn how common gardening practices—including mulching, composting, reducing soil disturbance, keeping living roots in the ground, and increasing plant diversity—can help build healthier soils over time.

Special attention will be given to creating soil conditions that support native plants and pollinator habitat, including approaches that avoid unnecessary fertilizers and amendments while improving water infiltration, nutrient cycling, and biological activity.

The workshop will emphasize observation and practical decision-making rather than complicated testing or expensive products. Participants will leave with a better understanding of how to evaluate their own backyard soils and a set of realistic practices they can begin using to build healthier soil, healthier plants, and more resilient habitat.

Rubén Parrilla is the Education Director and Soil Technical Coordinator at NOFA/Mass, where he develops and leads educational programs focused on soil health, regenerative agriculture, composting, and ecological land management. With a background in environmental laboratory science and soil biology, his work focuses on translating soil science into practical, accessible approaches that farmers, gardeners, and land stewards can use to better understand and manage their soils. He is a Soil Food Web School Certified Lab Technician and has completed advanced training in Korean Natural Farming and biological soil management.