This webinar will look at how various elements of Climate change will Impact CT, from sea level rise to heavier rain events. It will cover how it impacts the homes, Town infrastructure and roads in our Flood Plain and how the Plan of Conservation and Development will address some of these concerns. It will also touch on climate change impacts such as heat waves, vector borne diseases (like ticks), increased precipitation events and stormwater, and impacts to coastal marshes, and then types of adaptation such as living shorelines and some projects that UConn students are doing to assist communities with climate adaptation.
Speakers
- Juliana Barrett – Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension
- Becky Bunnell – Chair Town of Fairfield Flood and Erosion Control board
- Emmeline Harrigan, AICP, CFM – certified Planner and Floodplain Manager and currently serves as the Assistant Planning Director in Fairfield, CT
Juliana Barrett is with the University of Connecticut Sea Grant College Program, the Department of Extension, and CLEAR (UConn’s Center for Land Use Education and Research). Her work focuses on climate adaptation and resilience as well as habitat management and restoration working with Connecticut’s municipalities, NGO’s and state and federal partners. She has developed numerous tools and websites for coastal and inland residents on native plantings and habitats. Prior to coming to Sea Grant in 2006 she worked as a consultant and for The Nature Conservancy as the Director of the Connecticut River Tidelands Last Great Places Program. She has a doctorate in plant ecology from the University of Connecticut and is a co-author of the Vegetation of Connecticut.
Becky Bunnell is a Fairfield Resident , part of the Sustainable Fairfield task Force and Chair of the town’s Flood and Erosion Control Board. The FECB plans, constructs, reconstructs and manages the Town’s flood and erosion control system.
Emmeline Harrigan is a certified Planner and Floodplain Manager and currently serves as the Assistant Planning Director in Fairfield, CT. She has a Masters in Urban Planning degree from UCLA and is a member of the CT Association of Flood Managers. She previously served as Milford’s Assistant City Planner and assisted in disaster recovery and residency planning after both Storm Irene and Sandy.