Adapt-Mitigate-Educate

Join us for a free event Celebrating & Protecting Our Dark Sky: How Light Pollution Affects the Climate, Biodiversity and Our Health on Monday, June 23rd at 6:30 to 8:00 PM at Manship Artists Residency in Lanesville. Guests can arrive at 6:30 PM for refreshments and drinks, the talks begin at 7PM. The presenters are a physician, a scientist, and an artist. They will talk about why our night sky needs protecting and why it is essential to life, our life and that of fellow species on the planet. The presenters will also offer solutions on what we can do to help keep the night sky dark.

Register through the Manship Artists Residency website or here.

The speakers are Mario Motta MD, who has been at the forefront of groundbreaking research on light pollution. He will give a presentation about light pollution’s effects on the climate, biodiversity, and human health. The second speaker, Public Artist Jenn Houle, will tell us about her ‘Dark Skies’ glow-in-the-dark murals at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, as well as other public art projects she has initiated, such as ‘Plant Paint Cross-Pollinate’, a migrating butterfly mural project which focuses on the magical power of native plants to save pollinators and heal our planet. Jenn will bring examples of her artwork to share. Astrophysicist, Dr. William Waller, will start the program with a short talk about our planet’s biosphere.

There will also be information about Manship’s Starfield firefly project and the Gloucester Area Astronomy Club’s star parties.

This event is sponsored by Cape Ann Climate Coalition and Manship Artists Residency in partnership with the Gloucester Area Astronomy Club, Backyard Growers, Artists for the Great Marsh, and the Lanesville Community Center.

Please join us for an in-person presentation on Indigenous Ways: Spirituality and Care for Each Other and for All of Life .This presentation will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1123 Washington St. Gloucester, on Saturday, June 28 at 4PM. This is a free event. All are welcome. 

David Weeden, a member and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the Wampanoag Tribe in Mashpee, MA will talk about his tribe’s history of living lightly along the coast before Europeans arrived in New England and how traditional ways are being adopted to restore the health of degraded ecosystems in Mashpee.  

Indigenous peoples throughout the world have known how to live sustainably and in harmony with nature.  This program is devoted to the memory of Dr. Judith Oleson, a member of St. Paul Church and expert in international reconciliation.  As Cape Ann deals with the increasing threats from climate change coming to our shores, we will need to rethink everything about how we relate to and steward our community and our ecosystems at risk.  

According to Reverend Sue Kohler-Arsenault of the Annisquam Village Church,“Some of the most significant voices in the interfaith movement to address the climate crisis come from Native communities.  We are fortunate that someone who is putting his own community’s practices into use can help guide us towards next steps here.” The event is presented by the Interfaith Committee of the Cape Ann Climate Coalition with support from a grant from NOAA.