CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAM SERIES IS HEATING UP AT GSWA

This informative, three-part series offers a movie showing and two diverse speaker programs examining the physical, economic, and social impacts of climate change in New Jersey and around the world.

HARDING TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY — Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) announced that they have scheduled three speaker program events on the topic of climate change, taking place in February, March, and April, 2018.

GSWA’s speaker programs, known as Breakfast Briefings and Evening Briefings, were designed to help area residents stay informed about important environmental issues affecting their lives.

Breakfast Briefings typically run between 8:00 AM and 9:30 AM, and coffee, tea, and a continental breakfast are served. Standard Evening Briefing hours are 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with light refreshments provided. The timeframes were selected to minimize overlap with traditional business hours. Presentations are brief to leave time for lively Q&A sessions. Most briefings take place at GSWA’s headquarters located at 568 Tempe Wick Road in Morristown, NJ with occasional exceptions. All event descriptions should be read carefully for exact dates, times and locations.

Climate Change Series:

On Sunday, February 25, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, GSWA will host a popcorn and movie night, presenting the documentary, Chasing Ice at GSWA Headquarters, 568 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown, NJ. Chasing Ice is an Emmy award winning, action-inspiring documentary that follows environmental photographer, James Balog, and his team as they chronicle the planet’s rapidly melting glaciers in Greenland, Iceland, and Alaska. Using time-lapse photography over the course of several years, they capture stunning images that depict the drastic erosion of these enormous, ancient glaciers. Watch the trailer at ChasingIce.com. As an added bonus, James Balog will join the audience via video chat for a Q&A session after the movie.

On Tuesday, March 13, from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM, a Breakfast Briefing, “Exploring NJ’s Climate Variability & Change” will take place at GSWA Headquarters, 568 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown, NJ. Within the past decade, New Jersey has experienced its wettest and warmest years in over a century of observations. Extreme events of late, including Sandy, Irene, and a number of hot summers, suggest that something is happening to NJ’s climate regime. Dr. David A. Robinson, Professor, Department of Geography & New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers University, will explore the physical dimensions of the issue, both short and long term.  Additionally, he will also provide information on how interested individuals can contribute to the monitoring of weather and climate conditions in the local region. A continental breakfast will be served.

On Tuesday, April 17, 2018, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, GSWA will hold an Evening Briefing, “Economic and Social Vulnerability to Climate Change in Coastal NJ” at GSWA Headquarters, 568 Tempe Wick Road, Morristown, NJ. Award winning author, Dr. Robin Leichenko, Professor and Chair of the Geography Department at Rutgers University, will examine the economic and social impacts of climate change in New Jersey. She will provide an overview of how climate change is affecting economic assets, activities, vulnerable communities, and populations. Dr. Leichenko will close by describing the on-going efforts by Rutgers University to help make the region more climate resilient. Light refreshments will be served.

Advanced registration is required for all events by registering online at GreatSwamp.org, or by phone at (973) 538-3500. GSWA members attend these events for free, non-members are asked for a $10 donation to help offset program costs. For more information about GSWA’s Climate Change Program Series, or to learn about other upcoming briefings, visit GreatSwamp.org.

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About the Great Swamp Watershed Association

Founded in 1981, the Great Swamp Watershed Association (GSWA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and improving the water resources of the Passaic River region, from the Great Swamp headwaters to Newark Bay, for present and future generations. Through education, advocacy, science, land preservation, and stewardship, in collaboration with partners, we work to instill our communities with an awareness of water’s effect on health and the beauty of the environment, from source to sea.  The organization educates over 3,000 school children, monitors over 30 stream locations, and holds approximately 50 public events each year.

For more information about the Great Swamp Watershed Association, visit www.GreatSwamp.org.

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Contact:        Val Thorpe
Director, Communications & Membership, GSWA
(973) 538-3500
vthorpe@greatswamp.org