Norwalk Land Trust Welcomes Dr. Adam Whelchel

From Norwalk Land Trust: How will Norwalk be affected by rising sea levels? The public is invited to attend a free presentation by the director of science at The Nature Conservancy of Connecticut, Dr. Adam Whelchel, at Norwalk Land Trust’s annual meeting Jan. 23 (Monday) at the Rowayton Community Center, 33 Highland Ave. A cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. precedes Dr. Whelchel’s talk at 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Whelchel’s 25-year career in leadership positions has catalyzed partnerships with strategic direction for government agencies, private firms, academic institutions and non-profits in the U.S., China, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and Africa. He has been called on to assist diverse groups in team building, strategic planning and community resilience.

Connecticut is the first state to complete a salt marsh advancement assessment down to the parcel scale for its entire coastline. After developing a salt marsh advancement model with the University of Connecticut, The Nature Conservancy’s Coastal Resilience Team has finished a salt marsh advancement zone assessment for all 24 municipalities along Connecticut’s coastline including Norwalk. Never before has there been compiled such detailed, parcel-scale information designed to provide decision-makers and stakeholders with:

• How much salt marsh advancement occurs on existing open space (refuges, parks, preserves, etc.).
• How much conflict there will likely be in the future between the existing environment (roads, airports, schools, neighborhoods, businesses, etc.) and daily tides influenced by sea level rise.

This information is designed to help with the overall goal of building community resilience along Connecticut’s coast. Specifically, Dr. Whelchel is to detail what the future holds for Norwalk and its coastal nature resources.

The Norwalk Land Trust is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the environment by acquiring natural open space and protecting it for perpetuity. At this time, the NLT stewards 28 parcels of land covering 98 acres.

Photo courtesy of the Norwalk Land Trust: Dr. Adam Whelchel