Although the majority of our town’s residents don’t live along Brunswick’s 61 miles of waterfront, what each person does impacts the waters that we depend upon for economic and recreational purposes. Some of those activities and connections may not be immediately obvious. But through a series of free public lectures co-hosted by the Town of Brunswick and the Curtis Memorial Library, a wide array of information is now available to residents about how to be more sustainable as a community.  

The Sustainable Brunswick series began in January of this year and has occurred every month since from 6-7:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month in the Morrell Meeting Room of Curtis Memorial Library. The series has featured numerous speakers from various offices and organizations working on projects to study and respond to climate change on a variety of topics related to sustainability, conservation and climate action. 

The most recent lecture was perhaps the most directly connected to the coast. “Prepared Properties,” which focused on how residents can best prepare for the change in the seasons, was aptly timed to occur just before the official start of fall. Techniques that property owners may have once used may need adjustment due to changes in weather and climate, including severity and frequency of storms and coastal flooding. A series of experts shared practical things that people can do to be better prepared in the coming months.  

Presenters included the town’s arborist, who discussed how to identify trees that could cause problems as well as what to do about them and how to best care for trees on your property to ensure their long-term health. The town’s fire chief talked about how emergency services respond to storms and other natural disasters in the area and help people to be better prepared in the future. A marine geologist from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry educated guests about bluff erosion that has occurred along many parts of the coast as a result of storms and flooding and provided resources to address these impacts. A recording of this lecture, along with the others in the series, will be available on the town’s website: brunswickme.gov. Click on the lecture you’d like to listen to in the community calendar and select “More Details” for the links. 

Many other lectures preceded the September event, including an earlier one, “Coasts at Risk: The Changing Tides of Climate,” which also addressed coastal erosion and flooding as well as the research and solutions in the works through state, educational and environmental groups. Other topics have included “Addressing Invasives,” which covered both land-based species such as Japanese knotweed as well as subtidal species like green crabs, and “Yardscaping,” which provided expertise on how to minimize the unintended environmental impacts of using pesticides and fertilizers in your yard.   

Often, impacts from climate change can feel daunting. But this series aims to break down these impacts into focused topics in order to provide some simple steps towards solutions for our community. I look forward to learning more through the content and connection to local experts who are working together on this. If you have questions about this series, please contact Brunswick Environmental Planner Ashley Charleson at acharleson@brunswickme.org or 721-4025. 

Susan Olcott is the director of strategic partnerships at Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.