In connection with Earth Day, Mount Wachusett Community College’s Senator Robert D. Wetmore Center for Forest and Wood Products is hosting a series of panel discussions on environmental issues as well as the forest and wood products industries in the Commonwealth. The series is co-hosted by Massachusetts Senator Anne Gobi, a friend and colleague of Senator Wetmore.
“The Role of Forests in Carbon Sequestration”
The first event was held on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Moderator George Locasio, MWCC forestry professor and former wilderness firefighter, was joined by panelists Laura Marx, Climate Solutions Scientist with The Nature Conservancy, Brian Hawthorne, Habitat Program Manager with the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and Emma G. Ellsworth, Executive Director of the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust.
Here are links to some of the resources that were mentioned both during the presentations and in the chat.
- Carbon Storage on MassWildlife Lands
- Worcester County Conservation District Seedling Sales
- Land Owner Information from UMass
- Combined Smart-Climate Practices
- Book: More Than a Wood Lot
About Senator Wetmore
Senator Robert D. Wetmore served the Commonwealth for over thirty years as both a representative and senator. During his long and distinguished career, Senator Wetmore authored an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution, which was adopted in 1972, known as the “Environmental Bill of Right.” As House chair and founder of the Growth Policy Commission, Wetmore promoted state and local planning to balance growth and development. As chair of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and the Special Commission on the Future of Mature Industries, Wetmore promoted economic development as well as measures to establish special programs for dislocated workers. Senator Wetmore was appointed Chair of the Forest & Wood Products Advisory Board by Massachusetts Senate President Thomas Birmingham. The MWCC Robert D. Wetmore Center for Innovation in Design, Technology and Resource Development is named in his honor.
About Sustainability at MWCC
MWCC was at the forefront of the national climate movement when it converted its all-electric campus to biomass heating in 2002. This successful initiative lead to additional renewable solutions at the college, including the installation of solar panels and two wind turbines. These renewable technologies are integrated into teaching and learning experiences, particularly in MWCC’s Natural Resources Technology program. The message of sustainability is incorporated throughout the campus community. Members of the student club, The Green Society, helped initiate an organic Community Garden, an organic kitchen garden, single-stream recycling and a composting program.
A charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), MWCC has been recognized nationally for its success in renewable energy and conservation by organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the ACUPCC, and the National Wildlife Federation.