Saving the Great Marsh

On Wednesday, June 14th at 7 pm, the Trustees of the Reservations’ Lead Coastal Ecologist, Russ Hopping, will be presenting at the Storm Surge Speaker Series held at the Newburyport Senior/Community Center. For those unable to attend in person, the event will be broadcasted live on Comcast channel 8. Russ will speak to the importance of the Great Marsh ecosystem as well as the efforts to restore over 5000 acres of salt marsh over the next ten years and the pilot efforts at Old Town Hill in Newbury. Register for this event at storm-surge.org.
The Great Marsh stretches across 20,000 acres from New Hampshire to Gloucester. Its ecological functions are crucial, as it provides habitat for hundreds of fish, shellfish, birds, and mammals. Additionally, it serves as a natural barrier against sea level rise and storm surges, while absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and filtering pollutants from coastal waters.
However, the Great Marsh is under threat due to the increasing intensity of storms and rising sea levels caused by climate change. As a result, the marshes erode and critical habitat is lost, which leads to declines in native species and the rise of invasive animals and plants that threaten the ecosystem.
The Trustees of Reservations’ Saving the Great Marsh Project is an ambitious project aiming to restore the health of depleted salt marsh and strengthen its ability to serve as a buffer against climate change. Unfortunately, historical agricultural practices dating back to the colonial era have compromised marsh health, leaving it vulnerable to flooding. Without intervention, sea level rise will eventually cause the loss of marshland and its conversion to open water, which will have severe local and regional impacts on biodiversity and climate resiliency.
Russ Hopping, the Lead Coastal Ecologist for the Trustees of Reservations, has more than 20 years of experience restoring and managing natural habitats and resources, making him an ideal speaker for the Storm Surge Speaker Series. Hopping’s presentation will shed light on innovative nature-based methods used in the Great Marsh restoration project to rebuild and heal the marsh.
Storm Surge has been organizing the Speaker Series for over a decade, featuring climate science experts, government officials, and community activists. The series aims to educate and inspire the community to take action to mitigate the effects of climate change. For more information or to volunteer during one of our programs, email us at info@storm-surge.org or visit our website at storm-surge.org.