SPEAKER: Kate Dempsey, State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Maine
In the fall of 2016, water was released into a bypass around a dam on the Penobscot River in Howland, Maine, marking the completion of a sixteen-year collaborative project to provide diadromous fish species with access to hundreds of miles of spawning habitat with no net loss to hydropower generated by the river. The nature of the collaboration and the success of the project have captured the attention of hydropower and resource planners from as far away as China. In order to succeed in this effort to protect nature, people came together and recognized the value of nature in their daily lives—an inherently local experience. And, because the project touched entire ecological, social and economic systems, it has had a global impact.
The Nature Conservancy’s Kate Dempsey will talk about her experiences scaling local efforts to achieve global conservation goals and will lead a discussion with attendees to generate new insights and build on shared knowledge—audience participation is encouraged!
Kate Dempsey is the State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Maine. Prior to her appointment in January 2016, she served as External Affairs Director for 13 years, managing the chapter’s policy, partnerships and marketing efforts. Ms. Dempsey holds an undergraduate degree in Government and Sociology from Bowdoin College and a M.A. from Tufts University Department of Urban and Environmental Policy. She has been a VISTA Volunteer in Kansas City, MO (Habitat for Humanity), worked in Washington D.C. for The Friends Committee on National Legislation, led a public health campaign for the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and served in the offices of US Representative Marty Meehan, MA and US Representative Tom Allen, ME.