Mitchell Center to host talk on building climate resilience in polarized places Sept. 18
The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine will host a talk, “Herding Ostriches: Building Climate Resilience in Polarized Places” with Sunrise County Economic Council’s Tanya Rucosky at 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18.
Rucosky’s talk will explore how Maine Won’t Waits’ climate goals are being met in both traditionally liberal and more conservative parts of the state. She is one of four regional coordinators for Maine’s Community Resilience Partnership (CRP). The program works to build community buy-in to lower Maine’s carbon emissions and protect its residents from climate change through a thoughtful bottom-up approach. CRP has seen 30% of Maine’s communities enroll in the program. As a regional coordinator, Rucosky helps communities access funds and technical assistance through the CRP.
Originally focused on water quality in the Appalachian coal fields, Rucosky has worked with diverse communities in Asia, Australia and now in the Down East region to improve their environments and quality of life. Trained as a natural resource manager and archivist, Rucosky has a tenacious commitment to the practicalities of “getting things done.”
All sessions in the Mitchell Center’s Sustainability Talks series are free and are offered both remotely via Zoom and in person at 107 Norman Smith Hall. Registration is required to attend remotely; to register and receive connection information, see the event webpage.
To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth, 207.581.3196; hallsworth@maine.edu.