JCAN

"Harm In The Water" - award-winning documentary
2026-02-05 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Suffolk University’s Modern Theatre, 525 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02111
JCAN-MA is honored to be a sponsor of the Boston screening of the multi-award winning documentary, Harm in the Water. This powerful film examines the devastating impact of industrial water pollution on Black communities along the Mississippi River. Through intimate portraits of community members, environmental activists and scientific experts, the film reveals how historical patterns of environmental hazards have created a modern crisis.
Director Kendall Moore takes viewers on a journey through the affected communities, highlighting both the struggles and resilience of residents fighting for clean water and environmental justice. The documentary combines compelling personal stories with rigorous scientific evidence to create an urgent call for change.
The screening will be followed by a talkback with director Kendall Moore.

Admission is FREE. Tickets are required. This event is open to the public.

Walk-up tickets will be available at the Modern Theatre box office on the day of the event, one hour before the event’s scheduled start time, subject to availability.

If you have any questions or if you need assistance reserving tickets, please email boxoffice@suffolk.edu .

Jewish Ecopoetry
2026-02-24 19:00 - 20:30
Jewish ecopoetry is an expanding tool for spiritual resilience in the face of climate disaster and ecological collapse. Join JCAN co-founder Rabbi Katy Allen and ecofeminist writer Thea Iberall, along with other area ecopoets such as Carla Schwartz and Laurie Rosen for an evening of poetry, reflection, and response. Through prompts during the event, you will also write your own poem, no experience required.
Rabbi Katy Allen
Katy Z. Allen is a rabbi, chaplain, poet, and eco-chaplain whose lifelong love of the outdoors shapes her spiritual and creative work. From her early days exploring fields and streams in Wisconsin to decades of teaching, writing, and leading in Massachusetts, she draws wisdom from the natural world and helps others discover meaning there too.
She founded Ma’yan Tikvah – A Wellspring of Hope, an outdoor congregation, much of whose programming has since moved to Congregation Beth El in Sudbury, and she co-founded the Jewish Climate Action Network-MA. Katy has also served as a hospital and hospice chaplain, bringing care and nature-based spirituality to those she served.
Her recent book, A Tree of Life: A Story in Word, Image, and Text, reflects her love of weaving poetry, story, text and image. She is also the editor of Earth Etudes for Elul and other works, and she previously shared reflections at www.mayantikvah.blogspot.com.
In her retirement, Katy has turned her focus to poetry and her work has appeared online at New Verse News and in The Jewish Poets Collective Journal. Forthcoming, her work will be included in the Art on the Trails chapbook and online at Bluebird Word.

Thea Iberall
Thea Iberall has been called ‘a shimmering bridge between heart and mind.’ She’s performed poetry and storytelling since 1998, representing LA at the National Poetry Slams. An inductee into the International Educators Hall of Fame, she is featured in the documentary GV6: The Odyssey – Poets, Passion and Poetry. OC Weekly said Thea “tells narrative stories using simple words that mask hidden layers of meaning and emotion.” The host of Expresso Yourself Coffeehouse, she has performed in Massachusetts and Southern California at Story Space, Limmud, Menino Arts Center, Rozzie Reads, Ugly Mug, to name a few. Her book of contextual poems, The Sanctuary of Artemis, traces the roots of patriarchal domination. Her musical We Did It For You! Women’s Journey Through History tells the story of how women got their rights in America. And her ecofeminist novel The Swallow and the Nightingale is a way to wake people up to the real moral issue of today: not who you love, but what we are doing to the planet. She has a Master’s Degree in Writing and a Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience. www.theaiberall.com

Retire Your Lawn: Plant Hope with Judith Black
2026-03-16 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual Event
30-40% of all land is privately owned. What if the faith groups, businesses, local governments, schools/universities, and individuals with purview to this earth took responsibility for its’ and planets’ health? This program offers 5 models for transitioning from a traditional manicured lawn to the one that could:
– Save the efficacy of your lower back
– Eliminate mowing
– Limit watering
– Help our earth and waterways by eschewing added nutrients and lawn chemicals
– Support all rungs of the food chain, by promoting biodiversity
– Up the ante significantly for both carbon and water absorption
– If you choose, grow enough highly nutritious food to feed friends family and community
We have that power to do this!
This event is free.
About Judith Black
Judith Black is an American professional storyteller, who has toured internationally, telling stories to a wide ranging audience in the United States, Europe, and the Near East. She has produced thirteen CDs, and won a variety of awards, such as the coveted Oracle Award. Her work has been featured in venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Montreal Comedy Festival, and has been featured seven times at the National Storytelling Festival. In addition she has produced a variety of seminars and workshops for storytellers. She has been commissioned by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Public Radio, religious institutions, and non-profit organizations to create original stories that strengthen their respective missions.
Black studied education at Wheelock College, and drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. During her 24-year tenure as an adjunct professor with the Lesley University Graduate School, Black developed and implemented instruction in the use of storytelling to extend cognitive, curricular, social and emotional objectives in the educational setting. Black has also been instrumental in introducing story slams in Amsterdam, Finland, and Sweden, emphasizing personal experience and authenticity in shaping stories for public telling.

The Truth About Rare Earth Elements Mining with Dr. Jeremy Williams
2026-03-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual Event
Rare earth materials play a crucial role in solar panels and electric vehicles. These materials possess unique properties that optimize the absorption and conversion of sunlight into electricity. All essential for electrification and decarbonization–but where are the rare earth materials coming from? What is being taken, and how does it impact the sites it’s taken from? More importantly, how does it impact the people? Is there a way to mine without creating new sacrifice zones?
This event is free.
About Jeremy C. Williams
Dr. Williams is a geoscientist who utilizes geochemical and geophysical techniques to understand the fluid migration of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, investigate the role of redox conditions and mineral resources, and understand the significance of acid-base reactions and their environmental effects. He is a Assistant Professor, Department of Geology at Kent State University.

The Gardener's Gathering
2026-03-21 10:00 - 17:00 | Northeastern University, Curry Center
After you attend *Transition Your Lawn* on March 16, celebrate the start of the gardening season with The Trustees! The 50th Annual Gardeners’ Gathering brings Boston-area growers of all kinds together for a free day full of informative workshops, engaging exhibitors, networking, and inspiration.
Celebrate the start of the gardening season! The 50th Annual Gardeners’ Gathering brings Boston-area growers of all kinds together for a free day full of informative workshops, engaging exhibitors, networking, and inspiration. The event will feature an array of garden skills workshops, and a day long exhibitor’s hall with opportunities to network with local urban agriculture and garden groups. There will be at least one workshop each session that is offered in Spanish or with Spanish translation.
This event is free.
About the Trustees
The Trustees care for nearly 52,000 acres, including 120 special places – all around Massachusetts. For more than a century, The Trustees has been on the ground in communities across Massachusetts, working to protect special places, providing loving care of our reservations, building creative new programs to engage people, and sharing our expertise with neighbors and partners across the state.
The Trustees of Reservations preserve, for public use and enjoyment, places of exceptional scenic, historical, and ecological value.

Author and Activist Gerry McGovern discusses his latest book, 99th Day: A Warning About Technology
2026-03-26 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual Event
Our current ways of life are unsustainable, and we–and generations after us–are already living with the consequences, in spite of decades of warnings. Gerry McGovern’s new book, 99th Day: A Warning About Technology, examines how we got here as well as what we can do for future generations. In his words, “we must protect and resist”.
Collapse is coming. Driven by AI, data centers, bitcoin, greed. All the devouring mining, the relentless toxic waste. And ‘great’ men’s fragile egos and insatiable need to dominate. What will we leave those who must come after us? How did we get here?
“The timing is perfect: just as the public is waking up to the human and environmental toll of big tech and its ballooning infrastructure, along comes this book. In 99th Day: A Warning About Technology, journalist Gerry McGovern takes us around the globe—from Ireland to Spain to Brazil and West Africa and beyond—to share stories of those whose lives have been upended by mining, chemical dumping, and corporate land grabs. Deeply researched and written with heart, 99th Day is essential reading as we grapple with what a “green transition” really means.”
Judith Schwartz, author of The Reindeer Chronicles
This event is free.
About Gerry McGovern
Gerry McGovern has spent most of his career focused on reducing data waste, particularly with his method Top Tasks. He has published nine books. His upcoming one, 99th Day: A Warning About Technology, deals with a rapidly oncoming environmental and civilizational collapse driven by the excesses and wastes of our abusive technological society, and particularly by white male supremacy culture. His 2020 book, World Wide Waste: How digital is killing the planet and what to do about it, focused on reducing digital waste. His new book, 99th Day: A Warning About Technology, will be published in February 2026.

Caring for the Caregivers
2026-03-27 16:00 - 2026-03-29 19:30 | Cambridge Cohousing
A weekend retreat for those doing emotional labor—such as therapists, healthcare workers, and climate justice organizers—using the Work That Reconnects spiral to process climate grief and build resilience together. The workshop features an anti-oppression approach, focuses on resistance actions, offers vegan and gluten-free meals, is wheelchair accessible, and accommodates neurodivergent needs.
This gathering is for anyone who identifies as doing emotional labor in their daily work or activism, including:

Mental health, social work, and healthcare professionals
Climate and social justice organizers and activists
Caretakers, mutual aid workers, and community support roles
Anyone who regularly holds space for the pain of others or for the pain of the world

We offer this workshop specifically for people who do emotional labor because this work has been consistently forgotten, undervalued, and disrespected under capitalism. It is work that disproportionately falls to women, people of color, queer and trans people, and disabled people. We believe a just world is one in which emotional labor is taken seriously, fairly compensated, and supported by care for those who carry it. This workshop is our small and humble contribution toward bringing that world into being.
Cost is sliding scale ($0–$500) with free scholarships for BIPOC and low-income participants. Full attendance, including an integration call, is expected.
For more information, click here
About the Co-facilitators
Julia Levine (she/her) is a New York-based social worker with theatre roots. She brings drama therapy into her social work practice to address mental health implications of the climate crisis with individuals and groups. Julia currently provides therapy and case management for people across the lifespan, prioritizing trusting and collaborative relationships as the foundation for healing. She is drawn to practicing Work That Reconnects because of the integrative, iterative, and transformative nature of the spiral to support life on earth. You can reach Julia via Signal at 314-313-1914 or via email at juliaslevine@gmail.com
Alex Chambers (they/them) is a climate justice organizer who engages in direct action and civil disobedience to mitigate the worst impacts of climate breakdown and ecological collapse. Living outside the gender binary taught them to notice where systems draw hard lines between people from different walks of life, and between humans and the living world. They’ve been facilitating climate grief circles for the past five years and are currently developing their Work That Reconnects facilitation skills. You can reach Alex via Signal/text at 774-804-2270 or email at alex@foragedlandscape.com

No Kings Rally
2026-03-28 08:00 - 17:00
We cannot institute just and science-based energy and climate policies if we don’t live in a democracy. This is why we continue to stand with No Kings, and will stand with them on March 28.

Please check here to find an event near you.

Climate Justice Passover Seder
2026-04-02 18:00 - 21:00 | The Pryde, 59 Harvard Ave, Hyde Park, MA, 02136, United States
Join us for a Climate Justice Passover Seder on April 2 at The Pryde!
Everyone who says climate change and energy empires can’t be overcome can look to Exodus for guidance on how to do the impossible. (And if we could leave Egypt under the guidance of that hothead Moses, maybe perfection isn’t a necessary condition for progress.) Our seder will focus on lessons that speak to how we can emerge from bondage, throw off our multiple pharaohs, and build something worth preserving–for all of us.
This will be a vegetarian potluck (no beef, pork, chicken, or fish). Vegan preferred if possible (no dairy or eggs). Please do not bring anything made with wheat flour aside from matzah or matzah meal. Please let us know if you can bring charoset, maror, or karpas (bitter herbs).

REGISTER HERE. After you register, we’ll send you an email for you to let us know if you plan to bring a dish to share, and if you have any dietary restrictions.
Need a recipe or an idea? Let us know!
We are honored to host our Passover seder this year at The Pryde, Boston’s first LGBTQ+ senior housing community.
April 2 at 6 PM
at
The Pryde
59 Harvard Ave.
Hyde Park, MA 02136
PARKING: There is on-street parking, and also a municipal parking lot in front of the Boston Public Library next door to the Pryde.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Commuter rail stations on the Franklin Line (Hyde Park Station) and Fairmount Line (Fairmont Station) are a few blocks away. So are Boston busses #39 and #24.

2026 MassEnergize Community Climate Leaders Conference
2026-04-08 08:00 - 17:00 | Bentley University, 175 Forest St, Waltham, MA, 02452, United States
Join us for the 2026 MassEnergize Community Climate Leaders Conference — a powerful one-day gathering bringing together 250+ passionate climate leaders from across Massachusetts. After two consecutive sold-out conferences, we’re back and bigger than ever on April 8, 2026, at Bentley University in Waltham.
Get inspired, learn what’s working in other communities, and connect with the people driving real climate impact. Expect a full day of dynamic sessions, practical tools, and unmatched networking with organizers, municipal staff, students, advocates, and partners committed to accelerating local climate solutions.

Environmental and Climate Justice with John Walkey
2026-04-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual Event
We are honored to have John Walkey, the Director of Climate Justice and Waterfront Initiatives at Greenroots in Chelsea, join us on April 13 at 7 PM for a discussion about local environmental justice efforts. He’ll share his work with Greenroots and a coalition of organizations to establish a microgrid for the city–and residents–of Chelsea.
John is an East Boston resident who has been a committed advocate for environmental justice and immigrant rights in his neighborhood for the past twenty years. Starting in 2017, John has led GreenRoots’ work in East Boston and along the waterfront of the Chelsea Creek.
Please watch this video of John at our conference in June of 2025 for a primer on environmental justice.
This event is free.
About John Walkey
John Walkey is an East Boston resident who has been a committed advocate for environmental justice and immigrant rights in his neighborhood for the past twenty years. Starting in 2017, John has led GreenRoots’ work in East Boston and along the waterfront of the Chelsea Creek. John worked for a decade in hazard risk assessment and mitigation, and natural resource management in Central America and the Caribbean for NGOs, the US government, and the United Nations. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Archaeological Sciences from Boston University and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

One Sun, One Earth, One People: A Sacred Celebration
2026-04-19 13:30 - 15:30 | Boston Common, Embrace Memorial, 139 Tremont Street, Boston, 02108, United States
On the cusp of a revolution’s 250th, JOIN US for this SACRED CELEBRATION of ONE SUN, ONE EARTH, ONE PEOPLE as the Boston Interfaith Climate Allies welcome climate activist Bill McKibben who will invite us into a non-violent SOLAR REVOLUTION.
SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2026 1:30pm

1:30-1:45pm Gathering at The Embrace Memorial in Boston Common

1:45-2:00pm Joyful Processional led by BABAM Activist Brass Band and BVOCAL Activist Choir

2:00-3:00pm Sacred Celebration at the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul with guest speaker Bill McKibben and other interfaith voices

3:00-3:30pm Prayerful Activism and Sending on Steps of Cathedral with Closing from Local Indigenous Voices

PLEASE JOIN US!

Geothermal Networks - A Path to Fossil Fuel Freedom Starts Here
2026-04-22 17:00 - 19:30 | Boston Central Library Rabb Hall, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02116
Join the Boston Central Library in partnership with the Neighborhood Association of Back Bay (NABB)’s Green Committee for an important panel discussion in observation of Earth Day 2026!
Panelists representing a range of local climate action organizations will speak about the latest geothermal advances. You’ll have an opportunity to learn about their work and take a picture with a canoe.
Announcing the NABB door prize—a free induction cooktop and pot!
The program will include audience Q&A and comments.
Registration is required and it is free and open to the public!

Neponset River Watershed Cleanup on April 25
2026-04-25 09:00 - 12:00
Whether you can lift heavy items, pick up small trash, check people in, document our finds, or take photos—there’s a role for everyone.
Bring your friends, family, scout group, green team, and/or co-workers and make a difference!
Various locations along the rivershed
Come clean up with JCAN-MA!

This event is free.

Earth Day Celebration - Walk in the Footsteps of Thoreau
2026-04-26 14:00 - 17:00 | Lincoln and Concord MA
Celebrate Earth Day on Sunday the 26th with a walk to Walden Pond.
Multiple groups starting from Concord and Lincoln will converge at the Thoreau Cabin Site to celebrate the natural world and renew our commitment to protect it. A simple meet-up with music, inspiring words, and sharing of wishes & commitments.
Meet at First Parish in Concord Center or St Anne’s Church in Lincoln at 2pm, arriving by 3pm to the cabin site after a 2 mile walk. Alternatively, you can park at the Walden Pond visitor center, and have a very short walk to the cabin site. There will be carpools returning to the starting point for those who would prefer.
Featuring short talks by:

Richard Smith – Concord public historian and Thoreau scholar – on Walden
Sabine von Mering – environmental activist, Brandeis professor – on Civil Disobedience
Thea Iberall – Jewish Climate Action Network – eco-poetry
Peter Alden – naturalist – on nature in Thoreau and our time
Roger Rosen – guitarist, folk singer – leading us in song

For more information or to get involved with the planning contact Brad Hubbard-Nelson or Alex Chatfield.

May Day 2026
2026-05-01 16:30 - 18:30 | Boston Common, 139 Tremont Street, Boston, 02111, United States
May Day will be a day of action in and around Boston, all culminating to a final rally at the Boston Common! Workers have the power, not the billionaires!
☀️ Morning Kick Off: East Boston Memorial Park 🎉 Afternoon Close Out: Boston Common
Other actions in Boston can also be found here: https://linktr.ee/BostonMayDay2026

Annual Three Rivers Report Card
2026-05-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Museum of Science, 1 Science Pk, Boston, 02114, United States
Celebrate the progress that’s been made in restoring these three cherished urban rivers and hear about the ongoing work to clean up the Charles, Mystic, and Neponset Rivers.
The event will kick off with a reception for visitors already at the museum, where you can chat with fellow river lovers, followed by a speaking portion where attendees will hear from public officials and the Charles, Mystic, and Neponset River Watershed Associations.
Buy a museum ticket and join us at the CS&T Stage in the Blue Wing!

Greening Your Finances with David Schreiber and Scott Kadish of Greenvest
2026-05-06 19:00 - 20:00 | Virtual Event
You have choices in every aspect of your financial life which can reduce or eliminate your participation in the funding of the fossil fuels which create pollution at every step of their lifecycle. A future with dramatically reduced fossil fuel use is possible. This program offers you ideas for how you can do it.
This event is free.
About the presenters

David Schreiber is an experienced CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional focused on socially responsible investing with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry. Skilled in Portfolio Management excluding fossil fuel exposure. Financial Planning, Securities, Asset Management, and Retirement Planning. Strong finance professional with a Diploma focused in Viola performance from New England Conservatory of Music..

Scott Kadish is a Certified Financial Planner ™ and a Chartered Socially Responsible Investment Counselor™ who since 2010 has helped his clients in all aspects of their financial lives. He helps his clients invests with their values and co-create living financial plans. Scott lives in Newton, Mass. In his free time, he volunteers for several Climate action groups. He enjoys vegan cooking, all kinds of exercising and spending time with his two daughters.

FEELING "FED UP" ISN’T A FLAW - USE IT AS FUEL FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE!
2026-05-06 20:00 - 21:00
Rabbi Tarfon said: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it. Pirkei Avot (2:16). We all recognize our duty to fight for our planet and other values we hold dear. But it can feel like too much.
Sam Daley-Harris, an expert in grassroots advocacy, can help us deal with that feeling.
Sam has forty years of experience developing, implementing, and training others to use proven strategies that empower everyday people to become changemakers.
Sam is the founder and CEO of Civic Courage, a non-profit that coaches organizations to improve the effectiveness of their advocacy work. In 1980, he founded RESULTS, an organization working to end hunger and poverty, which later became the model for Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Sam is also the author of Reclaiming Our Democracy: Every Citizen’s Guide to Transformational Advocacy.
This meeting is hosted by Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s Jewish Action Team.
( Questions? Contact Mike Wilcove at: mnwilcove@gmail.com / 301-785-5793 )

Jews Against ICE Phonebank: Not One More Dollar for ICE
2026-05-12 18:00 - 20:00
Join Bend the Arc and T’ruah to call Jews who have critical Senators that need to hear our demand to stop funding ICE violence. Right now, Congress is considering funneling billions of dollars to ICE’s budget. We cannot let one more dollar go to the cruel and unjust detention and deportation machine. They need to hear from their constituents loud and clear: we don’t want more blank checks for ICE.
Whether it is your first time or your tenth time phonebanking, all are welcome!

The Plastic Detox - Documentary and Panel Discussion
2026-05-17 15:00 - 17:30 | Ashland Community Center, 162 W Union St, Ashland, US
Produced by an Academy Award-winning team, The Plastic Detox follows six couples struggling with infertility who agree to participate in a massive plastic detox of their homes and lives. This “intervention” changes their lives and their families forever. You’ll never look at plastic the same way again! Watch the trailer here.
Join Energize Ashland and partnering local organizations on Sunday May 17th for a free screening of “The Plastic Detox”, the eye-opening new @netflix documentary that reveals the startling effects plastics and toxic chemicals are having on our bodies and health and learn how you can protect yourself and advance solutions.
The film will be followed by a panel featuring expert speakers for Q&A: Panelists will be announced shortly.
Registration is free but please RSVP using the link to secure your spot and we look forward to seeing you there
Link to Flyer

Housing and Climate with Dan Ruben
2026-05-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Virtual Event
We need to think about the intersection of climate change and housing beyond our HVAC systems.
How does climate change affect housing costs, particularly in the face of growing migration?
How does housing affect climate change, particularly as we seek to build new units? How can changes to zoning laws affect greenhouse gas emissions and save trees?
Dan Ruben teaches Sustainable Hospitality and Sustainable Tourism at Boston University and the University of Southern Maine. He wrote the textbook, “Sustainable Hospitality.”
Dan founded a sustainable hotel organization, Boston Green Tourism, in 2005 and led it until 2019. In that role, he organized over 100 sustainable hotel workshops and webinars for local, state, and U.S. hoteliers. Dan was the 2014 Sustainable Lodging Person of the Year. Boston Green Tourism earned an EPA Environmental Merit Award.
Previously, Dan was the executive director of the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions, which implemented environmental best practices at the 2004 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. CERC won the international Environmentally Responsible Meeting Award and two EPA awards.
Dan is the Chair of Green Newton. He leads its Building Standards Committee which persuaded developers to build Passive House, all-electric, low embodied carbon developments, and persuaded the City of Newton to upgrade its sustainability requirements for new buildings.

Help Energize Climate Voters!
2026-05-19 20:00 - 21:00
Research shows that majorities of registered voters prefer candidates who support action on the climate, want development of clean energy sources, and support policies to reduce the pollution that causes global warming. However, an estimated 11.2 million environmentalists did not vote in the 2024 presidential election, and many more skip midterm, state, and local elections.
Our speaker, Nathaniel Stinnett, will share strategies to motivate the climate voter. He is the Founder & Executive Director of the Environmental Voter Project. Named one of five global “climate visionaries” by The New York Times in 2018, and dubbed “The Voting Guru” by Grist magazine, Stinnett is a frequent expert speaker on cutting-edge campaign techniques and the behavioral science behind getting people to vote.

Clean Energy Lunch Hour Webinar
2026-06-10 12:00 - 13:00
MassIPL and Greenlight America invite you to a lunch hour webinar all about batteries for the grid! We’ll cover battery storage as a long-duration clean energy technology — how it works, how it fits into MA’s clean energy goals, the environmental and social justice dimensions, and ways that your local advoacy can have an outsized impact for the climate. Bring your questions for a good discussion!

June 10th Statewide Rally-- People Over Utility Profits
2026-06-10 13:00 - 17:00 | Eversource HQ (see description for more locations), 800 Boylston Street, Boston, 02116, United States
Energy utility corporations are raking in record profits while we’re struggling to pay our energy bills. With our money in hand, utilities like Eversource, National Grid, and Berkshire Gas are attempting to increase our reliance on expensive and polluting fossil fuels, destroying our health and our planet. These utilities spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year lobbying Massachusetts legislators to cut back on climate goals and allow them to keep polluting as much as they want.
On June 10th, Mass Power Forward is holding a statewide rally with three locations across MA asking legislators to cut our ties to utilities and pass a climate bill that puts people over utility profits.
At the time of the rally, legislators will have just 50 days to pass climate legislation to help make energy clean and affordable. Join us and make your voice heard!
RSVP here
Rally Locations for June 10th
Boston: 1pm. Meet at the Eversource HQ at 800 Boylston St (the Prudential) take a “follow the money” tour through Boston to the Statehouse. We will rally at the Statehouse at 2:30pm. We are holding two art builds in Somerville to support the Boston rally on June 5th from 5pm-7pm and June 7th from 2pm-6pm. RSVP here
Pittsfield: 1pm. Rally outside of the Berkshire Gas HQ. Meet at Allendale Plaza.
Springfield: 5:30pm. Rally outside of the Eversource Western MA HQ at 300 Cadwell Drive, Springfield.
We hope to see you there.

Climate Conversations: Visual Notes on a Changing Planet
2026-06-15 17:30 - 19:30 | West Roxbury Branch, Boston Public Library, 1961 Centre St, West Roxbury, MA, 02132, United States
Join local artist Lisa Link on Monday, June 15, 2026, for the opening celebration of Climate Conversations: Visual Notes on a Changing Planet at the West Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library.
Through interviews, photography, and visual storytelling, this exhibition explores how people respond to environmental challenges in their communities, daily lives, and public work. Created through a Jewish cultural lens while welcoming audiences of all backgrounds, the project highlights shared concerns about climate, justice, resilience, and our collective future.
Lisa’s photo-montage exhibition features 2D works inspired by conversations with environmental advocates, Jewish farmers & educators, and community members. Blending research, art, and personal narratives, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the human dimensions of climate change and the many ways people seek hope, connection, and action during a time of ecological transformation.
The opening gathering will offer an opportunity for community members from all backgrounds and cultures to connect, exchange ideas, and celebrate the role of art in fostering dialogue and understanding.

Digging Deep: How Two Congregations Decided to Go Geothermal
2026-06-23 19:00 - 20:00
Join us for a geothermal webinar co-hosted by MassIPL, PA IPL, and GreenerU. Geothermal installations still qualify for a 30-40%+ federal direct pay incentive, often making them cost-competitive when replacing a fossil fuel heating system. You’ll hear directly from two congregations — Wellesley Village Church (MA) and St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church (PA) — about how they went through a discernment process and decided geothermal was right for them.

Tell your MA Senators to make S.3143 a better bill!
2026-07-01 11:00 - 17:00
Debate on the Senate version of An Act to Save People Money, Repair the Climate and Grow the Economy, also known as S.3143 begins today, and a vote will follow shortly after.
Before the environmental bill goes from the Senate to the Conference Committee, we feel that including several proposed amendments would improve it. Our allies at Mass Power Forward and Massachusetts Climate Action Network have suggested amendments that should be supported and others that should be opposed.
We urge you to contact your state senator and ask them to co-sponsor and vote for the following amendments:

99 Embodied Carbon Reduction in large state construction

25 Closes Loophole incentivizing polluting biomass for MLPs

26 Halting Gas Expansion

37 Prohibition on Charging Ratepayers for Advertising

62 & 162 Data Centers

1 Protection From Unreasonable Utility Profits

78 Labor Peace for Thermal Energy Network

106 Self-Attestation of Income

77 End Gas Line Extension Subsidies

82 Remove “renewable natural gas blending”

25 Closes Loophole incentivizing polluting biomass for MLPs

99 Embodied Carbon Reduction in large state construction

15 Allowing Massachusetts to restrict refrigerants that have high Global Warming Potential or are PFAS.

Please also ask your state senator to oppose the following amendments:

17, 121, 171 and any other amendments that would cut Mass Save’s budget

139 which would remove good sections around GSEP phase out

114 which would take money away from crucial programs

52 MLP Consent required

23 and 67 which would remove municipalities’ ability to ban third suppliers

Massachusetts is a leader in climate and energy policy because its voters have demanded that we be. Please keep up the good work and contact your senator ASAP!

Making a Mini-Forest: Documentary Screening
2026-07-15 19:00 - 21:00
Overview

Discover the people and projects behind Europe’s growing miniforest movement and the spread of the Miyawaki Method of afforestation.

Wednesday, July 15, 2026 | 7:00–9:00 PM ET | Virtual
Join us for a special screening of filmmaker Angelina Lee’s documentary Making a Mini-Forest, narrated by Hannah Lewis, award-winning author of Mini-Forest Revolution, followed by a live conversation and audience Q&A.
The film follows organizations in Europe as they plan, plant, and care for miniforests—while tracing the Miyawaki Method’s roots in Japan and the growing civic movement to regreen cities.
Following the screening, filmmaker Angelina Lee will join us live for a conversation about the making of the film and the growing international miniforest movement, followed by audience Q&A.
This event is part of the 2026 Northeast Miniforest Summit, a multi-day gathering bringing together the people planting, studying, stewarding, teaching, measuring, and documenting miniforests across the Northeast U.S. and beyond.
Learn more at miniforests.bio4climate.org
About the Film
People around the world are embracing the Miyawaki Method to plant “mini-forests.” Narrated by Hannah Lewis, award-winning author of Mini-Forest Revolution, the film zigzags across land and sea to meet ten different organizations in four languages in France, Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
The film observes in real time the brainstorming, planning, planting, and establishment care that goes into making a mini-forest, as well as the Miyawaki Method’s 50 year history in Japan. Each story contributes to a bigger picture, that of passionate individuals taking civic action to regreen their cities. One person sparks the imagination of another, and another, and a robust network of foresters emerges.
What is the Miyawaki Method?
Developed by Japanese ecologist Dr. Akira Miyawaki, the Miyawaki Method creates dense, diverse miniforests using native trees and shrubs. By preparing the soil and planting at high density, these forests can establish quickly—even in urban environments—supporting biodiversity, improving soil health, retaining water, cooling neighborhoods, and creating opportunities for community stewardship.
Watch this video to learn more:
This urban forest becomes self-sufficient in three years
This event is organized by Biodiversity for a Livable Climate.For more information, visit miniforests.bio4climate.org or email miniforests@bio4climate.org with any questions.
About Biodiversity For a Livable Climate
For more than a decade, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate has worked to raise awareness about the vital role of biodiversity and nature-based solutions in regulating the Earth’s climate.
A pioneer of the Miyawaki Method in the United States, the organization helped bring this approach to New England, launching the region’s first miniforest in 2021 in collaboration with SUGi and the City of Cambridge. Since then, it has supported the planting of eight miniforests across Massachusetts, demonstrating how this approach can take root across diverse urban sites. In 2025, Bio4Climate convened the inaugural Northeast Miniforest Summit—mobilizing a regional network of practitioners to exchange knowledge, build relationships, and support the continued emergence of miniforests across the region.

2026 Northeast Miniforest Bus Tour
2026-07-18 08:30 - 17:00 | Somerville High School, 81 Highland Ave, Somerville, 02143, United States
Overview

Visit four Massachusetts miniforests and explore how the Miyawaki Method is being adapted across diverse landscapes and communities.

Saturday, July 18, 2026 | 8:30 AM–5:00 PM ET
Starting and ending at Somerville High School, Somerville, MA
Join us on Saturday, July 18, for a full-day tour of four Massachusetts miniforests that showcase the diverse ways the Miyawaki Method is being adapted across the region.
From dense urban neighborhoods and school campuses to restored agricultural land and post-industrial landscapes, participants will visit sites at different stages of development and learn directly from the practitioners, researchers, municipal leaders, and community members who helped bring them to life.
Space is limited and advance registration is required.We kindly ask participants to arrive between 8:30 and 8:45 AM so that we can begin the tour promptly. A boxed lunch will be provided.
The bus tour is part of the 2026 Northeast Miniforest Summit. Bringing together practitioners, researchers, educators, landscape architects, municipal leaders, and community organizers, the Summit creates space to share experiences, exchange knowledge, and learn from projects unfolding across diverse ecological and social contexts.
Building on the momentum of the inaugural 2025 Summit, this year’s program includes two virtual half-days, an in-person bus tour of Massachusetts miniforests, and a special pre-Summit screening of filmmaker Angelina Lee’s documentary Making a Mini-Forest.
Learn more at miniforests.bio4climate.org
What is the Miyawaki Method?
Developed by Japanese ecologist Dr. Akira Miyawaki, the Miyawaki Method creates dense, diverse miniforests using native trees and shrubs. By preparing the soil and planting at high density, these forests can establish quickly—even in urban environments—supporting biodiversity, improving soil health, retaining water, cooling neighborhoods, and creating opportunities for community stewardship.
Watch this video to learn more:
This urban forest becomes self-sufficient in three years
This event is organized by Biodiversity for a Livable Climate.For more information, visit miniforests.bio4climate.org or email miniforests@bio4climate.org with any questions.
About Biodiversity For a Livable Climate
For more than a decade, Biodiversity for a Livable Climate has worked to raise awareness about the vital role of biodiversity and nature-based solutions in regulating the Earth’s climate.
A pioneer of the Miyawaki Method in the United States, the organization helped bring this approach to New England, launching the region’s first miniforest in 2021 in collaboration with SUGi and the City of Cambridge. Since then, it has supported the planting of eight miniforests across Massachusetts, demonstrating how this approach can take root across diverse urban sites. In 2025, Bio4Climate convened the inaugural Northeast Miniforest Summit—mobilizing a regional network of practitioners to exchange knowledge, build relationships, and support the continued emergence of miniforests across the region.
