Storm Surge

05/22/2026

Storm Surge High School Summer Internship

Are you passionate about climate action, environmental restoration, and making a difference in your community? This summer, Storm Surge is seeking a motivated local high school student to join us as a volunteer intern for 10–15 hours per week.

As a Storm Surge intern, you’ll work alongside board members and community partners on meaningful projects focused on climate education, coastal resilience, and public outreach. This is an opportunity to gain hands-on experience, develop professional skills, and contribute to real environmental initiatives happening right here in our region.

Internship Projects

School Curriculum Development
Help shape how the next generation learns about climate change by reviewing and refining Storm Surge’s K–12 curriculum materials and aligning them with Massachusetts educational standards.

Mass Oyster Project Upweller
Join fellow volunteers in hands-on coastal restoration work, including monitoring, planting, and maintenance activities at the Newburyport Harbor upweller site.

Newburyport Public Library Climate Exhibit
Support a September hurricane season awareness initiative by helping design an emergency preparedness handout, brainstorming ideas for a library book display, and creating social media and email content.

Details
Volunteer internship
10–15 hours per week during the summer
Open to local high school students
Travel costs outside of Newburyport/Newbury and any necessary materials will be covered by Storm Surge

This internship is ideal for students interested in environmental science, climate advocacy, communications, education, or community engagement.

To apply or learn more, please contact [email protected]

05/19/2026

From Research to the Classroom: UNH Students Build Local Climate Curriculum

Storm Surge recently partnered with the University of New Hampshire's Sustainability Dual-Major (SDM) Capstone program on an exciting curriculum development project. A team of four UNH students spent the spring 2026 semester developing a set of six interdisciplinary climate education modules tailored specifically to Newburyport and the surrounding coastal community.

Topics include sea level rise, clean water, coastal ecology, the history of climate change in Newburyport, and more. The modules are designed to slot seamlessly into existing high school curricula across multiple subject areas, minimizing the burden on teachers while maximizing student engagement with locally relevant climate issues. The team presented their work to Storm Surge's board and Newburyport community stakeholders in April, and the materials will serve as a foundation for future interns to pilot in area classrooms.

05/19/2026

The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission (MVPC), together with the towns of Salisbury, Newburyport, and Newbury, has just completed a major Regional Beach Sediment Management Study — funded by a Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management (CZM) grant. The project used updated sediment modeling to understand how sand moves along our barrier beaches and what management and nourishment strategies can best protect our shorelines.

Now they're bringing the findings to the public and they want to hear from you.
📅 Thursday, June 4 | 5:00–6:30 PM
Blue Ocean Event Center | 4 Ocean Front S, Salisbury
📅 Friday, June 5 | 10:00–11:30 AM
PITA Hall | 8 Plum Island Blvd., Newbury

These forums are specifically designed for barrier beach communities, residents, property owners, businesses, and anyone who loves our local beaches. Come hear the science, learn about resilience strategies, and share your perspective on the future of our shores.

All are welcome. Optional RSVP: https://forms.office.com/g/1Q70rFi1im

Questions: [email protected]

Storm Surge is helping spread the word. See you there! 🌊

04/23/2026

04/21/2026

⚡ Heads up: tickets are almost gone.

How to Power a City screens next Monday, April 27 at 7 PM at The Screening Room — and we're nearly sold out.

This award-winning documentary follows real communities across the U.S. building their own renewable energy future. Solar projects, wind power, political obstacles — and the people who wouldn't take no for an answer. Six locations: New York City, Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Detroit/Highland Park, Vermont, and Puerto Rico.

After the film, director Melanie La Rosa joins us for a Q&A. She's a Public Voices Fellow with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication — and this is exactly the conversation Newburyport needs to be having.

🎟️ Free tickets at https://www.newburyportmovies.com/how-to-power-a-city — grab yours before they're gone.

Optional donations appreciated at checkout.

Co-presented with the City of Newburyport Energy Advisory Committee.

Made possible by a grant from the Newburyport Cultural Council.

04/14/2026

Storm Surge and the City of Newburyport Energy Advisory Committee are co-presenting a free screening of How to Power a City on Monday, April 27 at 7 PM at The Screening Room on State Street.

The film follows community members across the country taking on renewable energy projects in New York, Detroit, Vermont, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Puerto Rico. Real people. Real obstacles. Real change.

After the film, we're joined l by director Melanie La Rosa — a Yale Climate Communication Fellow — for a conversation that will hit especially close to home here in coastal Newburyport.

Free tickets (with optional donation) at newburyportmovies.com. Don't wait to get your tickets. Seating is limited.

04/13/2026

This Earth Month, raise a glass for the planet! On Thursday, April 23 at 6:00 PM, Newburyport's own RiverWalk Brewing Co.—a family, community, and employee-owned brewery that has been crafting sustainable beers on Parker Street since 2012—is hosting Greener Beer, Better Planet, a special evening featuring a presentation by BetterBev on how breweries are reducing their environmental footprint, from sustainable ingredient sourcing to cutting water and energy use. In a wonderful gesture of community generosity, RiverWalk is donating 100% of ticket proceeds to Storm Surge, supporting our work to protect Newburyport's coastline and build a more resilient community. Tickets are available on Eventbrite—we hope to see you there!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/green-beer-better-planet-earth-month-presentation-by-better-bev-tickets-1987154663090

04/06/2026

We are happy to cross post this event for the Green Team of the UU Church in Newburyport.
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You are warmly invited to join us for a free community gathering on April 19th in Newburyport at 1 pm, celebrating the power of local farms and the promise of local agriculture. The event is hosted by the Green Team of the First Religious Society-UU-Newburyport. It will be an opportunity to connect with local farmers and families and neighbors, and hear how we can all play a role in building healthier, more resilient communities. Our event will feature two local farmers, Stacey Apple of Iron Ox Farm and Andre Cantelmo of Heron Pond Farm, as well as Vanessa Johnson-Hall from Greenbelt, who protects local farmlands, and helps young farmers access land for farming.

Our panel will share how local farms that practice ecologically based and regenerative agriculture are at the heart of a thriving community. By growing food close to home, these farms deliver fresh, nutritious produce while cutting the environmental costs of long-distance transport. Regenerative practices — such as cover cropping, composting, and rotational grazing — go beyond simply reducing harm; they actively restore soil health, improve water quality, support biodiversity, and draw carbon back into the earth. When we support local farmers who use these methods, we invest in land that stays fertile for generations, food that nourishes our families, and ecosystems that support all living things.

We will have tabling opportunities for local farmers who would like to join the conversation and be present at a reception after the meeting. Come and learn from one another, support our common interests and support local farms and farmers. Please RSVP here if your farm would like to table at the event. Details for the event are included in the attached flyer. Please share with your friends and contacts.

I hope to see you there!

03/05/2026

Tonight's speaker series event is postponed due to weather.

02/19/2026

Join us in two weeks for our next Speaker Series talk:
🌊 Making Space for Water: Reimagining Our Relationship to the Coast
📅 Thursday, March 5 | 7:00 PM
Doors open at 6:30 for snacks and conversation
📍 Newburyport Senior Center
🎟 Free and open to the public

We're welcoming Emma Gildesgame, Climate Adaptation Director at The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts, for a candid conversation about coastal relocation, community planning, and what a changing coastline could mean for Greater Newburyport — from Plum Island to the Merrimack River.

Emma co-founded the Proactive Coastal Relocation Network and has led community conversations up and down the Massachusetts coast. She'll also share information about a statewide buyout program currently in development — something that could directly affect our region.

Whether you live in a flood zone or just want to understand what's on the horizon, this one is worth showing up for. See you March 5! 👇