HADLEY — A daylong event timed to Earth Day, aimed at bringing climate change to the attention of residents and engaging people in solutions, will be held next month.
With the first Hadley Climate Day set for April 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hadley Senior Center and Hadley Public Library complex, organizers recently set up an online registration system for the event that, due to COVID-19 safety protocols, will be capped at around 150 attendees.
“The Hadley Climate Day will bring attention to the urgency of the climate crisis, but even more importantly, it will help us understand what it means to us here in Hadley, and what we all can do, businesses, farmers, teachers, youth and every household in Hadley,” Jack Czajkowski, chairman of the Hadley Climate Change Committee and an eighth grade science teacher at the Greater Commonwealth Virtual Public School in Greenfield, said in a statement.
Brief keynote speeches, an ask-the-experts solutions panel, interactive hands-on workshops, art exhibits and theater, a facilitated community conversation, and a closing panel of local and state political leaders will all be part of the day.
Susanne Moser, a keynote speaker and expert in climate adaptation, said the day will give people more understanding of climate risks and actions that can be taken to reduce heat-trapping gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of rising temperatures.
Jane Nevinsmith, a member of the Select Board who serves as the liaison to the committee, said town leaders will also be involved.
“Hadley may be a small town, but you’d be surprised what caliber people we have here that can lead the way and help us figure out how to protect our community and safeguard what we love about living in the Valley,” Nevinsmith said.
Formed in 2020, the committee has focused on waste reduction, recycling and other sustainability matters, such as looking into addressing single-use plastics, and is currently working on an energy audit of town buildings, a step needed to have Hadley certified as a Green Community and making the town eligible for state grants and technical assistance.
To register for the day, go to tinyurl.com/hadleyclimateday.
For more information about the event and to submit pieces of art, up to four per person, send email to hadleyclimatechangecommittee@gmail.com.
