Nature knows best, and Natick is working to harness the power of nature-based solutions to build our resilience to climate change.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, nature-based solutions are "sustainable planning, design, environmental management, and engineering practices that weave natural features or processes into the built environment to support climate adaptation and resilience". These solutions cover a broad range of actions, which Natick has advanced through initiatives including:
- Planting the Future, which offers free trees to residents to plant on their properties to address heat islands and reduce flooding
- Growing a Tiny Forest at Natick High School to support the local ecosystem
- Restoring the Charles River by removing the dam and working with the other municipalities in the Charles River Climate Compact to address impaired water quality, loss of habitat, impeded fish passage, invasive species growth, contaminated sediment, and harmful cyanobacteria blooms