Nature-based Solutions: Ashburnham, MA

The Town of Ashburnham is one of five municipalities participating in the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant under which NRWA is partnering to create a plan for nature-based solutions to be implemented in each of the five communities to address negative impacts of climate change. Ashburnham sits in the northwestern portion of the Nashua River watershed, with higher elevations and a smaller population than the other four communities in this project. This project to address the impacts of climate change is an opportunity for individuals, communities, businesses, and non-profits to again come together to improve community resilience in the face of climate change, and protect a healthy environment for humans and wildlife.

Ashburnham Site Visits

Ashburnham community members had the opportunity to work with project leaders during two Community Meetings (details below) to help identify priority sites in the Town of Ashburnham that could be improved through nature-based solutions to address negative climate impacts. Following the two Community Meetings, the BSC Group closely examined the site list for Ashburnham, removing some sites from the list for a variety of reasons ranging from lack of permission from owner of a private parcel to low likelihood that nature-based solutions would have a significant impact at that particular site.

Once the final site visit list was resolved, in March 2024, project leaders, consultants, town officials, and community members visited each of the selected sites for an on the ground view of the location. The group reviewed the landscape that might be contributing to the climate issues at the site, and discussed what nature-based solutions could be implemented at the site to make it more climate resilient.

Project site list:

Sweeney Park
Pump Station
Phillips Brook/Residential Area off Main Street
High Street/Cushing Street
Page Avenue
Dump/Transfer Station
South Branch of Souhegan River
Brickford Field

BSC Data Viewer

NRWA consultant, BSC Group, has created an online GIS tool for the public to use to view the Ashburnham sites. The viewer provides an aerial view of each site and allows the user to add layers to show wetlands, rare/endangered species habitat, flood plain, and more.

Use BSC Data Viewer. Short NRWA tutorial on use of BSC Data Viewer.

RDG's Soil Maps and Research

Regenerative Design Group (RDG), acting as a consultant on this project, conducted an assessment of soils in Ashburnham, and prepared preliminary recommendations for ways to improve soil health in the Town. In their resultant Healthy Soils Report: Fitchburg-NRWA Watershed-Wide Nature-based Solutions Project, RDG states "Living soils are the foundation for the ecosystems that shape the character of our communities, enhance the function of our watersheds, support the livelihoods of farmers and foresters, and underpin the rich diversity of life across the terrestrial environment."

Soils can have a strong impact on the success of nature-based climate solutions, making soil health a key consideration for Ashburnham as the Town assesses a path toward greater climate resiliency. The good news is that human action can improve soil health in areas where it is degraded, as well protect healthy soils from degradation.

View RDG's full Healthy Soils Report: Fitchburg-NRWA Watershed-Wide Nature-based Solutions Project, which provides an introduction to the importance of soil health, the assessment of soils in Ashburnham and the other four project communities, soil improvement recommendations, with supporting graphics and maps that include project site locations.

BACKGROUND

Project Kickoff Meeting

As described on the project overview page, the project was kicked off with the meeting of city officials and leaders, together with NRWA project staff. NRWA staff shared a pre-prepared video from consultant, BSC Group, and gave their own presentation about the project. NRWA staff then facilitated a conversation about the goals of the project and steps that would be taken to ensure community involvement.. At the kickoff meeting, Town officials identified key areas of concern for negative climate impacts on the town, including flooding, increase in severe storms and heavy rainfall, greater volumes of stormwater runoff, and lack of access to swimming areas on increasingly hot days. View notes from Kick-off Meeting (PDF, pages 1-4).

First Community Meeting

The kickoff meeting was followed by a first Community Meeting which was held in-person at the Ashburnham Town Hall on January 31, 2024. Extensive outreach was done through newspaper, email blasts, flyers, e-invitations, phone calls, Facebook, and in-person meetings to encourage diverse community representation at the Community Meeting. Informational flyers were presented in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.

This first meeting was well attended with 19 individuals hearing a presentation about this project, its goals, information about nature-based solutions, and what feedback project leaders were looking for from the group. Attendees then broke into small groups and using maps as tools, discussed priority concerns about what negative impacts of climate they would like to see addressed in the town. They further identified specific locations where nature-based solutions could improve a current problematic situation, At the end of the meeting, these ideas were shared with the full group and detailed notes were gathered by project leaders. View notes from the first Community Meeting in Ashburnham (PDF, pages 5-6).

Second Community Meeting

Following the first Community Meeting, project leaders compiled the information gathered from attendees, as well as from surveys that were completed, to create a list of potential sites in Ashburnham to be considered for nature-based solution projects. A second Community meeting was held by Zoom on February 13, 2024. This was a joint meeting for the towns of Ashburnham, Groton, and Pepperell, with an introductory portion followed by break-out groups for each town. Attendees from the first meeting were strongly encouraged to attend to hear a presentation by BSC Group about the information gathered at the first meeting. Sites identified at the first meeting were each discussed to determine if the group felt that the site was a strong match for a nature-based solution, and a priority list was created to be further investigated by a on-site visit by the project team and community members. View notes from the second Community Meeting (PDF, pages 7-9)..