Here at the Partnership we are excited to introduce you to New Hampshire's next NOAA Coastal Management Fellow, Ben Sweeney. Ben will be working on the Keeping New Hampshire's Coast Afloat project in partnership with PREP and the New Hampshire Coastal Program. Over the next two years, Ben will be working to advance the adoption and use of alternative and creative financing and policy options for on-the-ground adaptation and resilience projects in coastal New Hampshire communities. We'll keep you updated as the project progresses, but in the meantime we'd like to share a little bit about Ben before he joins us in August.
How long have you been a champion for clean water/coastal resilience?
I'd like to think I've been a champion for clean water and a healthy environment sinnce I was a kid exploring the streams and ponds in the backyard of my Pembroke, NH home, but when I decided to go to UNH to pursue a degree in Environmental Engineering was really the moment that I started actively participating in environmental protection.
How did you get started in protecting clean water, shorelands, and coasts?
When I was in high school, hearing about high levels of nitrogen and decreasing eelgrass in Great Bay was what first inspired me to study Environmental Engineering at UNH. Once I got to UNH, I found numerous opportunities to get directly involved with research projects. Through these research experiences I was lucky enough to spend a lot of time out on the water and gain more appreciation for the state's coastal waters. The sense of attachment that I developed for places like Great Bay continues to motivae me to be a better advocate and leader for clean water.
What is your favorite thing to do on the water?
I love to kayak. Rhode Island has some great paddling, but I'm really looking forward to getting back on the water in New Hampshire.
What has been your proudest moment as a Clean Water Champion?
I'm truly proud every time I'm able to create buy-in and generate more support for water quality or water resource management projects. When I worked for an engineering firm before going to graduate school, my favorite part of the job was working hand-in-hand with communities to address stormwater and wastewater infrastructure challenges. We would provide training workshops to community stakeholders and discuss how more sustainable stormwater and wastewater infrastructure management leads to healthier communities and ecosystems. The most rewarding part was always when someone would talk to you after the workshop filled with motivation and were excited to chat about new ideas and ways to improve their current work practices to meet the community's water quality goals.
What is one simple thing you would tell someone to do to protect the places you love?
Share the places you love with others. For many of us, the passion we have for protecting our environment started from spending time in the great outdoors. I think sharing our passion and experiences, especially with those who have less access to wild places, can be infections and lead to greater support for protecting the environment.
