CERN is co-hosting the Southeast and Caribbean Disaster Resilience Partnership (SCDRP) September 26th monthly meeting at 10am! Join us to learn more about water resources from Dr. Asli Aslan and Luke Roberson from the Georgia Southern University Institute for Water and Health. Please use the meeting link on the "Meetings" page to join.

In a collaborative venture, CERN/MPC and Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR) developed a comprehensive course focused on integrating green infrastructure and nature-based solutions into planning strategies to bolster community resilience.

This is a free online course in Google Classroom, with weekly assignments that will take about an hour of your time and a mandatory Zoom meeting every Wednesday from 10am-11:30am from October 1st through November 9th.

Earn 7 AICP Credits with this course!

The primary objective of this course is to educate planners, developers, and local government staff in the Coastal Empire and surrounding areas about effective ways to incorporate Nature- Based Solutions like green infrastructure practices, living shorelines, and other sustainable alternatives into the planning process to ensure a successful project for both residents and the local ecosystem.

Register at the link below and please reach out to Anna McQuarrie at mcquarriea@thempc.org and Brittany Dodge at brittany.dodge@dnr.ga.gov with questions.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe3atYbOE7FqldB3y13-l4kUHvM40J8VkEuCNKOZAVnVKrE3Q/viewform

Our August Coffee Hour was rescheduled due to Tropical Storm Debby. Please join us for our fourth virtual Resilience Coffee Hour Summer Series on September 10th. Linda B. Jackson will present “Five Steps to Effective Climate Communication—Climate Change Health Impacts and Advocacy Strategies” on behalf of ACESWorld. We look forward to seeing you there!

Email Anna McQuarrie at mcquarriea@thempc.org with questions.

Date: September 10, 2024

Time: 11-11:45 am

Registration Link: bit.ly/CoffeeHour_Sept

Join us for our fourth virtual Resilience Coffee Hour Summer Series in August. Linda B. Jackson will present “Five Steps to Effective Climate Communication—Climate Change Health Impacts and Advocacy Strategies” on behalf of ACESWorld. Email Anna McQuarrie at mcquarriea@thempc.org with questions.

Date: August 8, 2024

Time: 11-11:45 am

Registration Link: bit.ly/CoffeeHour_Aug

Please join us for the third virtual Resilience Coffee Hour in the 2024 Summer Series hosted by the Coastal Empire Resilience Network (CERN). We will discuss "Sustainable Solutions" with Tiffoni Buckle McCartney on behalf of the Georgia Ports Authority. After the presentation, we will have time for questions and additional discussion. Register below and we look forward to seeing you there!

Date: July 10, 2024

Time: 11-11:45am

Registration Link: bit.ly/CoffeeHour_July

Up next in our virtual Resilience Coffee Hour Summer Series is “BIPOC Community Perspectives on Environmental Justice Issues in Georgia” presented by LP Green on behalf of Demo Lab South. Register below and we look forward to seeing you there!

Date: June 13, 2024

Time: 11-11:45am

Registration Link: bit.ly/CoffeeHour_June

Please join us for the first virtual Resilience Coffee Hour in the 2024 Summer Series hosted by the Coastal Empire Resilience Network (CERN). We will discuss "Trees and Community: Trees as a Force for Social Good" with Zoe Rinker, Savannah Tree Foundation. After the presentation, we will have time for questions and additional discussion. Please email Anna McQuarrie at mcquarriea@thempc.org with any questions. We look forward to seeing you!

Date: May 15, 2024

Time: 11-11:45am

Registration Link: https://bit.ly/CoffeeHour_May

The Resilience Bight, CERN's new newsletter, features updates on the network, partner spotlights, resiliency resources, and more! Check out our feature on the Georgia Conservancy and their work with the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative (SASMI). Subscribe on our homepage to receive the newsletter.

Our 2023 Partner Organization Meeting was a success with almost 50 attendees from counties all along the Georgia Coast and South Carolina Lowcountry. Participants discussed eight different topics in a round table format. Our object was to revisit the mission, geographic scope, and actionable goals to move CERN into the post-grant era, with a focus on equity and environmental justice and becoming a self-sustaining organization. Below is an overview of the outcomes of those conversations. Let's keep making a network that works for our members!

1. CERN's Mission

• The mission statement generally works for partners, and only minor changes may be needed.
• A vision statement is needed to describe our future goals and aspirations.

2. Geographic Scope

• All coastal counties can benefit from CERN resources
• Establish connections in "base" counties of Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty and then expand
• Coordinate with the Golden Isles Resilience Network in Glynn County and South Carolina Lowcountry counties
• There is a need for a "point-person" at the county-level

3. Network Goals

• Write a strategic plan to help guide goals
• Continue outreach and education with targeted messaging
• Meaningfully engage with partners, public, officials, and local governments
• Leverage partnerships for grants
• Create a resource hub with examples of successful projects
• Form a listserv to share updates

4. Equity and Environmental Justice

• Focus on relationship building
• Identify and contact community groups & use a snowball technique for contacts
• Work alongside each other to align missions & strengthen the infrastructure that already exists
• Compensate individuals for time and expertise
• Demonstrate the need for municipalities to engage in this work

5. Partner Needs

• Strategic plan laying out a clear vision
• Access to Resiliency 101 Course for elected officials & completion certificate
• Inventory of grants and assistance to coordinate & leverage partnerships
• Educational and learning opportunities with graphic representation for quickly and effectively communicating resilience
• Greater connection with public and elected officials

6. Groups to Engage

• Military (Sentinel Landscape)
• Gullah Geechee Community
• Youth: high school groups, FFA, Boy and Girl Scouts
• Tide to Town
• Local neighborhoods
• ACCG/GMA
• Development Authorities
• Public school systems
• Higher Education: GSU, SCAD, SSU, Savannah Tech, Local Campuses
• Chatham Area Transit
• GEMA and CEMA
• Georgia Port Authority
• Georgia Power
• Coastal Regional Commission
• GDOT
• Local Sustainability Departments

7. Benefits of a Network

• Align regional goals
• Facilitate formal collaboration to identify and apply for regional grants
• Compile best practices for the region
• Help eliminate duplicate efforts
• Learn more about local environmental and social justice efforts

8. Ideas to Become Self-Sustaining

• Grants
• Sponsorships
• Municipality budgets
• Modest membership dues
• Non-profit status and accept donations

Please join us for round table talks to discuss the mission, goals, and future of the Coastal Empire Resilience Network (CERN), along with current topics of resiliency in Coastal Georgia. You can register under the "meetings" tab on the website. We look forward to having you and hearing your input! Please reach out to Anna McQuarrie at mcquarriea@thempc.org with any questions. Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2023Location: Andrews Visitor & Education Center, Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens, 2 Canebrake Road, Savannah, GA

Follow CERN on Instagram @cern_mpc!

CERN welcomes Anna Brodmerkel McQuarrie as the new project manager of CERN. Anna recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a Master’s of Urban Planning and Design. Before attending UGA, she taught marine science at the Catalina Island Marine Institute in Southern California and received a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Public Policy from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Inspired by the natural world, she prioritizes equity, engagement, and the environment in planning. She hopes to continue to create an inclusive and creative network of local leaders to further resilience in the coastal empire.