From March 2023 to June 2023, the Mystic River Watershed Association went out and about in the communities of Everett, Malden, Chelsea, and Arlington to talk about the dangers of extreme heat, and to learn how residents would like to combat our increasingly hot summers.

Led by a team of 8 Wicked Cool Mystic Ambassadors - see their photos and bios here - by the numbers we…

Gathered 873 surveys in 5 different languages
Hosted 6 public events with food, fun, and over 200 friends 🙂
Attended 17 public events from speaking at group meetings, tabling at fairs, and participating in community workshops!

Through all this, we engaged thousands of residents in our communities and learned that many people are increasingly concerned about extreme heat and want to see simple and immediate solutions to our hotter summers.

Some of the top solutions in all 4 communities include….

Trees!
Shading structures- especially at bus stops
Water features like splash pads/ water fountains!

Here is our wrap-up flyer we have been posting around Everett!

Please see below for photos of our amazing events and work! In the New Year we will be implementing pilot cooling solutions chosen by residents in Everett, Malden, and Chelsea.

As we wait for these solutions here are a number of actions YOU! Can take TODAY to help cool down your community!

Call 311 to see if a street tree can be planted in your neighborhood!

If you live in Everett, Malden, or Chelsea you can get a FREE TREE! Planted in your yard by reaching out to the Greening the Gateway Cities program run by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Here is their website!
Call your local city councilors and ask them if they know about the dangers of extreme heat.
Check in on your neighbors during a heat wave by going door to door, texting, emailing, and calling those most vulnerable to extreme heat.
Learn more about extreme heat in the Mystic River watershed by clicking here!

Photo credit: Marissa Zampino unless otherwise marked.

Arlington

1) Arlington Wicked Cool Mystic Ambassador Clara Schneider puts up fliers about extreme heat in Arlington.

2) Arlington Wicked Cool Mystic Ambassadors, Clara Schneider and Elise Kempf, led a public workshop about extreme heat where 40 participants shared their ideas for cooling solutions. Credit: Elise Kempf

3) Wicked Cool Ambassadors Clara Schneider and Elise Kempf talk to residents about extreme heat at Arlington Town Day.

chelsea

4) Chelsea Wicked Cool Ambassadors Estella Lazo and Aldo Miranda GreenRoots, and the Mystic River Watershed Association hosted a summer fair in Chelsea complete with face painting and a bouncy house to talk to residents about extreme heat. Credit: Natalia Boyana and Bianca Bowman

everett

5) Everett Wicked Cool Ambassadors Juan Soler-Ramos and Thalia Patino Molano hand out fliers for their climate change workshop!

6) MyRWA Community Organizer and Wicked Cool partner, Everett Community Growers, talk to Everett residents about extreme heat at the Everett Community Growers Summer Bash. Credit: Everett Community Growers

7) Everett Wicked Cool Mystic Ambassadors Thalia Patino Molano and Juan Soler-Ramos hosted an event with Everett Community Growers, La Comunidad, ArtLab Everett, and the Clean River Project at Rivergreen Park to talk about extreme heat even in the extreme rain!

8) Wicked Cool Mystic Ambassador Juan Soler-Ramos leads a public workshop on cooling solutions in Everett.

malden

9) Malden Wicked Cool Mystic Ambassadors Lisa Sulda and Ada Li tabled at the Malden Green Fair in the spring and asked people to place a pin on a map of where they feel hot in Malden!

10) The Malden Wicked Cool team with Friends of the Malden River, Greening the Gateway Cities, Friends of Roosevelt Park, and the City of Malden hosted an event at Kierstead Park in Malden with free ice cream for residents 🙂