BLL: Climate Preparedness Week: Meet the Groundwater Guardians

Join Brian and Kalliope as they chat about who the Groundwater Guardians are and take a short look back at the history of the team and projects they have worked on, such as the podcast series “One Drop Leads to Another." Contaminants of concern, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and the PFAS family of chemicals, will also be discussed. Learn more at www.capecodgroundwater.org.

Brian Baumgaertel is the Director of the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center and is a Senior Environmental Specialist at the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment. He is a Registered Sanitarian, Environmental Health Specialist, Title 5 Soil Evaluator and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator. Originally from Upstate New York, Brian has lived on Cape Cod for 15 years and currently resides in Mashpee, where he serves as Chair of the local Board of Health.

Kalliope Chute is the Hazardous Materials Environmental Specialist at Barnstable County’s Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and manages the Water Quality and Hazardous Waste portfolio of programs, projects, and operations. The mission is to protect Cape Cod’s unique drinking water source, a largely unconfined, sole-source aquifer. She works towards educating Cape Codders of all ages on the value of our aquifer. Kalliope has a B.A. in Human Development from Lesley University and an M.S. in Organizational Leadership from the Johns Hopkins University. She serves on the Cape Cod Hoarding Task Force and the Provincetown Board of Health. Kalliope lives in Provincetown where she has a 2-acre sea farm, an apiary, and assorted animals.