Local connectivity: the power of Twitter

Last Wednesday, after working in the morning at the office, I picked my daughters up at camp and decided to go to the beach for a quick social with the other moms and a cool down swim as temporary relief from the multiple days of mid-July mugginess. 

As we were de-sanding and packing the beach accessories in the car, I checked my email, Twitter and Facebook notifications again before driving home where I would resume working. 

I was mentioned in my friend, Lisa a.k.a. @sierratierra's tweet about the coastal storm warnings on Cape Cod. I met Lisa in Boston earlier this year at her How Pinterest Can Be Your Business’ Secret Social Media Weapon . 

Lisa Kalner Williams ‏@sierratierra

RT @corpwriters: Rut roh RT @JohnBolaris: Watch out coastal New England this afternoon ESP marine interests http://tinyurl.com/ctszeuu @pidgirl

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1:18 PM - 18 Jul 12 via HootSuite · Details

I replied (to all) with:

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18 JulJennifer Maclachlan ‏@pidgirl

@JohnBolaris @sierratierra @corpwriters Good thing the kids & I made it to the beach for a quick swim on #capecod Still hazy blue skies now

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2:54 PM - 18 Jul 12 via HootSuite · Details

18 JulLisa Kalner Williams ‏@sierratierra

@corpwriters @pidgirl I live 10mi north of Boston -- in the midst of our 2nd downpour.

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3:04 PM - 18 Jul 12 via HootSuite · Details

Kathryn Siranosian ‏@CorpWriters

@pidgirl Hello! I'm on #capecod, too!

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2:59 PM - 18 Jul 12 via TweetDeck · Details

That makes sense why Lisa would tag both Kathryn and I in the severe weather post-we're both Twitter users from Cape Cod. 

Kathryn Siranosian ‏@CorpWriters

@sierratierra Stay safe! Maybe I *won't * be playing tennis tonight, after all? @pidgirl #capecod

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Jennifer Maclachlan ‏@pidgirl

@CorpWriters Nice to meet you, fellow #capecodder :) Guessing your tennis has been called. It's thundering & grey skies here in Barnstable!

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18 JulKathryn Siranosian ‏@CorpWriters

@pidgirl Hello! I don't meet many fellow female scientists on Cape Cod. I own a writing business now, but MIT alum, worked at bench 4 yrs.

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6:57 PM - 18 Jul 12 via TweetDeck · Details

My intuitive self told me that I had to meet Kathryn immediately. So I invited her to come meet my father and I.

Jennifer Maclachlan ‏@pidgirl

@CorpWriters Neat! Our facility is in Sandwich-you should come by and meet myself and my father @pidguy.

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18 JulKathryn Siranosian ‏@CorpWriters

@pidgirl Yes! Next week? Where are you located?

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7:07 PM - 18 Jul 12 via TweetDeck · Details

Jennifer Maclachlan ‏@pidgirl

@CorpWriters How is Monday 10 am? We're on RT 130 between the car wash and the Industrial Park No. 2 Washington Cir. (behind the Hess)

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19 JulKathryn Siranosian ‏@CorpWriters

@pidgirl That could work! I will have to check w/my daughter's schedule tonight. I will RSVP asap.

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3:25 PM - 19 Jul 12 via TweetDeck · Details

Kathryn Siranosian ‏@CorpWriters

@pidgirl I'll stop by tomorrow morning, if that still works for you . . .

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10:41 AM - 22 Jul 12 via TweetDeck · Details

This is where I set the stage for our discussion.

Jennifer Maclachlan ‏@pidgirl

@CorpWriters sounds good! Looking forward to telling you about all the cool science events we do on the Cape :)

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Kathryn arrived at 10am and we spent a few minutes chatting about our children and their summer science related programs and then we got into our science outreach activities: including the Cape Cod Science Cafe series for both adults and the hands-on cafe for kids/families. Kathryn was familiar with the event that we did last year at the Sandwich Public Library and she is eager to help us organize and promote a similar, larger scale event this December. With her connections to the Sandwich Public School system and her passion for STEM education dubbing her family a "STEM family" we've got ourselves an amazing new Cape Cod science outreach team member!

Of course we took a picture and I sent this tweet:

Jennifer Maclachlan ‏@pidgirl

Tweetup in Sandwich this am! Thanks to @sierratierra for connecting the #capecod science tweeps @CorpWriters @pidguypic.twitter.com/2EJSnlOf

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20hLisa Kalner Williams ‏@sierratierra

@pidgirl @CorpWriters @pidguy That is AWESOME! Glad you got to meet each other! Thanks for sending me the proof :)

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12:27 PM - 23 Jul 12 via HootSuite · Details

Then, as if this wasn't amazing enough to have made this local science connection, this is the response from one of Kathryn's contacts:

23 JulBob Egan ‏@bobegan

@CorpWriters @pidgirl @sierratierra @pidguy AHH Wish i had known about it!

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Kathryn Siranosian ‏@CorpWriters

Small world! RT @sierratierra: @pidgirl @CorpWriters @pidguy That is AWESOME! Glad you got to meet each other! #capecod #science

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Kathryn Siranosian ‏@CorpWriters

@pidgirl @bobegan @pidguy Hmmm . . . We may want to consider starting a reg sci/tech Tweet-up (bi-monthly?)? #capecod

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23 JulJennifer Maclachlan ‏@pidgirl

@CorpWriters @bobegan @pidguy Definitely! Let's do it! #capecod#tweetup

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23 JulBob Egan ‏@bobegan

@pidgirl @CorpWriters @pidguy I’m in - there are also several others on the cape that follow me / i follow who might be interested.

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2:19 PM - 23 Jul 12 via Tweetbot for iOS · Details

And so it's on...the Cape Cod Science and Technology tweetup...