Collaboration at its Finest

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My time in San Diego has ended, but what I have learned from this summer will follow me forever. My last month at the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative was extremely busy but very exciting. We had another living shorelines workshop (in Costa Mesa), I completed my paper on living shorelines in Southern California, and I attended the California Climate Action Planning Conference in San Luis Obispo.

After reflecting on my time in San Diego and working for Laura, I now understand, better than ever, the importance of collaboration and a strong network. Watching Laura interact with San Diego city officials, different non-profits, engineers, and every other person involved in climate change adaptation and coastal resilience, has shown me that unless you know the people, action is not possible. The Collaborative brings San Diego stakeholders together to discuss and determine what needs to be done to keep the county prepared for what is to come.

Living Shorelilnes Workshop in Costa Mesa

Attending the California CAP Conference, experiencing being in a room filled only with people who want to move forward with climate action planning and finding new and innovative ways to do that, was inspirational. I met so many people that have been paving the way for decades and pushing for climate resilience before the term even really existed. I only hope I can be that successful and inspiration at some point in my life. After being in San Diego all summer, and then going to the Conference, I realize how tight the climate action planning community is and the benefits of being a part of that network.

The summer is now over, and it’s time for school to start, but I can say that I will forever be able to use what I have learned and maintain contact with those I have met this summer for my future endeavors!

Bye bye San Diego!

The Summer of the Post-It

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The end of my summer was a whirlwind. I spend most of it writing my report, “Beyond the Vulnerability Study: Moving from Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning to Implementation in the San Francisco Bay Area.” In researching, I learned an incredible amount about sea level rise adaptation at the local level. I read all the cutting-edge papers and was able to partake in several webinars on the subject. Read More →

Leaving the desert behind, moving back to the sea

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As I climb to the end of this summer and we voyage back to Monterey for my final year, I am given an opportunity to reflect on my experiences. My own feelings of my time with Secure Fisheries and the work with Somalis plus the connections that I made reminded me of the narrator’s view of the sea and world around her/him:

 

Break, break, break,

On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!

And I would that my tongue could utter

The thoughts that arise in me.

 

O, well for the fisherman’s boy,

That he shouts with his sister at play!

O, well for the sailor lad,

That he sings in his boat on the bay!

 

And the stately ships go on

To their haven under the hill;

But O for the touch of a vanish’d hand,

And the sound of a voice that is still!

 

Break, break, break

At the foot of thy crags, O Sea!

But the tender grace of a day that is dead

Will never come back to me.

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Cookies and Kool Aid for Conservation

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We’ve all heard the somewhat antiquated but oft-quoted statement that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. As it turns out, this age-old trick is invaluable when tackling the challenges of community-based conservation. There are, of course, those who are already fired up and will jump at a chance to talk protected areas management and fisheries regulation. But for those community members who do not seek out conservation-themed events, four simple words all but guarantee attendance: “food and drinks provided.” This simple phrase works its magic across borders, generations, and genders, and it should not be dismissed for its seeming triviality. When you’re attempting to drum up support for conservation through community events, attendance is key. No one becomes a die-hard ocean champion over night but if you can bring people to the table with the promise of cookies and Kool Aid the future begins to look a little brighter. Read More →

Catching Up to the Pace of a Developing State

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If you haven’t heard, Fiji will be cohosting COP 23 of the UNFCCC with Sweden this November. This is a pretty big deal because it is the first time a small island developing state has taken this role.  As an environmental policy student, and as an American, it is quite the change to see how prominent climate change is in Fiji.  The newspaper has a section dedicated to the environment and the UN Oceans Conference is headline news.  Fiji is in a tough spot because like the rest of Oceania, their contributions to climate change are minuscule while they are about to face some of its earliest consequences.

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