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CRAFT Core Competencies

Systems Thinking: Students will be taught how to understand the interconnected and potential circular processes within our food and forest systems. They will learn a holistic approach to knowing how food and forest systems directly impact their own survival. As a result of systems thinking, students will be encouraged to take positive actions and develop self-agency that can be fostered to make real differences within their community. Tools of a systems thinker

Sustainability: Students will learn, understand and apply the environmental, economic and equity needs necessary to sustain their own lives in the present while not compromising the resources needed in the future. Students will learn to make decisions and take actions that will lead to food and forests systems that can be sustained now and in the future. Big Ideas of Sustainability

Stewardship: Students will be engaged in hands on the land and community-based work that encourages them to be responsible for and take care of our natural resources. Good stewards give of their time, are inclusive, embrace innovation and change, are curious, and work towards their goals.

Service Learning: Students will actively develop and be a part of working with community partners to provide solutions that enable our food and forest systems to become more sustainable and resilient in the face of climate change

Billings Farm and Museum Mission

Continued practice of responsible agriculture – speaks to the agricultural continuum of our legacy farm and the significance and dynamics of purposive management as it has evolved and continues to do so

NPS Core Value

Shared stewardship: We share a commitment to resource stewardship with the global preservation community.

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Purpose

to preserve the Marsh-Billings Mansion and surrounding lands through active stewardship;

MABI Statements of Significance

The park’s Mount Tom Forest is the oldest continuously managed scientific forest in the United States.

MABI Core Resources and Values

Community Connections. The interplay between town and park has always been an important value among the families of the estate and the community members who enjoyed the use of the carriage roads and trails. From the time Billings completed the carriage road system, the roads and trails have been open to the public for recreational pursuits and to learn about best practices in land stewardship. Additionally, the Billings and Rockefeller families were active in Woodstock community life, contributing to social causes, historic preservation, economic development, and land stewardship. Today, Woodstock is recognized as an outstanding example of a New England village and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places

MABI Education Aim

To host a robust place-based education program that offers relevant and accessible learning experiences for teachers and students and continues the parks’ legacies of environmental stewardship and artistic expression.

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We immediately noticed synergy and overlap in our standards and goals.  We all looked at our organization and program missions and goals and identified connecting themes across our organizations that aligned with our issues.

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All of our strategies and goals have strong themes of stewardship, community, and action across all team organizations.

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A primary attribute in the Windsor Central Supervisory Union's Portrait of a Graduate is: Stewardship.

Serves local and global communities

Contributes to personal and community health and wellness

Respects diversity and differing points of view

Acts with empathy and care for others

MABI Education Strategy:
- Build park capacity to develop and implement education programs that compliment the values and mission of the two parks and programs.
- Host a robust education program that relates to the park specifically and offers a suite of opportunities (along a spectrum) for teachers to meet the needs of their curriculum and students
- Commit to fully co-developing and implementing high-quality, relevant teacher professional development with partners and interdivisional staff
- Teacher professional development for art teachers
The purpose of MABI is to interpret the history and evolution of conservation stewardship in America; to preserve the Marsh-Billings mansion and surrounding lands through active stewardship; ...

From Billings Farm code of Ethics:
Billings Farm is founded on principles of agricultural excellence, conservation, education, and historical and cultural preservation.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
Students who demonstrate understanding can:

HS-ESS2-4. | Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate. [Clarification Statement: Examples of the causes of climate change differ by timescale, over 1-10 years: large volcanic eruption, ocean circulation; 10-100s of years: changes in human activity, ocean circulation, solar output; 10-100s of thousands of years: changes to Earth's orbit and the orientation of its axis; and 10-100s of millions of years: long-term changes in atmospheric composition.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment of the results of changes in climate is limited to changes in surface temperatures, precipitation patterns, glacial ice volumes, sea levels, and biosphere distribution.]
HS-ESS3-5. | Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth's systems. [Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence, for both data and climate model outputs, are for climate changes (such as precipitation and temperature) and their associated impacts (such as on sea level, glacial ice volumes, or atmosphere and ocean composition).] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to one example of a climate change and its associated impacts.]

Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things. (MS-ESS3-3)

Typically as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise. (MS-ESS3-3),(MS-ESS3-4)

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Park Goals:

NPS Director Sams' priorities:  Confront the climate crisis using science and traditional ecological knowledge in stewarding our resources.

As a conservation leader and steward of magnificent natural and cultural landscapes, the National Park Service works with partners to address the growing climate crisis and its measurable impacts on our resources. Traditional ecological knowledge, scientific research, technical support, sustainability efforts, and public education will be used to respond to and mitigate climate-related vulnerabilities.

Stewardship/Ownership: Using the parks as a provocation/introduction to the topic. These are our parks–we need to preserve access to them.

Middle School Earth and Space Sciences:

MS-ESS2 (Earth's Systems)

MS-ESS2-1: Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.

MS-ESS3 (Earth and Human Activity)

MS-ESS3-2: Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.

MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment

MS-ESS3-4: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems

MS-ESS3-5: Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.

High School Earth and Space Sciences:

HS-ESS2 (Earth's Systems)

HS-ESS2-2: Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth's surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.

HS-ESS2-4: Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.

HS-ESS3 (Earth and Human Activity)

HS-ESS3-1: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.

HS-ESS3-4: Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.

(Will include some elementary goals as well.)

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All of the standards align with our desire to support teachers in assisting students in understanding the potential and present impacts of climate change in the Washington, DC, area. We also brainstormed resources and ideas that could help teachers think of provocations and points of further inquiry. For example:

Maya Lin’s “What is Missing?” project

Alexis Rockman's art on climate change impacts

Angle/Hook for students: Explorations of Injustice–how did it get this way, and what can we do about it?

Empowering teachers to explore with their students how each of their communities are/will be impacted by climate change. Help them understand how to find and tackle a problem within the classroom.

Jefferson Memorial is the most vulnerable–showing what it looks like when flooded could be a good introduction to the topic.

Help teachers find a National Park area closest to them.

Using Global Competence and JxD Thinking Routines from Project Zero

Multi-session? Teachers apply to be in a cohort. Or one full-day experience.

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We discussed local climate issues and solutions as a group. We decided to take the educational approach and inform people of current environmental issues and attainable solutions. Our rationale is that this information could be taught in schools, to reach the younger segment of society, as well as being incorporated into museums and local historic sites, that are frequented by all ages of people. This will encourage everyone to take steps in mitigating harm to the environment.

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·      Our standards and goals align with our climate issue because the increase in temperature and frequent storms affect every person in Kentucky. Educating the public on past and current environmental issues will allow local citizens to find solutions for climate issues.

·      A final product could have young students look for real world solutions to climate issues. This lesson plans could be taught in K-12 classes. Perhaps students could plant school gardens or participate in community-size projects to plant trees.

o   For example, the Town Branch Park (Downtown Lexington, KY) is the work of Lexington government, citizens, local organizations, and the University of Kentucky. The project converts almost 10 acres of parking lot to natural green space, the park will help improve air and water quality and provide healthy habitats for humans, wildlife, and plants within our urban core.

·       Because the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace focuses on Lincoln and his love of nature, the site could create signage, information in the tours, or programming that connects the site’s environmental history to current climate issues and solutions.

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Here are the standards and goals for the ALCS. We’ve listed the missions of 2 local institutions as well as standards for the Kentucky school system and the C3 Framework for Social Studies.

o   The Lincoln Museum: Mission Statement is “to provide educational, artistic, and cultural exhibits and materials related to the life and legacy of Hodgenville's native son, Abraham Lincoln, to the local populace as well as to thousands of annual visitors and to serve as a catalyst for economic development in the Historic Downtown area as well as LaRue County.”

o   Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Kentucky preserves, protects, and interprets the significant cultural and natural resources associated with Abraham Lincoln’s birth, early boyhood, and memorialization, including the symbolic birth cabin, memorial building, and Knob Creek Farm.

o   Kentucky Academic Standards – High School Geographical Reasoning “Analyze how environmental factors influence population distributions from place to place. (page 208)

o   COLLEGE, CAREER & CIVIC LIFE C3 FRAMEWORK FOR SOCIAL STUDIES STATE “D2.His.1.6-8. Analyze connections among events and developments in broader historical contexts” and “D2.His.1.9-12. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.” (page 46)

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We met on Zoom to discuss the assignment and started dreaming big about what we'd like to accomplish. We set tasks to find relevant standards. We put our thoughts/findings in a GoogleDoc.

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Our standards align thoroughly in that they encourage a level of extensive understanding of the relationship between a changing climate and a changing ecosystem, especially in our case with how the warming of our local waters combined with a rising sea level is decimating our local wetlands and shoreline.

Our goals align in part due to their focus on improving community awareness, which is the only way to have change on our island, and also in part due to our focus on informing the next generation about the problems that ours has failed to address.

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These are the standards from NGSS that we use:

NGSS (High School) HS-LS2-6 Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem. Examples of changes in ecosystem conditions could include modest biological or physical changes, such as moderate or a seasonal flood; and, extreme changes, such as volcanic eruption or sea level rise.

NGSS (middle school) MS-LS2-4 Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations. Emphasis is on recognizing patterns in data and making warranted inferences about changes in populations, and on evaluating empirical evidence supporting arguments about changes to ecosystems.

Educational Goals:

Develop a partnership with NPS and community to bring awareness to students of all ages, by doing field studies in the shoreline villages.

Following the NGSS Standards for both middle and secondary grades, develop a program to implement these goals, and create a prediction for the effect of these goals, which address sea level rise.

Community Goals:

To develop programs for often-isolated village residents regarding sea level rise. Apathy is a major issue, and ignorance of what effects are caused by illegal dumping. Education is paramount, in order to properly teach the students today who will be the adults tomorrow.

Students must also be able to connect what is taught in a classroom, and seeing these things occurring in the real world with the proper contextual knowledge to interpret it.

Increased visibility for those who are being ostracized for their opinions regarding how to handle the issue of climate change, and how to properly care for the land and sea that are under individual jurisdictions.

Finding native flora that can reduce the effect of climate change on the island and provide benefits to the villages via their inherent properties.

Stakeholders are all members of the village: decision makers in the village council, the chiefs(part of the local chiefly system), women’s groups, local leaders of faith. They should have a place for leaders regarding climate change in these committees.

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We shared ideas about the mission and goals of the school, local partner, and the National Park Service. We also gathered specific Florida curriculum standards and identified those that best align with our problems/solutions.

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Our goal of empowering students to become engaged in the process of protecting and advocating for the Indian River Lagoon system would align with the efforts of our local partners and the park to increase shoreline resiliency through restoration of natural shorelines, which would also result in improved water quality.

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Our goals are to develop lessons in the areas of shoreline resiliency and restoration, water quality, and species migration, as they relate to the expected changes in temperature, sea level, and storm frequency.

We plan to develop lessons which incorporate Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards, falling under the umbrella of these Florida Big Ideas:

Big Idea 14: Organization and Development of Living Organisms

Big Idea 15: Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms

Big Idea 17: Interdependence

Our goal is to empower teachers to raise awareness of impending changes due to climate change and inspire students to become engaged in the process of protecting and advocating for the Indian River Lagoon system within Canaveral National Seashore.

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We decided that since our island community has already felt the effects of climate change in the form of rising sea levels, we would choose this aspect to broach first with students.

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We talked about MA content frameworks and park goals in general, and then discarded the content-specific curriculum frameworks in favor of a more broad cross-cutting disciplinary/grade level goal.

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Raising student awareness about and helping them find relevance in climate change (across all disciplines and grade levels), with a goal towards empowering students to action.

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Our goal is to inspire activism toward social justice and environmental sustainability by raising awareness of the legacies of industrialization. We will help teachers:
- across all disciplines and grade levels integrate climate change stories into their curriculum.
- connect to TIHC/LOWE resources that can help them teach the content.
- build confidence and competence to teach about climate change

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Neighborhoods at Risk Map (can filter by demographics and climate exposures)

1. Cool graphics of what DC landmarks would look like underwater

2. EPA report “What Climate Change Looks like for DC”

3. Climate Read DC Report (2018)

1. Lots of graphs and stats!

4. Climate Change Making Humidity Worse (WaPo)

5. Interview with USGS Climate Scientist about local climate change effects

6. Heat Deaths

7. 1871-2022 Avg Temp Data for DC (NOAA)

8. Interesting article on DC flooding risks–including why NPS parks take the brunt of flooding from storms

1. Climate Optimism for DC:

1. DC Solar Works Program:

2. DC Area More Prepared Than Most

3. Ideas for the Tidal Basin

4. NPS Climate Change

5. High Water Marks at the Wharf (on Potomac River)

6. National Parks Expeditions: ​​

1. Do we have access to any of the solutions sent in by kids?

7. Heat zones -- Canopy/green spaces vs pavement  (Casey Trees, EJ Screener)

2.  | DC Street Trees Map - Casey Trees

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In thinking about the water from storm surges predicted in the next 50 years that will flood green spaces along the Potomac and Anacostia rivers in DC, we thought of the analogy of spilling something in one's house (like paint or grease) and trying to find something that will absorb it before it causes too much damage. There's still great damage (in this case, to monuments and memorials--national treasures), just not to densely populated areas of the city.

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Bathtub drain clog analogy: Extreme rains saturate the ground and block drainage, similar to a clogged bathtub drain. The clogged tub will still drain but much more slowly, so if a lot more water is added to the bathtub it will overflow. A second rainstorm in an already oversaturated Lagoon will flood the surrounding area.

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Combined Sewer Overflows: When you are using a keurig and put a teacup underneath and accidentally hit the 10 oz button.

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MABI Analogy: With timing changing between blooming flowers and pollinators-it's like teachers showing up at school at 8 am but students not showing up until 3 pm!

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MABI Analogy: With timing changing between blooming flowers and pollinators-it's like teachers showing up at school at 8 am but students not showing up until 3 pm!

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https://site.uvm.edu/vtclimateassessment/files/2022/08/excutive-summary-standalone-7-27-22-web.pdf

https://vtdigger.org/2023/04/03/letter-to-the-editor-affordable-heat-act-provides-a-path-to-a-sustainable-future/

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“Vermont’s annual average temperature has increased by almost 2 degrees F since 1900. WInter temperatures have increased 2.5 times faster than annual temperatures over the past sixty years, and the number of very cold nights has decreased by over seven days in the same time period.”

“Average annual precipitation in Vermont has increased by 21% since 1900 and has become more variable in the last decade. Annual snowfall has been decreasing since the 1960s, yet winter precipitation has increased, suggesting that more winter precipitation is falling as rain.”

“Vermont’s freeze-free period has lengthened by three weeks since 1960; the trend has accelerated to an increase of nine days per decade since 1991.”

“Extreme weather events such as droughts and floods are expected to continue to increase with climate change. Vermont experiences 2.4 more days of heavy precipitation than in the 1960s, most often in summer”

“Climate change is beginning to shift growing conditions for forests in Vermont…becoming more favorable for southern-adapted tree species and less favorable for currently adapted tree species…Species including sugar maple, balsam fir, yellow birch, and black ash will be negatively impacted.”

“Vermont’s climate is already changing in ways that benefit its agricultural system, including longer growing periods…and milder temperatures, allowing farmers to experiment with new crops or practices not previously viable in Vermont. The changing climate also brings agricultural setbacks, such as negative impacts on fruit-bearing species…The maple syrup industry is also at risk…Climate models predict tougher growing conditions due to greater variability in temperature and precipitation, including heavy precipitation and dry spells.”

“Downhill skiing, with the help of snowmaking, will likely remain largely viable in Vermont up until approximately 2050. By 2080, the Vermont ski season will be shortened by two weeks or by a whole month.”

“Warmer and more moist temperatures in Vermont are likely to create more habitat for disease-carrying ticks and mosquitos.”

Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Vermont. Thermal energy use is a close second. Fossil heat is 34% of VT's emissions. Large reductions are required - 40% by 2030, 80%+ by 2050 to meet climate goals, legal mandates.

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Living shoreline before-and-after to protect the Turtle Mound shell midden in Canaveral.

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Habitat Restoration:

Oyster reef restoration projects have successfully restored 89 oyster reefs with over 1,000 live oysters per square meter post restoration.

Living shoreline stabilization projects used to decrease shoreline erosion and protect prehistoric Timucuan shell mounds with Canaveral.

Partnership between Canaveral, University of Central Florida, and Marine Discovery Center. Community engagement throughout the entire restoration process (material construction, deployment, long-term monitoring)

Restoration - Coastal and Estuarine Ecology Lab (CEELAB) (ucf.edu)

Benefits of restoration to local community:

Restoration helps re-establish habitat functionality.

Oysters are filter feeders and help to clean the water and can help reduce phytoplankton abundance.

Grabowski and Peterson 2007 - Restoring Oyster Reefs to Recover Ecosystem Services (Ecosystem Engineers: Plants to Protists - Google Books)

Living shorelines prevent erosion by trapping sediment, protecting from land loss and potentially able to keep pace with sea level rise. Living shoreline plants act as storm protection and a buffer against storm surge.

Bilkovic et al. 2016 - The Role of Living Shorelines as Estuarine Habitat ConservationStrategies (The Role of Living Shorelines as Estuarine Habitat Conservation Strategies (tandfonline.com))

Water quality Funding for the IRL:

Bill to provide $100 million per year towards improving the water quality of the IRL to solve the HABs problem.

Goal is to target the sources of HABs and help clean up septic issues and other nutrient sources.

Allow people to afford to address septic issues on their properties and move away from septic systems altogether. Long-term benefits to people that depend on the IRL for income.

DeSantis proposes $100 million a year to clean Indian River Lagoon – Orlando Sentinel

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Vermont Food Scrap Ban:

Food scraps that are able to be used must be diverted from the landfill through several options: food donation, animal feed, composting, or anaerobic digestion.

When trapped in a landfill, food waste decomposes slowly and without oxygen. This process produces methane, a greenhouse gas 84 times more powerful than CO2 over a 20-year period.

Food waste contributes to 8% of the world’s total greenhouse emissions, and reducing food waste is one of the single most impactful actions for reducing the effects of climate change.

Reduces greenhouse gas emissions and increases donation of food.

Affordable Heat Act:

Dictates that a Progressive fraction of measures must come from low & moderate income HH, and At least 50% must be long-lived measures that lower bills long-term (e.g., weatherization, heat pumps, AWH)

Equity focus -Lower income HH have higher energy burdens, less efficient housing and expensive heating sources

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Town Branch Park - Downtown Lexington

This is the work of Lexington govt, citizens, orgs, and the University of Kentucky

"Town Branch Park will play an important role in supporting a healthy environment amid our growing city. By converting almost 10 acres of parking lot to natural green space, the park will help improve air and water quality and provide healthy habitats for humans, wildlife, and plants within our urban core."

https://www.townbranchpark.org/benefits-index

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Extreme Precipitation Events and Combined Sewage Overflows

Lowell is impacted by flooding from extreme precipitation events, which is projected to be exacerbated by climate change (City of Lowell).

Lowell was at “critical drought” level between August 2022 and January 2023, which intensifies CSO and surface runoff effects on water quality by limiting the ability of a) existing river levels to dilute pollution and b) soil and plant matter to absorb additional stormwater.

The Merrimack River is Lowell’s (and Lawrence, Haverhill) primary source of drinking water – all cities that have some of the highest proportions of socioeconomically disadvantaged people in the state.

The city’s wastewater treatment system uses a combined sewer system, where both domestic and industrial wastewater as well as stormwater runoff are collected in one pipe (EPA, 2022).

During extreme precipitation events, the wastewater treatment plant becomes overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water collected from the stormwater runoff, which results in combined sewer overflows with raw sewage being dumped into the river.

The graph illustrates the volume of combined sewer overflows from 2013-2021 (Merrimack River Watershed Council, 2022). Although there are fluctuations due to droughts, the general trend is upward, showing that the volume of CSOs are increasing over time.

Urban Heat Islands

Urban heat islands are a serious concern for the City of Lowell as annual temperatures increase and we experience more intense and longer heat waves due to anthropogenic-driven climate change (City of Lowell).

The City of Lowell has many neighborhoods that experience higher temperatures due to a lack of green space and higher percentages of impervious surfaces, such as pavement, that absorb and re-radiate heat (EPA, 2023).

This is a serious equity issue, as the city’s poorest neighborhoods, such as the Acre (58) or Back Central (52), have significantly less green space than the wealthier areas, such as Belvidere (97).

Lowell has a very high rate of asthma - more than twice the national average of 7.8%. (Center for Disease Control)

The MA Greening the Gateways Cities program is working in Lowell, with the goal of planting trees in The Acre, Back Central, and Downtown.

Industrial Pollution

Industrial waste (chemicals, bleaches, etc.) is a harsh legacy of Lowell’s heyday as a textile production mecca. Changing precipitation patterns and river flow rates, driven by climate change, can disturb these chemicals, which are often found in sediments, disrupting food webs and potentially impacting human health.

Kyanization is the process of treating wood with mercuric chloride (mercury) to make it resistant to decay. This photo shows the Kyanizing plant in Lowell, built in 1848, situated along a canal. The mercury-treated wood was used in the construction of canals, gatehouses, bridges, and other structures submerged in water. This plant operated into the early 20th century. Mercury continues to leach from this wood into Lowell’s waterways today.

This 1915 photograph shows the outlet of the Merrimack Mills Print Works. Organic pollution accounted for some of the waste, as natural dyes included madder (red), logwood (black or brown), and peachwood (red). The dying and printing of textiles required the use of mordants (chemicals used to affix the dye to the cloth), including inorganic chemicals like sulfuric acid, muriatic acid, lime, and arsenic. Only small amounts of dye and mordants were absorbed into the cloth. The bulk of the chemicals were dumped in the river, causing the water to be discolored.

The practice of dumping continued into the late 20th century. The Nyanza textile dye production facility dumped mercury-polluted wastewater into the Sudbury River, part of the Merrimack watershed, from 1917-1978 and is now classified as a US EPA Superfund Site.

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Increasing Temperatures and Heat Waves:

“The 12-month average temperature in Volusia County increased by 4.1°F from March 1900 to February 2023. The warmest 12-month average was 74.3°F, occurring from December 2019 to November 2020.”

Climate in Volusia County, Florida | USAFacts

“The number of consecutive days exceeding 95°F, a metric used as a measure of heat waves, is expected to increase by at least 97% in Florida over the 21st century.

*25.-Climate-Ready-Estuary-Technical-Report_FINAL-11-23-21.pdf (onelagoon.org)

People most at risk for heat-related illnesses and/or death are people over 65, people with chronic conditions, people with low income, outdoor workers, and infants/children.

Beat the heat | Florida Department of Health in Volusia (floridahealth.gov)

AE558/AE558: Natural Heat-Related Deaths in Florida: 2010–2020 (ufl.edu)

Precipitation and Sea Level Rise - Increasing Flood Risk:

“Rain-gauge stations in the IRL watershed show there has been a substantial increase in extreme rains (>6 inches/day) in the last 30 years compared to the previous 30-year period.”

Sea level rise currently occurs at a rate of 2 cm per year. The most recent sea level rise scenarios applicable to the IRL suggest sea level will rise a minimum of 5.1 feet and up to 8.5 feet by the end of the century.

Expected increase in flooding will result in land/habitat loss within the IRL watershed within the next 5-10 years.

*25.-Climate-Ready-Estuary-Technical-Report_FINAL-11-23-21.pdf (onelagoon.org)

People living in parts of Volusia and Brevard counties are at the 90th percentile for flood risk in the next 30 years and are at/above the 65th percentile for low income. People in these areas will be most adversely impacted by flooding caused by sea level rise, increased precipitation, and increased storm activity.

EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool | US EPA

Harmful Algal Blooms - Increasing Occurrence and Duration:

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) result from excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) in the water caused by fertilizers from lawn care and agriculture, wastewater, and septic systems. The influx of nutrients causes blooms of phytoplankton (plant-like plankton) and algae similar to how grass on a lawn will thrive with increased fertilizer application. HABs are a wide-spread and notorious problem throughout the IRL.

HABs result in habitat loss (especially underwater plants like seagrass beds), cause mass marine mortality events, shellfish poisoning, and can release toxins that can cause illness in humans and animals.

Looking Ahead to 2030 A 10 YR plan for the IRL (onelagoon.org)

Harmful Algal Blooms | US EPA

Sources of Exposure | Harmful Algal Blooms | CDC

“More frequent, high-intensity rainfall events will likely result in an increase in the flux of fresh water and associated pollutants into the IRL.” More HAB-causing nutrients flushed into the IRL.

Algal blooms in the IRL need sunlight and warm water to occur. Warmer average water temperatures will increase the frequency and duration of HAB events.

*25.-Climate-Ready-Estuary-Technical-Report_FINAL-11-23-21.pdf (onelagoon.org)

Harmful algal blooms: A climate change co-stressor in marine and freshwater ecosystems - ScienceDirect

$235 - 470 million potential loss to local economy in 2011: In the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, a "super bloom" in 2011 resulted in a 60% loss of seagrass coverage due to shading. Brown tides the following year prevented seagrasses from recovering. Scientists estimate that seagrass may contribute from $5,000-10,000 per acre per year to the local economy, meaning that the 2011 seagrass loss represents a potential reduction of $235-470 million for each year it is absent.”

Millions of dollars in small business loans due to HAB events disaster declarations. And millions of estimated losses to the tourism industry in Florida due to HABs.

People that depend on the IRL as a way of life (commercial uses / aquaculture / recreational fishing guides / tourism / etc.) are negatively affected.

Hitting Us Where it Hurts: The Untold Story of Harmful Algal Blooms | NOAA Fisheries

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1. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

2. http://www.epa.as.gov/climate-change

3. https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/samoa

4. https://www.preventionweb.net/publication/climate-change-american-samoa-indicators-and-considerations-key-sectors

5. https://www.eia.gov/state/print.php?sid=AQ

6. https://www.reefresilience.org/pdf/NCA-PIRCA-FINAL.pdf

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1. Student (citizen) advocacy for planting more trees in neighborhoods that are most at risk for adverse effects of climate change.

2. Student (citizen) advocacy for personal lifestyle changes that reduce, reuse and recycle waste materials.

3. Students apply for grants for specific climate change mitigation projects in their neighborhood.

4. Conduct audits around food waste, water usage, electricity usage, use of space, etc., and use data to make recommendations to school officials.

5. Design and implement school-based projects around reducing, reusing, recycling.

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Run En-Roads simulation in High School-https://en-roads.climateinteractive.org/scenario.html?v=23.2.1

https://www.talanei.com/2022/12/02/churches-hosting-christmas-events/ PHS students at the Wetlands

https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

Biodegradable grocery bags

Students planting trees/beach clean-ups (environmental clubs) Eco-Navigators, Green Club, Finafinau, Rotary Club(Interact)

Interisland clean-up commission (trash pick on the first friday of every month) ASG

Legislation in process for banning styrofoam but already adopted by many people and organizations on the island.

Power company has denied permits for the installation of solar panels due to a lack of excess power being returned to the power company.

# data[].attributes.body
Affects fishing subsistence of local communities

Coral bleaching due to warmer water temperatures

Erosion of coastal shoreline with rising sea levels

Intrusion of saltwater in soil affects land based farming

Rising sea level affect freshwater aquifers that supply fresh water to the

community

Deforestation in the Tafuna plain has caused the temperature to rise

significantly in the area which affects the rest of the island.

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1. DC residents are somewhat fortunate in that much of the area that would be most adversely affected by storm surges in more forceful hurricanes (as a result of climate change) are National Park green spaces with few neighborhoods impacted. However, two items of note: 1) Those non-green space areas along the city’s two rivers are among those being most rapidly developed at the moment, and 2) The areas along the Anacostia River in Southeast and Northeast Washington, though they aren’t highly populated, would be the most adversely affected AND include some of the poorest neighborhoods in the nation’s capital. The historic parks, monuments, memorials, and museums the city is famous for would be greatly affected by flooding in such a scenario.

2. Danger of flooding - We already see the Potomac regularly overflowing its banks in lower-lying areas of DC (National Park land, for example at Hains Point/East Potomac Park)

3. January and February 2023 both have been the third warmest since records started being kept in 1871.

4. From federal climate scientist Virginia Burkett: “The District generally gets about ten really hot and humid days a year with a heat index above 105 degrees. Those are expected to triple by 2030. One recent analysis suggests that by the time millennials turn 50, nearly every summer day could have a heat index above 105. And nights are warming faster than days, which is a serious health concern. The elderly and people with medical conditions like asthma or seasonal allergies are more vulnerable to heat waves than others. Poor communities often cannot afford air-conditioning units or may not be able to operate them due to higher energy bills.”