Creating a more resilient coastline and adapting for climate change | Waterfront Ambassadors photo diary

Several site visits around the City engaged the Waterfront Ambassadors this week, as they learned more about climate change, sea level rise, and some of the plans to adapt Boston’s vulnerable harborfront to the changes ahead.

“Our theme was ‘Moving Forward Together’ this week, and the Ambassadors had the opportunity to learn about all the amazing ways different organizations in Boston are working to adapt to climate change and sea level rise,” noted Jessica Zhou, Trustees Waterfront Ambassadors Assistant Program Manager. “After learning about environmental injustices in the East Boston community, it was a healing experience to be able to consider possible solutions to fight back and to create positive change for ourselves and future generations.”

During the course of the week the Ambassadors met with Patricio Belloy, a graduate student at UMass Boston and a member of the Sustainable Solutions Lab, to learn about some of the inequitable impacts of climate change on marginalized populations; visited Coughlin Park in Winthrop to learn from the scientists at the Stone Living Lab about their use of green infrastructure to create a more resilient coastline; and met with Michelle De Lima, Trustees Engagement Manager, at Nightingale Community Garden in Dorchester to learn about different herbs and their many uses.

Below, explore this week’s photo diary of the Ambassadors’ favorite moments throughout the week:

This is a picture of the Ambassadors hanging flyers around East Boston as a way of community outreach. We made flyers and surveys and went around and hung them in the businesses of East Boston, to gather feedback from local teens about the future design of Piers Park III. -Emily

This picture in Winthrop was from when the Ambassadors did a workshop with Stone Living Lab. I learned that the Woods Hole group had installed tall grass (like at this site) so that people wouldn’t walk into undesignated spaces, like the group’s salt marsh project site. -Gloriann

The Trustees Waterfront Ambassadors went to the Nightingale Community Garden. There, we learned more about herbs and got to see the many different plants, fruits and vegetables that are being grown there by the community. At the garden, we also did stewardship where we helped organize the compost and soil. -Jeffrey

We toured Coughlin Park with the Stone Living Lab, where we learned a lot of things. One of the things that will stay with me the most is how the amount of sand there is in the coast is affected by where the waves are and how fast they come in. -Joel

This picture was taken at the Nightingale Community Garden. There were so many bees pollinating all the beautiful flowers that were in the garden. I really love how you can see the pollen on the bee, it’s so COOL! Best picture I have taken so far! I’M IN LOVE! -Kayla

This photo was taken in a park in Winthrop when we went to go meet Stone Living Lab. They talked to us about the marsh and how it has changed in the past 2 years. -Kevin

When we went to Winthrop, I learned a lot about salt marshes and how they can potentially save us from floods and still keep the ocean clean. Definitely something to remember and hopefully I can go again. -Nailyn

This image of the Waterfront Ambassadors was taken at UMass Boston on our tour with Patricio. We learned about how climate change and environmental justice are connected to many other issues like poverty. -Priya

I took this photo because it’s a perfect example of how to use this magnifier tool to study things that you want to know more about. Not to mention, it also creates a cool effect in the picture. -Quin

This week, the Waterfront Ambassadors worked with the Stone Living Lab talking about the fluctuating sea level rise that is happening due to climate change. We also learned the difficulty the salt marshes will face due to a rise in sea level, because as the water rises the salt marshes will get less exposure to air and will end up drowning.
-Sergio

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To learn more about the program, and read blogs from past years, visit: onewaterfront.thetrustees.org/ambassadors