Empowering Communities: How Center for Coastal Climate Resilience Fellows Unite Disciplines to Foster Lasting Resilience

Interdisciplinary collaboration is key at the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) at UC Santa Cruz. In this article, we chat with fellows using their diverse backgrounds to tackle climate change. These researchers and artists come together to discuss the impacts of climate change and explore ways to strengthen our communities and environments.

Rae Taylor-Burns has been passionate about climate change since her elementary school days. While researching global warming in the 1990s, she felt overwhelmed by the seriousness of the issue, especially since it wasn’t a popular topic at the time. This early spark led her to pursue a Ph.D. in Ocean Sciences. Now, Taylor-Burns studies how restoring marshes can lower flood risks, using San Francisco Bay as her main focus. She believes if we view marshes as vital infrastructure rather than mere wildlife habitats, we can attract more funding and support for their preservation. For her, climate adaptation is about finding hope amid challenges. “It feels good to work on solutions,” she says.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Ticknor from the statistics department is delving into extreme climate events. His research aims to predict significant ocean waves that could lead to coastal flooding. By creating a public database for engineers and insurers, his work will help communities prepare for these risks. “Predicting these extremes isn’t easy,” he notes, but he enjoys the challenge it presents. He’s now focused on when these extreme events might occur, which raises even more complex questions.

On the artistic side, Saul Villegas, CCCR’s first artist in residence, is merging art with science. He’s creating a digital gallery to make complex research more accessible. By collaborating closely with scientists, he aims to craft visually stimulating narratives that inspire curiosity and engagement. “I want people to connect with researchers and understand their work on a personal level,” he shares.

Gillian Bogart, an anthropologist, is exploring how communities relate to coastal restoration. With a focus on the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, she studies how local volunteers engage in conservation efforts. By documenting foraging practices, especially within Asian communities, she aims to shed light on how people respond to climate change and share knowledge about safe harvesting. “Community engagement is crucial,” she remarks, as she believes it helps form a network around environmental awareness and action.

Bringing together insights from statistics, art, and anthropology, these fellows reflect the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing climate resilience. By blending their expertise, they hope to forge a path toward healthier, more adaptive communities.

For further reading on climate resilience efforts, check out NRDC’s Climate Change 101 or explore the UN’s climate initiatives.

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