An international conference on climate change and sea level rise and the threat they pose to historic resources in coastal and river communities is coming to St. Augustine.
The Keeping History Above Water: St. Augustine 2019, Envision 2050 conference kicks off on Sunday and runs through Wednesday. It’ll focus on the threat sea level rise poses to historic coastal and river communities, as well as policies, programs and projects to address climate change over the next 30 years.
Speakers will present on a variety of topics, including:
- The past, present and future of sea level rise along the Florida Coast.
- How sea level rise factors into social justice issues and impacts underrepresented populations.
- How the National Park Service and FEMA support recovery efforts and research; and adaptation strategies.
Tickets to the conference have already sold out, but there are a few free events on Sunday that are open to the public:
- A workshop on launching podcasts hosted by Doug Parsons, host of America Adapts: The Climate Change Podcast.
- A presentation and book signing by investigative journalist Jeff Goodell, author of The Water Will Come.
- A screening of the documentary, “The Oldest City: Underwater.”
The conference schedule can be found at HistoryAboveWater.org.
Officials from Flagler College, the University of Florida and the City of St. Augustine are hosting the conference as part of a collaboration with the Newport Restoration Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the architectural heritage of Newport, Rhode Island, where the first Keeping History Above Water conference was held in 2016.
Brendan Rivers can be reached at brivers@wjct.org, 904-358-6396 or on Twitter at @BrendanRivers.
