Thank you for making our 2022 conference such a success!
We are thrilled so many of you were able to join us on May 13th for our day-long virtual conference on “Sea Level Rise and Brooklyn’s Jamaica Bay Communities” — it was a record conference attendance! We’d like to especially thank our wonderful panelists for sharing their work and reflections as well as everyone who participated in the discussion throughout the day.
As a follow-up and for those who couldn’t make it, a recording of the conference has now been made available on the 2022 Conference Website. Please also visit the website to read the White Paper, view the complete list of featured speakers and panelists, and learn more about Jamaica Bay.
You can also find a short recap of the conference below!
Visit the conference website for more information and to view recordings of the sessions.
Morning Sessions:
Following welcoming remarks by the Director of the Brooklyn Waterfront Research Center, Richard Hanley, the morning session consisted of two exciting panel discussions about the ecologies and the communities of Jamaica Bay, their unique identities, and the challenges that they are facing with the increasing threat of climate change and sea level rise over the past decade. Each panel discussion was succeeded by a Q&A with the audience, who posed probing questions on the present conditions of the Bay and its outlook for the future. This was followed by our morning speaker, who presented on sea level rise projections for Jamaica Bay by the end of the century.
Audiovisual Portrait of Jamaica Bay:
During the lunch break, a film and photo screening was presented. The short film, “Managed Retreat,” was directed and produced by 2021-2022 BWRC Research Fellow, Nathan Kensinger.
Following the film, a slideshow of poignant photographs of Jamaica Bay taken by City Tech photography professor, Robin Michals was displayed. View these photographs on the conference website.
Afternoon Sessions:
In the afternoon, after an initial speaker started us off, a third and final panel addressed many of the questions raised during the morning session: They presented a variety of ideas for how the future of a resilient Jamaica Bay could and should look. Some believe that there are ways to shield coastal communities from flooding, while others believe that retreat is the only viable solution, while others still believe that standing ground with adaptive strategies for managing climate change is the best option. A combination of these solutions is likely the best path forward and panelists discussed how best to move forward. After the panel, an open community conversation was held with panelists, speakers, and all attendees where all could pitch in and contribute their insights and thoughts on the topics discussed throughout the day.
Thanks again to everyone who participated!
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