Vizcaya will host an engaging conversation about sea level rise, an important issue for the community and for Vizcaya as it marks its centennial year. “A Century of Sea Level Rise: what happens next?” will takek place on Wednesday, July 19, 7:30 p.m., at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.
Vizcaya’s owner, James Deering, made a bold choice to build along Biscayne Bay 100 years ago, never imagining that someday “waterfront” would take on a whole new meaning. A full century later we continue to appreciate this environment from the unique vantage point of Vizcaya’s shoreline.
Recognizing that sea level rise has implications for more than just Vizcaya and its visitors, a varied group of speakers join the panel to share how they are addressing sea level rise in their own lives and work:
• Lost Spaces and Stories of Vizcaya artist Lucinda Linderman details the research and process of creating a series of felted maps that depict the impact of sea level rise on Vizcaya and other areas;
• Cindy Lerner, former Mayor of Pinecrest, will consider outreach to local governments and communities;
• Ricardo Alvarez brings his expertise as a mitigation specialist;
• Tiffany Troxler shares her work through FIU’s Sea Level Solutions Center, and
• Dr. Mark Osterman, Vizcaya’s Adult Learning and Engagement manager, discusses Vizcaya’s 3D scanning of the iconic Barge, often referenced in conversations of sea level rise in Miami.
Moderated by Katie Hagemann of Miami Dade County’s Resilience Office, the panel also will encourage community members to consider what they can do, collectively and individually, to respond to sea level rise and influence what those in the next 100 years will find when we’re gone.
Participants can experience SEAing Breath, a project for the Sea Level Rise Program by Miami-Dade County and the University of Miami. SEAing Breath offers a virtual reality (VR) experience that addresses climate change. Through a VR headset the wearer can sense how virtual environments adapt to their own breathing.
Tickets are available for $10 (Tickets for Vizcaya members are free.) and can be purchased online at https://vizcayasealevelrise.eventbrite.com.
