by Clare Woodhead, Director of Education
August’s Full Moon Ride was a special one: a gorgeous breezy evening, we hosted our biggest group this year with 70 participants who came to gaze at the Sturgeon Moon. Thanks always to our Full Moon Ride sponsor AARP-Rhode Island.
We were joined by Eliza Berry from URI Coastal Resources Center and Rhode Island Sea Grant. She shared information about the MyCoast Project – a network of citizen reporters that provide important data about our coastline for our legislators, planners, and scientists to make decisions for the health of our environment.
Before we headed out on our ride, Eliza explained how the app works – check out the flier below!
“It was such a beautiful night, great weather and great energy from a large group. For me, having the opportunity to connect with people about climate action in this joyful context of recreation and community engagement was helpful in discussing content that can be heavy,” reflected Eliza.
After encouraging people to download the app, Eliza was able to have a few side conversations on the ride, encouraging people to take photos of their coastline.
“These community photos are really important in helping local decision makers where they need to prioritize when it comes to flooding in their communities. A lot of local officials use this resource all the time to advocate for funding and their community’s needs.”
The data is invaluable for researchers at URI too.
“Scientists are modeling storm impacts today and into the future. They use these photos to validate their models. It helps us understand flood risk today and in the future.”
When we arrived at King’s Beach, we marveled at the moon and its impacts on our beautiful coastline.
Rhode Island Sea Grant works to address these issues through integrated research, extension, and education to provide the best available science and ensure community engagement across the Ocean State to build long-term, sustainable solutions for our coastal and marine resources.
The Coastal Resources Center at the University of Rhode Island focuses on using science to help communities steward their coastal and marine resources.
MyCoast works to build tools that engage the public to provide information to researchers, legislators, and planners to formulate solutions to environmental impacts on coastlines and waterways. Rhode Island Sea Grant and the Coastal Resources Center and other partners sponsor MyCoast in Rhode Island.
Want to Join the Next Full Moon Ride? Find details here:
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