Adapting to climate change
In response to the change we have experienced at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel over the last five years, I — as a resident volunteer — offered an interactive program during the 2025 season titled “Adapting to Change in Our Favorite Places.” We have seen a great deal of change in relation to necessary Covid protocols and damage from Hurricane Ian, and then Milton this past fall. We have had to adapt to all these changes.
Adaptation is also necessary as we consider rising sea levels due to melting icebergs in the Arctic and Antarctic, especially for those living on islands. To help think about “adapting to change,” group participants in the program placed posters of various nature-related events on a timeline. Group after group were surprised by how early we knew about the greenhouse effect and the impact of rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2). What do you think? 1950? 1900? 1850?
The same timeline experience helped groups see the progressive nature of the many ways we in the United States have adapted to change. For example, intergovernmental panels on climate change preceded the Kyoto Accord, which had no binding goals, and then led to the Paris Agreement, which did have binding goals. As we know, the United States has been in and out of this agreement. Another climate change that we adapted to was the Oklahoma Dust Bowl of the 1930s, when farmers learned to adapt their agricultural practices to changing weather patterns. Thinking about change over the centuries helps us to see that we have and can adapt and mitigate change through our lives.
During the conclusion of the program, we invited participants to think about what they might do to adapt to or mitigate changes due to climate events. Some of the ideas for direct action written on leaves and tied to our mangrove tree sculpture included: plant trees, plant more native plants and shrubs, organize school groups for planting and gardening projects, lead beach cleanups, compost waste, plant your own backyard garden, plant pollinators, recycle for neighbors who can’t or don’t, start a nature club at school, do a community cleanup, grow mangrove propagules and return to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), plant more milkweed, and reduce, reuse, recycle.
Other participants committed to the following changes in their behavior: drive less or drive a hybrid or electric car, limit air travel, use biodegradable soap and laundry detergent, limit single-use plastics, create more sustainable communal living (tiny home communities), carpool or walk wherever possible, decrease runoff by using permeable surfaces, and enjoy nature while using fewer electronics.
Advocacy efforts may be harder but could have greater impact. Some ideas included: vote for green initiatives, encourage the growth of plants around every building to counter CO2 emissions, spread the word about the importance of wildlife, hand out climate information to civic groups, work with native people as they have knowledge not included in textbooks, bring this exercise on changes over the years into schools, create art from throwaway items, collect objects that can be repurposed, introduce climate deniers to the wonder and awe of nature, and work on a business that uses robots to clean beaches.
Other suggestions written on the leaves included:
– Embrace change, as it opens all sorts of possibilities for new life experiences.
– Raise awareness of climate change on vulnerable communities, highlighting the intersection of environmental justice and social equity.
– Inspire action toward building a more resilient and equitable future.
– Keep loving yourself and checking in on those around you; love is the greatest healer.
Finally, one participant wrote a short poem:
Heal me.
Heal the Land.
Calm me.
Calm my friends.
Grow me.
Grow natives.
Sustain my Spirit.
Spirit Move us
All!
These ideas remind us that we can all do our part to adapt to or mitigate climate issues. When we talk about changes we see in our climate and take action both on Sanibel and in all the places that visitors to the refuge visit from, then we can make a difference on important issues.
Sharon Jones is a resident volunteer at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel.