Getting Ready: Who do we want to be in a climate-changed world? - Seacoastonline.com

Getting Ready: Who do we want to be in a climate-changed world?

The climate crisis is here. Locally, we see the rapid influx in York’s population, changes in the fishing industry, the ocean rising over the beaches and into beach-front homes, our own rampant development changing the landscape, and ever-stranger weather patterns.

Globally, our hearts ache for those who face extreme weather tragedies and corresponding injustices and for the rich biodiversity of this planet that is rapidly vanishing. Needless to say, we are living amidst a profound moment: one filled with uncertainty and anxiety, but also with possibility, momentum, and an opportunity to better be.

This October, you are invited to a free, in-person, three-part workshop series to explore how we in York are collectively understanding climate change and what our corresponding role is together. These workshops will start from a different place than that of the technical, where sustainable actions are important. Here, we will practice resilience, cultivate hope, and build bridges towards one another in the face of something that often feels so polarizing and daunting.

During this time, we will experiment with a collective shift in being; share stories and listen; generate direct action points that feel exciting and joyful; and learn from each other about how to better care for one another.

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If you are a member of this community, then this invitation is for you. Whether you’ve been doing climate work for twenty years or are just at the beginning of your journey; whether you’re a high school student, a lobsterman, an elder, or a parent—we need all hands on deck. No matter your story, you have a role in making our town a more resilient, welcoming, and hospitable place.

So, let us be brave. Let us be kind. Let us gather to explore the questions that ignite our imaginations and engage our moral fabric: What do we feel is the right thing to do amidst deep uncertainty? How can we cultivate a culture of care for our neighbors? What better world can we imagine together?

This three-part workshop series (Building Neighborhood, Making Meaning, and Collective Visioning Towards a More Resilient York) is hosted by Madeline Bugeau-Heartt (Harvard Divinity School), York Ready for Climate Action, and York Public Library.

The series will be held October 15, 22, and 29 (Sundays) from 1 to 4 p.m. at York Public Library. Please register for this event on the YPL site. Light refreshments will be served.

Madeline Bugeau-Heartt is a York resident and student at Harvard Divinity School. York Ready for Climate Action is a nonprofit 501c3 grassroots citizens’ organization dedicated to increasing awareness of the causes and effects of climate change and advancing environmentally friendly and inclusive policies and behaviors. Please see yorkreadyforclimateaction.org or info@yorkreadyforclimateaction.org. Information about EcoHOMES is on the same site.