Early this year, the Climate Science Alliance - in collaboration with Dr. Isabel Rivera-Collazo, Para la Naturaleza (PLN), the Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (CCCIA) and Vida Marina - traveled to Puerto Rico to kick off our newest collaboration entitled DUNAS (Descendants United for Nature, Adaptation, and Sustainability). Find out more about their trip and what’s on the horizon for this unique partnership.
Early this year, the Climate Science Alliance - in collaboration with Dr. Isabel Rivera-Collazo, Para la Naturaleza (PLN), the Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (CCCIA) and Vida Marina - traveled to Puerto Rico to kick off our newest collaboration entitled DUNAS (Descendants United for Nature, Adaptation, and Sustainability).
The DUNAS project was convened to restore coastal dunes in northern Puerto Rico that were severely degraded by Hurricane Maria. Although sand dunes are vulnerable to damage, they are critical for protecting ecological environments, cultural artifacts, and human communities.
During this inaugural trip, the Alliance and Dr. Rivera-Collazo connected with several members of the Puerto Rican archaeology and ecology community that will be key to the success of the DUNAS project. Members of the team met with project partner’s Para la Naturaleza and Vida Marina to outline how the dune restoration will take place and how we will work with the local communities on both restoration and climate education.
With our partners at Vida Marina, we toured the dune restoration sites and Dr. Rivera-Collazo provided insight on Puerto Rican heritage and the importance of this restoration project for protecting cultural heritage.
The Alliance is excited for the preservation of coastal and cultural resources that will be done as a result of the DUNAS collaboration and is grateful to the people of Puerto Rico for their incredible hospitality. Stay tuned as the work continues.
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This project was made possible through a 2018 Climate Adaptation Fund grant from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) entitled, “Puerto Rico se Levanta: Learning from extreme events to build and sustain a resilient future". Support to establish the Climate Adaptation Fund was provided by a grant to the WCS from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.