HighWaterLine ACTION GUIDE by ecoartspace

e n i L r e t a W h g i e H d i u g The n o acti based on a public art project addressing climate change by eve mosher

Presented by as part of an Art & Ecology Learning Guide Series addressing environmental issues through replicable social practice art projects Funded in part by The Compton Foundation

CONTENTS • Getting Started. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What participants will learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Story of the artist and her project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Making it Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AGENCY: Empowering Self & Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 4 5 8 8

• Climate Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 • Climate Change 101. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 • Stages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-24

Stage 1: UNDERSTAND Climate Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Research what climate change is and how it affects your community

Stage 2: MAP the HighWaterLine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-17

Map your community to determine the local impacts of climate change

Stage 3: TAKE the HighWaterLine to the Streets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-21

Mark the line in your community

Stage 4: ADVOCATE for Climate Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-24

Document your experience and share with your community

• Supplemental Activities for K-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-31

Stage 1

Regional Research Station • Extreme Weather Station . . Tidal Markers • HighWaterLine Blog

Stage 2

Cartography Office • Topographic Experiments . . . . . . . . . . Geo-cache the HighWaterLine • Performing the Water Table

Stage

Stage 4

Climate Change TV • Mapping Bureau Climate Change Design Lab Potluck Dinner • Story Bank . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27 . . . . . . . . . . 28-29

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Common Core Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

• Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33 • Credits & Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35

The STORY of the HighWaterLine

GETTING STARTED

In 2007, visual artist Eve Mosher embarked on a journey to map the areas in New York City predicted to be impacted by increased flooding due to stronger storms fueled by climate change. Mosher researched climate science, spoke with climate scientists, and charted flood zones onto Google maps. She then spent six months using chalk and a sports field marker to draw the 10-foot above sea level or 100-year flood line on the city streets and sidewalks of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. The line extended nearly 70 miles through coastline communities that are now being impacted in this century by extreme weather and storms intensified by climate change.

Overview The HighWaterLine ACTION GUIDE was developed to accommodate a wide range of participants including nonprofit organizations, school groups, and individuals. It can easily be a weekend workshop, an entire semester, or annual project of research, production and presentation. The project is considered a reproducible tool for anyone interested to take action addressing climate change. Although the range of impacts due to climate change are vast and include extreme weather, drought, food shortages and more, the guide specifically focuses on educating and activating

the same area that Mosher demarcated in her art project was then flooded in 2012 by Hurricane Sandy, as was projected by many scientists. Today, Mosher invites you to join her in creating the HighWaterLine in your community – to mark a flood zone or sea level rise in your neighborhood or region, and to develop strategies to engage in dialogue about climate change and what we can do to address the inevitable threats of extreme weather and other severe ecological impacts.

Find this link on youtube.com

communities to reduce C02 emissions, and to advocate for adaptation, mitigation and

Mosher named the project HighWaterLine and engaged people on the streets while marking the line. The act of physically marking the projected flood zone was a performative gesture, interrupting the routine of daily life in the city, while providing a platform for dialogue about climate change and its local and global impacts. Melding science, art, data-visualization, and public education, this action invites a range of opportunities to engage citizens in conversations on climate change and how we can adapt to the changes in our natural and built environments. The project garnered global media attention for its simple yet powerful statement in visualizing climate change impacts: first when it was created in 2007 and later when

resiliency. Participants will begin to understand conceptually through active visualization how accelerated global warming will impact the people and the environment in their community. Activities found in the guide have been broken into STAGES, which can be executed individually or all together, and at the depth that makes sense with the learning goals of an organization or institution. Included in each stage are ACTION STEPS to create your own placed based HighWaterLine. At the end of the guide are RESOURCES and SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES sections that can be aligned with Common Core Standards.

WATCH THIS VIDEO INTRODUCTION Eve Mosher’s HighWaterLine

A film by Cicala Filmworks and The Canary Project For more about the project visit the site: highwaterline.org/nyc

About the artist: eve Mosher New York-based artist Eve Mosher creates work that investigates landscape as a starting point for audience exploration of urban issues. Her public works raise issues of concern for public/private space use, history of place, cultural and social issues, and understanding of an urban ecosystem. Mosher’s visualization methodology is her medium. Out in the public sphere, armed with scientific research, she makes visible the interstices of nature and human activity. Mosher

Participants will take action in the following areas: • Climate change research • Storm surge mapping

GETTING STARTED

• Navigating public space • Sharing information and stories

GETTING STARTED

has received grants from New York State Council on the Arts and New York Department of Cultural Affairs both through the Brooklyn Arts Council, The Compton Foundation, Invoking the Pause, 11th Hour Project, and The City Parks Foundation. She holds a Masters of Fine Art from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn with a major in sculpture and a minor in photography, and a Bachelors of Environmental Design from Texas A & M University with a major in architecture and a minor in photography. Eve Mosher is currently a consultant and leader for the Professional Development Program at Creative Capital and is an Assistant Professor at Parsons the New School for Design, both in New York City.

HITTING CLOSE TO HOME : Hurricane Sandy In New York City where Eve Mosher performed the HighWaterLine in 2007, city streets and subways were inundated with floodwaters from Atlantic hurricane Sandy on October 29th, 2012. It was the largest hurricane on record in diameter with winds spanning 1,100 miles, and the second costliest hurricane ($75 billion) behind Katrina that hit New Orleans in 2005. Sandy affected 24 states including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and west across the Appalachian Mountains to Michigan and Wisconsin with particularly severe damage in New Jersey and New York.

Dear Friends, I a m so glad that you are considering the HighWaterLine as a project to u ndertake in your community. When I started the project in 2006, I didn’t really understand how meaningful it would be to go out and draw the line. Over the course of the project, I learned so much about my watershed and how it might be affected in the face of climate change.

Hurricane Sandy was intensified in part because of changing climate and weather patterns. Warmer seas provided energy and allowed the hurricane to travel farther north than usual. Sea level rise was one of the contributors to the extreme height

Doing this project gave me the opportunity to have a mazing conversations with people living in New York City about what could happen in the event of sea level rise and increased storm intensity. Taking action changed the way I viewed my community and it gave me a voice in the global conversation on climate change.

I NEVER WANTED TO BE RIGHT - A reflection by Eve Mosher I didn’t set out to be a prophet(ess). I never wanted it to happen. I only took the published facts and translated them into a physical and visual indicator. In fact, I was hoping that I could bring the conversation to light in order that we might avoid this situation. We were lucky. Bloomberg & Cuomo stood their ground – they shut down transit, MTA, bridges and ordered a mandatory evacuation. Everyone said, don’t be fooled into complacency, Irene was a “near miss” – this one is like no other. Hurricane Sandy brought the HighWaterLine project into stark reality this week.

Now, more than ever, the effects are all around us: decreased snow-cover, rising sea levels, intense heat, drought, and stronger more frequent storms. Climate change is real, and the recent extreme weather and “superstorms” are predicted to get much worse over the next century. We all play a part in contributing to climate change, but we can also do a nu mber of things to increase awareness, and change our own habits and actions when addressing this important issue. Everyone who undertakes this project has a chance to connect with the environment and their neighborhoods in new ways. It is an opportunity for you to invite dialogue about climate change, and to build tools to address this important issue in your own region. Take your time while drawing the line, talk to people, you can make a difference.

I have seen images of water up to (and past in many cases) where I drew the line. I keep hearing about incidents that, sadly, don’t surprise me at all. For example, what was the explosion at the 14th street sub station? That was a power plant right on the coastline, and below 10 feet above sea level. The height of the storm surge was reportedly 13 feet. The images are shocking, the storm itself was pretty scary, tearing down trees and ripping up fences and awnings – and even a few building facades. The inundation is what has crippled the city – the subway and the tunnels remain closed. Manhattan below 38th street remains without power. In 2007 I walked along

Good Luck! Eve

GETTING STARTED

of the storm surge – over 13 feet at The Battery. According to a research assessment being produced by the Earth System Research Laboratory at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, “It is very likely that further sea level rise will contribute to increased coastal high water levels in the future, conditions that led to Sandy’s primary impacts on coastal New York and New Jersey.”

GETTING STARTED

almost 70 miles of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan coastline. I got to know the people who lived, worked and played in those communities… At the time I sought to get climate change and its potential impacts to be a part of the conversation – locally, at the city and state levels and maybe even at the federal level. Many have complained that it is still not a part of the national conversation, it should be. If we don’t solve this, what do any of the other problems matter? What is good education if there is no school? Healthcare when the hospitals can’t operate? Housing rights when your house has been washed away? Thankfully, Bloomberg and Cuomo are talking about it. Even Cuomo’s quote, “It seems like we have a 100 year flood every two years now,” is eerily familiar to the conversation I had on the streets during the project. The likelihood of a 100-yr flood could become as frequent as once in every 43 years by the 2020s, once in every 19 years by the 2050s, and once in 4 years by the 2080s, on average, in the most extreme case. I never wanted this to be a reality. Five years ago I couldn’t have even imagined it. And along comes Sandy. And now it is true.” October 31, 2012 (Source: evemosher.com/2012/i-never-wantedto-be-right/)

HighWaterLine

MAKING IT LOCAL

CLIMATE TIMELINE

Any community can adapt and re-imagine a HighWaterLine, even if you are not near a waterfront. Climate change will impact daily life in each community distinctly, making the focus on your local region important. You will find in some areas that local government or nonprofit organizations have already initiated action plans for responding to or adapting to climate change. In many places you can check with your County Water agency, State Department of Water Resources, Office of Emergency Management or County Floodplain Management to access flood maps for your region. Public opinion about climate change is also complicated, so focusing on strategies like public engagement can offer an opportunity to educate

2004 1968

Al Gore begins doing global warming powerpoint presentations

Scientific studies suggest the possibility of Antarctic ice sheets collapsing raising sea levels catastrophically with global warming

1992

1988

and build consensus in your local community. Never assume that you know everything that is happening in your own backyard!

2006

First UN Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (June)

An Inconvenient Truth film (May) 2012

UN Forms Panel on Climate Change

Hurricane Sandy hits New York City (October 22-29)

AGENCY: Empowering Self & Community Since 2007 when Mosher performed the HighWaterLine in New York City, many arts organizations globally have invited her to replicate this work in multiple cities such as Dublin, San Francisco, and The Hague. However, Mosher is committed to keeping her work local.

GETTING STARTED

The thought of flying around the planet to teach about climate change seemed to Mosher problematic to the work itself. The artist would prefer that communities recreate her work as their own. The HighWaterLine is then a platform for empowerment and agency, inviting selfmotivated actions inspired by her work. In the artworld, the HighWaterLine would be considered a form of social practice, which usually involves engaged art making with a particular community or place. Much of this work is open source or D.I.Y (Do It Yourself) encouraging individuals to share resources and build on collective skills sets, encouraging community regeneration and individual empowerment. In the social sciences, agency is the capacity of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices. In the case of this learning guide, Mosher wants to inspire agency in all individuals who recreate her HighWaterLine as a social practice artwork.

White House edits report on climate change (June) Hurricane Katrina (August 23-30)

First UN Climate Report (July)

1990 First World Climate Conference 1979

Metro East Coast Assessment Report published (began in 1998)

2001

Climate Timeline

2005

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report (IPCC) Eve Mosher performs the HighWaterLine in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn (Summer)

2007

CLIMATE CHANGE 101

Sea Level Rise

Climate change refers to the observed phenomena of any significant or lasting change in the earth’s weather patterns, temperature rise and extreme climate fluctuation. Climate change is caused largely by the release of carbon dioxide (C02), methane and other gases. When we burn fossil fuels (like coal, natural gas and oil) to make electricity, drive cars, heat and cool our homes, this strengthens the natural phenomenon called the greenhouse effect, which has probable dire consequences. The greenhouse effect is what keeps our planet warm. The amount of C02, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere has increased exponentially in a relatively short amount of time. Before the Industrial Revolution there were 280 parts per million (ppm) of C02 in the atmosphere, and recently, we have reached 400 ppm (Source: NOAA, 2013). This increased strength of the greenhouse effect will warm the surface of the Earth by radiating more thermal energy down from above. Or, equivalently,

will absorb more of the outgoing radiation from the surface (not directly from the sun), and warm the entire system. The Earth’s temperature has now risen almost 1 degree Fahrenheit, and although that doesn’t seem like a lot, for the Earth it is substantial. One degree can alter the lifecycles of millions of different organisms and humans too. It’s predicted that due to global warming by 2080 almost three billion people may not have access to water and nearly 30% of all species on the planet may face extinction, Why? Because the temperature of the Earth is connected to weather patterns like rain, sun or snow that affect our food supply, our living conditions and our overall quality of life.

2012 was the hottest year on record It was also the year where the world witnessed an unprecedented melting of Arctic sea ice. Sea ice melting does not raise sea level. However, it does turn a very reﬂective area (ice) into a very dark and absorbing area (ocean) This is known as the ice albedo feedback, and is the real worry in climate science Sea ice melting does nothing to raise sea level, but it does change the color (and therefore the solar absorption) of the polar oceans.

Sea level rise will impact 56% of the global population, all of whom live in regions vulnerable to sea level rise and increased flooding. For example, Superstorm Sandy that hit New York City, New Jersey and other U.S. Eastern States in 2012, disrupted major metropolitan areas where millions of people live and led to:

The effects of climate change are now widespread and are becoming evident with the increase in severe storms and irregular weather. Some impacts include:

• Transportation systems (road, rail, ports) were destroyed or disrupted due to extreme flooding • Wastewater and stormwater systems were overwhelmed by the unprecedented extreme floods • Electricity & power infrastructures that have not been upgraded to withstand increased flooding and sea level rise were also compromised and many people lost power

• Extreme weather events (increased ﬂooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, heatwaves and droughts) • Displacement and migration of both human and animal species when regions become uninhabitable from climate change

Global warming = Overall warming of the planet, based on average temperature over the entire surface

• Species extinction from intolerable living conditions

Climate change = Changes in regional climate characteristics, including temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind and severe weather events.

• Reduced food supplies as a result of floods and droughts

It is understood that both of these are happening simultaneously and that with extreme weather events that there can be colder weather happening regionally as well, which can be confusing to understand how the earth is warming. Climate change can be natural or caused by changes people have made to the land or atmosphere.

• Decline in drinking water quantity and quality • Higher risk of infectious disease

Climate change 101

Approximately half of the observed sea level rise is believed to be attributable to the slight warming of the ocean. Additionally, the melting of continental ice (ice currently covering land) and its subsequent runoﬀ into the oceans that raises sea level. Warmer water is also less dense and therefore the same mass of ocean takes up more volume (raising the average level ) - this is called the ‘steric eﬀect’.

Climate change 101

Questions to consider

STAGE 1 Understanding Climate Change

Research what climate change is and how it affects your community

Over 600 million people live in coastal areas globally that are less than 10 meters above sea level, and two-thirds of the world’s cities that have populations over five million are located in these at-risk areas.

ACTIONS • Research the science of climate change • Consider the local impacts of severe weather events, as well as the global impacts

Eve’s STORY

Eve Mosher researched the Climate Change 2007 Fourth Assessment and spoke with a climate expert to develop her HighWaterLine project in Lower Manhattan. She wanted to find a way to visualize the very complex phenomenon of climate

What does climate change mean for your community?

Where do greenhouse gases or C02 come from and how does C02 affect the JetStream?

What weather impacts have you noticed from climate change?

What causes sea levels to rise?

What local adaptation plans are in place?

Why is sea level not the same everywhere?

What emergency preparedness plans are in place?

What are other affects of climate change besides sea level rise?

IPCC Fourth Assessment 2007

In 2007 when Mosher set out to research climate change the United Nations Environment Programme and World Meteorological Organization was preparing to publish a “Fourth Assessment” on climate change researched by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This document has been the official guide for cities nationwide in preparation for climate change and confirmed that, “warming of the climate system is unequivocal and is largely due to human activities.” However, the report was also highly critiqued for being both too conservative and too optimistic. The Fifth Assessment will be forthcoming in 2014.

What is the difference between Global Warming and Climate Change?

change and how both changing weather patterns and ocean currents contribute to rising sea levels and how this would impact communities in her own backyard. With increased frequency and intensity of storms, it was projected that the coastal areas could become devastatingly inundated as often as once every 4 years, rendering entire neighborhoods uninhabitable. Mosher decided that to mark the 10-feet above sea level line around Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan would direct citizens to a widely accepted measurement of the 100-year flood line, which in New York City is 9.7 feet. Another piece of research from 2001 directed Mosher to understand the likelihood of the 100 year flood could become as frequent as once in every 43 years by 2020; once every 19 years by 2050; and once every four years by 2080; on average, in the most extreme case.

NOTE: Projected and actual storm surge levels, as well as frequency, are constantly being revised and updated. Actual numbers from Hurricane Sandy are currently being analyzed. Surveying the Destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy http://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/2012/1120-sandy/survey-of-the-flooding-in-new-york-afterthe-hurricane.html

ACTION STEPS 1. Define and characterize climate change – what is it, how does it work and what’s involved? Investigate ways humans contribute to climate change – industrial pollution, increased carbon dioxide emissions, and the release of greenhouse gases, etc. Read local and regional reports outlined in the RESOURCES section, or visit climatecentral.org to get started. To organize your research, start with one or two central questions. Then create a diagram that draws connections to local places, people and contexts. 2. Visit your county or city department of records online or ask in person for old and current flood maps, 25, 50 and 100-year storm management plans and other information about emergency preparedness and disaster relief plans. Use a camera to capture waterways and important infrastructure digitally, make printed copies, and

compare/contrast historical records to current maps and weather predictions in your community. 3. Search the Internet, library and other sources for stories of people affected by extreme weather and climate change in your local community. Create an archive of these stories as source material to share with your community when you go out and mark your line. 4. Seek a local expert on climate change and learn about local impacts. Research the data and find a reputable representative of the local climate science community Recommended Resource: Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Sciences (download PDF) climatescience.gov

In the mean time: “Heat waves are longer and hotter than they used to be and some regions are suffering from catastrophic drought. Heavy rains are more frequent and can be more intense, and rainfall records have been smashed. These events fit a pattern that climate scientists have long expected to appear as the result of increased greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. That doesn’t mean global warming is the only culprit: extreme weather was happening before global warming began. But there’s general scientific agreement that global warming has contributed to a trend toward more intense extremes of heat and precipitation around the world, is partly to blame for specific extreme weather events over the last decade and will continue to influence both in the future.” (Source: Climate Central. (2011). Extreme Weather and Climate Change. http://www.climatecentral.org/features/extreme-weather-of-2011)

Stage 1

STAGE 2

Questions to consider

Map the HighWaterLine

Map your community to determine the potential impacts of climate change

“I am interested in working on maps that explore the areas around the 10 foot above sea level line. Looking at the obvious things, like ethnicity, age, income, number of people in household, language spoken. But also other things like the infrastructure and what area it services. Things like distance from transportation in case of evacuation, immigration status (are the coastal dwellers new or old New Yorkers), types of industry.”

What types of utility infrastructure do you see below the line that would be impact the health, safety and mobility in your community?

What type of neighborhood’s are in your community, different ethnic groups, age groups, and economic levels.

Where are the safety hubs or high ground facilities that your community can go to in a major flooding scenario?

Where do you live in relation to the line? How might it feel to live above the line? Below the line?

ACTION STEPS

Eve Mosher 12/4/2007 BLOG POST

1. Visualize where in your community the line would be most visible and logical.

ACTIONS

2. Identify recent flood or storm surge data, or investigate where riverbanks or lakeshore lines were historically.

• Visualize scientific research • Learn about the local topography • Measure distance along waterways

• Utilize maps to chart flood zones • Identify important infrastructure in flood zones

3. Determine the boundaries of the flood zones or sea level rise and chart the line where you will navigate public space.

Stage 2 invites participants to visualize climate science by mapping projected sea level rise or flood zones. This can be an empowering stage of the project. It is through this visual activity that participants can make it real in their own backyard.

4. Identify key impact sites such as water treatment plants, subways, train tracks, electrical power plants, and tributaries flowing down toward larger water bodies.

Eve’s STORY

You’ll need to understand some of the science behind climate change, and tidal flow. Sea level rise is measured in vertical distance. In a coastal zone, a rise of just a few inches can cause salt water to push inland, changing fresh water to brackish water (a mixture of fresh and salt water) in some locations, and changing brackish water to salt water, in a process known as saltwater intrusion. As the sea levels increase or weather patterns change, the potential for flooding is even greater. Each city and area near a waterway will be impacted differently in terms of the level of inundation depending on a community’s ground elevation; sea level is relative.

STORM SURGE VS STORM TIDE

In 2007, Eve Mosher used USGS Topographic maps of the region and transferred that data onto Community Walks to mark the path she would take to mark the line. communitywalk.com

Storm surge is an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tide.

Storm tide is the water level rise during a storm due to the combination of storm surge and the astronomical tide.

• •

It’s the change in the water level that is due to the presence of the storm Since storm surge is a difference between water levels, it does not have a reference level

Since storm tide is the combination of surge and tide, it does require a reference level A 15 ft. storm surge on top of a high tide that is 2 ft. above mean sea level produces a 17 ft. storm tide

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Stage 2

mapping essentials

Marking the Line in Arid Climates

Online Mapping Tools

The effects of climate change are not reserved for those near the coasts – extreme weather, shrinking and rising water tables, and flooding from rivers and underground aquifers is a serious issue across the globe. Explore and discuss this issue by visualizing potential impacts in a nearby park, concrete area or parking lot in your community or near your school.

Surging Seas Map

USGS Topo Map

sealevel.climatecentral.org

nationalmap.gov/ustopo

Alex Tingle Flood Map

FEMA Flood Maps Map service center

flood.firetree.net

Google Map

You can reference and gather inspiration from a project FLASH FLOOD co-led by the Santa Fe Art Institute, in coordination with Bill McKibben’s 350.org held at the Santa Fe River at San Ysidro Crossing on November 20, 2010. The project enlisted 3,000 community members to carry and flip blue-painted recycled cardboard to compose a ‘flash flood’ in the typically dry riverbed. sfai.org/flashflood.html

maps.google.com

Community Walk Map communitywalk.com

msc.fema.gov

Note: • Surging Seas and Alex Tingle maps are set up to calculate sea level rise for you. • The other maps are tools for charting your selected sea level rise route yourself. • You can also get hard copies of topographic maps online, at local office of emergency management or make copies at your local library. • Using the flood.firetree.net website you can raise sea level up to 60 meters (which will never happen in our lifetime), but it gives you a good sense of the variations of the potential impacts to different areas in terms of storm surge levels and flooding. Understanding the science behind sea level globally will assist in communicating to the public about potential impacts. See Resources in Section VII.

Mapping suggestions from Eve You will need to decide how many miles of line marking you can achieve in a specified period of time; and how much funding and resources you will need to make it all happen. Depending on your material and size of your team you can mark anywhere from about 2 miles to 5 miles per day. You could plan to do the project over several months or select a key location(s) to do it where there are many people passing by who you can encounter over a one or two day period. You can use a printed topographic map or satellite map and hand draw your planned route or create your map online using the “My Map” feature on Google Maps, or any of the other recommended self guided maps. If you

Stage 2

cannot easily walk around the neighborhood or projected route, you can create your own 10-foot water line simulation around your school or in a local parking lot. You also will need to decide if you will mark sea level rise projections in your area for 2020, 2050, 2100, or mark the projected flood line, which could be much higher. Whichever line offers the most visual significance and is the most accessible in terms of comprehension for your community without being overly dramatic will obviously encourage informed discussions on how climate change will play out in our lives.

STAGE 3

Questions to consider

Take HighWaterLine to the Streets Mark the line in your community

“I wound my way through the forest of skyscrapers, marking chalk lines past construction sites and lines of hungry business people waiting in line for their lunch. While I got a few curious glances, most people were rushing to or from their lunch break. A few security guards gave some harsh words – not to me but to the people documenting – warnings about photographing the buildings. About halfway through and still no people interested in talking about what I am doing (what a contrast from the Brooklyn neighborhoods!)” Eve Mosher, 7/30/2007

ACTIONS • Mark the line with a medium that is appropriate for your budget, your community, and your artistic expression • Talk with the public about why you are making the line • Share printed information with the public about C02 levels and adaptation • Document your process

Eve’s STORY Your HighWaterLine project can happen in many different ways depending on who is available to assist, and the route you’ve mapped. In 2007, there were many days of marking the line that were done solo by the artist. This is completely possible, although, Eve suggests it is good to have three people - one to manage the materials that you will need to mark the line with; another to document the project with photographs and video; and another person to perform the line, engaging the public in conversations and hand out takeaways.

which means that you start where the person you are talking to is at, find out what they already know about climate change and then build from there. Let the public ask you what you are doing!

NOTE: Eve Mosher used a Socratic approach to having conversations with the public. This means that she asked questions of the public she encountered while drawing the line, refraining from imposing her own views or knowledge on them. There is also the Constructivist approach

WATCH THE VIDEO: “The Handwriting on the Road” where Eve Mosher talks about some of the intricacies of navigating the public sphere while drawing the HighWaterLine. nytimes.com/2007/06/16/arts/design/16chal. html?_r=0

Stage 3

CONSIDER: It is important to research laws regarding performing the line in public space. You could need to apply for a city permit especially to perform the line through a city park. It is fairly safe to say that if you are not intending to cause harm to public property or obstruct the flow of traffic, this activity is legal.

How will you create a HighWaterLine and document the process?

What kind of encounters did you have with people and what did you learn from them?

What was the experience of being in public marking the line like?

What do the communities look like along the line?

ACTION STEPS 1. Select a timeline that you will mark sea level rise projections in your area for either 2020, 2050, 2100, or mark the projected flood line, which could be much higher. Whichever line offers the most visual significance and is the most accessible in terms of comprehension for your community without being overly dramatic will obviously encourage informed discussions on how climate change will play out in our lives. 2. Make handouts with information on how to reduce C02 levels and strategies for adaptation. Use the artists’ example takeaways she used in 2007 with updated source materials. highwaterline.org/nyc/takeaction.html 3. Document participants performing the line on film and photography. Ensure you have enough batteries, storage space and proper tools before you begin. Get permission to use the public’s representation in a final documentary with standard release forms. (tag any media: #highwaterline) 4. Mark your HighWaterLine. Have handouts and materials available for anyone that may approach and make sure you’re well versed in a response to the question you’ll be asked the most: “What are you doing?” Continue to chalk your line, using your mapped route, and other way finding tools. Make sure to take occasional breaks to eat and rest. 5. Reflect on your process after you’ve completed the line, take time to congratulate the participants. If time allows, ask the documentarian to capture reactions of participants while the experience is still fresh in everyone’s mind.

Stage 3

Resources

WHAT TO MARK THE LINE WITH?

If you use chalk, one bucket of chalk weighs approximately 50 lbs and each bucket covers about 1/3 of a mile. Estimated cost for laying down 2 miles of chalk in a line is approximately $40-50. If you choose to mark the line with the baseball marker there are a few ways to locate or purchase equipment online. If you are aligned with a public school, you might consider talking with the physical education teacher to either borrow equipment or order through the school at a discount.

Although the artist of the HighWaterLine used a Dry Line Marker and chalk, which she mixed with blue pigment, there are other ways to make an ephemeral line with or without the baseball marking equipment. Alternatives include sunflower seeds or birdfeed for small birds in urban environments, limestone powder, and vinyl arrows or dots that have adhesive backing.

Other people have ridden blue bicycles to create a high water line route or have invited people to stand along the line wearing blue clothing and holding hands, similar to the FLASH FLOOD event in Santa Fe referenced in STAGE 2. For a line created in South Africa for Walk for the Future at the COP 17 in Durban, people banded

together by a single blue piece of fabric representing the rising sea levels in an urban city center away from the coastline. Whatever version you choose to take on, make it as easy or expressive as you like. Be creative, but kind to the environment.

Philadelphia: Stormwater Art - Stacy Levy

Boulder: Connect the Dots, Mary Miss

South Africa: Walk for the Future

Stage 3

STAGE 4

Questions to consider

ADVOCATE for Climate Action

Document your experience and share with your community

“If given a chance to get out and speak to people somewhat randomly on the street, I highly recommend it. I don’t mean going out and soliciting funds or votes or anything like that, but just having the conversation with people about something, which you can share. It is highly unlikely that if it weren’t for this project, I would ever meet the people I have met. We might ride on the same train, or be in line somewhere, or shop at the same store, without ever talking – simply because we would have no reason to speak. By putting myself out in public and doing something, which raises people’s curiosity, I have the chance to have conversations with people.” Eve Mosher, 8/27/07 HWL BLOG

How will Climate Change affect nonhuman species?

How will you engage the public in conversation about climate change?

What are the arguments against global warming?

How can art and design provide opportunities to talk about climate change?

What countries are producing the most emissions and from what source?

What was your experience of performing the HighWaterLine?

ACTION STEPS 1. Gather all of the materials used throughout the project – field notes, planning documents, research, maps, photos and other media 2. Organize these materials to create an outline for a presentation or workshop

ACTIONS • Engage a wider community in the project • Plan public events to share your experience marking the line • Communicate climate science concepts succinctly with the general public • Inquire what motivates people to take action around climate change • Record and Share stories about climate change with peers and community members • Increase public knowledge and understanding of C02 emissions • Document your process

3. Prepare a presentation or way to share your process and outcomes with your community 4. Share your HighWaterLine project and the stories that came out of this artwork

5. Host a public exhibition or public presentation 6. Invite a local environmental organization or university scientist to share climate research 7. Create email list and Facebook page to promote your presentation 8. Design a webpage to display documentation and information on your project online

Eve’s STORY The HighWaterLine project in New York City included a website with a blog (the blog was updated during the development and research of the project as well as each day that was spent drawing). At the conclusion of the project, Eve hosted an event where her documentary film was screened and she had a chance to talk about the project. Subsequent to that she has provided the video and other materials to art and science institutions for display purposes.

Stage 4

SOME BLOG POSTS 5/17 - “And We’re Off!” 5/19 - “Rain Delay” 6/16 - “When it rains it pours” 6/18 - “Beach cities” 7/13 - “Let’s be real cool and act like nothings weird...” 7/27 - “Can you spare five minutes for the environment?” 8/11 - “A good day to...” 9/16 - “Contemplating climate change” 10/7 - “A Never Ending Story”

Stage 4

SAMPLE HighWaterLine Presentation: Introduction

Introduce yourself, and your story

Climate Change 101

Present some basic information about climate change science

Making it Local

Share any local research and documents collected including flood maps, and emergency preparedness documents (show Climate Change TV segments)

Map it Out

Display maps generated from the project that demarcate the 10-feet above sea level line

HighWaterLine Process

Present your planning process and steps that led up to your performance (display research blog)

Line Marking

Supplemental ACTIVITIES

Show media collected from the HighWaterLine marking

What’s Next?

Share ideas for how your community can address climate change and prepare for extreme weather events

Reflection & Questions

Share any final reflections and ask the audience for any questions

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: The World We Want Foundation (Download Guide) theworldwewantfoundation.org/create-world-SAP-guide

NOTE: While the goal of the project is to educate the public about ways humans contribute to C02 levels and adaptation to the changing environment, it is also important to understand that not everyone who approaches you or that you choose to share your research with is going to be receptive. There will be people who don’t want to have conversations about climate change because of political, religious, and scientific debate. Instead, you can ask people to share stories about the places they live, and what they hope to see in there in the future. It’s not mandatory that you talk with the public to do this project, but if you do, your approach, tone and style will of course be important.

Stage 4

Supplemental Activities

Supplemental ACTIVITIES

STAGE 1: UNDERSTAND Climate Change

STAGE 1: UNDERSTAND Climate Change a. Regional Research Station

B. Extreme Weather Station

Setup a Regional Research Station in your school, or neighborhood to investigate climate change in your community. The station can be a physical outpost to collect, display and explore research gathered on issues related to climate change. Set up your station in a centrally located spot in your school or neighborhood to display what you’ve collected or learned. This can be a bulletin board in a hallway, a public kiosk, display case or other surface. Next – let’s start researching! Once you have collected material for your research station – pin up, display and provide opportunities for others to add, comment and share.

Setup a weather station to record weather patterns in your local community, and create a space to share this information on your Regional Research Station. To get your weather station started, you can easily create a rain gauge using a small glass jar or cylinder, an anemometer can be made with plastic cups to measure wind speed, and a temperature/pressure gauge is easy to find and install outside. Once you have your tools for measurement assembled, install the weather station in a central location near your school or home with a large sign. Learn about artist Andrea Polli’s project Hello Weather!, a project to de-mystify the collection and use of weather and climate data by bringing artists, technologists, ecologists and environmentalists together around citizen weather stations. andreapolli.com/hello_weather

Introduction to Research: Conduct a Field Study Research can take many forms, involving observation, collection of knowledge, and reflection. Practice your research skills by conducting a brief field study near your home or school: • Observe and Record: Conduct a field study to hone your capacities for observation. Choose a location in your school or neighborhood and spend 20-30 minutes sitting and observing everything that happens. Keep a detailed record in a journal of happenings – note the time, who was present, setting, temperature – also speculate on what’s not happening.

Finally, monitor your station regularly and keep a weekly journal to compare with historical data on weather patterns and phenomena in the area. If you’re working in a group, you can assign different tasks to each person – temperature, rainfall, windspeed etc. Share your weather station results with others and monitor frequently.

C. Tidal Markers

D. HighWaterLine Blog

Create a series of tidal markers using scrap wood or other materials to demarcate tidal sea/water levels in your area/community. To start making your markers, paint your collected materials a neutral color. Measure and paint depth measurements with a bright color every half or quarter foot. Make sure to leave room at the bottom of your marker for where you’ll stake into the ground. If you live near an ocean or body of water affected by the tides, research tidal flow data to see when high and low tide occurs throughout each day and what levels to expect (check lunar calendar for low and high tide changes). Next choose a location to install and visit at various points during the day to see how the tidal depths have changed. If you’re not near a body of water, you can imagine these as temporary public sculptures and install with messages or links to climate change websites. (Note: Please remember to get permission to leave your markers in a specific location, and work with someone who can properly install each marker)

Create an online blog to collect research gathered from your regional research station, and from reports, news sources and personal accounts. You can use a variety of online platforms for free including Blogger and Tumblr. Imagine yourself in the role of amateur journalist and create a summary and localized account of climate change information for others to view and use in your community. Invite a local environmental organization or environmental scientist from local a university to come talk with you and your class/ community, and share a story on your new Blog. Use #highwaterline to tag any media generated. (Note: If you have internet access restrictions in your school, get permission to use sites like kidblog.org from your principal)

NOTE: This can also be done in an arid climate near a riverbed. Another example artwork is the Boulder Creek Flood Level Marker Project by Mary Miss: weadartists.org/colorado-marking-floods

Assessment Idea: In each of these activities, assess participant’s proficiency with a “KWL” writing assignment asking those involved to answer three questions: what do you know, what do you want to know, and what did you learn?

• Collect: Start collecting things during a neighborhood walk. Create a museum to display your findings. Create labels and imagine the stories behind what you’ve found. • Gather knowledge: Practice gathering information using a variety of sources – the library, the internet, people etc. Begin to assess reliability of your sources – where is the information coming from, and what might be someone’s agenda etc. • Reflect: Based on your observation, collections and knowledge gathered – reflect on your experience. Draw some conclusions, ask more questions and begin to form your own ideas about your central question or inquiry.

Supplemental Activities

Math & Science Connect: This is a great opportunity to connect math and science learning goals with real-world applications and contexts. You can ask students for instance to predict 25, 50, 100 year storm and weather conditions, and water levels; you can chart data from the weather station; conduct science experiments with different weather stations around the school and more!

Supplemental Activities

STAGE 2: MAP the HighWaterLine

a. Cartography Office

B. Topographic Experiments

C. Geo-cache the HighWaterLine

D. Performing the Water Table

Reflect Establish a Cartography Office in your school or community. Begin to collect maps of your area: road maps, geologic, topographic maps, and begin to create your own version of these maps that draws from all of these sources. Play with the power of scale and start to locate bodies of water, and other geologic landmarks on your map. You can use butcher paper to create long shorelines, and use an overhead projector to display a Google map onto this surface to trace or outline.

Create a 3D papier-mâché or cardboard version of your watershed. You can use simple materials like chicken wire, paperboard and newspaper to create a visual and 3D model of your community and its relationship to sources of water.

Geo-caching is a new sport that involves finding locations using GPS coordinates. Each geo-cache typically involves several locations marked by a small container or object with a log book, asking you to sign-in after you’ve visited that location.

To begin, ask participants to first research information about your watershed. Where does water flow and come from? Use this information to create a series of maps that show hydrology and water flow. Next imagine a scenario in which the water table is increasing or shrinking in your community. Ask students to choose an area to map this phenomenon outside using colored chalk to visualize the new flood zones or land areas now exposed because of heat and drought conditions. Draw arrows to show which way the waters will flow or shrink. A group of participants can also wear blue shirts or hold blue signs to represent the water. Set the scenario in motion and ask students to follow the flows of water mapped out with chalk and perform a flood or drought event.

Invite others to become Cartographers (map makers) for the day and ask them to create their own hand drawn maps of where they live, and how close they are to coastal and flood zones. Begin to chart the flood zones for your area and translate to your map. Finally, integrate all of these elements into an official climate change map for your community and identify key impact sites such as water treatment plants, subways, train tracks, electrical power plants, and tributaries flowing down toward larger water bodies. Find out where the most recent flood or storm surge has occurred, or investigate where riverbanks or lakeshore lines were located historically.

Supplemental Activities

Use topographic maps from the US Geologic Survey (usgs.gov) to get started. Next, identify sites that will need to be adapted due to increased storms and flooding, and mark where your city/ town has identified emergency preparedness areas. If time allows, ask participants to imagine new urban realities for your area and begin to build a model on top of your 3D topographic map. You can ask students to imagine floating cities, new waterway transportation and other elements. Start by creating sketches and drawings, and then use cardboard and other easy to find materials to make models that can be used with your 3D topographic map. You can easily create your own geo-cache by visiting sites like geocaching.com and setting up an account. To invite participation in your HighWaterLine performance, you can create a series of localized geo-caches along the route you plan to walk. Each geo-cache can have information about climate change, maps or other information for people to find while they look for each marker. This could help make the project fun, exciting and invite participation after you’ve completed your line.

Supplemental Activities

C. Mapping Bureau

STAGE 3: take the HighWaterLine to the streets A. Climate Change TV

B. Climate Change Design Lab

Create and host a talk show focused on your town/ city and issues related to extreme weather, and climate change. Choose an area in your school, home or community to setup a mock television set using found materials, fabrics and available furniture. Use a phone, flipcam or video recording device to capture each episode, and plan for little or no editing by keeping the length of each episode to 2-3 minutes. With your production team, decide on roles like news anchor, correspondent, production assistant, lighting and cameraperson etc.

Using research collected from Stage 1 and maps created from Stage 2, create a series of brochures and materials that help you, your peers and friends understand climate change and its local impacts. You can create these materials by hand, use digital design tools like Adobe Creative Suite, or ask graphic design students or community members to assist. Some materials to develop may include:

Next, create the concept for your first episode. You can invite people to be guests, and ask them to share what they know about climate change, and what they can do to curb consumption and carbon emissions. Create visuals for your TV program that explain climate change; for example: where do most carbon emissions are coming from, what these sources are and how they impact local ecologies? With your team, develop a series of Climate Change TV segments that may include: extreme weather reporting, streetside interviews, news from around the world, undercover investigations from places along your HighWaterLine route and adaptation plans. You can also conduct an unofficial survey that asks people about the weather in their neighborhood and what they know about climate change. Finally, bring Climate Change TV to the streets for site-specific investigations and streetside encounters. If you have access to iMovie or other editing software, add some brief titles and graphics once you’ve shot your segment. Post to YouTube and upload to your HighWaterLine blog for public enjoyment and education. Use #highwaterline to tag any media generated. (If you want to keep it lo-fi, you can make a fake microphone and connect to an audio recorder and create podcast episodes for easy listening)

Supplemental Activities

• Mapping Guides: A collection of maps that mark the 10-feet above sea level line and local landmarks, utilities and other important locations. • Info Cards: A series of cards focused on climate science, diagrams of Co2 and greenhouse gas production, list of regional and local impacts. A list of things people can do to curb C02production, steps for emergency preparedness, and key information from local adaptation plan, and a list of resources and ways to get involved in local politics and projects like HighWaterLine.

EXAMPLE: Eve Mosher designed action cards, which she printed handed out to the public while marking the HighWaterLine. Use these as a guide for designing your new updated takeaways to carry with you. • In your home Recycle glass, plastic, metal and all paper. New Yorkers throw away an average of 4.5 pounds of trash per day. Learn about all the different things you can recycle at NYC.gov/html/nycwasteless

Create a physical and digital portfolio of maps created in Stage 2 to showcase to friends and family, and add them to your HighWaterLine blog. Ask them to physically mark where their homes/ workplaces are on the map. Determine if they‘ll be underwater according to climate change expectations and the flood maps gathered in Stage 2. Include your town/city’s emergency preparedness maps and plans as well. Once you have these all gathered and posted online, develop a way to bring these maps out onto the street when you begin to scout out the best location for your

STAGE 4: ADvocate for climate change a. Potluck Dinner

B. Story Bank

Host a potluck dinner gathering and invite friends, family and neighborhood partners to join the project and talk about local climate change issues, including adaptation and emergency preparedness. Unveil your maps and ideas for performing the demarcated line in your community. With the help of interested participants, determine the ideal path to walk and mark. Next, determine the best date, and send out a press release to invite conversation and participation. (ie. The HighWaterLine was in several television spots found in the resources section. Make sure to send a press release to writers, TV stations, blogs, etc.)

Share and collect the many stories of your HighWaterLine project by creating a StoryBank of experiences from participants and local communities involved in the project. To create your Storybank, you’ll need an audio recorder and physical place to meet. Advertise a day to collect stories, invite friends and participants and lure them with treats and free coffee/tea. Ask them to reflect and share their stories. Limit each to 4-5 minutes and create an archive of the recordings online using free tools like SoundCloud.com

Common Core Standards Alignment

• In your government Ask your representatives for improved transit, more greenway, priority for bikes and pedestrians, sustainable and local based development. Find your representative at Vote-Smart.org and NYC.gov • In your business or school Campaign for cleaner buses. Most buses run on diesel, learn about cleaner fuels and get your school to switch. You can get facts and information by checking out NRDC.org/GreenSquad

performance and walk. To do this, create a “Mapping Bureau Suitcase” that gathers maps and information in one place. On one side of the suitcase, you can install your papier-mâché topographic map created in Stage 2 so that people on the street can easily visualize the sea level rise or other impacts of climate change. On the other side of the suitcase, create an easy to pull out display that has your maps, climate change visuals and sitespecific information ready to showcase and explore with others.

Activities outlined in this guide represent opportunities for educators to meet K-12 common core Standards in Science, Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies among others. The guide can also be adapted for University level students and life long learners.

Subject

Grades K-5

Grades 6-8

Grades 9-12

Language Arts

CCSS.ELA-Literacy. SL.1.1b; SL.1.2; SL.1.5; SL.5.1d; SL.5.4; L.1.5c; L.1.6

CCSS.ELALiteracy. WHST.6-8.1a; WHST.6-8.6; WHST.6-8.9

CCSS.ELALiteracy. WHST.9-10.10; WHST.9-10.9; WHST.9-10.6

Mathematics

CCSS.Math.Content.5. MD.B.2; 5.MD.C.3; 4.MD.A.1; 3.MD.D.8

CCSS.Math.Content.7.SP .A.2; 7.SP.C.6; 6.SP.B.5; 8.SP.A.2

CCSS.Math.Content.H SG-GMD.A.3; HSSID. A.1; HSSMD.B.5; HSS-MD.B.7

Science

N/A

NA CCSS.ELALiteracy. RST.6-8.1; RST.6-8.3; RST.6-8.7

CCSS.ELALiteracy. RST.9-10.9; RST.9-10.5

Social Studies

N/A

CCSS.ELA-Literacy. RH.6-8.7

CCSS.ELALiteracy. RH.9-10.7; RH.11-12.9

Supplemental Activities

RESOURCES STAGE 1: UNDERSTAND Climate Change Climate change reports can be found online through several sources, below are the some helpful links that support creating the HighWaterLine in your community. Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Sciences (download PDF)

STAGE 3: Take HighWaterLine To The Streets Engaging the Public: Using ‘Socratic Conversation’ to Unlock a Community’s Insight

pbs.org/mediashift/2009/09/using-socratic-conversation-to-unlock-a-communitys-insight265

Conveying the Human Implications of Climate Change (download Communications Primer PDF)

climatescience.gov

collaborate.csc.noaa.gov/climateadaptation

Real Climate: Climate Science from Climate Scientists (see Start Here)

HighWaterLine Blog

realclimate.org

highwaterline.com

NASA Global Climate Change: Key Websites

HighWaterLine Website

climate.nasa.gov

highwaterline.org

NASA Global Climate Change: Key Indicators (Download Data)

HighWaterLine Take Action Cards

climate.nasa.gov

highwaterline.org/nyc/takeaction.html

Climate Central: Surging Seas Report

Public Art Toolkit

sealevel.climatecentral.org/research/reports/surging-seas

forecastpublicart.org/toolkit/index.html

Climate Change Impacts and Adapting to Change

Performative Public Art Ecology by Patricia Watts

epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation

weadartists.org/ecoart-as-performance

Center for Climate and Energy Solutions l Adaptation Plans by State c2es.org/us-states-regions/policy-maps/adaptation

Climate Techbook: How to reduce greenhouse emissions from all sectors c2es.org/climate-techbook

STAGE 4: ADVOCATE for Climate Change

State of the Climate in 2011. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. National Climatic. Data Center.

video.nytimes.com/video/2007/06/15/multimedia/1194817097594/the-handwriting-on-the-road.html

The Handwriting on the Road, New York Times (videography on Eve Mosher by Justin Lange) The World We Want Foundation (Download Guide)

ncdc.noaa.gov/bams-state-of-the-climate/2011.php

theworldwewantfoundation.org/create-world-SAP-guide

IPCC Fourth Assessment Report 2007

Alliance for Climate Change

ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_and_data_reports.shtml#.UajyduvDLVW

acespace.org

National Center for Science Education ncse.com/climate

STATE 2: MAP the HighWaterLine FEMA flood maps (see Flood Maps to download your region) msc.fema.gov

Additional Supplemental Activities

Flood Maps - google maps with sea level rise scenarios by Alex Tingle

Stanford University

flood.firetree.net

pangea.stanford.edu/programs/outreach/climatechange/curriculum

Surging Seas

The Smithsonian

sealevel.climatecentral.org/surgingseas

smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/climate_change/index.html

How to read a Topographical Map

California Environmental Protection Agency

raider.mountunion.edu/~mcnaugma/topographic%20maps/contour.htm

arb.ca.gov/cc/curriculum/curriculum.htm

Measuring Sea Level

NASA Innovations in Climate Change

wunderground.com/climate/SeaLevelRise.asp

resources

gcce.larc.nasa.gov/node/52

resources

CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Acknowledgments A work that is community based in nature requires a community to support it and see it thrive. The artist, Eve Mosher, is greatly indebted to all the wonderful people who have been a part of the project from its inception and who will continue supporting the project in the future. Guide Authors: Patricia Watts, Lead Author Eve Mosher, HighWaterLine Artist Christopher Kennedy, Supplemental Activities

Art & Ecology Learning Guides The HighWaterLine ACTION Guide is the first in series of ten guides that will be developed in 2013–14 by ecoartspace, a nonprofit platform for artists addressing environmental issues. Each guide will support both learning institutions and community organizations that are interested in educating youth and adults about the principles of ecology through aesthetic experiences in the natural and built environments. Ecoartspace was founded in Los Angeles in 1997 by Patricia Watts, who partnered with Amy Lipton in New York City in 1999. They created one of the first websites that offered information on artists who, through their artworks, teach about our interdependence with the natural world. In 2000, Watts and Lipton developed an art and nature program, bringing artists into classrooms in Malibu, California, and New York City. This project was the initial inspiration to develop arts activities for both in school and in after-school programs.

Thor Snilsberg, CityScience Anna Larson, educator

The ecoartspace Art & Ecology Learning Guide Series is in no way meant to be a replacement for federal or state standards-based curricula. In fact, these guides are just that—guides for educators to teach science and art using aesthetic expression as a facilitation tool for dialogue and visualization.

Gavin Cowie & Sharon Mosher Hose Cedeno Justin Lange and Cicala Filmworks The Canary Project Curtis Hamilton Cynthia Rosenzweig, Vivian Gornitz, and Radley Horton, NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies

Studies show that approximately 65 percent of the population are visual learners, and yet the arts are often an afterthought in educational institutions. The learning guides aim to address this by sharing stories about the artists’ projects in the public sphere, and to generate similar placed based projects in communities globally, thereby reducing human impacts on the environment.

The Compton Foundation

Eve Mosher’s HighWaterLine project has inspired many artists and brought forth the idea that artists can make a difference in educating the public about a range of important issues. Although Mosher does not see her work as a performance, it does display a performative aspect that creates unique opportunities for learning by participants. This form of art, known as Social Practice, sees knowledge as a key component of community regeneration and part of a wider lifelong learning agenda.

Supported in part by individual donors from the Indiegogo campaign

We hope that you find this guide valuable for yourself and for all participants. Your feedback is always welcome!

Art & Ecology Learning Guide Series 2013-2014

Patricia Watts Founder and West Coast curator ecoartspace.org

CC Attribution-Non-commercial 3.0 Licensed For more information: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0

Design credit: Bonnie Beregszaszi, Someone & Somebody

Credits & Acknowledgments

Presented by as part of an Art & Ecology Learning Guide Series addressing environmental issues through replicable social practice art projects Funded in part by The Compton Foundation