Creating a Sea Level Rise Institute

Brown Bag Lunch Online Presentation with Laurie Richmond, California Sea Grant, & Aldaron Laird, Cal Poly Humboldt: The Sea Level Rise Institute formed as an interdisiplinary partnership between Cal Poly Humboldt and the Humboldt community in 2018, envisioning a diverse network of collaborators working together across disciplines, sectors, and ways of knowing to develop sea-level rise research and planning that informs equitable, sustainable, and community-centered local climate action. How is it working?

Dr. Laurie Richmond is professor of environmental science & management at Cal Poly Humboldt and a California Sea Grant extension specialist. In 2018, she collaborated with Aldaron Laird to help found the Cal Poly Humboldt Sea Level Rise Institute, which is an academic-Tribal-community partnership related to sea level rise on California’s north coast. Richmond currently serves as the co-chair of the institute, and is focused on building networks within the regional community to plan and adapt to sea-level rise in a just and equitable way.

Aldaron Laird is an environmental planning consultant who has specialized in sea level rise vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning on Humboldt Bay. Since 2010, Aldaron has been active in promoting a regional approach to sea level rise planning on Humboldt Bay. He is also an avid kayaker who has circumnavigated all 102 miles of Humboldt Bay's shoreline. Aldaron's photographs of Humboldt Bay were featured in an exhibit at the Morris Graves Museum of Art.