ORONO — The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine plans to host a talk, “Vacationland or Climate Migrationland?,” at 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11.
The talk, with speaker Vanessa Levesque, assistant professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Southern Maine, will be offered both remotely via Zoom and in person at 107 Norman Smith Hall on the UMaine campus.
Maine saw an influx of newcomers during the pandemic. The talk will explore the questions of whether climate change will also drive people to move to Maine and, if so, what are the likely implications, and what should people do about it.
This talk will explore the concept of climate migration, discuss a region-wide partnership to better understand implications of climate migration, and pose suggestions for future research and governance to help better prepare for potential changes, according to a news release from Ruth Hallsworth with the center.
Levesque is a social scientist interested in rural community decision-making around environmental, social and economic issues. Smaller and more rural communities make up a large portion of the U.S., but are understudied by those interested in building community resilience. This focus on inclusive, interdisciplinary and democratic ideals is mirrored in her teaching. She strives to give students a voice as they learn how they can make substantive and lasting contributions in their own communities.
All talks in the Mitchell Center’s Sustainability Talks series are free. Registration is required to attend remotely; to register and receive connection information, see the event page at umaine.edu.
To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Hallsworth at 207-581-3196 or hallsworth@maine.edu.
Check out other upcoming area events!
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
