but soon, i might not be able to.

each year, these beaches get smaller and smaller due to sea level rise. crane beach in ipswich, massachusetts, is the most popular beach on the north shore, with more than 350,000 annual visitors. tragically, crane also takes the lead in dramatic beach erosion and flooding. crane beach has already lost 112 acres of shoreline — the beach my mom ran around as a child isn’t the same as the one i did. nearly 1,500 feet of sand and dunes have been lost since i was born in 2001. the beach has a serious flooding problem, and water sometimes covers part of argilla road, the only road to the beach. a stretch of the road is surrounded by the great salt marsh, which regularly floods as a result of sea level rise and storm surge. in 10 years, argilla road could be flooded on a daily basis, and in 50 years, the beach could become completely inaccessible. will my kids even be able to get to the beach that i grew up on?

these fishing towns that feed my spirit — ipswich, gloucester, rockport — all financially depend on beach tourism and family seafood businesses. what’s more, crane beach is one of the world’s most essential nesting sites for piping plovers, a threatened bird that was nearly hunted to extinction in the 1800s. crane beach is an invaluable stretch of sand that holds incredible importance to the financial stability of the town, to piping plovers, and to the hearts of everyone who visits year after year.

climate change, and the extreme weather events it exacerbates, are expected to increasingly disrupt towns all over the country. high-tide flooding due to sea level rise is exponentially increasing, threatening the coastal property market and town infrastructure. on the atlantic coastline, all it takes is a local sea level rise of 1.0 to 2.3 feet for high tide to turn into a major destructive flood. massachusetts north store’s state of the coast report makes it clear: “an increase in the level of the world’s oceans is due to global warming,” and sea level rise poses a serious threat to coasts with intensified storm surges, flooding, and damage of coastal zones.

the town of ipswich recently completed the first two phases of their project to raise argilla road by 18 inches, and to create natural banks on the sides of the road to protect the new elevation from erosion. the town is also working to restore the marsh that argilla road runs through. workers are performing “ditch remediation,” filling in the centuries-old unnatural ditches with natural salt marsh hay. these efforts will restore the natural flow of water in the marsh, hopefully reducing flooding from sea level rise and storm surge, and keeping argilla road dry. the trustees of crane beach work hard to organize around this issue, from partnering with environmental organizations to holding educational community events to creating a podcast to spread the message. this gives me hope for the town, and for the future of my beloved beach.

crane beach is a beautiful stretch of dunes and choppy new england waves that will freeze your toes off. people stood on that beach thousands and thousands of years ago. a seagull swooped down and snatched an entire sandwich out of my father’s hand on that beach six years ago. beyond its financial importance, crane beach is a gorgeous, invaluable spot in the universe. the waves can be relentless, but i will always choose to get back in the water. 

for now, it looks like crane’s next generation of baby plover birds will have a chance to spend their babyhood on the beach their mothers chose. but will my children have the same opportunity? it depends on the continued commitment of the town of ipswich to combat the effects of climate change.

“from birth one of my passions has been the ocean,” doall said, a lasting enthusiasm that ultimately led to his career in regenerative aquaculture and shellfish restoration. while his days of skipping class to bum it at the beach may be over, you can still find doall in the bays of long island, dedicating hours to researching and reviving the marine organisms that provide innumerable benefits to the ecosystem he calls home. 

at the beginning of doall’s education in marine biology, regenerative aquaculture — the farming of marine species in open waters to bolster habitat quality — was not remotely common in the u.s., let alone something on doall’s mind. but, having always had gardens growing up, doall found that the field of ocean aquaculture brought together his passions for the ocean and for growing things.

doall was first exposed to regenerative aquaculture 20 years ago while managing a research service facility in long island. the nature conservancy had started a hard clam and oyster restoration program in long island’s great south bay and reached out to doall for his analytic expertise. bivalves, such as clams and oysters, are essential to ocean ecosystems, because they suck up excess nutrients and sediment from waterways, improving water quality and preventing harmful algal blooms. at the nature conservancy, doall grew shellfish in cages across the bay to study how different marine environments would support these species. 

there, he realized how much he enjoyed growing the oysters and rebuilding marine ecosystems, so he dove deeper into open water aquaculture by establishing the first oyster restoration projects in new york harbor (nyh). while working at these sites, he aimed to use oysters as solely an environmental tool — the harbor’s pollution meant organisms wouldn’t be safe for consumption — but later he “had the epiphany that oysters do the same thing in an aquaculture setting as they do in nature.” that is, by growing oysters for human consumption, these filter feeders would naturally improve water quality by consuming excess nutrients and provide a sustainable source of fresh seafood at the same time.

inspired, doall started his own oyster farm in 2008: montauk shellfish company. he took a lot of pride in being an oyster farmer, stating that “one of the most important activities you can do is to grow food and feed your community.” and feed his community he did. doall was on the cusp of an “oyster renaissance” and would witness montauk take off beyond his expectations. 

during his time as an oyster farmer, doall took a trip up to maine and was introduced to a new sea crop that would later inspire his research: kelp. doall was interested in crop diversification for his farm and learned from some of the first u.s. kelp farmers that this sea veggie is a great complement to shellfish because of their opposite growth seasons (kelp in the winter, shellfish in the summer). 

though he sold his farm in 2017, doall still very much considers himself a farmer in his current role as associate director for bivalve restoration and aquaculture at stony brook university. as a scientist, doall is well positioned to pursue kelp through research projects in long island waters that do not yet allow commercial kelp farming due to a decade-long battle for obtaining permits and expanding processing capacity.

over the past four years, doall has been tirelessly dedicated to bringing the benefits of kelp to long island. as with oysters, kelp sucks excess nitrogen out of the water, helping to keep our oceans clean. combining the two creatures creates a marine-cleaning superteam to counteract the eutrophication — excessive nutrient pollution — that has long plagued long island. further, kelp captures carbon dioxide from the water column as it photosynthesizes. that carbon gets removed from the ocean when the kelp is harvested, making seaweed a tool for fighting local ocean acidification that threatens the health of our marine ecosystems, including many of the species we depend on for food. doall developed a specialized technique for growing kelp in the shallow coastal waters of long island that are only knee or waist deep, as opposed to traditional kelp farming that is done in much deeper waters. he was impressively able to grow 12-foot long kelp fronds in only 6 feet of water. this compact feat can help not only shallow-water ocean farmers but also other species residing in shallow bays, where poor water flow otherwise means poor water quality.

the nutrient-extraction capabilities of farming kelp are especially important in long island. as doall said of his hometown, “long islanders love their lawns and golf courses.” he tells me about the truckloads of fertilizer that are brought in during the warmer months, dumping nitrogen all across the island. a farmer at heart, doall envisions growing forests of kelp along the coast to absorb the nitrogen runoff from shore. once harvested, this kelp can be developed into nitrogen-rich fertilizer, equipped with other micronutrients and biostimulants, that can be used throughout the community. it would be a closed nitrogen loop, lowering the demand for imported fertilizer and delivering environmental and economic benefits to the island. doall plans to explore such a system’s feasibility this summer through garden studies on kelp-based fertilizer’s benefits.

doall’s dedication to restoring his home seas has carried him through a variety of challenges. despite support from large environmental groups such as the nature conservancy and pew charitable trust, regenerative aquaculture must compete with a variety of stakeholders on the water. recreational boaters, commercial fishermen, and even wind surfers have opposed doall’s projects.

“in the end, all these groups recognize the value of regenerative farming, but a lot of people don’t want it in an area where they’re doing something,” he said. there is also a so-called “social carrying capacity” for aquaculture: once over ~5% of the coastline is occupied by ocean farmers, “people start freaking out” and are quick to complain about the oyster farms visible from their backyard. nevertheless, doall has found that a healthy, bustling ocean can unify disparate marine interests.

at the end of the day, doall believes in his mission to support ocean farming and rebuild shellfish populations in his home waters. while he knows his focal solutions to climate change are not the only solutions, the benefits of regenerative aquaculture and shellfish restoration cannot be ignored. aquaculture projects secure jobs and income while nutrient bioextraction revitalizes the ecosystem, a win-win for coastal economies and environments. moreover, because of overfishing and marine habitat degradation, fishing communities that have long relied on the ocean for their sense of identity are losing their cultural ties. luckily, according to doall, “regenerative aquaculture is a way to bring that cultural identity back…so there’s a win-win-win.”

you will always find doall working away in the waters of long island, happy as a clam, because, “when do you plant a victory flag? never.” the fight for climate-resilient solutions never stops, but local, restorative projects like these continue to provide hope for a greener future.

• meet 9 young climate activists of color. many important activists’ names don’t reach mainstream media. take the time to learn about a 15-year-old chief water commissioner for the anishinabek nation, a 19-year-old co-founder of a volunteer climate organization and others!

• gender equality, climate justice and education go hand in hand. (article also available in spanish. / artículo disponible en español.) a young chilean activist reflects on the intersection between climate change, gender equality and education and calls for the climate crisis to be viewed from a feminist perspective. did you know that giving women access to education and family planning directly correlates with decreased carbon emissions?

• the ocean cleanup successfully collects ocean plastics. a dutch non-profit called the ocean cleanup has successfully developed a device that can capture and collect ocean plastic. see videos of how it works.

check back tomorrow for more info on what is being explored at cop26 — and good reads to keep you informed!

then came an unexpected turning point: in october 2020, the america’s conservation enhancement act passed congress with bipartisan support. this new act provides landmark, sorely needed funding for the epa’s chesapeake bay program and other conservation efforts. in this video, drew robinson, of the choose clean water coalition, and dr. solange filoso, of the university of maryland center for environmental science, discuss why this act is so remarkable and how it may change the future of the bay.

chapman is proud of his waterfront home, which he bought as a “fixer-upper” in 1998 after the cottage survived double northeasters and was left with enough damage for the previous owner to put the house on the market for a bargain price. 

chapman hasn’t stopped repairing and protecting his home from flood damage since. with sea levels rising, land sinking and more extreme weather patterns, residents like chapman and their homes are at more risk than ever before.

in the pristine beauty of an archipelago off the caribbean coast of panama, the indigenous guna people show tourists to their small cabanas, where they will be surrounded by the sound of the crashing ocean as they sleep. the hosts prepare meals of freshly caught fish to feed their guests, while others crack open coconuts for tourists to sip while relaxing in blue waters.

guna women sell molas, part of their traditional clothing, and wrap long beaded bracelets around their visitors’ wrists. the guna people rely on tourism to the san blas islands to bring in revenue of $2 million – 80% of their total income.

in the next 20 years,  however, many of the islands of this idyllic destination will disappear under the waves.

climate change is causing rising sea levels across the globe, which means that the ocean is slowly creeping up the shorelines of these small islands. eventually, they will be uninhabitable, and the guna people can already see evidence that their homes are shrinking.

“look at this island: we are not even 30 centimeters above the sea level,” said diwigdi valiente, 28, a guna native who is an environmental activist and an advocate of ecotourism. “the urgency? it’s much more than what you expect.”

abelardo (tito) nuñez davies first arrived at his home on pelican island in the san blas chain 15 years ago, and he has already watched it transform in this short time span. “this island was much bigger before, and now some of the beach is disappearing,” he said.

although he can’t ignore the sight of his changing landscape, he hasn’t considered moving away yet and hopes he won’t be forced to. but the guna government is working to prepare for the day when people who have lived here for generations will no longer be able to call these islands home. these plans are difficult to develop – scheduling a mass exodus of climate change refugees is an unprecedented move.

“four years ago there was (a) budget to move the island to (the) mainland,” valiente said. “the government changed, and the budget was gone.” despite structural changes, the guna people continue to search for ways to plan for their inevitable move. “they’re applying to have funds (from the) u.n. to develop an adaptation and mitigation plan for climate change for panama,” he said.

aresio valiente lópez, a law professor at the university of panama and member of the guna congress, wants to create a special environmental department in the congress. “they will be in charge of making sure that the movement from the islands to mainland is going to be organized,” said lópez, valiente’s father. (note: valiente acted as a translator for lópez, who was speaking in spanish.) 

this move is more than physical for the guna people – it requires a transformation of their industries and economy. to lópez, this transformation is imperative so that the guna can continue to have a sustainable source of income. “our economy has to change,” he said.

“what they are trying to do now is to diversify what the source of income is,” valiente said. “right now, the biggest source of income is tourism.”

the guna people don’t have to abandon tourism completely if they can find ways to make it sustainable, which valiente is pioneering as a founder of bodhi hostels.

“right now, i am committed to building the most sustainable hostel chain in the world,” he said.

he plans to extend his business to the ocean around the san blas islands and build a hostel designed to survive the rising sea levels. his experience as a business owner has shown him that profits and environmental sustainability are not mutually exclusive – within a year of opening, his business broke even and was chosen as the best hostel in panama. now, he continues to run his business with both profits and sustainability in mind.

“right now, my job is to open new hostels, but at the same time, our hostels have a very strong and important focus on solving environmental issues, especially climate change,” valiente said. “sustainability is actually a way to make money and also have an impact in society and the environment at the same time. if you don’t make money and survive out of it, you are not sustainable.”

these two goals made bodhi a perfect fit for the developing town of kalu yala, where valiente and his business partner allan lim recently opened a new hostel. similar to the original bodhi hostel, kalu yala is a new business endeavor that values both profits and sustainability.

“our mission is to build a new town that proves that civilization can live in a socially and environmentally responsible way,” said kalu yala founder jimmy stice, an american entrepreneur.

kalu yala sits in tres brazos valley a few miles from san miguel, a small farming town in the panamanian jungle. founded in 2011, the town now boasts a coffee shop, a restaurant, a bar, and a store with snacks and sweets centered around a communal town square. these small businesses offer a bit of luxury to the sustainable lifestyle at kalu yala, which involves sleeping in open-air ranchos and exploring new sustainable farming practices. the crown jewel of the town is the kalu yala institute, where college students can spend a semester in the jungle studying topics such as engineering, outdoor recreation and media arts.

the institute is currently the main source of revenue for the town, but stice aims to build a fully functioning town, complete with a thriving industry of tourism and hospitality. the hostel is the first step for tourism as interns continue to at the institute continue to innovate sustainable energy, culinary, agriculture and water resource solutions for the community. now, stice plans to build accommodations that are more comfortable for people who aren’t used to camping in the jungle.

“we’ll start introducing the small houses, which will allow for people who want to sleep on a real mattress,” he said. people could purchase houses or just vacation in them – “$150 nights is inclusive just like $13 a night is inclusive” for the hostel, he said.

tara mclaughlin, president of the kalu yala institute for the interns who are helping to develop kalu yala, believes that ecotourism and social entrepreneurship are lucrative industries to be a part of right now.

“that current desire to be sustainable, or trying to make a difference, but also having that desire to travel – if you offer a product that allows somebody to do both of those things, then it’s a very desirable product,” she said.

with an experimental project like kalu yala, it’s possible that it could become a tourist trap rather than an authentic town. stice likened this potential outcome to a “disneyland of sustainability,” but that’s the worst case scenario, he said. he wants to balance tourism with other businesses and industries in the town, as well as the educational component.

marie stringer is capitalizing on this ecotourism potential by starting a zip line business at kalu yala. she believes that panama is an ideal market opportunity because it currently doesn’t have many zip lines, and the scenic jungle and rain forest surrounding kalu yala are stunning.

“there’s a reason why we’re building a million-dollar zip line and it’s paying for itself in two years,” she said.

she plans to hire local people from the nearby town of san miguel and former kalu yala interns to be the zip line guides. one of her top priorities is creating well-paid jobs in the small community and providing her employees with new skills – they will have access to free language classes so that all guides can be fluent in both english and spanish. she wants to emphasize this social change aspect throughout her business.

however, any social change arising from tourism also brings cultural exchange, which can have unintended outcomes.

“tourism is about moving people from one place to another,” valiente said. “when you move people from one place to another, you’re not only moving people: you’re moving experiences, you’re moving culture.”

“we had a group out here partying for panamanian carnival,” mclaughlin said. “dealing with that cultural collision, i think was both good for the students and both good for the panamanians that came out here. they learned a lot about what we’re doing.”

so far this cultural exchange has been positive, but as tourism continues to grow, san miguel residents may look to tourism as an alternative to the tradition of farming in the area. valiente has seen the negative effects of tourism in his home on the islands, and this is why he believes it is important for tourists to consider sustainability when they travel, learning about the cultural values of places they visit and minimizing the physical footprint they leave.

“it is important because when we move from one place to another, we affect the place and we make an impact on the place we are going to,” he said. “and we have the choice of making that a good or a bad impact.”

valiente believes that this impact would be more positive if tourists built relationships with the people whose homes they’re visiting and made an effort to interact with them.

“how do they see you?” he asked. “what do they see that you are coming to do here? do they see that you are coming just to relax and chill out at the beach? or do they see that you are coming here to interact with them and be interested in our culture, which is – besides the water and the nice beaches – one of the most important assets we have.”

despite the fact that the guna culture is one of their most valuable assets, valiente has watched it struggle to survive western influence.

“unfortunately, in the occidental world we have a very colonial society that forces people to believe that materialism is the best way to live: that buying stuff is what is going to make you feel happy,” he said. “but for the guna people, we don’t have to be rich in this life, because according to us, when we die we are going to go to a place where everything is gold. so for us, material stuff is not important. but when you start getting people that come here and have cell phones and have tvs and talk about all this stuff that happens in the western society, then you also start wondering, ‘ok, am i living good here (on) an island in the middle of nowhere? or should i also get a cell phone? should i also get a tv? should i also get cable tv?’”

for this reason, valiente can see a positive side to leaving the islands. “i think it’s a great opportunity for everyone to embrace a culture that’s about to get lost,” he said. he wants to publish art across panama that makes people realize, “okay, that culture is being lost, but it’s time also for us to get it back.”

“instead of looking it as something maybe bad or very negative, we could look at it as something totally positive and something that could even make our society better,” he said.

although climate change threatens to push the guna people away from their island homes, the tragedy may allow them to regain part of their culture that has changed with  tourism, he said. however, it is still unclear how their economy will recover from the loss of tourism or how much of it they can reestablsih with the mainland as a base. in the meantime, only time will tell how the budding ecotourism industry at kalu yala may affect the culture of san miguel.

despite the challenges that arise from tourism and climate change, lópez believes that the native cultures in panama will survive.

“cultures are dynamic: we’ll lose some of it and then we will integrate new things,” he said. “at some point, what we had 100 years ago is not going to be the same anymore. but cultures (are) dynamic.”