South Seas Island Resort to hold sea level rise symposium
To educate the public on the effects of sea level rise, the Captiva Community Panel will hold its first “Now In My Back Yard” symposium at the South Seas Conference Center Jan. 13 from 1 to 5 p.m.
Max Forgey, who is a part of the Captiva Community Panel and president of Zoning Technologies which is based in Cape Coral, helped organize the event which has been in the works since last spring. “Now In My Back Yard” will address what kind of impact sea level rise will have on Sanibel and Captiva and what can be done about it. The event is sponsored by Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors and the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association.
“We need to know more about this because it’s going to affect the island, values in tourism and the environment,” Forgey said. “It’s an opportunity to bring professionals and Captiva and Sanibel residents together to hear from the experts.”
Before the afternoon session which takes place at 1 p.m., the symposium will offer a morning program from 10 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. that is aimed specifically for planners. The morning session will focus primarily on GIS tools. Dr. Christine Shepard, director of science at The Nature Conservancy, Joan LeBeau, chief planner and ISA certified arborist of the City of Punta Gorda, Daniel Trescott, president of Trescott Planning Solutions of Fort Myers and Timothy O’Rourke, an undergraduate at Florida SouthWestern State College, will be headlining. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the cost is $10.
During the afternoon session, Dr. Joseph F. van Gaalen, director of student assessment at Florida SouthWestern State College will discuss the defining terms and issues of sea level rise from 1:10 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. From 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., keynote speaker Dr. Harold R. Wanless, department chair of the geological science at the University of Miami will address the coming reality of sea level rise. From 2 to 2:20, Hans J.M. Wilson, P.E., of Hans Wilson & Associates, will talk about the direct impact sea level rise has on Captiva and the remedial actions. James T. Evans, director of natural resources of the City of Sanibel will touch upon the environmental challenge of sea level rise and the options that the community has from 2:20 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.
From 3:05 p.m. to 3:25 p.m., Erin Deady, an attorney at Corbett, White, Davis and Ashton in Lantana will discuss the risks and solutions associated with sea level rise and lastly, Jason Evans, assistant professor of environmental science and studies at Stetson will unveil what medium range remedies can be done. The final remainder of the session will allow time for questions and answers between the speakers and the audience. The cost for this session is $20.
When it came to the selection process for the speakers, Forgey wanted to cram in as much science as he could for the one-day symposium.
“I wanted geologists, biologists and Ph.D.’s to talk about the harsh science involved. I wanted to balance that with engineers and planners. The next thing I wanted was a balance between the local interest, the local impact and the larger impact on the Gulf. We have a speaker like Hans Wilson who is very dynamic and James Evans from Sanibel who is very focused on our island and then we have speakers like Erin Deady and Christine Shepard who are looking at a much larger area and its impacts. I wanted speakers who are respected in the field and I wanted speakers who I have heard before or other people have heard before,” Forgey said. “These are all speakers who get their audience excited and engaged.”
Following the afternoon session, a community reception at the Kings Crown, located at the north end of the resort will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to benefit the Captiva Community Panel. An open bar and heavy appetizers will be served. The cost is $50 per person.
Forgey is hoping that the symposium will enlighten attendees, causing them to think about what are the next steps to combat sea level rise.
“I hope it gives them some ideas on how to respond thoughtfully and deliberately to a situation that they didn’t want to face. It’s not something that we wanted to happen but there are remedies and it may gives us a better understanding of the science that’s at work here. I’ve always found Captiva residents ready to hear new ideas. They’re always looking for a better way and I suspect we’ll get some ideas,” Forgey said.
Tickets for the event may be purchased by visiting eventbrite.com/e/sea-level-rise-symposium-tickets-29658123245. For further information on the event, contact Ken Gooderham at (239) 489-2616.