December 2019 - Digital Storytelling
Coastal storms and flooding pose serious challenges to Delaware communities—hazards that threaten to increase in frequency and intensity in the future due to sea level rise.
To engage the public in documenting these hazards and help increase awareness about intensifying storms and floods in Delaware, the University of Delaware, the Sustainable Coastal Communities initiative, and Delaware Sea Grant created the Delaware Resilience Awareness Program (DelRAP). The DelRAP project aims to raise awareness of coastal impacts through digital storytelling, creating a platform and process for concerned citizens to provide geo-tagged photographic evidence of sea-level rise and intensifying storm impacts within their communities. This community science approach provides opportunities to engage planners, community members, experts, and students in bridging science and design to solve coastal resiliency issues.
To learn more about the DelRAP project, check out the newest episode of SeaTalk, or visit the official DelRAP project website.
Notable Dates
December 3 - Giving Tuesday. #GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. Learn more here.
Dec. 5 - World Soil Day. Declared by the United Nations in 2013, World Soil Day is intended to raise awareness of the importance of addressing soil pollution. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN notes that clean and healthy soil is vital to 12 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including protecting life underwater by conserving marine resources by reducing soil pollutants transported in runoff.
December 10 - Nobel Prize Day. Celebrate this year’s Nobel Prize Laureates as they receive their awards. This article from UDaily enlists University of Delaware faculty to help explain the significance of this year’s recipients.
December 14-January 5 - Christmas Bird Counts. The Delmarva Ornithological Society manages six Christmas Bird Counts in various locations throughout Delaware; check this page for locations, dates, and more information.
December 21 - Winter Solstice. Hunker down for the shortest day of the year! This article offers a brief history lesson on the Winter Solstice, and how humans have observed it through the centuries.