ORONO — The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine will host a talk, “Vacationland or Climate Migrationland?”, with speaker Vanessa Levesque, assistant professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Southern Maine at 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 11.
Maine saw an influx of newcomers during the pandemic. Will climate change also drive people to move to Maine? If so, what are the likely implications, and what should we 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.
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 and are offered both remotely via Zoom and in person at 107 Norman Smith Hall on the UMaine campus in Orono. Registration is required to attend remotely; to register and receive connection information, see the event webpage.
To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth at 207-581-3196 or [email protected].