This Sunday, Watsonville’s Earth Day celebration will highlight a new research project from UC Santa Cruz on disaster resilience and preparedness.
The ongoing Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Research for Resilience project explores the relationship among natural disasters, lack of affordable housing and WUIs in Santa Cruz County and surrounding areas. WUI refers to an area where human-developed land meets wilderness. These zones are at particularly high risk for wildfires due to the proximity of vegetation to human structures.
The project is a collaboration among the UCSC Center for Critical Urban and Environmental Studies (CUES), the Long Term Recovery Group of Santa Cruz County (SCCLTRG) and the Trust for Public Land.
“These partnerships provide opportunities to approach critically important topics from multiple angles simultaneously, and Earth Day is a perfect opportunity to engage with our community on these issues and showcase the innovative ways we are working to build individual and community resilience,” said Tonje Wold Switzer, SCCLTRG executive director.
The Earth Day celebration will host an interactive display of the project’s findings so far. Attendees will get to enjoy activities representing the local WUI environment, including a new game invented by UC Davis professor of design Thomas E. Maiorana. The game combines cornhole and a wheel of fortune to physically represent the importance of emergency preparedness for residents of disaster-prone areas.
“Although disasters are serious issues, we can be far more resilient if we make the act of preparation more fun and engaging. By inserting ‘play’ into preparedness, the whole family can be far more empowered and creative,” said Maiorana.
The Earth Day celebration event is scheduled for this Sunday, April 27, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Watsonville Plaza.
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