IAN speaks at Blacks of the Chesapeake event in Annapolis
Vanessa Vargas-Nguyen and Heath Kelsey were invited to talk to high school students about the linkages between our environment and human health. About 75 students from four schools attended a series of events designed to connect them with their environment, including African American cultural history in the bay region. IAN’s role was to summarize the Coastal Environment and Community Health course that Vanessa and Heath taught in Fall 2024, which explored the impacts of environmental conditions on human health. Health effects related to water quality, air pollution, intense heat, flooding and sea level rise, harmful algal blooms, plastics, environmental justice, and community capacity were discussed. Many of the students were familiar with environmental justice concepts, water quality, and sea level rise issues, which is very encouraging. It was great to be able to have these discussions in the context of environmental justice and climate change. Thank you to the Blacks of the Chesapeake for arranging the event and for including UMCES!