The Future is Now: King Tide Photography Project
King Tides: the Future is Now is a collaborative photography project aimed at promoting action to combat climate change in San Diego, California. King Tides are the highest tides of the year, and as such they offer a glimpse of what the future will hold with rising sea levels along our coastline, as higher tides threaten and damage our infrastructure and natural habitats.
Photos were captured at a variety of coastal locations from Oceanside to Imperial Beach, as chosen in cooperation with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the California Coastal Commission, the City of Imperial Beach and San Diego Bird Alliance.
The twenty-one volunteer photographers included three high school students, who were supported by San Diego Bird Alliance staff, partners, and Leland Foerster, the project leader. Leland is a documentary photographer and retired photography instructor from the UC San Diego Extension program, who mentors adults and young people to document their communities and the natural world to help create positive change.
These photos were compiled and explored further in a short film, which you can watch below:
Thank you to the dedicated volunteer photographers, and to Leland Foerster for organizing this project; this project is evocative in a way that no written report could be.
See below for a gallery of the photos taken during the 2019 monitoring season, and stay tuned for additional ways to engage with and raise awareness about coastal issues. Questions or inquiries about getting involved can be submitted to conservation@sandiegobirdalliance.org.
