Bev talked about how children in Southeast Washington tend to view the environment as foreign and dangerous, yet devoting just a little time and attention as an educator encourages their curiosity and interest in the river. D.C. Mike founded City Vision, a program which teaches city kids to solve problems in their neighborhoods and waterfronts through planning and design. Mike's presentation focused on a redevelopment exercise for the Anacostia waterfront he helped his students put together. When given a choice of locations for the project, the kids instinctively chose the riverfront, reflecting, perhaps, people's innate connection to the water. Mike reminded his audience that, at some point in our lives, each of us fell in love with the water, and the more that feeling can be encouraged in people from all walks of life, the more success we will have in achieving sustainable coastal communities.
T wo more participants in the session helped lead discussions.
Michael Orbach of Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment spoke from the perspective of an educator and a long-time contributor to the national coastal management program. Steven Stichter, from the Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Program, Organization of American States, has experience in both U.S. and international coastal planning. Steven spoke of how coastal management has produced some exceptional laws and programs around the country that can be used to address the emerging issues discussed at the session. L ively debate followed the presentations. Students, young professionals, activists, and coastal management veterans all contributed.