Miami-based ARTIST gETS heLP fROm High school students to call attention to rising sea levels

One Green Planet | June 2022
HAILEY KANOWKSY  

Miami-based artist, Xavier Cortada, got help from the Miami Senior High School students to help in his project, The Underwater, which calls attention to the rising sea levels in Miami.   

“I developed The Underwater to help my neighbors understand our vulnerability to rising seas and give them the tools to take action. Learning together and working together today, we can build a more equitable tomorrow,” said the artist and professor at the University of Miami, Xavier Cortada.

Cortada engaged Miami High students in raising awareness about sea-level rising in their town of Little Havana. The goal of The Underwater is to bring elevation-marked yard signs to the storefronts of Calle Ocho, Cortada said in an Instagram post. The students helped merchants in the area discover their store’s elevation above sea level and create an “Underwater Marker.”

The markers aim to spark climate conversations and have a QR code so that the public can learn more. Thanks to the students, dozens of businesses along Calle Ocho had Underwater Markers displayed in their storefronts.

To participate in Xavier Cortada’s The Underwater project, here’s how Cortada says you can help.

Thanks to the 75 Miami High School students, the community of Little Havana is becoming more aware of the rising sea levels and figuring out what they can do to help.

Link to the original article: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/miami-based-artist-gets-help-from-high-school-students-to-call-attention-to-rising-sea-levels/