Over the past seven years, council has undertaken a series of strategic approaches to on ground coastal adaptation projects. A component of this strategy has been openly communicating emerging coastal risks due to climate change to the public.

More recent target audiences have included middle primary school children. Kids were engaged in multiple ways including school visits, postcard design competitions and via sustainable living festival stalls. Activities undertaken have included writing rhyming couplets for beach care songs, hands on bench-top beach erosion experiments and beach care activities such as “Make Your Own Poarium” with novelty handouts as rewards for engagement.

Communicating climate change coastal risks to children has some unique challenges and rewards with short and long term goals all of which may differ markedly from communications with older audiences.

Make it fun, keep it simple, don’t be too scary and empower with positive actions that kids can take.