My name is Kyle Ruggieri and I am a sociology major at University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth. I am a resident of Cape Cod and live in Sandwich which is about 20 miles from the city of Falmouth. Resilience in the face of rising sea levels and sustainability of this location’s local economies and habitats is a major concern as global climate change is impacting our coastal cities and towns.
I am invested in preserving the fragile land and local natural resources and feel it’s important to educate future generations and empower people to play an active role in keeping Falmouth and other Cape Cod cities and towns economically and environmentally healthy. I want to see that they are able to continue to provide local seafood and food from farmers markets for residents and seasonal visitors. The Global problems from environmental overshoot are affecting communities that I live and work in.
As a sociology major I have learned that people can creatively problem solve if hearts and minds are invested in local communities. Feelings of community identity can positively influence people to work collaboratively toward initiating change and ensuring a multi-generational mission to better our world by sharing knowledge and working toward inclusion and equity for all. Falmouth is a local community that is threatened by climate change. I am interested in how collaborative governance is working here to solve the real problems impacting the people and animal habitats.
