Photo by Michael “Mike” L. Baird / Creative Commons

By Holly Walsh
Staff Writer

Climate change and its impact on the Central Coast will be discussed at length during a Thursday evening panel at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens.

The event, hosted by the Morro Bay Estuary Program, will feature three scientists discussing global climate issues while delving deeper into more localized problems of climate change, including the effects on bird populations, the projected impacts of sea level rise, and the mitigation and management of sea level rise locally.

“We are lucky to live in an area where people have done local studies and we hope to give people a chance to examine data through local research,” says Rachel Pass, communications director of the Estuary program.

Pass hopes that the event will inspire people in the community into taking their own steps to get involved in a local nonprofit and make choices about their own actions by responding in a resilient way.

The event is free and open to the public, and students are especially encouraged to attend.

“Students are uniquely poised to take advantage of some of the best scientists and speakers and are able to pass along this knowledge,” Pass said.

The event will bring together citizens, local governments, other non-profits, agencies, and landowners to protect and restore the Morro Bay Estuary.

The panel will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. at the San Luis Obispo Botanical Gardens.