Internships

Magdalena Poost ’23

Major

Anthropology

Project Title

Climate Story Incubator: Coastal Futures

Presentation Link

View Magdalena's Presentation

Certificate(s): Creative Writing, Environmental Studies, Theater

I conducted ethnographic research on the city of Lambertville, New Jersey, to understand how the community has experienced the recovery process from flooding caused by Hurricane Ida in fall 2021. As coastal communities across the world suffer and learn from intensifying weather events due to the climate emergency, scientists and artists are beginning to search for alternative modes of storytelling to communicate what is lost and what is learned, beyond simple disaster narratives. My project aimed to use the medium of audio narratives to investigate, document, and produce stories about lived experiences of extreme weather and changing environmental conditions in specific coastal communities in the mid-Atlantic. I interviewed residents, business owners, and medical professionals who were personally affected by Hurricane Ida. Recordings of my interviews were produced as one part in a series of such stories created by fellow interns. The experience of engaging with climate activism through an on-the-ground approach to art making has informed how I am conceiving my thesis work and future project aspirations. I plan to continue combining ethnography, ecology, and art to make pieces that help communicate the nuances of the climate nexus.