TAMPA BAY, FL – Personal storytelling and experiential learning can significantly raise awareness of climate change risks and solutions and empower action, according to findings from a new research project released today by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and partners. The project, funded by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, produced a short storytelling film titled Dear Tampa Bay and conducted over 50 film screenings throughout the Tampa Bay region, followed by expert-led boat tours and in-depth surveys from participants following screenings and focus groups following tours. Key findings from the project include:

• a 240% increase in willingness to work with a group to advocate for nature-based infrastructure to absorb storm surge and sea-level rise;
• a 35% increase in willingness to attend hurricane prep meetings;
• a 149% increase in viewers’ willingness to attend meetings to learn about city and county resilience initiatives and how to become involved;
• a 214% increase in willingness to work with a group to educate neighbors about the need for climate change policy solutions;
• an increase of knowledge on important issues such as temperature rise, storm surge, and the importance of living shorelines;
• a shift away from reliance on state and federal government to be responsible for building climate change resilience, and a shift toward reliance on self, community, local government, and the nonprofit sector.

"The impacts of climate change are increasingly evident across the Gulf Coast, but it can be overwhelming for community members to understand their role and how to be a part of the solution,” said Amanda Moore, NWF’s Gulf director. "Our project reveals the power of storytelling as a catalyst for increasing awareness, empowering action, and creating a more climate-resilient future. These are lessons that can apply far beyond the Tampa Bay area as we seek to understand how individuals perceive risk and resilience and how they seek solutions.”

The project also identified themes from boat tour surveys and focus groups, emphasizing the value of immersive learning and the recognition of systemic inequities as significant climate challenges.

“This project advances our understanding of how innovative communication approaches can increase local leaders’ understanding of climate-related risks and opportunities for resilience, connect people to their local environment in a powerful way and motivate active citizenship,” said Dr. Rebecca Johns, associate professor of geography at the University of South Florida, who led on the project’s research.

“To address the climate crisis, we need engagement at all levels of society. It is critical that we understand which climate change communication and engagement methods are effective at building awareness and increasing a sense of individual agency. Our findings indicate that our chance for success at empowering people in vulnerable communities to take action on climate risk increases when we lead with innovative outreach and immersive educational experiences,” Moore said.

The Tampa Bay area is considered an area with high risk and low readiness, as the region has large populations and extensive development in flood-prone areas. Local governments and regional entities are in the midst of creating resilience plans to safeguard communities against a changing climate and increasingly powerful storms, and having broad community understanding and engagement is important for the long-term success and prioritization of these plans. Growing awareness about the challenges faced and solutions at hand is critical.

All project resources, including the full film, discussion guide, and report are available here.