Where Science Meets Spirit: Co-Creating a Climate Assembly Rooted in Community, Ritual, and Resilience in Florida

In the face of intensifying climate disasters, communities increasingly seek not only scientific knowledge but also spaces for belonging, healing, and moral clarity. As an AGU Thriving Earth Exchange Community Science Fellow, I co-organized the sixth Florida Interfaith Climate Action Network (FLiCAN!) Assembly in St. Petersburg, Florida— a project that prioritized cultural and spiritual engagement as vital tools for building climate resilience. Held in March 2025 after a multi-year pause due to the pandemic, the FLiCAN! Assembly convened over 150 participants across generations, faiths, and sectors. In partnership with the Florida Council of Churches and local leaders, we co-developed a gathering grounded in ritual, art, intergenerational dialogue, and scientific literacy—centered on the lived experiences of Floridians navigating sea-level rise, hurricanes, and eco-anxiety. Highlights included a grief-informed Cosmic Mass led by theologian Matthew Fox and a keynote on sea-level rise by Dr. Harold Wanless. More than 20 workshops were offered, including my session, “Climate Justice and Eco-Poetry,” which invited reflective storytelling on personal and collective experiences of climate change. Rather than relying solely on traditional science communication, this community science project embraced a relational model: translating science through practices of care, creativity, and spirituality. This AGU presentation will reflect on lessons learned from integrating scientific and spiritual ways of knowing, navigating disruption from Hurricane Helene— which similarly devastated Louisiana communities— and supporting sustained interfaith climate collaboration. It offers a model for co-produced, justice-driven climate action rooted in data, lived experience, and shared values. Learn more about the project here: https://thrivingearthexchange.org/project/st-petersburg-florida/