Photovoice Exhibition Opening Reception

Join community members from Drakes Island and Moody Beach and project designer Jessica Brunacini for this opening reception for the Photovoice exhibition "What Makes This a Special Place?"

“Place attachment” shapes the way we understand and value a place, how we experience change, how we perceive risk, and how we decide what is important to protect for future generations. 

Brunacini used a research method called Photovoice to engage with members of two nearby communities—Drakes Island and Moody Beach. She asked participants to take photographs in response to the question, “When it comes to [this place], what do you care about most?” They wrote brief narratives about each photograph, then took part in a group process of image sharing, reflection, and knowledge building.

Several themes emerged from their contributions, including recognition that relationships with place span multiple generations, considerations about access, appreciation of the dynamic natural beauty of these places, and concerns about the impacts of sea level rise. 

See the photographs, reflect on your own connection to special places, and consider how it affects resilience planning.

Jessica Brunacini is the Wells Reserve's inaugural Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellow.