The University of California, Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience (CCCR) welcomed Cynthia Ellis Topsey, Ambassador-at-Large for the Garifuna Nation and founder of The Godsman Celestino Ellis Center For Garifuna Culture, for a month fellowship visit this spring to collaborate with CCCR. Recognized globally for her commitment to advocating for Garifuna national sovereignty and land rights, the Ambassador hails from Belize, a country grappling with the profound impacts of climate change on its coastal communities ridges to reef.
The Garifuna are a people of mixed free African and Amerindian ancestry that originated on the Caribbean Island of Saint Vincent and were transplanted to locations on the Central American coast, with today’s communities mainly living in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Belize.
As a CCCR Fellow, Ms. Ellis Topsey collaborated with faculty, staff, and students, underscoring shared sustainability and environmental justice values. Her itinerary was marked by a series of events, beginning with a Coastal Science Policy seminar. Here, Cynthia spoke on “Indigenous ways of being and practice,” imparting insights from her nation’s rich cultural heritage and stewardship practices.
“We were honored to host Cynthia, whose advocacy and leadership in coastal resilience align closely with our center’s mission to advance sustainable solutions to climate change,” said Mike Beck, director of the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience. “Her visit has enriched our research and educational endeavors, inspiring us to redouble our efforts in addressing climate impacts both locally and globally.”
Ambassador Ellis Topsey was one of four invited speakers at the Women of Color Environmentalists panel, organized by UCSC students in the People of Color Sustainability Collective. Cynthia was interviewed by Tiara Moore, CEO of Black In Marine Science (BIMS), and they discussed Indigenous stewardship in coastal resilience and marine conservation in collaboration with our shared NSF Strong Coasts project.
A highlight of Ms. Ellis Topsey’s visit was her involvement in the CCCR’s two-day workshop on nature-based solutions for climate adaptation at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Her expertise in reviewing coastal flooding maps and visualizations underscored the urgent need for resilient strategies in confronting rising sea levels and severe storms, issues resonating deeply with Belize’s vulnerable coastal communities.
Beyond these engagements, the Ambassador toured UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Agroecology and Arboretum, affirming her commitment to holistic environmental stewardship. Cynthia participated in UC Santa Cruz’s Teaching and Learning Center’s Convocation. She forged connections with faculty and staff across divisions, including the Community Archives Program, Anthropology, Psychology, and Environmental Studies.
“I would like to thank UC Santa Cruz for their warm hospitality. I have thoroughly enjoyed exchanging ideas and commitments that have set the stage for ongoing collaboration to safeguard our planet’s precious coastal ecosystems,” said Cynthia Ellis Topsey.
Belize faces significant coastal risk from climate change and habitat loss. The partnership between UC Santa Cruz and the Garifuna Nation is part of the center’s commitment to working with and learning from Indigenous communities in Santa Cruz, in California, in Belize and beyond.
As partners, we will continue to engage in and grow our work together to understand risks of climate change and habitat loss across Belize and the Garifuna Nation across the Caribbean. We also are working to support conversations among indigenous leaders to highlight risk from their perspective and support their work to reduce these risks.
For more information on the Ambassador’s visit and the Center for Coastal Climate Resilience and Garifuna Nation partnership, please visit climateresilience.ucsc.edu or contact Nick Steel at nsteel@ucsc.edu.