Judith Burr and Linda Gaffney created “Sea How High” as part of their work through the Rutgers Environmental Steward Program.
The Mt. Laurel Library is about seven miles from the Delaware River, about 45 miles from the Atlantic Ocean about 70 miles from the Delaware Bay.
Yet visitors who stopped by the library on Tuesday got a lesson on the effect rising sea levels could have on all of New Jersey’s coasts, as well as Mt. Laurel itself.
That lesson came courtesy of Judith Burr of Mt. Laurel and Linda Gaffney of Delanco, who recently participated in a 20-week course through the Rutgers Environmental Steward Program that focused on environmental issues facing New Jersey.
As Rutgers Environmental Stewards volunteers, Burr, Gaffney and other non-scientists learned the science behind environmental issues such as climate change, energy conservation, invasive species management, environmental policy and more.
Then, to complete the program, each volunteer was required to take on a service project of at least 60 hours that would assist in protecting New Jersey’s environment.
That’s where Burr and Gaffney’s trip to the Mt. Laurel Library comes in.
For their service project, Burr and Gaffney partnered with the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve in Tuckerton to create their own interactive game called “Sea How High,” through which average people could learn about the environmental consequences of rising sea levels.
The game’s concept requires players to save a house from flooding by correctly answering questions or learning prevention tips related to rising sea levels and their effect on New Jersey’s coastal areas.
To start, players roll dice to decide a category. From that category, players are asked to draw a random card with different questions or prevention tips.
Categories include causes, effects, responses, tide tamers (prevention tips) and the flood mapper category, where players use the NJFloodMapper website to see an interactive map of New Jersey’s coastlines to view computer simulations of how they could be affected by rising sea levels.
For every question a player answers correctly or tip that a player learns through the game, the game’s house becomes less flooded, and for every question answered incorrectly, more of the house becomes submerged.
One example of a question from the “effects” category asked players how much money from beach tourism would New Jersey lose each year if beaches disappeared due to erosion, which was noted as $18 billion.
One tip from the “tide tamers” category advised drivers to remember proper tire inflation for their vehicles, which could reduce an average vehicle’s release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Burr, who has a background as a science educator, said she and Gaffney spent months researching questions and answers for the game, which also include sources on the back of every category card.
“It was amazing to us the breadth of the problem and actions that are being offered,” Burr said.
Also included in the game is the “eyewitness” category, where players can help save part of the house by providing an example of something they already know about rising sea levels.
Gaffney, who has a background in engineering, said people could offer information on anything they’ve seen or heard about sea level rise or flooding in the area.
“Sometimes people have come up with some really amazing things,” Gaffney said.
With the game now complete, Burr said there would be three copies.
One copy will remain as a permanent exhibit at the Tuckerton Seaport museum, a second copy will be used with the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve for its outreach programs, and a third copy will remain with Burr and Gaffney to keep educating members of the community.
To learn more about the Rutgers Environmental Steward Program, visit www. envirostewards.rutgers.edu.
To learn more about the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, visit www.jcnerr.org.
