What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
Diving and boating operations in Maine and around the world are an integral part of my work and lifestyle. I am thrilled to help convene the Dive Operations Working Group as well as act as the Team Zostera Dive Safety Officer. I have been diving for 14 years and have worked as an expedition team member for National Geographic Pristine Seas since 2016.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
As a New Englander by background, this region best fits my familiarity and knowledge of the issues, culture, and specific local challenges, as well as previous work on COBALT’ summer 2023 event. The Bioregional Systems Storytelling working group best fits my abilities and experience as a writer, editor, communicator, and facilitator with an interest in both public policy and the intersection of arts and culture. I feel a deep affinity with the subject and a call to apply my talents in a way that connects specialists with the public at large and communities in need of restoration and transformation.

Sam did his undergraduate degree in Biological Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Environmental Economics and Environmental Management from the University of York and is currently working on her PhD. He is also a Research Associate with Global Assessment for a New Economics, and was previously a Research Assistant with FixOurFood. Sam’s role will be to work with the COBALT Leadership Team on Developmental Evaluation of the COBALT Fellows Program aligned with WG #1 Systems Storytelling.

What makes you excited to work with COBALT on Developmental Evaluation? I’m fundamentally a system thinker. In recent years this has been in the context of food systems and economics, but for longer than that I’ve been an ecologist and nature conservationist. I’m dismayed at the lack of systemic and bioregional awareness in today’s societies and can think of few things more important for supporting regenerative futures than attempting to bring people into a more ecological worldview. I’ve also come to realize the power of stories in cohering and communicating complex ideas and would be keen to develop my practical knowledge of applying system storytelling techniques.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I would be particularly interested in working on the Tayside Bioregion in Scotland, or the bioregional project in Snowdonia in Wales. As a writer, historian and urban place-maker, I have a strong belief in the power of narrative and story-telling. I am really excited by the opportunity to explore the role that storytelling can play in framing our understanding of place through a bioregional narrative perspective, and the power this has in creating sustainable systems transformation. As I grew up on a working farm and having a keen interest in sustainable food systems, I am particularly keen to be involved in this working groups focus on understanding the narratives surrounding bioregional food systems.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I grew up on the islands of Casco Bay and am passionate about sustaining the local ecology of the Bay. I am a visual artist and curator inspired by local ecologies and climate shift in the Gulf Of Maine. I often work with site-specificity to create paintings and installations. I selected the “story-telling” group because I felt the two go hand and hand, but admittedly I have much less formal background in that department.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I will be based in North Wales for the majority if not all the duration of the fellowship. I know a fellow regenerative practitioner who is based in Scotland who I’ll be collaborating with during 2024 and I’d be excited to build upon that connection. Data, experience and story are what the vast majority of my creative impulse is drawn toward. Currently, I’m finding that holding space for questions related to the design of ethical digital systems applied to/ for place-sourced work is one of my highest responsibilities. I’m finding there is a depth in this space that invokes in me a very strong sense for the need to develop the representation of bioregional systems as responsibly as possible. I’m interested in the working group as a space to explore greater ecological perspective.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
The condition of the Valley/River is of immense interest to me. Recently, as I am currently living in CDMX, I have come into connection with a few architects and community leaders from Colombia – leading me to believe that there may be a bridge beginning to form in communication. Colombia also ranks as 18th in the world for climate risk – so this endeavor seems especially important. My background is in architecture, sculpture, art, biomaterials. I think that by participating in the diving/marine life group I have the most potential to offer a ‘different’ perspective compared to others that may join the work. I’d love to further integrate into a community that feels just as perturbed and filled with heaviness in the heart for our lands and shared skin.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
This area of Maine is close to home for me – I used to spend summers up and down the coast. While all the working groups sound fantastic, I am quite interested in Working Group #5- Bioregional Digital Twin Development and also believe this would fit well with my experience. I’ve been working at a bioregional scale with my PhD research in Systemic Design these past few years and see great potential in such a project like a digital twin. I believe I could contribute to the WG through both my experience as an architect and in my transdisciplinary research in place-based sustainability transformations and systemic design. I would be happy to see how my transdisciplinary experience might be able to help contribute to such an exciting project as a bioregional digital twin!

Allison Fogg is a current graduate student at the University of Southern Maine, working in Dr. Lasley-Rasher’s Marine Ecology lab. She studies population dynamics and life history characteristics of the mysid, Neomysis americana, in the Damariscotta River Estuary. She’s interested in multiple forms of marine science like local regenerative seaweed farms and sustainable aquaculture. Allison’s primary working group will be Working Group #3: Marine Operations and Dive Safety.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group? I love marine science and scuba diving. My interests involve seaweed ecology, zooplankton population dynamics, regenerative kelp farms, and overall conservation efforts in the Gulf of Maine. I have experience doing field work in Casco Bay and I completed the AAUS scientific diving course in 2022.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
Having a long history of marine operations, I am deeply committed to sharing my knowledge to connect people with the information, technology, and skills needed to help them study and explore the ocean. I’m interested Casco Bay because it is my home area. However, I am also curious about Westfjords, Iceland.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I see the establishment of a Bay Delta Bioregional Trust as primarily a stakeholder engagement and relationship building process. This has been a big focus of my career over the past 20 years, and I am especially interested in learning about how others are doing this work within a bioregional context. I have less experience in finance and fundraising, and wish to develop my skill in this area. In the new year, I will be kicking off a crowdsourced asset mapping process for the Bay Delta in order to gather insight into the bioregion’s existing human capital, natural capital, critical infrastructure, existing ecological restoration and regenerative projects, related data sets and more. Ultimately, I see an opportunity to compile a open bioregional information commons that can support more effective sense making and decision making about the future of our home, which I believe aligns with some of the Digital Twin work.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I’m interested in bioregional digital twins and would like to help with the work Zedaxis is doing. I am also interested in visiting this bioregion specifically. I have an interest and some experience in creating 3D interactive environments. My goal is to integrate this with learning more about bioregions and working on a bioregional digital twin.

Daniel is a current graduate student, with knowledge in world analytics and stakeholder and community engagement. Daniel’s primary working group is Working Group #1: Bioregional Systems Storytelling, while also working with Working Group #5: Bioregional Digital Twin Development.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group? From the workshop in January on seagrass in Casco with the use of R and GIS. I have fallen in love with the scope and would like to enroll further to learn more.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I’m a passionate outdoorsman, naturalist, and educator living in Berkeley, CA in the SF Bay Area. I would love to learn about a bioregion entirely different from the bioregion I inhabit.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I’m open to focusing on any bioregion that can benefit from my skills (in digital media, software, AI and analytics). Much of my career has been in high-tech marketing and product development–mostly in the context of digital media. While that work has been in for-profit companies, marketing has strong story-telling function and my extensive work in media distribution tools/systems might help to get the story out more broadly.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
My family has been working on the water for generations, whether building boats on Peaks Island, captaining or being a deck hand on the Casco Bayline ferries, working the Portland fire boat, or building ships during WW2 on the wharf. Now as a storyteller and sound artist, I want to continue to pay homage to and amplify the symbiotic relationship we can have with the ecology and natural world in the bodies of water of Portland through deep listening and creativity.

Matice is a 24-year-old musician and film maker with a deep love for the outdoors. He is a freelancer, but affiliates with Posey Moulton’s art world. Matice’s primary working group will be Working Group #2: Arts and Culture of Seagrass meadows.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group? I am relatively open to working in whichever group I am most needed. Being from the casco bay bioregion I am open to learning of a new place and ecosystem of time and place and have always been fascinating by the raw natural beauty of Iceland. I’ve always been fascinated by the interconnection between the arts and the unfolding of society, and in the case of bioregional elements, the story telling, and empathetic element are crucial in the growth and healing of these precious entities.

Denise is a 43-year-old Mexican French person. Today she works as Commercial Director in Cybersecurity for Latin America. She is working with Juliana on this project that involves the spiritual part that comes from her ancestors. Her primary working group will be Working Group #5: Bioregional Digital Twin Development.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group? I want to be part of this fellowship to learn more of this and all the territories. I am Mexican but I am focusing in Fractal Regeneration Project from Colombia as my social environmental practice and service. My entire professional career has been in technology, my passion is nature and everything it offers us, I find it very interesting to be able to combine both things and discover how we can do it.

Maria is an industrial designer. She lives in Villa de Leyva and has known the territory since a child. Maria has experience in design, art, and education, and is excited to learn more about her chosen bioregion. Maria’s primary working group will be Working Group #2: Arts and Culture of Seagrass meadows.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group? My interest is to learn and know the bio region of Zaquencipa in environmental and cultural aspects from an environmental and social point of view.

Tammy is a Independent Freelance Consultant with education background in English Literature, journalism, and marketing. She has worked with different conservation organizations like the Snowdonia National Park Authority and the National Trust. Tammy is currently working with a virtual reality company where she has worked with launching a GPS driven mobile app as well as helped launch Sky3D, the first 3D TV channel in Europe. Tammy’s primary working group will be Working Group #1: Bioregional Systems Storytelling, as well as assisting with Working Group #5: Bioregional Digital Twin Development.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?

I’ve positioned my career around using technology to story tell places. I’d like to make a difference by connecting people with places, so they learn to love them and are therefore motivated to look after them. COBALT is very in line with my values and what I am working on. I’d love to participate to help further its mission, collaborate and share learnings as well as connect with like-minded people working in the field.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I currently live near Portland, Maine, so this bioregion would make the most sense for me to work at! Because I have some growing experience in using ArcGIS and creating story maps, this working group will help continue my experience in ArcGIS. I’m excited to learn more about effects on seagrass meadows and am very interested in creating a story map in relation to the meadows.

Milena is a mother who heads the family and comes from the countryside. She has been working with Juliana on Fractal Regeneration projects for more than 7 years and has learned to cultivate her leadership. Milena’s primary working group will be Working Group #1: Bioregional Systems Storytelling.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I’m excited to learn from global processes and contribute to the local project. I also work with storytelling in the region so I think is where I can add more during my time with COBALT.

An holds a BS in marine vertebrate biology from Stony Brook University in New York. An previously worked in a phytoplankton laboratory where we collected seawater samples to test for chlorophyll and harmful algal blooms. They currently hold both an NAUI Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver certifications, as well as a New York Boater’s Safety License. They also have an expired AAUS Scientific Diver Certification. An’s primary working group will be Working Group #3: Marine Operations and Dive Safety.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group? I am interested in focusing on the Greater Portland & Casco Bay Bioregion as that is where I live. I am familiar with mapping the City of Portland and would like to contribute to the local science scene. I have R and GIS knowledge and like to map data. Gathering data to help the local ecosystem has always been a dream for me. I like collaborating with others and am interested in working with other Working Groups!

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I’ve lived in Maine for most of my life and have such an appreciation for this gorgeous state! Maine, specifically the beaches and ocean, is my happy place and I really want to give back. I worked on the seagrass story map for Cobalt this past summer and really enjoyed the work I took part in. I’m really looking forward to getting involved again!

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
While working as a paid consultant with the World Wildlife Fund, on a shellfish project in Casco Bay, I was directly involved in gathering data, creating outcome goals and using GIS mapping to locate a non- commercial science / research shellfish lease. The process and the end use of that tool was very interesting. I grew up in Maine and returned to the Casco Bay area approximately 18 years ago with my family. I’m very excited about the work COBALT and Team Zostera are undertaking and hope to make a contribution.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I work in project finance, and I am well networked in the region. This is where I live and work and where I have spent countless hours on the water.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
I am interested in the Casco Bay bioregion because of its distinctive marine environment, which includes complex bathymetry and numerous inlets and islands, and rich maritime history. I am interested in joining Working Group #5 because I believe building a “digital twin” of the Casco Bay bioregion would be an incredibly exciting endeavor. I know of a classmate who worked on this initiative at Tufts University’s Data Intensive Studies Center (DISC) last spring. It would be great to continue their work and understand whether it is possible to utilize networked devices (IoT) to gain a near-real time understanding of the environmental processes in the region and how they may affect specific species, such as seagrass.

What makes you excited to work in your chosen working group?
Other than my time with COBALT earlier this year, my strongest relationships are in Iceland, and I’m currently planning Regenerative EduTourism programs there, connected well with the university, as well as wilderness guides and experts. As a long time aspiring regenerative thinker and practitioner, I’ve been striving to re-integrate our fragmented societies back towards healthy villages. For many years I have included in that a belief, that so called IT / computer science / technological cybernetics may be a destined contribution of humanity. So I’ve been working in various ways on projects and products that are incredibly complimentary to the COBALT digital twin efforts, and could in fact merge, or at least become a symbiotic set of efforts.