As an aspiring science communicator, I learned a lot from an “eco artist”

Sophia Bolivar ’26 holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from FIU and now is following up with a master’s in Environmental Studies. That combination, she believes, will set her up to tell stories that inform and inspire and, ultimately, emphasize the value of the natural world.

She recently helped organize the campus visit of globally renowned, Miami-based “eco artist” Xavier Cortada. Known for artwork that generates awareness about climate challenges and social issues, he spoke with students and shared two projects designed to get South Floridians thinking about sea-level rise and related topics. Bolivar writes about Cortada’s motivating message that everyone can participate in solving our most-pressing environmental concerns.

“Make the problem impossible to ignore and make the problem part of the Miami vocabulary.”

That was the guidance of eco artist and climate activist Xavier Cortada during a recent campus visit. As a former faculty member and artist-in-residence at FIU, he has underscored the importance of the intersection of art and science and the urgent need for stronger science communication.

In a presentation, Cortada emphasized to graduate and undergraduate students in the environmental studies program the important role that FIU plays in the Miami community, highlighting how the university serves not only as a leader in higher education but also as a driving force for environmental research and public awareness in South Florida. As a public institution, FIU has contributed significantly to environmental research and advocacy in the community. The Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the dozen universities in the state, has even designated FIU a university of distinction in environmental resilience for the work it conducts.

Cortada states that it is up to FIU students to continue carrying that momentum forward. He encouraged graduate students involved in research to share science with the public by harnessing creativity. He urged them to step out of their labs and into the Miami-Dade community with stories to tell and art to share. Research, he explained, becomes more impactful when it is framed through narrative and human connection. In this way, environmental challenges such as sea-level rise and the climate crisis become the antagonists and community members emerge as the protagonists who work toward solutions.

During the lecture, Cortada shared a quote he internalized from Tiffany Troxler, director of science at the Sea Level Solutions Center within FIU’s Institute of Environment: “Human-made problems have human-made solutions.”

Sparking conversations

Cortada discussed two projects designed to get people talking. One, called The Underwater,  involves raising awareness about sea-level rise within the community in a unique way. With yard signs.

He believes that, one day, just as Miami-Dade County residents each know the zip code in which they live, they will also know another number: how many feet above sea level their homes stand.

To get that information across, he is inviting thousands across the county to place signs in their yards. Participants are encouraged to discover the elevation of their home by entering their address online. They can then share that numeral on a sign they make by repurposing one they already have. Alternatively, they can pick up a sign that features a background design by Cortada. Either way, the intent is the same: to get curious neighbors asking about it.

Cortada’s Tree Flag Project invites people to plant a native tree in their front yard and then stake nearby a colorful, Cortada-designed flag featuring a question mark. Like The Underwater initiative, this is likewise meant to stir conversation, this time about native plants and their importance to the South Florida ecosystem.

During his visit, Cortada made clear why he wanted to meet with graduate students and faculty.

“As the scientists who are going to help me understand this world, as scientists who are going to create new discoveries, new ways of thinking, new ways of viewing, I need you to tap into that creativity,” he said. “You can do this right here, right now.”

Each received a tree flag to take back to their own neighborhood so that they might engage with others in talking about native plants’ importance.

By combining research with creativity, Cortada challenged FIU’s academic community to rethink how science is communicated beyond campus. The future of environmental advocacy depends on the ability to make people see themselves within the story.

As Cortada’s presentation ended, I left with a renewed confidence in my creative side, realizing that communicating the value and vitality of one’s research does not have to be limited to statistics and data. It can also embrace an artistic approach that initiates discussion and more importantly sparks curiosity about science in others within my community.