We have started interviews with Gulf Coast residents about the different locations where maps have been created. The consent form that we are using is attached and here are questions that we have been asking:
We are gathering stories about what this bay means to people who live here and how it and your lives might have been impacted by the spill. We are trying to figure how damage to the bay can be best addressed by working with locals who grew up here and are best able to speak about what has changed, what has been lost and what might and ought to be restored.
Name, where are you from and what do you do around here?
- What story comes to mind when you think about the bay?
- How has the bay been a part of your families history?
- What kind of activities take place here? (followed by questions on what people fish for, etc)
- What is your take on the impacts of the spill in this area? Have you noticed or heard about changes? What do you make of the way clean up was handled? Did you participate? Do you find yourself thinking, or feeling, differently about the bay since the spill?
- Do you have suggestions for the restoration or recovery of this area?
- Do you have any hopes about how the area could change for the better in the future? Are there any positive interventions that you can see happening?
- What would you tell an out-of-towner about this area?