Traditional time capsules preserve the past; a reserve time capsule projects the future. Multiple community groups and a regional artist came together to create and install a reverse time capsule for sea level rise at Fay Bainbridge Park.

The capsule invites visitors to interact with the sculpture, which is comprised of a base, set at current king tide height; a granite bench, the top of which is at projected mid-century sea level; and a five-foot basalt column adjacent to the bench, which represents the upper end of current projections of sea level by the end of the century, per a news release.

“Visitors are encouraged to sit on the bench and visualize what these sea levels might mean for the park and the island, the release says. “Time will tell if this ‘reverse time capsule’ plays out to accurately reflect Puget Sound’s rising tides.

A celebration of the capsule will take place at Fay Bainbridge Park on Jan. 21 at 2 p.m.

The interactive sculpture was a collaborative effort between EcoAdapt, a Bainbridge-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping communities and institutions adapt to climate change, which designed the installation, and Orcas Island artist Pete Welty, who made it a reality, with support from Bainbridge Islander Adrien Petersen. The project was funded through grants from the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island and the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation. Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Parks & Recreation District was also a partner in helping site the sculpture and install the foundation, per the release.

“The reverse time capsule provides a way to visualize and interact with what sea level is projected to look like in order to spark action to address what may currently seem like an abstract risk,” says Dr. Lara Hansen, EcoAdapt’s chief scientist and executive director.