The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science and University of Kentucky are offering the Adaptation Planning and Practices training as a hybrid online and in-person course for natural resource managers.
This unique opportunity provides hands-on training in considering climate change information and identifying adaptation actions for natural resources management professionals working in Kentucky forests. Participants will receive coaching and feedback while using the Adaptation Workbook to develop their own real-world climate adaptation project.
Through this course, participants will be able to:
- Identify locally-important climate change impacts, challenges, and opportunities
- Develop specific actions to adapt forests to changing conditions
- Use the Adaptation Workbook to create their own “climate-informed” projects
- Better communicate with stakeholders about key climate change impacts, challenges, and opportunities
- Access post-training support from NIACS staff during project planning and implementation
Course Registration
We ask participants to bring real-world projects of your very own to use as examples as a way to get the most from this course. Ideally, this is a relevant project from your work, such as a management plan or another effort that you're currently working on. During the course, we'll help you consider how climate change could affect your project area and your management, and what adaptation options you have available. At the end of the course, you’ll have a custom-built adaptation plan that’s ready to implement! There is no registration fee thanks to support from the US Forest Service and the USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub.
Logistics
This is a two-part climate change training to (Part 1) provide information on the current and anticipated effects of climate change on Kentucky Forests; and (Part 2) to identify actions that enhance the ability of forests and other ecosystems to adapt to changing conditions.
Part 1 (July 12) will consist of virtual presentations on current and anticipated effects of climate change on KY forests. Zoom connection information will be shared with those who register. This event has been approved for 4.5 Continuing Forestry Education Credits. View the full agenda here. The presenters have graciously share their slides below, and you can watch the webinar recordings here.
- Introduction to the Climate Change Response Framework, Patricia Leopold, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science & Michigan Technological University
- Kentucky’s Changing Climate, Megan Schagarodski, Kentucky's State Climatologist
- Climate Change Effects on Individual Tree Species: an overview of the Climate Change Tree Atlas, Dr. Steve Matthews, FS Northern Research Station, Landscape Change Research Group
- Climate Change Effects on Forest Ecosystems, Patricia Leopold, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science
- Climate Change Effects on Forest Hydrology, Dr. Asia Dowtin, Michigan State University
- Climate Change Effects on Carbon Management (pre-recorded and excerpted, minutes 12:41-46:50), Dr. Todd Ontl, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science & Michigan Technological University
- Adapting Forests to Climate Change: Approaches for Action, Dr. Jacob Muller, Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky (confirmed)
- Real-world Examples of Forest Adaptation, Courtney Peterson, Colorado State University and Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science
Part 2 (July 20 or 21) will be an in-person training on using the adaptation workbook to integrate climate change into a real-world project. This event has been approved for 5.0 Continuing Forestry Education Credits. Participants can choose to participate in either the eastern workshop or the western workshop:
- July 20th - Eastern KY - Bobby J. Ammerman Lecture Hall, Wood Utilization Center at the Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability (130 Robinson Road, Jackson, KY 41339)
- July 21st - Western KY - Pennyrile Forest State Park Training Center (120 Pennyrile Forest State Park Road, Dawson Springs, KY 42408)
This active, hands-on training is being held for a limited number of participants who will bring their own real-world project and use the Adaptation Workbook (pgs. 74-89) and menus of strategies and approaches to create a custom adaptation plan.
