Greetings! There is a tremendous amount of work happening across New England and northern New York regarding climate change and forests. We've created this newsletter to keep you up to date on the latest news.
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Featured Adaptation Project
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Adaptive Forest Management at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
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The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park recently developed a report on adaptive forest management in collaboration with the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and NIACS.
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This new report builds on previous work with the Climate Change Response Framework and further develops and integrates adaptive management strategies and tactics into long-term planning. It also brings together a set of monitoring guidelines that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of management actions. Notably, the report uses forest landscape simulation modeling to explore the potential long-term impacts of multiple adaptive forest management approaches and climate change scenarios on future forest conditions.
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Save the Date! Forest Adaptation Webinar Series
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NIACS and the Forest Stewards Guild are teaming up to offer a new webinar series focused on forests and climate change adaptation. The series will
bring together scientists and managers to learn about and discuss emerging topics related to the effects of climate change on forest management, with a focus on forests in New England and New York.
Each session will first explore the latest scientific information from someone actively researching the issue, followed by an example of a real-world management project.
Save the date for these upcoming webinars:
- December 11 at 12:00: Forest Carbon Management and Climate Adaptation with Paul Catanzaro, UMass Amherst; Todd Ontl, NIACS; and Steve Hagenbuch, Audubon Vermont
- January 16 at 12:00: Assisted Migration with Tony D'Amato, University of Vermont, and Kevin Evans, Dartmouth College
- February 27 at 12:00: Climate Refugia with Toni Lynn Morelli, Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center and Rebecca Quinones and Brian Hawthorn, MassWildlife
- March 19 at 1:00: Warming Winters with Pam Templar, Boston University, and Robert Turner, RJ Turner Company
- April 16 at 12:00: Changing Hydrology with John Campbell, US Forest Service Northern Research Station
- May 21 at 12:00: Forest Birds with Steve Matthews, Ohio State University, and Tom Lautzenheiser, Mass Audubon
- June 25 at 12:00: Regeneration Debt with Kathryn Miller, National Park Service, and Chris Zimmerman, The Nature Conservancy
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Citizen Science Explores Sugar Maple Regeneration
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Sugar maple trees (Acer saccharum) may be struggling to regenerate in a changing climate. Research at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest shows sugar maple seedlings failing to thrive. Warming temperatures appear to be contributing factor. In response, the
Society for the Protection of New Hampshire’s Forests (Forest Society) is partnering with Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) in a new citizen science
project. The goal of this project is to determine the extent of sugar maple regeneration issues throughout New Hampshire. The USDA Northeast Climate Hub is excited to support the research and training of citizen science volunteers to further understand this issue.
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MS Assistantships in Exurban Forest Ecosystem Management
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Applications are being accepted for six new graduate research positions for a new Exurban Forest Ecosystem Management Fellowship program in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Connecticut. The fellowship program focuses on training students to effectively navigate the land management profession in our increasingly exurban world. Specific research topics could focus on several different areas including carbon and nutrient cycling and managing for ecosystem resiliency, among others.
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The Winter Climate is Changing
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The
Northeast Ecosystem Research Cooperative (NERC) and the
Hubbard Brook Research Foundation (HBRF) are synthesizing the effects of winter climate change on the Northern Forest. Researchers used 100 years of meteorological observations across the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada to develop a suite of indicators that enable a cross-cutting understanding of 1) how winter temperatures and snow cover have been changing across the Northern Forest region of northeastern North America; and 2) how these shifts may impact both ecosystems and surrounding human communities.
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Forest Adaptation Planning and Practices
Online Course
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The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science and USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub are offering the
Forest Adaptation Planning and Practices
training as an online course for forest and natural resource managers.
This course will be held during the weeks of January 20 to March 9, 2020.
Registration ends December 15, 2019.
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This unique opportunity provides hands-on training in considering climate change information and identifying adaptation actions for natural resources management professionals working in forests and natural ecosystems. Participants will receive coaching and feedback while using the
Adaptation Workbook
to develop their own real-world climate adaptation project. The course consists of seven, two-hour web sessions with work time occurring between sessions.
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
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Trainings, Workshops, and Webinars
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New Course! Climate Change and Management in Forested Ecosystems
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This 3-credit, university-level course provides an overview of climate science, effects on forested ecosystems, and adaptation options for natural resource management in the Great Lakes region, and is also applicable across the northeast US. In this course, you will develop an adaptation plan for land management that is unique to you and your area and learn how to communicate these climate change projects and plans with others. At the end of the semester, you will turn in your adaptation plan in place of a final exam.
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The 2019 RCP Network Gathering will feature 24 workshops in eight thematic tracks covering topics such as climate resilience, regional land use issues, conservation finance, collaborative land protection, and engaging new partners and sectors.
The United South and Eastern Tribes Office of Environmental and Resource Management has organized a writing retreat intended for technical and professional staff working to complete or revise a climate adaptation plan or vulnerability assessment for their Tribal Nation.
This year’s conference theme will focus on the ways we monitor and assess how impacts from climate change are being felt, and how we monitor and evaluate the success of efforts to manage or mitigate these impacts.
Want to see topics related to climate and carbon on the agenda? There's an open call for short presentations, shorter flash talks, and posters. Submit your idea today!
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The learning series has a new lineup for the 2019-20 season. Join Alix Murdoch of American Forests and Rita Hite of American Forest Foundation
for "
Federal Outlook for Forests, Carbon, and Climate
" on Nov. 6 at 3:00 pm.
This webinar will introduce a new tool to assist in developing specific adaptation actions that recognize and incorporate tribal perspectives. Check it out on November 13 at 2:00 pm.
The Northeast CASC has a series of webinars lined up for the fall. Brian Yellen and Jon Woodruff will present "
Stakeholder guidance helps to identify major misconception regarding dam removals
" on November 13 at 12:00 pm. Then on December 4 at 12:00 pm, Diane Borggaard will present "
Scenario planning and protected species: NOAA Fisheries Case Studies to inform recovery in a changing environment
." Visit
NE CASC Webinars
to see upcoming webinars.
The Northeast Regional Climate Center hosts a monthly webinar with NOAA affiliates to address timely weather and climate concerns. The next webinar is scheduled for Nov. 26 at 9:30 am and will include a winter outlook and discuss ENSO. Don't know what ENSO is? Check out this webinar!
Visit the website to see upcoming and recorded webinars.
Visit the website to see upcoming and recorded webinars.
Visit the website to see upcoming and recorded webinars.
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We're currently scheduling adaptation trainings for 2020.
Want a training for your organization?
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