climate change and nature centers - texas tech universitymyweb.ttu.edu/kerrgrif/climate change and...

Climate Change and Nature CentersHow you can make a difference

Kerry L. Griffis-Kyle,

Associate Professor

Department of Natural Resources Management

Outline

• Climate

• How you can make a difference

If you are looking for resources/evidence/arguments about climate science and climate change

https://skepticalscience.com/

http://tiki.oneworld.org/global_warming/climate8.html© K.L. Griffis-Kyle 2017

What is climate change?

Left ©Mellimage/Shutterstock.com: center © Montree Hanlue/Shutterstock.com: Right NASAhttp://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

A change in global or regional climate patterns

Climate change

Preponderance of evidenceScientific consensus

https://www.skepticalscience.com/global-warming-scientific-consensus-intermediate.htm

Climate versus weather

WEATHER: day to day, or year to year conditions

unpredictable

CLIMATE: long-term average of weather

predictable

Climate versus weather

CLIMATE: long-term average of weather

predictable

What is causing the climate to change?

http://tiki.oneworld.org/planet-boundaries/pb5climate.html

Climate change

Found on lawnsbynorman101.wix.com

IPCC 2015 synthesis report

Temperature

Precipitation

If we immediately start reducing the greenhouse gas

production

Getting hot

Projections for end of the century

Projected annually-averaged temperature change

Only 7 to 13 F annual average difference between ice age and interglacial period

Getting dry

Romero-Lankao et al. 2014.

https://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/wg2/WGIIAR5-Chap26_FINAL.pdf

How do we manage for an environment that is getting extremely variable?

content/uploads/2015/05/Flooding-with-Houston-skyline.jpg

drought-of-2011

Challenges are

bigger than borders

Outline

• Climate

• How you can make a difference

http://tiki.oneworld.org/global_warming/climate8.html

Process with examples

Process

People modified from Collaborative Group Learning

Assess risks

Identify options

Prioritize optionsImplement

Monitor results

Connect with stakeholders

Revise

Identify stakeholders

Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperativehttps://desertlcc.org/

Process

Assess risks

Identify options

Monitor results

Revise

Process:Identify and connect with stakeholders

http://www.uandimproved.com/collective-leadership-inspiring-collaboration-in-the-workplace/

Creativity in collaboration

http://www.diablotrust.org/

USDA National Reinvention Government LaboratoryU.S. Environmental Protection Agency AwardArizona Association for Environmental Education’s Organization of the Year AwardUSDA Forest Service National Rangeland Management Award

Process

Assess risks

Identify options

Monitor results

Revise

Process:What is at risk?

Pulling invasive Water Chestnut https://jamestownaudubon2.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/nature-center-reports-on-progress-with-invasive-species-control/

Audubon Nature Center, NY

©Dan Watsonhttp://archive.signalscv.com/archives/154816/

Placerita Canyon Nature Center, CA

Climate related threats

Biodiversity

Ecosystem services

Human well-being

Process

Assess risks

Identify options

Monitor results

Revise

Process:What can you do about it?

• Indirect - Education

• Direct - Conservation of natural resources

©Kottie Christie-Blick. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/climate-stewards/talking-about.html

Process:Education - What can you do about it?

Hands-on learning

Louis Robidoux Nature Center, Riverside CAhttp://www.rivcoparks.org/education/louis-robiduox/louis-robidoux-nature-center/

USFWS Steve Hillebrand

• Strategies• Focus on outcomes

• Make it relevant

• Tie it to human actions

• Weave it throughout your curriculum

• Provide actions and hope

Resources handout

Inclusiveness

Government Agencies

Universities and k-12

Funding

Private Foundations

Process:Conservation - What can you do about it?

• Landscape planning

• Improve system resiliency

• Landscape planning

Hjort et al. 2015. Why geodiversity matters in valuaing nature’s stage. Conservation Biology 29:630-639

Landscape planningInclude diversity of nonliving structure

Google map of Texas Nature Centers https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ll=31.4506664043377%2C-96.43798800000002&spn=15.108657%2C33.815918&msa=0&mid=1VOdhfjO89cnDCVIXLJ_01QHOW4Y&z=4

Landscape planningHabitat corridors

Landscape planningConnectivity vs. planned fragmentation

Google Earth Image© Cady May

• Landscape approaches

Houston Arboretum and Nature CenterHouston, TXhttps://houstonarboretum.org/support/master-plan/ 2014 ASLA Landmark Award Recipient.

Ecosystem

Improve system resiliency

Manage for the system to self correct

Ecosystem

Manage for the system to self correct

Improve system resiliency

Cibolo Nature Center, Boerne, TX

April 27, 2010 May 2, 2011

Havana Nature Center, Illinios

Canyon Lakes cleanupSociety for Conservation Biology TTU Chapter

Invasive Species Removal

Hawaii Nature Center© Bank of Hawaii

Improve system resiliency Reduce local stressors

Improve system resiliency Restoration

Rio Grande Silvery MinnowBob Pos USFWS

Improve system resiliency Restoration

Austin Nature and Science Center

Improve system resiliency Improve/protect habitat

Process

Assess risks

Identify options

Monitor results

Revise

Process:What is most important?

ConservationWhat is vulnerableWhat will you loseWhat will you gain

What can you do something about?

Assess vulnerabilities

American Bullfrog

Great Plains Toad

Red-Spotted Toad

Ambystomatid Salamander

Couch’s Spadefoot

Low-land Leopard Frog

Canyon Treefrog

Assess vulnerabilities

American Bullfrog

Great Plains Toad

Red-Spotted Toad

Ambystomatid Salamander

Couch’s Spadefoot

Low-land Leopard Frog

Canyon Treefrog

Rochlin et al. 2013. Climate change and range expansion of the Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus)… PLOS One http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0060874

Which species are moving and where

Process

Assess risks

Identify options

Monitor results

Revise

Process:Get out and do it – and keep track of the effects

Different groups may take on different roles

Volunteers collect marsh grass at the NRG EcoCenter, Cedar Bayou for transplant to wetlands along Dickinson Bayou close to Galveston, TX

ImplementCitizen Science

MonitorCitizen Science

Process

Assess risks

Identify options

Monitor results

Revise

Process:How well are things working?

• What is working?

• How well is it working?

• What needs to be changed?

You can make a difference

Kerry Griffis-Kyle kerry.griffis-kyle@ttu.edu

climate change and nature centers - texas tech universitymyweb.ttu.edu/kerrgrif/climate change and...

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