LITTLE RIVER, 3/24/21 — Climate change makes our lives increasingly uncertain. What will the water situation look like in the next few years? Will there be another massive fire season? Will our home be recognizable in two decades?
Starting this coming Thursday, the University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center is presenting a “NorCal climate futures series,” a series of virtual events related to what climate change will look like in Northern California. The first event is a climate change Q&A, which you can register for here.
“Each of the events takes a deeper look at a challenge the community faces due to climate change, such as fire, drought, or land management,” wrote HREC fellow Madrona Quinn in an email. “We hope these events will get more people connected to resources that can help as they manage the effects of climate change,” continued Quinn, who is organizing the events.
The series will look at how climate change will play out in Lake, Mendocino, and Sonoma counties, discuss what residents should expect and help locals gain the knowledge to prepare for and prepare for the future. All the events are free, but participants must register in advance.
“The Climate [SIC] Q&A won’t be your typical zoom webinar – the entire session will be interactive,” wrote Quinn. “In the first half of the event, folks are invited to hop into smaller zoom rooms to chat with their neighbors about how climate change is affecting them and how community networking can help them adapt. It can be a rare opportunity to have conversations with strangers these days, and we hope folks create some new connections.
The second half of the event will be an open Q&A session with Dr.Ted Grantham, lead author of the North Coast Regional Climate Assessment. Also on our panel for the Q&A are folks representing the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District (MCRCD), the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the Mendocino Climate Action Advisory Committee (MCCAAC), and Climate Action Mendocino (CAM). Bring your questions or just come to listen – this will be an interesting discussion!”You can register for the March 25 event here. Other series topics will include forest health and fire preparedness, post-fire land recovery, carbon farming, and water resources.
Full HREC press release
University of California Offers NorCal Climate Futures Series
UC Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) is hosting a series of events related to climate change adaptation in Northern California. The series will consider what climate change impacts can be expected in Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties, and how we can build our knowledge and resiliency to face these changes. This is a series of free online events, online registration is required .
“These events are meant as a space for beginners and experts alike to discuss and learn more about climate change in Northern California and how we can manage it together. I’ll be interested to hear everyone’s questions and meet some of my neighbors. We hope these conversations bring some new faces to the table.” commented Mona Latil-Quinn, HREC Grizzly Corps member, who is planning the series.
The first event of the series is March 25 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm PST. The series begins with an open Q&A and discussion about climate change in Northern California. There will be an expert panel including Dr. Ted Grantham, who was the lead author of the Climate Change Assessment for the Northern California Coastal Region. The panel will also include representatives from the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, the National Resource Conservation Service, and Climate Action Mendocino.
To prepare participants for the first event, HREC will send out short videos which explain the predicted effects of climate change on Northern California and existing community resources that people can plug into.
The full list of events in the series is as follows:
· Climate Change Q&A – Thursday, March 25, 6-7pm PST.
· Forest Health and Fire Preparedness – Thursday, April 15, 6-7:30pm PST.
· Post-fire Land Recovery – Thursday, May 20, 6-7:30pm PST.
· What is Carbon Farming? – Thursday, June 17, 6-7:30pm PST.
· Water Resources in Northern California – Thursday, July 15, 6-7:30pm PST.
To learn more about the series and to register visit http://bit.ly/hrecevents. For questions or comments please contact mailto:[email protected]?subject=NorCal Climate Futures.
More on the University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center:
The Hopland Research and Extension Center is a multi-disciplinary research and education facility run by the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. As stewards of more than 5,300 acres of oak woodland, grassland, chaparral, and riparian environments we aim to maintain and enhance ecosystem integrity through:
· Applied research
· Adaptive management
· Educational activities
while also supporting working landscapes, with diverse agricultural products and recognized ecosystem services derived from these landscapes.
More on the University of California Cooperative Extension:
UC Cooperative Extension is best described as a vast network of UC researchers and educators who work together to develop and provide science-based information to solve locally relevant economic, agricultural, natural resource, youth development and nutrition issues.
UCCE advisors live and work in every California county, applying research from the University of California to help local businesses and entire communities thrive. In turn, our experts partner with local innovators to develop and disseminate best practices through UC’s expansive local and global networks. Some of our programs include 4-H Youth Development, UC Master Gardeners, California Naturalist, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education, and the Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program.