The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science and USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub are offering the Adaptation Planning and Practices training as an online 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 in Ohio forests and farmlands. 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 web sessions with work time occurring between sessions.

Information will focus on forest ecosystems, agricultural systems, and other natural lands in Ohio.

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.

Course Agenda

Session 1 (week 1) — Course Introduction; Defining Project Goals and Objectives. Introduce projects and participants in small groups

Session 2 (week 2) — Understanding and Evaluating Climate Change Vulnerabilities.

Session 3 (week 3) — Evaluating Management Challenges and Opportunities. Check-in with instructors: Each project schedules short meeting with course instructors (optional)

Session 4 (week 4) — Identifying Adaptation Strategies, Approaches, and Tactics. 

BREAK No session (week 5)

Session 5 (week 6) — Monitoring and Evaluating Effectiveness. Check-in with instructors 

Session 6 (week 7) — Climate Change Communication. 

Session 7 (week 8) — Sharing Adaptation Projects.

Continuing education credits have been requested for this course from the International Society of Arboriculture and the Society of American Foresters.

Please Complete the Step 1 Worksheet before the course begins