The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS) and USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub are offering an Adaptation Planning and Practices online training for forest and natural resource managers, land owners and stewards.
This is interactive training to learn about climate change impacts and identify adaptation actions for a range of natural and urban ecosystems, resource areas, and cultural perspectives. Participants will develop project-specific climate adaptation plans using the Adaptation Workbook. As part of this eight-week training, all participants will receive coaching and feedback from NIACS staff in structured weekly web-based group discussion meetings. NIACS technical support and coaching is available to all participants throughout the training.
Each week, participants watch a short lecture according to their own schedule and join their assigned discussion section to work with a small cohort of other projects throughout the course. The discussion sections will be scheduled based on participant schedules according to answers from the registration form. There are no registration fees thanks to the support of the US Forest Service and the USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub.
Through this training, participants will be able to:
- Identify locally-important climate change impacts, challenges, and opportunities
- Develop specific actions to adapt ecosystems to changing conditions
- Use the Adaptation Workbook to create custom “climate-informed” project plans
- Improve communication with stakeholders about key climate change impacts, challenges, and opportunities
- Access post-training support from NIACS staff during project planning and implementation
The training is scheduled to run weekly February 13 - April 4, 2024. A detailed agenda and calendar appointments will be sent to confirmed participants.
The training has been approved for 20 Category 1 CFEs through the Society of American Foresters.
Pending: Continuing education credits are requested from the International Society of Arboriculture (13.5 credits).
Registration process
We ask participants to bring their own real-world project that will benefit from the adaptation planning process and training materials.
Ideally, the project is relevant to their work, such as a management plan or another effort. During the training, participants will be coached through considering the possible effects of climate impacts on the project area, the feasibility of achieving project goals, and plausible adaptation strategies that can be integrated into the project plan. At the end of the training, participants will have a custom-built adaptation plan that’s ready to implement!
After registration, we will evaluate applications to ensure that participants have a project appropriate for the training. To register, please fill out the form below and upload a completed Step 1 worksheet.
- We ask that folks register as soon as possible. Based on interest, the training registration may close early.
- We will review all registrations and confirm participation by January 26, 2024.
Once you have completed Step 1, please upload to this folder or email us directly!
Contact Danielle, Maddy, or Mattison with any questions
General Training Agenda
The training is scheduled to run weekly from February 13 - April 9, 2024. A detailed agenda will be sent to confirmed participants. General training details are provided below:
Discussion groups are scheduled by region and state:
- New England and Northern NY - Tuesday 10a-11a ET
- Northwoods (MN, WI, MI) – Tuesday 11a-12p ET / 10a-11a CT
- Other states - Thursdays at 10a –11a ET / 9a-10a CT
- Urban project – Thursday 11a ET / 9aMT
Weekly topics:
Week 1 — Introduction; Defining Project Goals and Objectives.
Week 2 — Understanding and Evaluating Climate Change Vulnerabilities. Additional this week: optional session on climate resources and tools.
Week 3 — Evaluating Management Challenges and Opportunities.
Week 4 — BREAK WEEK (No session, independent work time).
Week 5 — Identifying Adaptation Strategies, Approaches, and Tactics
Week 6 — Monitoring and Evaluating Effectiveness.
Week 7 — Climate Change Communication.
Week 8 — Training Participants present Adaptation Plans (5 min presentations).
The training has been approved for 20 Category 1 CFEs through the Society of American Foresters.
Pending: Continuing education credits are requested from the International Society of Arboriculture (13.5 credits).