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

© Kristian Bell—Getty Images/RooM RF

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

https://skepticalscience.com/

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


http://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

Climate change

Preponderance of evidenceScientific consensus


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

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

© Katharine Hayhoe


Climate versus weather

CLIMATE: long-term average of weather

predictable

© Katharine Hayhoe


What is causing the climate to change?

© Robert A. Rohde


What is causing the climate to change?

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

NASA


Climate change

Found on lawnsbynorman101.wix.com

IPCC 2015 synthesis report

Temperature

Precipitation

If we immediately start reducing the greenhouse gas

production


Getting hot

© U.S. National Climate Assessment, 2014

Projections for end of the century

© Clipart Kid

Projected annually-averaged temperature change

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


Getting dry

© U.S. National Climate Assessment, 2014.

© Michel Streich


Romero-Lankao et al. 2014.

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


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?

© DPUMC http://www.dpumc.org/wp-

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

© Jay Janner http://photoblog.statesman.com/dry-season-the-texas-

drought-of-2011


http://www.dpumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Flooding-with-Houston-skyline.jpg

http://photoblog.statesman.com/dry-season-the-texas-drought-of-2011

© The Daily Conversation

USDA

© NBC

© Kendi Davies

Challenges are

bigger than borders


© K.L. Griffis-Kyle

© The Daily Conversation

USDA

© NBC

© Kendi Davies


© K.L. Griffis-Kyle

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/


https://desertlcc.org/

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


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

http://www.diablotrust.org/

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?

Warner Park Nature Center, Nashville, TN©2017 Friends of Warner Parks

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



© Maria (Masi) Mejia

Inclusiveness



Government Agencies

NGOs

Universities and k-12

Funding

Private Foundations


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:Conservation - What can you do about it?

• Landscape planning

• Improve system resiliency



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

© FloridaWildlifeCorridor.org

Landscape planningHabitat corridors


https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ll=31.4506664043377,-96.43798800000002&spn=15.108657,33.815918&msa=0&mid=1VOdhfjO89cnDCVIXLJ_01QHOW4Y&z=4


Landscape planningConnectivity vs. planned fragmentation

Google Earth Image© Cady May

© Joe Drake



• Landscape approaches

• Improve system resiliency



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

© Design Workshop, Inc. Austin and Reed Hilderbrand



Ecosystem

state

New

Ecosystem

state

Improve system resiliency

Manage for the system to self correct



Ecosystem

state

New

Ecosystem

state

Manage for the system to self correct

Improve system resiliency

Cibolo Nature Center, Boerne, TX

April 27, 2010 May 2, 2011

© Kip Kipharthttps://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/spring2011/c052611_4.html

© 2016 The State Journal-Registerhttp://visuals.sj-r.com/illinois-river-flooding-at-havana-june-25-2015/

Havana Nature Center, Illinios

X



Canyon Lakes cleanupSociety for Conservation Biology TTU Chapter

Invasive Species Removal

Hawaii Nature Center© Bank of Hawaii

Improve system resiliency Reduce local stressors

Barton Springs, Austin TX© City of Austin



Barton Springs Salamander © Austin Community Foundation

Rio Grande Silvery MinnowBob Pos USFWS

© Houston ZooHouston Toad captive breeding and head-starting

Improve system resiliency Restoration

Austin Nature and Science Center



© K. Griffis-Kyle

© J. Goetting

Improve system resiliency Improve/protect habitat

Chippewa Nature CenterMidland, MIHabitat improvements funded by MDNR© CNC


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?

USFWS© Tammy Branston CDFW



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

© Cady May



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


http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0060874

Process

Assess risks

Identify options


Monitor results


Revise






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

© Seppo Leinonen, www.seppo.net

Different groups may take on different roles


http://www.seppo.net/


© Tom Harvey TPWD

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

Rancho Diana Nature Park, San Antonio, TX© Native Plant Society of Texashttp://npsot.org/wp/story/2011/1816/

ImplementCitizen Science



Warner Park Nature Center, Nashville, TN©2017 Friends of Warner Parks

Cibolo Nature Center, Boerne TexasMonarch Joint Venture© Kip Kiphart

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 [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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

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