NIACS partnered with the Wisconsin Initiative for Climate Change Impacts - Plants and Natural Communities Group to host a one day adaptation workshop in Lake Geneva, WI, on February 23, 2018. This workshop helped practitioners to identify actions that enhance wetland ecosystems to adapt to changing conditions. Following the 2018 Wetland Science Conference this active, hands-on workshop used the Adaptation Workbook to consider climate change impacts and identify adaptation options in real-world management situations.
Step-by-step instruction using the Adaptation Workbook, and small group exercises was provided by professional facilitators from the USDA Climate Hubs, and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science. Individuals in attendance attended the Wetland Science Conference prior to the workshop. Special thanks to the Wisconsin Wetlands Association for supporting this event.
Pre-workshop Webinar
Climate vulnerability resources:
- WICCI Plants and Natural Community Group has developed vulnerability assessments. Use these resources as a starting point to understanding the risks associated to non-forested wetland systems at your location -
- Broad Community Factsheet on Climate Change Vulnerability for Non-forested Wetlands (download here)
- Broad Community Factsheet on Climate Change Vulnerability for Great Lakes Shorelines (download here)
- All other climate change vulnerability assessments specific to natural communities, including Open Bog, Poor Fen, etc. (download here)
- Forest ecosystem vulnerability assessments for Minnesota, Michigan (lower, upper) and Northern Wisconsin
- State Climate Summaries (2014), 5 pgs
- Detailed summary of climate impacts for your watershed or county at the USGS National Climate Change Viewer (includes runoff calculations)
Additional resources:
- Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change
- Forest Service Climate Change Resource Center's Climate education modules (interactive)
- National Climate Assessment
- NOAA Climate at a Glance tool
Todd is the Fellow for the USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub with the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, and focuses on assisting natural resource managers in integrating climate change adaptation into land management. Todd’s areas of interests include applied research in understanding adaptation decision-making and synergies in adaptation and mitigation actions in forest management. His background includes an MS in plant community restoration, a PhD in plant-soil interactions and soil carbon dynamics, and post-doctoral research in climate change impacts to peatland ecosystems
Danielle Shannon is a climate adaptation specialist and the coordinator of the USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub. Danielle helps land managers cope with and adapt to the challenges of climate change and is expanding the suite of adaptation resources into the field of forest hydrology and the management of forested watersheds.
Todd Ontl, USDA Northern Forest Climate Hub & US Forest Service
As a Fellow for the Northern Forests Climate Hub at NIACS, his primary role is to add capacity to the education and outreach efforts of the Climate Change Response Framework while conducting research on understanding forest adaptation decision making of land managers and woodland owners throughout the Midwest and New England.
