We help increase climate literacy among natural resource professionals, emphasizing active exploration and hands-on training.
National Advanced Silviculture Program
We have supported the USDA Forest Service’s National Advanced Silviculture Program (NASP) for over a decade. NIACS team members lead NASP participants through a training session on climate change adaptation as part of the curriculum and give presentations, organize discussions, and facilitate group activities to help aspiring silviculturists consider climate change risks and potential adaptation actions.
Carbon with Confidence
NIACS helped provide a series of trainings and discussion sessions to help USDA Forest Service Eastern Region National Forest staff understand and communicate foundational concepts on ecosystem carbon management. The “Carbon with Confidence” sessions and the materials developed for these sessions are contributing to national-level education and training. Michigan State University’s Forest Climate and Carbon Program also worked with the USDA Forest Service State, Private, and Tribal Forestry to provide training on carbon to state and tribal agencies.
Adaptation Planning and Practices Training
The Adaptation Planning and Practices curriculum helps natural resources managers, landowners, and stewards incorporate climate change considerations into their own real-world forest management projects. In both in-person and virtual formats, participants receive coaching and feedback from NIACS staff to support consideration of local climate change vulnerability and the development of custom adaptation actions using the Adaptation Workbook. All participants leave the training with a custom Adaptation Plan relevant to their lands, goals, and values, and continuing education credits are available through credible institutions.
Collaboration with the Land Trust Alliance
Within the land trust community, there is growing concern about how best to manage properties given climate change impacts within the context of perennial challenges such as low staff capacity and finite resources. We have partnered with the Land Trust Alliance to provide resources and trainings to land trust organizations on how to integrate adaptation considerations into their planning activities using the Quick Guide to Adaptation Planning for Land Trusts. The virtual 4 week long course often draws participants from throughout the U.S. and Canada, and includes representatives from the USDA Climate Hubs to engage with participants and provide direct technical support.
Tribal Forest Protection Act
We partnered with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, and Michigan Tech to encourage tribal partners to use the Tribal Forest Protection Act (TFPA) to advance tribal climate adaptation priorities. Through a webinar series and several workshops, tribal partners have developed ideas for TPA projects, such as promoting the regeneration of culturally important trees, the indigenous use of prescribed fire, supporting marten habitat across the landscape, and other projects.
Webinar Series Collaborations
The USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station (NRS) teamed up with NIACS and the USDA Northern and Northeast Climate Hubs to collaborate on a webinar series to enhance climate change outreach on relevant topics to land managers in the Midwest and Northeast. This collaboration bolsters communication on climate change information through a variety of avenues. Through this collaboration, scientists and managers are paired together to explore the effects of a changing climate through various lenses. Topics of recent series include: Adapting to Extreme Weather Wild Cards and Changing Hydrology.