Tribal Climate Camp Brings Together CASC Regional Tribes to Advance Climate Action

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Written by NW CASC Senior Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison Amelia Marchand & Assistant Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison Kylie Avery

Participants in the 2023 Southwest Tribal Climate Camp after a day of project work and field trips.

This past March, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) held their fifth Tribal Climate Camp (TCC) alongside co-host Navajo Technical University, with funding and support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Tribal Climate Resilience Program and the Northwest, North Central, and Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Centers. The 2023 Southwest Tribal Climate Camp (SW TCC) was designed to bring together Indigenous peoples on the issues of water, food security and climate change impacts in the Northwest and Southwest regions of the United States. The Camp ran from March 12th to March 18th, 2023, at the Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center in New Mexico. About 50 individuals, including those representing seven Tribal Nations, convened to share experience and knowledge, while also learning about planning strategies for engaging their communities in addressing climate change impacts and other risks to their water and food security. Some key activities that take place at ATNI’s TCCs include presentations, networking, and time with experts in the climate field and regional Tribes who are undertaking climate initiatives and planning at any level.

Throughout the week, participants engaged in the Camp’s curriculum that included a combination of brief presentations, group activities and breakout sessions. Sharing circles during breakout groups provided participants the opportunity to learn how other Indigenous communities across a diversity of regions and contexts are approaching water and food security risk in relation to climate change and the possible solutions peoples are implementing in their planning. These sharing circles were then divided into smaller groups to allow for more focused discussion on the prompts.

A highlight of the 2023 SW TCC was how passionately and strongly several elected officials in Tribal government support climate action. The SW TCC started off with an opening prayer and remarks by Governor J. Michael Chavarria of Santa Clara Pueblo. This form of welcome and grounding helps TCC participants connect with the importance of the Tribal territories they are visiting and get a sense of the social and cultural resiliency that the local Tribal communities have established prior to, and in tandem with, climate impacts. Later on in the week, Councilman Ryan Oatman of the Nez Perce Tribe and Councilman Matthew Ives of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, also shared with the participants the importance of supporting their technical staff and interdisciplinary teams with strategic climate planning. Tribal delegates and invited guest speakers have emphasized that the TCC is an excellent space to dedicate uninterrupted time to that specific endeavor.

Beyond the sharing circles, the Camp included presentations from expert instructors and invited guests, field trips and independent time for tribal delegations to work and reflect. Presentation topics included climate vulnerability assessments, water resources, climate data, and grant writing, as well as community and youth engagement. Field trips and evening cultural activities provided participants opportunities for connection and relationship building among themselves and allowed for breaks to gain an appreciation for local culture and community. The Camp agenda also included built-in free time to give flexibility for delegates and other participants. Some folks used that time to catch up on their own work or to go for a hike and explore what Ghost Ranch had to offer. To culminate this collaborative learning experience, each delegation developed a climate change plan which they presented to their cohort and Camp staff towards the end of the week.

ATNI is now accepting applications to their sixth Tribal Climate Camp in collaboration with the Jamestown S’klallam Tribe this August in Olympic National Park. Applications are due no later than June 19th, 2023 and are available at ATNI’s Climate Resilience website (see: https://atnitribes.org/climatechange/home/tcc/). ATNI and the NW CASC encourage Tribes to join this and future Tribal Climate Camps to help their staff and climate champions develop, strengthen, or enhance their climate action plans.

Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center in New Mexico.

Faces of Adaptation: Meet Harriet Morgan

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Harriet Morgan is the climate change coordinator for Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). In close collaboration with internal and external partners, Harriet is working to facilitate the development and implementation of a coordinated agency response to the impacts of climate change at WDFW. Before joining the agency, Harriet worked as a research scientist at the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group (CIG) for seven years, where she was involved in many facets of climate resiliency across the region — from planning to implementation.

What led you to work in the field of climate adaptation?

In graduate school, I studied the impacts of disease on the reproductive success of a high-elevation mountain sparrow. While the fieldwork was jaw-droppingly beautiful, my work was disconnected and irrelevant for science-informed decision-making — the classic yellowing academic report on a dusty shelf. After graduate school, I was interested in more applied science and started working at the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, which taught me the importance and relevance of co-producing climate science to ensure it is useful to and actually used by the decision-making community. My time at CIG also exposed me to the world of climate science and climate change adaptation — I worked on climate change vulnerability assessments, climate change adaptation plans, and downscaling climate datasets for use in the Pacific Northwest and Washington state. In 2022, after seven years with CIG, I joined the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as the agency’s climate change coordinator, where I collaborate with internal and external partners to facilitate the development and implementation of a coordinated agency response to the impacts of climate change.

What does your day-to-day work look like?

My day-to-day work is often a balancing act between longer-term strategic planning and shorter-term, project-based work. On longer timelines, I am working on identifying where WDFW has embedded climate assumptions in how we make management decisions to preserve, protect, and perpetuate the fish, wildlife, and ecosystems of our state. As an agency, we are working towards identifying where these climate assumptions exist, what these assumptions are, and identifying options to alter our management strategies to help ensure they are valid as the climate continues to change. A second component of my work is on shorter-term projects, such as developing climate change vulnerability assessments for our hatchery facilities and identifying generalized climate refugia across Washington state that could serve as areas where species can persist as the climate continues to change.

How does your work support climate resilience in the Northwest?

We know that a changing climate is already affecting WDFW’s operations and facilities. Increasing stream temperatures and low summer flows have resulted in fish die-offs and fishing closures along rivers. Declines in snowpack and wildfires have damaged critical habitat and pose significant management challenges for many threatened or endangered species. Continuing climate change trends are expected to exacerbate these and other climate-related impacts, further challenging our ability to fulfill our mission to “preserve, protect and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.”

In 2021, we released the report Preparing WDFW for a Changing Climate: Assessing Risks and Opportunities for Action, which identified four aspects of WDFW’s mission considered most vulnerable to climate-related impacts: (1) Risks to Species Conservation and Recovery; (2) Risks to Harvest and Recreation; (3) Risks to Providing Effective Technical Assistance, Permitting, Research and Planning; and (4) Risks to WDFW Lands and Infrastructure.

WDFW’s approach to climate resilience is designed to address these four vulnerabilities through investments in integrated research, capacity building, engagement, evaluation, and monitoring across WDFW’s projects, programs, and activities. Specifically, the agency is working to fulfill the following objectives:

  • Meet species conservation and recovery goals in the face of climate change.
  • Provide harvest and recreation opportunities to Washingtonians under a changing climate.
  • Provide effective technical assistance, permitting, research, and planning that account for projected changes in climate.
  • Increase the resilience of WDFW’s lands and infrastructure to the observed and projected impacts of climate change.

What is your favorite thing about your work?

The people. Every day I am floored by the passion, creativity, ingenuity, and humility that my colleagues bring to work. I also deeply appreciate how my position enables me to meld two of my passions — climate change adaptation and natural resource management and conservation.

2023 Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards Now Accepting Nominations

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The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is is seeking nominations for its 2023 Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards for Natural Resources! Established in 2016, each year, the Award recognizes the outstanding and exemplary leadership by individuals, agencies, Tribes, businesses, students and youth to build resilience and advance adaptation of America’s vital natural resources in a changing climate.

The Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards celebrate outstanding efforts to increase the resilience of America’s valuable living natural resources and help sustain the many people, communities, and businesses that depend on them. Projects must address one or more of the goals identified in the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy:

  • Goal 1: Conserve habitat to support healthy fish, wildlife, and plant populations and ecosystem functions;
  • Goal 2: Manage species and habitats to protect ecosystem functions and provide sustainable commercial, subsistence, recreational and cultural use;
  • Goal 3: Enhance capacity for effective management;
  • Goal 4: Support adaptive management through integrated observation and monitoring and use of decision support tools;
  • Goal 5: Increase knowledge and information on impacts and responses of fish, wildlife, and plants;
  • Goal 6: Increase awareness and motivation action to safeguard fish, wildlife, and plants; and
  • Goal 7: Reduce non-climate stressors to help fish, wildlife, plants, and ecosystems.

Award winners are celebrated each year in conjunction with Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ annual meeting. Nominations will be accepted through May 31, 2023.

Learn more and submit a nomination

UW Climate Impacts Group is Hiring a Climate Justice Research Assistant

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The UW Climate Impacts Group, host of the NW CASC, is currently hiring a Climate Justice Research Scientist, who will support and expand the Group’s social science, policy, governance and project management capabilities across various climate change adaptation projects, with an emphasis on projects in collaboration with frontline communities — application review begins 4/21.

Advice for the Next Generation of Climate Scientists

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To celebrate Women’s History Month, USGS climate scientists were asked what advice they would give to their younger selves and to aspiring scientists. NW CASC’s federal director Nicole DeCrappeo and data steward Michiko Squires, with other women across the CASC network, reflect on the paths that have led them to their work today — may they inspire the next generation of women in USGS science!

New Webinar Series! Incorporating Indigenous Knowledges into Federal Research and Management

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The National CASC is hosting a virtual webinar series on how to integrate Indigenous Knowledges (IK) into Federal ecological research and resource management programs. Running bi-weekly from April 6 to June 1, 2023 (12pm PT), this series centers Indigenous perspectives to explore ethical, legal and scientific considerations inherent in working within different knowledge systems and provides guidance and case studies reflecting best practices for collaborating with Tribes and Indigenous communities.

In this webinar series, speakers will explore what it means to ethically engage with Indigenous Knowledges in resource management and conservation spaces. We will learn from Tribal and Indigenous communities about the frameworks they use to protect and share their knowledges, and from Federal agencies about how they navigate their responsibility to foster respectful, mutually beneficial relationships with knowledge holders.

Anyone interested in Indigenous Knowledges, Indigenous engagement, conservation and environmental management is welcome to join every other Thursday at 3 PM ET from April 6 to June 1 for this series. We hope these sessions are of particular value to Federal employees seeking to build partnerships with Indigenous peoples and to Tribal citizens and Indigenous peoples seeking to understand resources and opportunities for collaborating with Federal partners.

April 6, 2023 | 12-1:30 pm PT | What is ITEK

April 20, 2023 | 12-1 pm PT | Understanding the new White House guidance on ITEK

May 4, 2023 | 12-1 pm PT | Policy Deep Dive: Understanding the laws, policies, and guidelines surrounding Tribal engagement and ITEK

May 18, 2023 | 12-1:30 pm PT | Case studies of successful ITEK engagement

June 1, 2023 | 12-1 pm PT | Best practices for engaging with Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples surrounding ITEK

For up-to-date information and to access webinar recordings and transcripts, please go to www.usgs.gov/casc/ikwebinars.

Register Here

This webinar series is hosted by the National CASC in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center, the USGS Office of Tribal Relations, and the CASC’s Tribal Climate Resilience Liaisons. 

Research Coordinator Positions Now Open at Midwest, North Central and Southwest CASCs — Apply by 4/6/23

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Migratory birds take flight from a field in Southern Idaho.
Source: Danny Grizzle, Unsplash, Public Domain

Three Research Coordinator positions are now open at the Midwest, North Central and Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Centers. Research Coordinator duties include engaging with scientific efforts; synthesizing project management data; preparing and delivering syntheses; planning and organizing meetings and events; and managing multi-disciplinary research projects that address climate impacts to priority species and habitats. These positions can be filled by biologists and physical scientists. Though the positions are remote, the incumbent must reside within the state footprint of their selected region.

The position will close on 04/06/2023 or when 200 applications have been submitted. Please note that this position may close quickly, so we recommend that interested individuals submit their applications as soon as possible. Individuals can apply through the USA JOBS portal.

Questions? Reach out to Emily Fort (National CASC Acting Deputy Director, efort@usgs.gov); Stephen Gray (Alaska CASC Regional Administrator, sgray@usgs.gov); or Douglas Beard (National CASC Chief, dbeard@usgs.gov).

 

Deadline Extended to 4/17! Nominations for the Advisory Council for Climate Adaptation Science

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The National CASC has reopened its call for nominations for an Advisory Council for Climate Adaptation Science. The Council will meet approximately one to two times per year, and will advise the Secretary of the Interior on the operations of the National and Regional CASCs. Members are expected to serve for a two- or three-year term. Nominations should include a resume or CV and should be submitted to casc@usgs.gov by April 17, 2023.

 

Faces of Adaptation: Meet Emily Fusco

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Join us in welcoming new team member Dr. Emily Fusco! Emily is a research scientist with the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group (university host of the NW CASC) and the NW CASC coordinator for the Northwest Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (NW RISCC) Network. The NW RISCC Network, launched in 2019 and supported by the NW CASC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is fostering a community of practice that helps resource practitioners — including federal, tribal, state, and local agencies and organizations — make climate-smart decisions around invasive species prevention, early detection, control, monitoring and future research activities.

Emily has worked at the intersection of invasive species and climate change through her previous experience on the Northeast Invasive Species Network leadership team and through conducting climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation partnerships as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education fellow with the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station. Emily earned her doctorate degree in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

What led you to work in the field of climate adaptation?

My academic background is broadly in global change ecology, and my research has been at the intersection of invasive plants, fire and climate change. The field of climate adaptation allows me to continue working in these areas through an applied lens and offers me the opportunity to provide impactful work that will help communities meet the challenges of climate change.

What does your day-to-day work look like?

That’s a great question! I am very new to this position and am still learning the answer myself. So far, I have spent a lot of time reading reports and research papers so that I can better understand big picture issues and needs in the region. As I continue in this position, I expect to spend more time meeting with collaborators, coordinating projects and developing products to address those needs. This will involve lots of zoom meetings, time for research, and time for writing.

How does your work support climate resilience in the Northwest?

A lot of my work is centered around understanding what science is needed to support climate resilience and then developing and delivering products to meet those needs. My work with the Climate Impacts Group can be very broad in scope but is generally focused on science synthesis and delivery. My work as coordinator of the Northwest Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change (NW RISCC) Network is focused on mitigating the combined impacts of invasive species and climate change. This is done through science delivery and fostering a community of knowledge exchange among invasive species and climate change scientists and practitioners in the Northwest.

What is your favorite thing about your work?

It is always exciting to provide a new tool, report or any other product that helps folks get closer to reaching their management goals. Seeing how my work can help others and have a positive effect on managing resilient ecosystems is particularly rewarding.