HomeActionFall Webinar Series: Climate and Communities 2nd wed/month 1pm EST, free

Fall Webinar Series: Climate and Communities 2nd wed/month 1pm EST, free

Join us for 4 free webinars scheduled for this fall from across the United States.

 

WHEN:

  • 2nd Wednesday of the month
  • 1pm EST
  • Please register for each event of interest

Most events will be recorded and shared publicly here, after the event recording has been processed.

Scroll for more details about each event, below.

September 11, 1pm EST: YOUTH & Climate, all youth recordings Here!

This hour long webinar will  discuss multiple ways to engage youth with climate change: teaching the need to replace fossil fuels in our energy systems, programs to support youth climate digital app development, and working creating culturally inclusive curricula with indigenous communities.

TITLE: Where Does Gasoline Go? Why We Must Replace Fire in Our Energy System
PRESENTER: Don Haas (Director of Teacher Programming at The Paleontological Research Institution)

Did you know a gallon of gasoline weighs about six pounds? Burning ten gallons of gas a week means sixty pounds seemingly disappear from the tank. What becomes of it, when placed in the context of 374 million gallons that we burn in the US every day, is an astonishing but undeniably true tale. Where does it go? Why should we care?

Key Resource: Climate & Energy Resources on PRI’s Earth@Home: https://climate.earthathome.org/

NOTE: PRI has online workshop in mid-October, and we can do workshops for groups. You can subscribe for announcements here: http://eepurl.com/goSjST

TITLE: Youth Power to Reduce Carbon Power
PRESENTER: Donna Nuger (4-H Youth Development Educator, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension)

Nuger will discuss how youth are using their interest in technology and coding to increase awareness and inspire changes in people’s habits to decrease their carbon output, leading to a reduction in global warming.

TITLE: Creating a Culturally Inclusive Climate Change Curriculum with and for Indigenous People: Lessons Learned
PRESENTER: Ros McCann (Utah State University – Moab)

As part of a national science foundation project inspired by the NECI network, Ros will share her experience in building relationships with tribal members in the Colorado Plateau region. This will include an overview of how she formed a diverse team to co-create a climate change curriculum by and for Indigenous participants, what the curriculum entailed and the products that resulted from this process. Coverage here: https://www.usu.edu/today/story/usu-helps-host-unique-and-indigenous-student-specific-natural-resource-leadership-program

Curriculum can be found here:Utah NATURE Climate Module_ A Co-Created Menu Utah NATURE Climate Module_ A Co-Created Menu

 

SPEAKER BIOS

Don Haas (formerly, Don Duggan-Haas) is the Director of Teacher Programming at The Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth & Cayuga Nature Center in Ithaca, NY. He is a nationally regarded expert in climate and energy education, place-based and technology-rich Earth and environmental science education; and is a past president of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers. He is co-author of the books, The Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change and The Science Beneath the Surface: A Very Short Guide to the Marcellus Shale. He strives to help others thrive in their teaching and learning, especially as related to climate and energy and he wants you to talk more about fire.

Donna Nuger joined University of Illinois Extension in 2004. During her tenure, she has focused on STEM and Youth Leadership. Environmental education field trips for youth in grades K-8 have ranged from the half day program, Pumpkin Day for the little ones to full day events like Natural Resources Day and multi-day events that included Environmental Science in Action with hands on research and career exploration. Nuger initiated and implemented 4-H Science Ambassadors that encouraged 4-H Teen Teachers and individual projects/research. Nuger has received and coordinated Ag Innovators Experience grants through National 4-H, funded by Monsanto/Bayer for Illinois. She looks forward to making future contributions in the area of climate change and ensuring that our youth have a healthy planet for their future.

Roslynn Brain McCann is a Professor & Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist in the Department of Environment and Society, College of Natural Resources at Utah State University. She teaches undergraduates Communicating Sustainability, helps lead the National Extension Climate Initiative, is the coordinator USU Extension Sustainability’s Utah Farm-Chef-Fork, the USU Permaculture Initiative, and Sustainable You! kids’ camps, co-leads the Utah High School Clean Air Marketing Contest, and is engaged in tribal climate change resilience.

October 9, 1pm EST: Empowering Communities: 1890 Land-Grant Institutions Tackling Climate Change, Recordings here. 

This hour long webinar will discuss the crucial role of 1890 Land-Grant Institutions in tackling climate change faced by underserved communities.

TITLE: The Climate Crisis and Environmental Justice:  Ensuring Resilience for Underserved Communities
PRESENTER: Alton Thompson (Executive Director, Association of 1890 Research Directors, ARD)

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and addressing it requires a strong commitment to research and development. For too long, environmental policy have failed to adequately address environmental injustice, particularly the unequal and cumulative effects of pollution and climate change on low-income communities and communities of color. Researchers at the 1890 land-grant universities, informed by their lived experiences of these communities, play a critical role in developing student leaders, advocates, while also supporting rigorous scientific analysis on issues like community and agricultural resiliency, climate adaptation and environmental justice.

TITLE: Leveraging AI and Innovation to Empower Future Leaders in Resource-Limited Communities
PRESENTER: Ali Fares (Professor of Water Security, Prairie View A&M University)

Dr. Fares’ academic program uses cutting-edge technologies and artificial intelligence to address resource challenges in the water-energy-food nexus for communities with limited resources. By training future leaders and professionals from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) through various outreach activities based on his research, Dr. Fares empowers them to tackle climate change challenges effectively and develop and implement sustainable solutions.

PRESENTER: Raymon Shange (1890 Extension Administrator, Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension)

SPEAKER BIOS

Dr. Thompson provides leadership and coordination in representing ARD in developing multistate and national priorities and implementing a regional response for the 1890 system. In addition, Thompson promotes, articulates and advocates the priorities of the 1890 region’s research agenda within the framework of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute for Agriculture (NIFA), other federal agencies and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). Thompson serves in an executive capacity on several committees and working groups focusing on legislative issues, federal, state and private appropriation of funds for 1890 multistate research and the long-term direction of established and developing 1890 universities initiatives. Key Resource: Foundation for Food Agriculture and Research (FAR)

Ali Fares is the Endowed Professor at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), Texas and Chair of Water Security, Water Energy and Food Nexus. He is currently the editor of the Water Security Book Series.  He has edited two books and published 14 book chapters, over 20 conference proceedings, and over 74 articles in peer reviewed journals. His research interests include disaster preparedness and resiliency, flood prediction and mitigation, water security, water-energy-food nexus, watershed hydrology and management, water allocation, irrigation management, and adaptation and mitigation of climate variability. Currently he is doing research on Reducing Energy Barriers for Novel Water. Dr Fares’ research in artificial intelligence in agriculture as well as several inter-disciplinary, multi-institution projects, is supported by millions of dollars. His testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee urged federal support to address “specific climate change needs of the underserved farming communities and train future professionals in climate-smart agriculture discipline.” Key Resource: https://works.bepress.com/fares-ali/

Dr. Shange’s research and teaching interests encompass the areas of: Ecology (Agroecology, Microbial Ecology, Molecular Ecology, and Ecological Engineering), Sustainable Agriculture, Impact of Climate Change on Ecosystems, Rural Energy & Water, Natural Resource Management, Integration of Art, Science and Nature, and Environmental Ethics and Justice. He has been an 1890’s Extension Administrator since 2022.

November 13, 1pm EST: ELECTRIFICATION & Climate, Recording here.

This hour long webinar will  discuss multiple ways to understand how ‘electrification’ can save money, decrease greenhouse gases, and improve health and well-being in our daily lives.

TITLE: Electrification: Climate Action or Personal Benefit?
PRESENTER: Brian Stewart (Co-Founder of Electrify Now)

Whether your motivation is to fight climate change, improve the safety and comfort of your home, reduce your health risks, or lower your energy bills, the sensible actions are the same – electrify your home and personal transportation. We will discuss how the topic of electrification can be approached from multiple entry points that each might resonate with our audience in different ways to help them to take action.

Key Resource: Electrify Now webinars on all things electrification: https://electrifynow.net/electrify-coalition-webinars

TITLE: Electrify your Landscaping Equipment: It’s Clean, It’s Quiet, It’s Healthy 
PRESENTER: Mark Puhlman (Lake Oswego Sustainability Network, Board Member)

Tackling climate change can seem to be an overwhelming proposition. But there is a key strategy that can make a major impact: Electrify Everything. Transitioning gas-powered landscaping equipment to electric helps the community take meaningful action addressing climate change while also improving air quality and reducing harmful noise levels in our community. This short talk will discuss the Lake Oswego Sustainability Network’s efforts to encourage a small community in the state of Oregon transition from Gas-powered equipment to electric landscaping equipment. Included are actions that the individual citizen can take to advance the transition.

Key Resource: https://mailchi.mp/15638b3e0577/losn-sustainability-insider-april-2021

TITLE: Energy Circuit Riders Spur Clean Energy Progress in Rural New Hampshire
PRESENTER: Sarah Brock (Clean Energy New Hampshire, Energy Circuit Rider Program Director)

New Hampshire’s unique Energy Circuit Rider (ECR) program embeds clean energy experts in rural New Hampshire communities, providing capacity and technical support to get projects done. Hosted by nonprofit Clean Energy NH and funded through a mix of philanthropic and federal sources, the program is currently supporting over 180 community-based energy projects in over 80 towns. The ECR program also supports small businesses statewide in applying for USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program, with grants for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Join us to hear reflections from the field: what works to spur community-based clean energy action, and what you can do to move projects forward in your own community.

Key Resource: Direct Pay / Elective Pay Guide

SPEAKER BIOS

Brian Stewart is a co-founder of Electrify Now, a volunteer organization devoted to educating energy consumers and homeowners about the health and economic benefits of electrification and the role that all of us can play to accelerate the world to clean renewable energy and a sustainable future. Brian has over 40 years of experience in product design, engineering, manufacturing and sustainability and held many leadership roles at Nike Inc. including Vice President of Sustainable Innovation.

Mark Puhlman is a board member of the Lake Oswego Sustainability Network, a volunteer organization of concerned citizens in Lake Oswego, Oregon. He holds a doctorate as a nurse practitioner and has worked in the area of heart failure for 45 years. He became interested in sustainability in high school but became very active in this area about 5 years ago after he retired. He is a Board Member of the Sustainability Advisory Board of Lake Oswego as well as a Board Member of the Forest Highlands Neighborhood Association. He has been involved in electrification and urban forest preservation.

Sarah Brock joined Clean Energy New Hampshire as Director of CENH’s Energy Circuit Rider Program in 2024. Sarah works with our growing team of Energy Circuit Riders to help municipalities and small businesses plan, finance, and implement clean energy and energy efficiency projects. Prior to joining Clean Energy New Hampshire, Sarah spent over a decade implementing community-based climate, energy, and transportation programming at Vital Communities, a nonprofit serving the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire.

December 11, 1pm EST: RESILIENCY PLANNING & Climate, Recording, here.

This hour long webinar will share three different examples for engaging resiliency planning in local communities.

TITLE: Building Climate Resiliency through Disaster Preparedness Education
PRESENTER: Kimberly Davis, Extension Emergency Management Specialist, FAMU Extension Disaster Education Programs, Florida A&M University (FAMU)

Key Resources: FEMA 2021 National Household Survey, Extension Disaster Education Network, EDEN, Student Tools for Emergency Planning (STEP)

TITLE: Preparing Agents of Change for Tomorrow: Building Youth Confidence and Capacity for Climate Resilient Futures in Appalachia 
PRESENTER: Megan Kruger, Evaluation and Research Specialist and Environmental Educator, West Virginia University Extension

Key Resources: NOAA community resilience education

TITLE: Filling Gaps in Coastal Communities with Asset Mapping
PRESENTER: Jack Voight, Coastal Community Resilience Immersive Training (C-CRIT) Program, Americorps Assessment Coordinator

This talk will discuss experiences working with the C-CRIT program and the work we completed. It will describe future plans for the program and how it can be improved to best fit the needs of different coastal communities. Also describe what I learned about Jones County, North Carolina and specific barriers that hinder the county’s ability to build back with resiliency.

Key Resources:https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/210678a3d94140febf96df453e60c76e

 

SPEAKER BIOS

Ms. Kimberly Davis is an Extension Agent/Emergency Management Specialist with the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Cooperative Extension Family, Youth and Community programs/4-H Youth Development. Her areas of specialization include natural resources, environmental education, disaster preparedness and safety. She has over 25 years’ experience in coordinating STEM and environmental education outreach programs including the Kids Involved in Math and Sciences (KIMS) Program, and the Forestry and Conservation Education (FACE) Summer Program. She also worked over 10 years with the Florida Division of Emergency Management as an Environmental Scientist and Planning Manager. She holds a M.S. degree in Agricultural Sciences with a major in Environmental Sciences from FAMU.

Jack Voight is an undergraduate student and researcher from North Carolina State University. majoring in Environmental Engineering and researching as part of the Coastal & Computational Hydraulics Team with mentor Dr. Casey Dietrich. Jack was born and raised on the Outer Banks, North Carolina.

To see our previous webinars, please visit our YouTube channel

Spring 2024 Topics

YOUTH & Climate, Recording Here.

STORYTELLING & Climate, Recording Here.

DIY–Self-Guided Climate Instruction, Recording Here.

COMMUNITIES & Climate, Recordings Here: WA Latine Co-created Materials, PA Women Forest Owners

AGING & Climate, Recordings Here.

 

 

 

HOST: this “CONNECTING CLIMATE to COMMUNITIES” webinar series is hosted by National Extension Climate Initiative (NECI) Curriculum Working Group – a volunteer group looking to share resources amongst interested extension educators.

This program was curated by NECI CWG Active Volunteers Summer 2024

David Kay, Cornell University

James Shope, Rutgers University

Patricia Townsend, Washington State University

Rebecca Ward, NC State University

Jenifer Wightman, Cornell University

Join us or any NECI working group -learn more here: https://nationalextensionclimateinitiative.net/workinggroups/

***NECI is actively seeking a Communications Lead, please contact David Kay if you are interested.