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Climate Adaptation Workshop
Recap of Session 2
In our second session, we covered the process of scaling down regional climate change impact information to the project site level and assessing vulnerability. We discussed this topic in break out groups, and also went over how to select a project site to apply the Adaptation Quick Guide process to for this week's field activity.

We also discussed the optional upcoming field tour at Avalonia Land Conservancy's Hoffman Preserve on October 16th (details below). A few items from session 2:
This Week's Assignment: Field Activity!
Preparing for your field activity:
  • Select a project site to visit (individually or with a team).
  • Review the Quick Start Guide to Climate Adaptation (below) and print off paper copies of any resources—such as Adaptation Menus—you want to take to your site visit.
  • Review any relevant climate impact and vulnerability resources (below).
  • Optional: Have questions or need additional assistance? Or want to kick ideas around for moving your project forward to implementation? Schedule office hours to meet with an instructor here. Sign up for office hours to have a 30min. check-in with course instructors on October 12 or 13. If these times don't work, send us an email!
  • Visit your project site, using the worksheets from the Quick Start Guide to support your thinking and discussion. 

Our final session will be on Friday, October 22nd, 1 - 2:30pm EST.
Come prepared to share share your field site location, a picture of your site, and three keywords that describe your project.

Zoom link & password for web sessions:
Password: 434229

Contact us with any questions!
Hoffman Preserve Field Tour this Saturday
This field tour at Avalonia Land Conservancy's Hoffman Preserve will be a great opportunity to identify and discuss climate impacts and adaptation actions, and then see first hand how a local land trust has implemented climate adaptation measures.
It will take place on Saturday, October 16th from 12-2 PM, with a rain date (if it rains heavily or thunderstorms) of Sunday, October 17, at the same time. The field tour will be led by Beth Sullivan and Toby Glaza. Beth is the Town chair for Avalonia Land Conservancy in Stonington, and the lead steward on the Hoffman Preserve project. A life long naturalist and educator, she has been observing habitats and wildlife in Southeastern Connecticut and noting the changes that are occurring with climate change. Toby is the newest addition to the staff of Avalonia Land Conservancy. As Stewardship Coordinator, he assists with the overall stewardship and administration of the Conservancy's preserves and conservation easements throughout New London County.

Directions to Hoffman Preserve: The Hoffman Preserve is in Stonington, CT on North Stonington Rd (Route 201) between Winchester Hill Rd to the east and Olivia Lane to the west. There is a pull off across the street from the preserve entrance. If you enter 625 North Stonington Rd, Stonington, CT into a GPS or Google Maps, this will bring you very close to the pull off location.

Contact Beth Sullivan at [email protected] or Toby Glaza at [email protected] with any questions, and Juliana Barrett at (860) 208-3176 on the day of the event if you need to get in touch.
Course Guidebook
Download the Course Guidebook
We are using the Adaptation Quick Guide for Land Trusts throughout this course. The guide draws on the five-step Adaptation Workbook process to help you design and implement adaptation actions in your work, with a special eye toward stewardship activities.
Resources to support you

A recent article authored by Jan Ellen Spiegel in the CT Mirror highlights some of the forest managers, conservation organizations, universities and communities that are addressing climate change impacts on Connecticut’s forests.

Access the New England and Northern New York Vulnerability Assessment that we introduced in the workshop, as well as a visual story map and projections for tree species habitat in the region under future climate change.

NIACS has led the development of adaptation strategies and approaches for a variety of natural resource topics, which can be used with the Adaptation Workbook process. These “menus” provide a curated list of adaptation actions to help you move from broad ideas to specific actions. 
Contact us!
Thank you for being part of the workshop! Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions.