(January 14) BC Farm & Ranch Wildfire Preparedness Workshops

On January 14, 2020, the BC Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative will be hosting free workshops in locations across BC to help agricultural producers from all sectors, wildfire response and emergency personnel, and local government representatives prepare for wildfire. This workshop will teach attendees about how to respond in case of wildfire, while also ensuring the efficacy and safety of local emergency response.

The workshop is designed to enable attendees to:

1) Reduce their risk of the climate change impacts of more frequent and higher intensity wildfires.

2) Connect with government representatives responsible for wildfire and emergency planning, as well as local wildfire and emergency response personnel.

3) Learn local wildfire behaviour, threat, and history, and how to apply lessons learned to structural protection.

4) Develop customized wildfire preparedness plan that outlines what needs to occur before, during, and after a fire.

Another important element of users wildfire plans is a wildfire preparedness property map. These maps are used to provide information to emergency responders in the event of a wildfire. Attendees will have the option to ask the host to develop their base map OR to create their own base map to bring to the workshop.

To learn more about this event and register, please click here.

(December 3) Launch of En-Roads Climate Solution Simulator

En-ROADS is a ground-breaking online climate simulator which provides users with an opportunity to explore pathways to address the global climate crisis, foster meaningful conversations, and precipitate change. The En-ROADS simulator, over ten years in the making, has been co-developed with system dynamics modelers and joint efforts from teams at the Climate Interactive and MIT Sustainability Initiative.

With En-ROADS users can explore dynamics in global energy supply, land-use, transportation, carbon removal, and more, to learn unique insights on how these driving forces—and the policies which dictate their behaviour—affect a variety of climate impacts, from temperature change to sea level rise.

Register for a launch webinars to see a demonstration of this powerful tool and the ways it can be used.

To sign up for a launch webinar, click here. 

To explore the En-ROADS simulator, click here. 

(November 25) Defenders of Wildlife is Hiring a Climate Adaptation Policy Analyst

Defenders of Wildlife is hiring a Climate Adaptation Policy Analyst! This professional-level position will contribute to Defenders of Wildlife’s strategic goal of ensuring effective climate change policies and practices to conserve wildlife, with a focus on animals and plants listed under the Endangered Species Act, key species and focal landscapes. The incumbent will engage with federal departments and agencies to advance wildlife adaptation science and strategies in national forests plans, national wildlife refuge comprehensive conservation plans, resource management plans, and other public planning processes for projects with major habitat impacts. The Policy Analyst for Climate Change Adaptation will also collaborate with Defenders’ Field Conservation offices to develop and implement state, tribal, and regional strategies for habitat conservation and connectivity that are critical to climate adaptation, and integrate efforts with Defenders’ other policy program priorities led by our Government Relations, Conservation Law, Communications and other departments.

Essential duties include:

• Engage in public land and natural resources management and similar conservation planning processes.
• Advocate to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to ensure that the threat of climate change is weighed appropriately in listing, management and recovery planning for endangered and threatened species.
• Identify and promote the best available scientific information on climate change and wildlife adaptation to federal, state, tribal and local governments to incorporate that information in climate adaptation planning, policies and strategies.
• Analyze and draft technical comments in response to proposed regulatory changes, administrative policy proposals and project-level actions affecting wildlife and habitat climate change adaptation.
• Analyze proposed legislation, and work with Defenders’ Government Relations staff and partners to educate Congressional offices on climate change adaptation for wildlife and habitats. Assist in identifying legislative champions and coordinating messaging and outreach to federal legislators and their staff to advance a progressive climate and conservation agenda for wildlife.
• Closely coordinate engagement on climate adaptation and wildlife conservation issues with relevant Field Conservation offices and other key staff.
• Research, write, and/or edit materials on climate change and wildlife, educate and mobilize Defenders’ members and activists, and communicate to diverse audiences Defenders’ position on proposed policy and legislative initiatives, including but not limited to reports, website content, blogs, factsheets, testimony and other publications.
• Represent Defenders in public meetings, hearings, news media, conferences, coalitions, and in general communications with public officials, legislators, the media, Defenders’ membership, donors, and the public to further Defenders’ departmental and organizational objectives.
• Work with Development staff to raise operating funds for Defenders’ Landscape Conservation department.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

For more information about those position including qualifications, expectations, and salary visit the Defenders of Wildlife website. 

(November 21) Livable Cities Forum Highlights and Presentations Posted

Highlights from this years Livable Cities Forum hosted co-hosted by ACT, ICLEI, SHIFT Collaborative, and the City of Victoria on October 28-30 have now been posted.

Some of the highlights of this year’s event include:

• Over 350 North American delegates gathered to be a part of the conversation on building community resilience. More than 83 local and regional governments were represented! View our highlight reel to learn about key Forum takeaways, which included the need to apply an equity, health & well-being lens when responding to the climate emergency in our communities.
• Over 100 speakers, practitioners, and community resilience leaders shared their experience and knowledge with delegates through an array of interactive workshops, plenaries, and local study tours. Our speakers broke down silos through innovative, captivating sessions that wove together three Forum themes: the climate change and health nexus, the role of infrastructure in building better neighbourhoods, and low carbon resilience.
• The development of the Victoria Call to Action: Hosted by ICLEI Canada and the City of Victoria, the Leadership & Legacy session brought together 50+ Mayors and Councillors from across North America for a day-long dialogue on building social resilience, community belonging and inclusion. The elected officials took part in workshops and dialogue on topics such as building neighbourhood resilience, and applying a well-being lens for local budgeting and decision-making. The day culminated with elected officials finalizing a collective Call to Action for local leaders to advance work on the health, well-being and social cohesion aspects of climate resilience.

To read the full forum highlights and view this years presentations, click here.

(November 20) Salmon Matter Episode 1: the State of Salmon

Pacific salmon face tremendous challenges, and with climate change and habitat loss impacts, it can seem overwhelming. The real question most of us have is simple: how are Pacific salmon doing? The answer…. well, it’s complicated.

2019 had the lowest ever return rates for Lower Fraser Sockeye, says Jason Hwang, VP of Salmon with the Pacific Salmon Foundation. At the same time, it was the best year many can recall for the Chinook fishery, say many fishing recreationally along the southern coast. Salmon have one of the great migration stories in the world, starting in freshwater as far as the interior of B.C., then migrating the Pacific and North Pacific, and after years they’re making the journey back. At every moment along the way, Pacific salmon are fighting for survival. Jason tells the story of salmon now and what PSF is doing to help Pacific salmon on their journey and how you can help.

Watch the full video below.

By donating to https://www.psf.ca/ by December 31st, 2019, you can support PSF salmon initiatives in your community that help tackle the many challenges facing salmon today. Furthermore, thanks to a generous matching contribution by the Sitka Foundation, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar (up to $50,000) and for every $100 you donate you will receive one entry to win a signed print by local artist, Alana Hansen. Become a part of the solution, donate today: https://www.psf.ca/support/donate-online

(November 29) Can’t Face it Alone: Public Dialogue

We cannot face climate change alone. It impacts our communities, our decisions, and emotions, but leveraging our personal connections and relationships can drive solutions and innovation. Join SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue on November 29 at 4:30 to discuss this topic, and learn about how climate change moves beyond the individual. 

To learn more about this event and to register, click here.