South Central CASC

Tribal Climate and Health Infrastructure Vulnerability Workshop
2023-05-18 - 2023-05-19
Register today for the Tribal Climate and Health Infrastructure Vulnerability Workshop!
There will be a Pre-training Climate 101 Webinar on April 18th from 1-3 pm central, followed by an in-person training on May 18-19 at the Sac and Fox Nation Community Building.
Topics to be covered include:
-Introduction to Vulnerability Assessments
-Flood Vulnerability of Roads and Health Facilities
-Process, Steps, and Group Activities for Vulnerability Assessments
May 18-19, 2023
Sac and Fox Nation Community Building
920883 S. Hwy 99
Stroud, OK 74079
Sponsored by the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, Sac & Fox Nation, Southern Plains Tribal Health Board, Oklahoma Area Tribal Epidemiology Center

Incorporating Indigenous Knowledges into Federal Research and Management
2023-05-18 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago)
May 18th: Case Studies of Successful IK Engagement
Sarah Rinkevich (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) Catherine Techtmann (Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Northern Wisconsin Tribes)
Registration: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/climate-adaptation-science-centers/webinar-series-incorporating-indigenous-knowledges
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Climate Adaptation Science Center (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 (3 PM ET), 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.
Sarah Rinkevich received her Ph.D. in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment in 2012. Her research focused on a reintroduced population of Mexican gray wolves on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, homeland to the White Mountain Apache Tribe. Dr. Rinkevich received her Master’s degree in 1991 from Humboldt State University where she studied habitat preferences of Mexican spotted owls in Zion National Park, Utah. She has worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Endangered Species Conservation since 1993 and currently works in the Branch of Recovery and Restoration. Dr. Rinkevich works extensively with Tribes on management and conservation of threatened and endangered species on Tribal lands within the Southwest.
Cathy “Cat” Techtmann is a University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension Environmental Outreach State Specialist. She is passionate about weaving together indigenous and academic science to build environmental leadership in youth to adult learners. Cat partners with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and tribal specialists to create educational initiatives that integrate Ojibwe ecological and leadership knowledge including Gikinoo’wizhiwe Onji Waaban (“G Minisan– WOW”) Changing Climate, Changing Culture, Connecting Ojibwe Ecological Knowledge and Climate Change, and “indigenizing” leadership development programs. Cathy coordinates the University of Wisconsin Extension Climate Leadership Team and is a member of the UW Division of Extension Native American Task Force. She lives and works in the homeland of the Lake Superior Ojibwe people with an office at the Iron County UW Extension Office in Hurley, WI.

2023 Drought Workshop (El Reno, OK)
2023-05-23 08:30 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
Join the CASC, the USDA Southern Plains Climate Hub, and the BIA for a drought workshop on May 23rd at the Darlington Chapel in El Reno, OK.
Lunch is included.
RSVP to Jacob Shaffer at 817-304-0445 or Jacob.Shaffer@usda.gov

2023 Drought Workshop (Bixby, OK)
2023-05-24 08:30 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
Join the CASC, the USDA Southern Plains Climate Hub, and the BIA for a drought workshop on May 24th at the Euchee Butterfly Farm in Bixby, OK.
Lunch is included.
RSVP at http://tribalallianceforpollinators.com/UPCOMING-EVENTS/

Incorporating Indigenous Knowledges into Federal Research and Management
2023-06-01 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)
June 1st: Best Practices for Engaging Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples Surrounding IK
Sara Kahanamoku (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Ulana ʻIke Center of Excellence) Mike Durglo (Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes)
Registration: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/climate-adaptation-science-centers/webinar-series-incorporating-indigenous-knowledges
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Climate Adaptation Science Center (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 (3 PM ET), 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.
Sara Kahanamoku is currently a postdoctoral fellow with the Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Ulana ʻIke Center of Excellence, focusing on utilizing multiple knowledge systems to track historical climate and ecosystem cycles in Hawaiʻi as part of the Rising Voices, Changing Coasts (RVCC) National Indigenous and Earth Sciences Convergence Hub. RVCC has an overarching goal of facilitating convergence research on coastal hazards in a community context through co-production between social and earth sciences and Indigenous knowledge experts. For their PhD research, Sara studied the life history and morphology of benthic foraminifera in the Santa Barbara Basin of California, using fossil records to track population-level trends over the past 2,000 years and investigate the impact of climate change and ecosocial regime shifts, such as impacts stemming from the colonization of California, on foraminifer ecology. Sara has also conducted meta-research on equity in the process of science, including on racial disparities in funding at the National Science Foundation and on place-based science in Hawaiʻi. They previously served as a graduate fellow in the Hawaiʻi Sea Grant Ulana ʻIke Center of Excellence from 2021-2023, while finishing their PhD at UC Berkeley.
Michael Durglo, Jr is Department Head of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’s (CSKT) Tribal Historic Department and has been a leader in climate change adaptation work for nearly a decade. He facilitated the development of a Flathead Reservation Climate Change Strategic Plan for CSKT, the third Tribe to do so in the United States. After completing the plan, he continued to build on the work by diving deep into the perspectives of the elders and integrating traditional knowledge into the plan. Particularly unique has been Michael’s all-inclusive and open approach towards climate planning. He has established monthly meetings of a Climate Change Advisory Committee and welcomes all stakeholders, both tribal and non-tribal. This has opened conversations among multiple jurisdictions, connecting people and adding value to solving the problems that will be faced by the impacts of climate change into the future. In 2016, Michael received the White House Champion of Change award and in 2017, Michael received the Climate Leadership Award for Natural Resources. Michael has also brought climate education and action to the youth of the CSKT by establishing the Environment Advocates for Global and Local Ecological Sustainability otherwise known as the “EAGLES”. These youth are learning about, taking responsibility for their environment, and starting young to integrate environmental considerations into their lives. Michael served in the Montana Army National Guard from 1981 to 1987 and is currently a member of the Mission Valley Honor Guard.

NASA Earth to Sky Workshop
2023-07-18 - 2023-07-20
Save the date for the NASA Earth to Sky Workshop this summer!
July 18-20th in Los Alamos, NM

More details and registration information forthcoming.

Southern Plains Climate Science Webinar Series
2023-08-01 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago)
August 1, 2023, at 11:00 am CT – The Southern Plains Climate Science Webinar Series welcomes Jane Breckinridge, the Director of the Tribal Alliance for Pollinators, and Erin Posthumus, the Outreach Coordinator for the USA National Phenology Network and the Principle Investigator of the South Central CASC’s funded project, Time to Restore: Connecting People, Plants, and Pollinators.
Join us to hear their perspectives on this ongoing project. Learn how the project involves the pollinator restoration community in the entire process intending to assist them with climate-informed guidance on the timing of nectar plant flowering and seeding. Better knowledge of climate impact on flowering and seed timing for critical nectar plants can inform more resilient restoration plantings.
Register here

Harmful Algal Bloom Training
2023-09-06 - 2023-09-07
Registration is now open! Click here.

We will be hosting a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Training this fall in Norman, OK.
Join us September 6-7, 2023 to learn more about
1) The Science of HABs
2) Monitoring of HABs
3) Impacts on Agriculture and Livestock, and

Managing for a Changing Climate Online Course
2023-09-08
Our highly popular Managing for a Changing Climate online course is back! We’ve spent the past year redesigning the course with busy professionals in mind! It’s free, it’s self-paced, and a Certificate of Completion will be offered for each course.
Registration is now open for the first two parts of the series – a Brief Introduction to Climate Change and a Deeper Dive into Climate Modeling.
Sign up by September 8th!
For more information, contact oler@ou.edu.

Fall Screening and Seminar
2023-09-14 - 2023-09-15
Save the date for the two events featured in the below announcement – and come early for refreshments and socializing! Film trailer here (version screened will have subtitles): https://cinechile.cl/pelicula/la-isla-y-los-hombres/ and learn about our speaker, Dr. Freya Schiwy, here: https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/freyasch

Southern Plains Drought Early Warning System Partners Meeting
2023-09-19 - 2023-09-20
Registration is now open for the
Southern Plains Drought Early Warning System Partners Meeting!
September 19-20, 2023
College Station, TX and Virtual

This hybrid meeting will serve as a touchpoint for collaboration in the Southern Plains Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) region. Agenda items will include following up on topics discussed at our last meeting, knowledge-sharing, networking, and strengthening partnerships within the region.
Who Should Attend: This dialogue is particularly relevant to those entities that engage in the following activities:

Provide information on climate conditions, extremes, and impacts
Monitor/predict changing climate conditions, including drought
Engage in drought or water planning
Utilize weather and climate information in decision making
Conduct research related to drought monitoring, prediction, planning, or risk

Extreme Disturbances and Climate Change in the Southeast U.S.
2023-09-26 08:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom
This virtual workshop is open to natural and cultural resource managers, especially in Tribal Nations and the southern United States, and others who want to learn more about the science of extreme disturbances, their impact on lands and forests, and applications for management under these threats. The presenters will focus on wild and prescribed fire, invasive species, storms, flooding, and more!

Oklahoma Carbon for Landowners Workshop
2023-10-05 08:30 - 15:30 (America/Chicago)
Save the date for the 2023 Oklahoma Carbon for Landowners workshop, scheduled for Thursday, October 5, at the Eastern Oklahoma State College Student Union Ballroom in Wilburton. See agenda below.
This workshop is targeted for non-industrial private forest landowners and other interested parties.
To register, please email ryan.desantis@okstate.edu and provide your phone number, and any professional affiliation (if none, indicate landowner).
AGENDA 2023 OK Carbon for landowners workshop 2

2023 Fall Science Meeting
2023-11-01 - 2023-11-03
REGISTER TODAY!
Our annual Fall Science Meeting will be held in Lubbock, Texas November 1-3, 2023.
Are you interested in climate change science, impacts, and adaptation? Then this is the meeting for you! We welcome students, scientists, resource managers, and others interested in addressing climate change from multiple perspectives.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Register
Please register for the Fall Science Meeting as an individual. Poster abstract submissions will be submitted through the registration form.
Click here to register for the Fall Science Meeting!
Registration closes October 24th.
Poster Abstracts due October 10th.
Agenda
Click here to view the draft agenda!
Designated Hotel
The designated hotel for the 2023 Fall Science Meeting is the Holiday Inn Express & Suites: Lubbock Central located at 2115 Marsha Sharp Freeway Lubbock, Texas. For more information regarding the hotel block for this event, contact Noetta Harjo by email at noetta@ou.edu. ($129/night, except Thursday night, $189/night)
Click here for the designated hotel group link!

This year, we will have five climate challenge panels with speakers addressing each challenge from a different perspective. The panels will be focused on the intersections of climate change and drought and water availability, wildfire, desertification and soil health, extreme events, and invasive species. Some of these topics are relevant to current Community of Practice (CoP) members, while others we hope will spur new CoPs. Not a current member of a CoP? That’s okay! We’d love to have you join us! Learn more about our CoPs.
Dr. Eileen Johnson of the Lubbock Lake Landmark will be our keynote presenter for Wednesday’s dinner, and we will also have Dr. Carol Flueckiger talk with us about how art can be used in science communication.
We encourage individuals supported by CASC projects to submit an abstract to our poster session. CoP members are also encouraged to submit a poster for their CoP work to the poster session.
The Lubbock Lake Landmark (2401 Landmark Drive) is located about 5 miles north of the Texas Tech University Campus. The archaeological park encompasses 336 acres of the former Lubbock Lake and Springs located in Yellow House Draw of the north fork of the Brazos River. Archaeological work since 1939 has documented continuous human habitation of the location for the past 12,000 years. The site is one of the most extensive stratigraphic records of climate change, animal biodiversity, and human habitation on the Southern High Plains. The site is also one of the most well stratified and well dated geological deposits in North America. We will have a guided tour of the area and access to the landmark museum at the end of the tour.
The National Ranching Heritage Center (part of the TTU- Museum and is located at 3121 4thStreet) is a 19-acre historical park that focuses on housing and ranching structures over the last 200 years on the Southern High Plains of Texas. The site provides a chronological tour of early to mod-19th century building and homes and the adaptability used to address the regions climate and weather. Tours are self-guided and some structures are open to visit.
Make sure to sign up for our newsletter to get all the latest updates!

Roadmap to Resilient Oyster Restoration and Aquaculture Webinar
2023-11-30 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Zoom
Did you know that resilient oyster populations are critical for functioning estuaries? They act as habitat engineers and natural water filters. However, selecting suitable restoration and aquaculture sites for oysters to withstand a changing environment is challenging.
Thursday, November 30, 10:00 am CT – Join the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (SC CASC) to hear from Dr. Megan La Peyre and Dr. Romain Lavaud about how the maps produced through their project, A Roadmap for Developing Resilient Coastal Shellfish Populations: Using Spatial and Process-Based Modelling for Restoration Under Current and Predicted Future Water Quality Conditions, can help guide resource managers in selecting sites for oyster restoration and aquaculture along the coast of Louisiana and Texas.
Register Here: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUuf-igrzMsHtK4VtWwql1l-ety9dE2CKdV

NCA5 Webinar: Southern Great Plains
2023-12-06 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)
Join our University Director Dr. Renee McPherson, lead author on the Southern Great Plains Chapter (26) for the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), as she discusses the findings from this region. This virtual event will be held on Wednesday, December 6th, from 2 to 3 pm central and will include time for Q&A.
Registration is listed in the event URL below.
If you would like to participate in listening sessions for any of the other chapters of the NCA5, visit the U.S. Global Change Research Program website.

Southwest Adaptation Forum
2024-02-27 - 2024-02-29
Registration is now open for the 2024 Southwest Adaptation Forum to be held Feb. 27-29, 2024 at the Desert Diamond Hotel & Conference Center in Tucson, Arizona.
Registration Information and further details

Managing for a changing climate short course
2024-03-01
Join us for our highly popular Managing for a Changing Climate short course series: A Brief Introduction to Climate Change running from February 26 – March 29, 2024.
A certificate of completion will be presented at the end of the course period. And as always, the course is FREE!
Registration closes March 1, 2024, so register today!

South Central CASC Ideation Session
2024-03-25 - 2024-03-26
The South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center is hosting an Ideation Session to connect researchers across our various consortium institutions.
This ideation session is designed to present information on the upcoming South Central CASC funding opportunity, provide a forum for researchers interested in conducting work on climate adaptation to connect with USGS and others from different departments across the consortium, and facilitate the creation of multi-disciplinary teams to catalyze innovative projects.
This event is open to all researchers at the South Central CASC host and consortium institutions (USGS researchers, Texas Tech University, Louisiana State University, University of Oklahoma, University of New Mexico, Oklahoma State University, Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma).

There will be two ideation sessions, both occurring on Zoom:
Monday, March 25, from 1pm – 3 pm.
Tuesday, March 26, from 10 am – 12 pm.

**Each session will be capped at 40 participants**.

Breakout sessions will be focused on the intersection of climate change and the following topics: coastal systems, agroecosystems, cultural resources, at-risk species, and freshwater systems.
Within 48 hours after registration, you will receive more information about this event and a calendar invite.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Codie Winn (cwinn@usgs.gov) or Gianna Hanson (ghanson@contractor.usgs.gov).

Registration link: https://forms.gle/LUYHVsaAmYGQMG418

Managing for a Changing Climate Short Course: Deeper Dive
2024-04-01 - 2024-05-03
Register now for a Deeper Dive into Vulnerability and the Climate System.
This short course is free, self-paced, an opportunity to learn directly from climate experts, and a certificate of completion is offered upon completion.
The course will run from April 1st to May 3rd. No previous enrollment in our introductory course is required, though it may be helpful if you are not already familiar with the basics of the climate system.

South Central Climate Resilience Forum
2024-04-02 - 2024-04-04
Save the date for the inaugural South Central Climate Resilience Forum that will be held April 2-4, 2024, in Dallas, TX.
The forum is focused on fostering meaningful dialogue on climate resilience and adaptation across Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. It will bring together representatives from non-profit organizations, tribal nations and communities, all levels of government, community groups, the private sector, and academia from across the region. The goals of the events are to improve understanding of the climate-related challenges facing the region and increase awareness of work being done to enhance the resilience of the region. The program will include presentations, symposiums, and workshops about resources, research, tools, knowledge, and experiences relating to climate resilience and opportunities for information exchange and networking.
Registration is now open! Early bird registration closed on February 16th.
2024 SCCRF Call for Presentations - SCCRF2024_CallforPresentations
Join as a sponsor. Click here to see the primary sponsorship levels.
SCCRF2024_SponsorshipFlyer

Climate Change Adaptation for Tribes and Tribal Partner Training Opportunity
2024-05-20 - 2024-05-22 | The Chickasaw Nation Retreat and Conference Center, 4205 Goddard Youth Camp Road, Sulphur, OK, 73086, United States
Registration is now open!
May 20-22, 2024 in Sulphur, OK.
Climate Change Adaptation for Tribes and Tribal Partners Training Opportunity.
The goals of this workshop are to:

Learn how to use the tribal adaptation menu (TAM) process to develop projects.
Learn how tribes are being impacted by climate change.
Use the menu framework to integrate climate and identify adaptation options.

This three-day workshop will be held at the Chickasaw Retreat and Conference Center in Sulphur, OK. Please reach out to Amelia Cook, amelia.cook@chickasaw.net, for more information.
In addition to the in-person portion of the event, there will also be a mandatory pre-workshop virtual webinar.
Registration is due by April 22!

Tribal Drought Workshop (Free)
2024-05-22 08:00 - 2024-05-23 16:00 (America/Denver)
Join us on May 22nd-23rd at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque! (And online May 8th)

Participants are encouraged to register with teams (1-5 People) of relevant collaboration. (Ex. Tribal Environmental, Natural Resource Management, and Water Staff) You will work with these teams during discussion periods and be paired with other teams with similar interests for networking purposes!

In addition to the in-person event on May 22nd and 23rd there is a mandatory pre-workshop webinar planned for May 8th from 10am – 11:30am MST intended as a discussion primer.

Applications are DUE April 10th, 2024!
Contact Jacob.P.Palazzi-1@ou.edu with any questions!

Conversations on Fire in the Southwestern United States Webinar
2024-09-04 11:00 - 12:30 (America/Chicago)
Join us on September 4, 2024, from 10 am to 11:30 am MT / 11 am to 12:30 am CT for a webinar: Conversations on Fire in the Southwestern United States
Register here>>
Location: Zoom (You will receive an email with a zoom link prior to the event)

Please join us for three presentations followed by small group conversations about actions to advance wildfire prevention and recovery in the Southwestern United States:

Advances in Post-Fire Recovery: New Mexico Reforestation Center – Matt Hurteau, University of New Mexico

Keepers of the Flame: Cultural Fire as Climate Adaptation – Beth Rose Middleton and Landin Noland, University of California at Davis

Supporting Wildland Resources in the Great Basin – Melvin Hunter, Forestry & Wildland Fire Management Director at Hualapai Tribe and Asst. Fire Manager Officer at BIA

This webinar is hosted by the Southwest Climate Hub, the Southwest and South Central Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs), and the Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS).

Please contact Lauren Kramer at Lauren.Kramer@usda.gov for any questions

Patch Burn Grazing Working Group Meeting
2024-09-11 - 2024-09-12
Patch Burn Grazing Working Group Meeting
September 11 & 12, 2024
ECU Chickasaw Business and Conference Center, Foundation Hall, Ada, OK
Click here to register!

Coastal Resilience and Adaptation Conference
2024-09-18 - 2024-09-19
Texas Sea Grant has been working on programmatic development for the inclusion of advanced technologies as intervening solutions for coastal resilience and adaptation. Working through 2023 Sea Grant coastal adaptation and resilience institutional funding, Texas Sea Grant aims to increase awareness in engineering and technology that helps decision-making around coastal energy transition, natural and nature-based solutions, and early warning systems for coastal hazards.
Towards this end, we have planned the Coastal Resilience and Adaptation Conference scheduled for September 18-19, 2024, to inform coastal communities including decision-makers, elected officials, city and county staff, natural resource managers, academics, the private sector, etc. of technology and engineering solutions that address the three thematic topic areas below:
1. Coastal Energy Transition
2. Natural and Nature-based Solutions
3. Early Warning Systems for Coastal Hazards

Learn more and register>>

Partnering with Fire: Learning from Tribal Nations and Indigenous Practices
2024-09-26 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago)
Join the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center, the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, and the U.S. Forest Service for our upcoming virtual workshop “Partnering with Fire: Learning from Tribal Nations and Indigenous Practices.”
This virtual webinar is open to natural and cultural resource managers, especially from Tribal Nations in the southern United States, and others who want to learn more about how Tribes work with fire to adapt to a changing climate. Registration is required.
Topics and speakers include:

Mark Morales, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and Steven Parrish, USDA Forest Service: Choctaw Nation agreements with USDA Forest Service.
Gesse Bullock, Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas: Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas fire crew and partnerships
Mary Huffman, The Nature Conservancy: Indigenous Peoples Burning Network IPBN.

Thursday, September 26th | 9-11am CT (10am-12pm ET)

Register Here>>

Transformers: Age of Adaptation (In-Person, New Mexico)
2024-10-02 17:30 - 18:30 (America/Denver)
Intermountain West Transformation Network – Wildfire & Watershed Symposium
Laura-McCarthy-Keynote

National Weather Festival
2024-10-26 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
Join us as we host a booth for the 2024 National Weather Festival on the University of Oklahoma Research Campus.
October 26, 2024, from 10 am – 2 pm at the National Weather Center

Climate Vulnerability Workshop
2024-10-30 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
Join the South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center for a one-day Climate Vulnerability Assessment Workshop on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, in Shawnee, OK.
TRAVEL ASSISTANCE is AVAILABLE
Learn more and register today!
A vulnerability assessment is one of the first steps in developing a climate adaptation plan. We will cover basics on how to start a vulnerability assessment; types of vulnerability assessments, various sectors (i.e., natural resources, culturally significant animals or plants, or infrastructure) and approaches that can be used to develop a vulnerability assessment. There will be a presentation on where to find tools that can help a Tribe or community to gather data and options to find projections for your Tribal region. We will use that information to qualitatively measure Exposure, Sensitivity, and Adaptive Capacity.

Citizen Potawatomi South Hall
1702 Gordon Cooper Dr.
Shawnee, OK 74801
