South Central CASC

WRRC 2021 Annual Conference - Tribal Water Resilience in a Changing Environment
2021-08-30 - 2021-09-01
The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center is opening registration for the 2021 Annual WRRC Conference, Tribal Water Resilience in a Changing Environment. The conference will be held virtually over a three day period offering information, diverse perspectives, networking, and more. More information here.

Managing For A Climate Course - Introduction To The Climate System
2021-08-30 - 2021-10-01
The South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center will offer a short course aimed at providing an integrative understanding of the components of the climate system. The courses are free and online and will be live from Aug 30 – Oct 1. Registration open from July 19- Aug 30. More information here.

2021 Governor's Water Conference
2021-12-01 - 2021-12-02
The 41st Oklahoma Governor’s Water Conference and Student Research Water Poster Competition will now be held virtually. Students from higher education institutions in Oklahoma are eligible to apply. Posters must be either research or extension/outreach topics related to water resources in Oklahoma. Poster presentations should be understandable to a general, non-expert audience. Learn more here and register here.

Tribal Rangeland Management and Climate Change Impacts on Rangelands
2022-02-08 - 2022-02-22
Want to learn about Tribal Rangeland Management and Climate Change Impacts on Rangelands? Register for our free, three-session Rangelands Workshop happening in February. Attendance is capped at 50, so register fast!

Register: here.

Fifth National Climate Assessment Southern Great Plains Chapter Public Engagement Workshops
2022-02-15 - 2022-02-16
For those interested in the U.S. National Climate Assessment, there are 4 open sessions to provide your feedback on the Zero Order Draft (that is, the current themes in an annotated outline) of the Southern Great Plains (KS, OK, TX) chapter of the 5th National Climate Assessment (NCA5). The chapter is due to be published with the full assessment report in late 2023.

At this time, themes for each chapter are being discussed and prioritized. Our author team wants your feedback, suggestions, priorities, and other input!

You may sign up for one or more sessions, but you need to register to get the online link:
https://lnkd.in/dNZ9qf3d

(The above link lists all of the workshops. Scroll to the Southern Great Plains list on Feb 15 and 16 to register for ours.)

Youth Dialogue on the National Climate Assessment
2022-02-15 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)
YOUTH DIALOGUE ON THE NATIONAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT
University and high school students are invited to a special event on February 15th from 7-9pm EST to discuss the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5), a major U.S. Government report on how climate change affects people and places in the United States. Attendees will have the chance to hear from authors of the assessment and discuss together how the report can learn from and reflect the concerns of young people in the US.
To register for the event please click here. To learn more about the Fifth National Climate Assessment and additional opportunities to participate, please visit www.globalchange.gov/nca5.
About the report: The National Climate Assessment is a Congressionally mandated quadrennial report led by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. The report evaluates the effects of climate change on regions and sectors of the United States and reports on trends in climate change for the next 25 to 100 years. The Fifth National Climate Assessment will highlight advances in scientific understanding of human-induced and natural processes of climate change and the resulting implications for the United States. Major themes will be presented through the lens of vulnerability, impacts, risks, and adaptation. The report is expected for release in late 2023.

Ecological Transformation using the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) Framework.
2022-03-01 12:00 - 13:00
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s RAD Working Group and the NCTC are hosting a series of webinars on the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) Framework in the coming months. The second webinar in this series will take place in March 1 from 1 to 2 PM, EST.
For volume 2, Dr. Stephen Jackson will be speaking on Ecological Transformation. The RAD Framework is a comprehensive natural resource decision-implementation framework designed to be agile enough to cope with ecosystem change resulting from climate change and other stressors in the 21st century.
Learn more about the RAD Framework here.

Integrating Remote Sensing Data for Land Management Decision-Making
2022-03-22 - 2022-03-24
Save the date: March 22-24, 2022.
The Applied Earth Observations Innovation Partnership (AEOIP) is pleased to announce its Spring virtual workshop on Integrating Remote Sensing Data for Land Management Decision-Making. The workshop aims to enable participants to build connections across the research-to-applications spectrum with subject matter experts from a variety of federal agencies and other affiliations, and to continue to promote interagency collaboration within the Earth Observations (EO) applications field. You can expect interactive panels and guided discussion sessions that will address how to improve research-to-operations pathways and highlight new tools and techniques to promote NASA EO data uptake toward fostering successful connections between data providers and data users. More details and registration information coming soon!
The AEOIP seeks to foster interagency partnerships to advance Earth Observation-based land management. Learn more about us by visiting our website at: https://pikesmeetings.wixsite.com/aeoip.

Culturally Significant Plants Symposium
2022-03-22 - 2022-03-24 | The Chickasaw Nation Retreat and Conference Center, 4205 Goddard Youth Camp Road, Sulphur, OK, 73086, United States
The South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center and Chickasaw Nation will be hosting an event at the Chickasaw Retreat and Conference Center to discuss how climate change impacts culturally significant plants. Researchers and artisans in the field will be present to bring awareness to these issues. Registration details here.

We are initiating an effort to develop collaboration around culturally significant plants research efforts across the South Central region (NM, OK, TX, LA) through a research symposium. We hope that all participants will gain stronger relationships with people working on research in the region – as well as tools and products that will support your efforts.
This in person Kickoff Workshop will cover:
– Artisans sharing importance of culturally significant plants
– Overview of existing tribal culturally significant plants and climate change efforts
– Overview of existing terrestrial ecology and climate change efforts
– Discussions about science needs and priorities
The Kickoff Workshop will be a start of collaboration on culturally significant plants and climate change research.
*MASKS ARE ENCOURAGED*
Contact April Taylor, April.Taylor@chickasaw.net with questions.

Managing For A Changing Climate - Climate Impacts and Adaptation (Spring 2022)
2022-04-04 - 2022-04-29
This course, Climate Impacts and Adaptation, is the final in the series Managing For A Changing Climate. (The other courses are not a pre-requisite, though encouraged). This free, online course will be live from April 4th – April 29th. Registration is open from March 1st through April 4th.
For more information contact ljkerr@ou.edu.
This course focuses on the physical and ecological impacts of climate change, including how climate change may impact hydrology, polar regions, coasts and marine systems, and wildlife. It will also cover decision making and adaptation strategies.

Two Modeling Perspectives with Dr. David Moeser
2022-04-21 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Join us on Thursday, April 21st at 11 am central for the next installment of the Southern Plains Climate Science Webinar with Dr. David Moeser. Two Modeling Perspectives: The dynamics between a changing landscape, changing climate, and changing snow regime in the Rio Grande watershed.
Dr. Moeser is a Hydrologist with the USGS New Mexico Water Science Center and serves as the center’s technical authority on watershed modeling and snow hydrology investigations. His work helps scientists and land managers understand the effects of landscape disturbance and climate change on surface waters in mountainous systems. He focuses on the development and implementation of novel forest canopy characterizations in model platforms to better represent interactions between forests and snow water resources.
Register here!

12th Annual National Tribal GIS Conference
2022-04-25 - 2022-04-29 | Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)
Registration is now open for the 12th Annual National Tribal GIS Conference, to be held April 25-29, 2022 in Albuquerque, NM at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute.
This year’s theme is “Geospatial Resilience in Indian Country”
Email events@tribalgis.com with any questions you may have, and visit the website for all the details.

As a part of this, the South Central CASC will be hosting a Pre-Conference Workshop on April 26th.
Activities during this workshop will include:

Developing a watershed map using water monitoring locations.
Developing a flood hazards map.
Photogrammetry activity using a drone.

Register today to join us!

Fire and Climate Change Webinar Series
2022-05-03 - 2022-05-24
Registration is now open for the upcoming Fire and Climate Change Webinar series! Register here!
Topics include:

Intersection of fire and climate change
Indigenous fire perspectives
Looking ahead: Climate action and resources

Webinars will occur from 9:00am-10:30am central on

May 3
May 10
May 17
May 24

Email info@southcentralclimate.org for any questions!

Climate Change and Climate Adaptation Training for Grasslands Conservation Practitioners
2022-05-16 - 2022-05-27
To learn more about the Grasslands Training events please see this page.
North American grasslands are a regional priority of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The South Central CASC, in partnership with the US FWS Science Applications Program, the Northwest CASC, and the North Central CASC, will be implementing a training series for grasslands conservation practitioners starting in May 2022. Through our training series, we will introduce practitioners to the science of climate change, explore the impacts, and discuss adaptation options available.
To this end, we have created several pieces of training to facilitate grasslands conservation practitioners’ knowledge both online and in-person.

May 16-27, 2022 – Introduction to the Basics of Climate Change. Designed for grasslands managers (online course). There will be a live group activity on May 27th at 2:30 pm central. Register here.
June 13, 2022 (11:00 am central) – Overview of Climate Change Impacts to Grasslands Ecology (Webinar) Register here.
July 2022 – Understanding and Using Future Projections for Landcover Changes (Webinar)
August 2022 – Understanding and Using Future Projections for Trust Species (Webinar)
Fall 2022 – In-person Climate Adaptation Workshop (Invitation only)

Please check back for further information and registration details.

SCIPP Climate Adaptation Summer Academy
2022-06-06 - 2022-06-10 | University of Oklahoma
SCIPP Climate Adaptation Summer Academy

Date: June 06, 2022 – June 10, 2022
Location:
The University of Oklahoma – Norman Campus
Description of Event:
The Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program invites undergraduate students from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana to participate in a 5-day, all-expenses-paid program designed to introduce students to the topic of climate adaptation. Climate Adaptation is the process of identifying both present and future climate effects and determining how communities can adjust to the impacts of present and future climate conditions. There is a growing demand for professionals who have the skills to work in the climate adaptation arena, especially in the South-Central U.S., which is one of the most disaster-prone regions of the country. The academy will connect students with professionals in fields such as meteorology, climate science, geography, and environmental sustainability, and public administration.
Throughout the Summer Academy, students will hear from a variety of speakers on topics including but not limited to: climate-related hazards in the South-Central U.S.; social factors and equity in climate adaptation, climate policy, administrative authorities and their responsibilities, and planning and development skills. Additionally, students will learn about disciplines involved in climate adaptation and have the opportunity to engage with professionals who can help provide direction for those interested in pursuing a career in climate adaptation or a related field. Activities related to each topic will be incorporated throughout the academy, and one day may include a field trip where students learn local planning practitioners’ perspectives on climate adaptation approaches in the region.

For more information and registration details click here.

Wildfire Probability Mapping Based on Regional Soil Moisture Models - Dr. Matthew Levi
2022-07-07 11:00 - 12:00
Thursday, July 7th at 11 am CT – The Southern Plains Climate Science Center is hosting Dr. Matthew Levi, Assistant Professor of Soil Science at the University of Georgia, and Co-PI on the South Central CASC-funded project Wildfire Probability Mapping Based on Regional Soil Moisture Models. Join us to learn about some recent advances in predicting soil moisture in the Red River and Rio Grande Basins and how it could lead to an improved understanding of wildfire across the region and benefit fire managers.
Be sure to join us by registering here.

Earth to Sky Workshop
2022-07-20 - 2022-07-22 | The Chickasaw Nation Retreat and Conference Center, 4205 Goddard Youth Camp Road, Sulphur, OK, 73086, United States
Registration is now open!
Join us for three days of training with native informal educators from across the South Central Region who recognize the importance of teaching climate change. This workshop will be packed with exciting topics and fun activities for you to bring back to your community, including;

NASA Arctic & Earth Signs Training
NASA Living Landscape Project
Shar-A-Thon of Youth Activities
Field Trip to Chickasaw National Recreation Area

When & Where
July 20-22, 2022
Chickasaw Retreat and Conference Center
4205 Goddard Youth Camp Road
Sulphur, OK 73086
Travel Support is available!
Contact April.Taylor@chickasaw.net to be notified when registration begins
Participants are encouraged to register with teams of relevant collaboration. (Ex. Tribal Environment and Education Staff) You will work with these teams to develop plans to implement these trainings in your tribe!

Earth to Sky (ETS) is a partnership between NASA, NPS, and USFWS that enables and encourages informal educators to access and use relevant NASA science, data, and educational & outreach products in their work. The partnership’s focus is on climate change science and communication.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION TRAINING FOR GRASSLANDS CONSERVATION PRACTITIONERS
2022-07-20 14:00 - 15:00
To learn more about the Grasslands Training events, and to see past event recordings, please see this page.
North American grasslands are a regional priority of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The South Central CASC, in partnership with the US FWS Science Applications Program, the Northwest CASC, and the North Central CASC, will be implementing a training series for grasslands conservation practitioners starting in May 2022. Through our training series, we will introduce practitioners to the science of climate change, explore the impacts, and discuss adaptation options available.
To this end, we have created several pieces of training to facilitate grasslands conservation practitioners’ knowledge both online and in-person.

May 16-27, 2022 – Introduction to the Basics of Climate Change. Designed for grasslands managers (online course). There will be a live group activity on May 27th at 2:30 pm central.
June 13, 2022 (11:00 am central) – Overview of Climate Change Impacts to Grasslands Ecology (Webinar)
July 20th at 2pm Central Time / 1pm Mountain Time / 12pm Pacific Time – Understanding and Using Future Projections for Landcover Changes (Webinar) Register Here
Central North American grassland ecosystems are projected to experience transitions at fine and coarse scales resulting from climate change and human land uses. Following the first two sessions of this series (climate change fundamentals, grassland climate projections, and phenology), this session will focus on landcover/vegetation responses to future climates. Themes include drought impacts, changes in water availability, and woody plant encroachment. Three summary presentations by climate scientists will be followed by grassland manager dialogs (via breakout rooms) that build knowledge among grassland conservation practitioners. Participants will be rewarded with information on cutting-edge grassland-climate science and the opportunity to engage peers in solution-finding.

August 31st at 1pm Central Time / 12pm Mountain Time / 11am Pacific Time – Understanding and Using Future Projections for Trust Species (Webinar) Register Here
For the past half-century, grassland birds have been declining faster than any other group of birds. Habitat loss and degradation are driving many of these declines, but the emerging threat of climate change and associated increases in extreme events pose even more challenges. Using grassland birds as a case study, we will discuss new research on how climate change impacts grassland birds, from range shifts to demographic consequences. We will also explore ongoing efforts to identify how climate adaptation strategies can increase the resilience of grassland birds to future climate change.
Fall 2022 – In-person Climate Adaptation Workshop (Invitation only)

Please check back for further information and registration details.

Regional Early Career Workshop
2022-07-24 - 2022-07-29 | University of Oklahoma
The South Central CASC is proud to present the 2022 Regional Early Career Workshop. This year we will be at The University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK from July 24-29th. This training will include:
Science communication strategies and engagement with decision makers.
Field trips and immersive case studies focusing on the region and sites impacted by weather and climate extremes.
Team building: sharing research, round-table discussions, and professional development activities.
Applicants should be graduate students, post-docs, or early career researchers who are conducting climate-related research of relevance to the south-central US.
Transportation and lodging provided. Subsistence funding is available during training hours.
For more details, and to register, please click here. The application deadline has been extended and is now due by 5 pm central time on Friday, April 29, 2022.

Southern Plains Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) Partners Dialogue
2022-08-02 - 2022-08-03
Southern Plains DEWS Partners Dialogue
August 2-3, 2022, Norman, OK.
This regional gathering will bring together partners within the Southern Plains Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) network. The objectives of this 2-day meeting are to:
-Build/rebuild partnerships that may have lagged during the pandemic
-Reiterate the presence of climate service providers and other partners in the region and make plans for working together
-Showcase tools, resources, assessments, and capacity building that each network has to offer
-Refresh the dialog about drought and other climate extremes.

Location: NCED Hotel and Conference Center, ​2801 East State Hwy 9, Norman, Oklahoma

Who Should Attend: This dialogue is particularly relevant to those entities that engage in the following activities:
-Monitor drought conditions
-Engage in drought and water planning
-Utilize climate information in decision making
-Provide information on climate conditions, extremes and impacts
-Conduct research related to drought monitoring, prediction, and risk.
Register here!

Climate 101 Workshop - Tribal Transportation
2022-08-18 - 2022-08-19
Save the date!
August 18th and 19th, 9 am to 3 pm virtually.
Climate 101 Workshop for Tribal Transportation staff. Tribal Transportation Staff, Members, and others working in those areas in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas are encouraged to participate.
Click to register.

2022 National Tribal & Indigenous Climate Conference
2022-08-29 - 2022-09-01
Save the date! August 29th – September 1st.

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) is excited to host the second Biennial National Tribal and Indigenous Climate Conference (NTICC) which will be offered as a hybrid event to ensure that our relatives from across turtle island can join us whether in-person or virtually.

As we did in 2020, we welcome all who are interested in participating or attending. This event will convene knowledge holders on climate change and resilience efforts with an emphasis on the intersection, inclusion and honoring of Traditional and Indigenous Knowledges.

We welcome and encourage all U.S. Tribal and Indigenous nations and Indigenous Peoples from throughout the world, including our Elders and Youth.

Monarch Day
2022-09-10 08:00 - 18:00 | Chickasaw Cultural Center, 867 Cooper Memorial Rd, Sulphur, OK, 73086, United States
The South Central CASC will be attending Monarch Day at the Chickasaw Cultural Center on Saturday, September 10th.
We will be hosting a booth on The Stories of Penology as a part of the Time to Restore project.

There will be a matching game for the kids to match the names of the phenophase to its corresponding image for both Monarch Butterflies and Milkweed plants.
There will be a nature’s notebook sheet to allow everyone to collect data while investigating plants and determining their phenophase.
You can craft butterflies using coffee filters and pipe cleaners.
And of course, there will be handouts related to all of the above available.

You can also become a citizen scientist by helping to track flowering and seed timings of plants through Nectar Connectors, a campaign of Nature’s Notebook, the USA National Phenology Network’s plant and animal data collection program. Learn how to get started at www.usanpn.org/TimetoRestore

TImetoRestoreFlyer

Southwest Adaptation Forum
2022-10-10 - 2022-10-12
The 2022 Southwest Adaptation Forum (SWAF), hosted by the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center(CASC), the South Central CASC, USDA Southwest Climate Hub, and Southwest Decision Resources, will be held at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM.
The SWAF will begin in the afternoon of October 10th, and end in the afternoon of October 12th, and will build on work started at the 2018 and 2021 SWAFs, further exploring topics relevant to adaptation practitioners in the Southwest, such as cultural burning, drought, and ecosystem transformation. There will be no fee to attend.
If you are interested in attending the 2022 SWAF, please complete the pre-application form which puts your name on the list to receive more information in the coming months as well as be notified when the application becomes available. The 9-question form is very important as in-person space is limited!

How Communities Contend with Climate: Rainwater Harvesting and Restoration
2022-10-18 16:00 - 17:00
The South Central CASC’s Building Resilient Communities presents
How Communities Contend with Climate: Rainwater Harvesting and Restoration.
Featuring
Dr. Joaqui Murrieta-Saldivar, Community Resilience to Climate Change: From Treats to Community Empowerment
and
Flor Sandoval, Promoting Economic Justice in Rainwater Harvesting
Over Zoom October 18th at 4p CT/3p MT/2p PT.
Click here to register

2022 National Weather Festival
2022-10-29 10:00 - 14:00 | National Weather Center, Norman, Oklahoma
We will be participating in this year’s National Weather Festival, set to return to an in-person event, on Saturday, October 29th from 10 am to 2 pm.

Oka' 2022 Sustainability Conference
2022-11-08 - 2022-11-09
Join us on November 8th and 9th
The Oka’ Water Sustainability Conference hosts top leaders, scientists, and stakeholders, with presentations, panels, and an immersive dinner.
Click here to learn more and to register: https://lnkd.in/gdq9g8bA

2022 Fall Science Meeting
2022-11-09 - 2022-11-11
REGISTER TODAY!
The South Central CASC is excited to once again host our Fall Science Meeting! This year, the meeting will have a hybrid format with in-person and virtual options. The meeting is open to individuals interested in climate change science and adaptation. This year’s meeting will emphasize partnerships between scientists and resource managers. There will be a special focus on how to market your science, including a poster session designed to showcase your work and network with other attendees. This is an excellent opportunity to display the amazing work you have done and connect with others! While you’re there, enjoy a field trip to the Center for River Studies and indulge in amazing Louisiana food! See below for more information, including a draft agenda and the meeting flyer.
Interested in sharing your research at our poster session? Apply when you register!
November 9, 10, and 11th, 2022
Hybrid Event – In-person at LSU with Virtual Options.
Register Here by Oct 31*!
*Applicants wishing to submit their abstract for consideration in the poster session, must do so by Sept 30th.
Event flyer: https://southcentralclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Fall-Science-Meeting-Flyer.pdf
Agenda:
Fall Science Meeting Final Agenda

GIS Day at OU
2022-11-16 10:00 - 15:00 | Molly Shi Boren Ballroom (OU Memorial Union), 900 Asp Ave, Norman, OK, 73019, United States
Join the South Central CASC at GIS Day, presented by The Center for Spatial Analysis.
There will be door prizes, giveaways, and cash prizes for undergraduate and graduate posters! ALL are welcome!
Matt Davies, our undergraduate research assistant, will be presenting work related to the Flood Report for the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana that he helped create. We will also be on hand with a booth, so come out and say hi!

Restoration of Coastal Wetlands in the Face of Sea-level Rise Webinar
2022-11-17 10:00 - 11:00
Restoration of Coastal Wetlands in the Face of Sea-level Rise
November 17, at 10 am – The Southern Plains Climate Science Webinar Series will have the pleasure of hosting Dr. Camille Stagg from the Wetland and Aquatic Research Center. She will present on her recently completed South Central CASC-funded project, Understanding Impacts of Sea-Level Rise and Land Management on Critical Coastal Marsh Habitat. Join us to learn about this novel research, which informs the Louisiana Climate Initiatives Task Force. State-of-the-art methods identified uncertainties for current and future soil carbon sequestration in the face of sea-level rise and wetlands loss.

Register in advance here:
https://oklahoma.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwvduqopjovGdGX72tqpgohmtMaP2MqzSj-
