Responding to Climate Change II Workshop

 

Alliance Successfully Co-Sponsors Workshop at 66th Annual Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference

 On April 26, 2010, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) and the Climate Change and Wildlife Alliance – Massachusetts (Alliance) co-hosted an afternoon workshop at the 66th Annual NEAFWA Conference held in Newton, Massachusetts.
 
Responding to Climate Change II: Working together to safeguard wildlife and habitats in the face of climate change brought together people from state and federal agencies, land trusts, conservation organizations, colleges and other non-government organizations attended to learn about how Massachusetts is leading the nation to collaboratively address climate change impacts to wildlife.

The Plenary Session

The day began with a morning plenary session that set the stage for the afternoon workshop. Speakers discussed climate change and energy issues on a local, state and federal scale bringing a variety of perspectives about policy, mitigation, adaptation, and on-the-ground projects. The “take home” message is a sense of urgency – action needs to happen now – and together we can make a positive impact in addressing a changing climate. Presenters included:
  • Commissioner Mary Griffin, Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game
  • Ian A. Bowles, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • John Kostyack, Executive Director, Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming for the National Wildlife Federation;
  • Kevin Knobloch, President, Union of Concerned Scientists
  • Dan Ashe, Deputy Director for Policy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
  • Hector Galbraith, Ph.D., Director, Climate Change and Energy Initiative, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences.

Responding to Climate Change II Workshop

Nearly 150 individuals gathered for the afternoon workshop to build upon the conversation which began at Bentley University in November 2008. The workshop featured speakers that provided the latest thinking on how climate change is impacting fish and wildlife resources and presented opportunities to become involved in on-the-ground management activities, establish a regional context for climate change issues, and identify emerging issues.
 
Copies of the presentations for the Responding to Climate Change II workshop follows:
 
Jack Buckley, Deputy Director, MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
 
John O'Leary, Grants Specialist, MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Hector Galbraith, Ph.D., Director of Climate Change and Energy Initiative, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences (Manomet)
 
Henry Woolsey, Program Manager, Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program
James DeNormandie, Conservation Planner, Mass Audubon's Ecological Extension Service
Andy Finton, Director of Conservation Science, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of Massachusetts
 
John Scanlon, Forestry Supervisor, MA Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Tim Simmons, Habitat Restoration Ecologist
 
Andrew Milliken, USFWS
 
Abraham Miller-Rushing, Ph.D., Interim Assistant Director and Wildlife Phenology Coordinator, USA National Phenology Network and The Wildlife Society, The University of Arizona
 
George Gay, Climate Change Program, National Wildlife Federation
Hector Galbraith, Ph.D., Manomet
 
Steve Long, Director, Government Relations, TNC of Massachusetts