The High Country Speaker Series will begin this year on January 31st at Walking Mountains Science Center. This series is done each year in conjunction with the Eagle Valley Library District. The events are FREE and are either located at the Avon Library or the Walking Mountains Campus. Four Scientists’ Perspectives on Climate Change in Colorado, Current and Future Trends… Download a PDF Flyer.
“Climate Change Adaptive Strategies for Mountain Communities”
Betsy Neely, Senior Conservation Planner, The Nature Conservancy
January 31, 6:30pm
Walking Mountains Science Center
In the Gunnison Basin a partnership (Gunnison Climate Working Group) of federal, state and local agencies, colleges, NGOs and ranchers, have come together to better understand the impacts of climate change and develop adaptation strategies to help species, ecosystems and people adapt to a changing climate. Eagle County shares a similar ecosystem with the Gunnison Basin. Betsy is currently leading The Nature Conservancy’s efforts in the Gunnison River Basin as part of the Southwest Climate Change Initiative, which includes Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Betsy will provide an overview of the Gunnison Climate Working Group and how it can serve as a model for other mountains communities.
Betsy Neely is a Senior Conservation Planner with the Nature Conservancy and the Director of the Southwest Climate Change Initiative.
“Observed Climate Change Effects in Colorado with Special Regard to Rocky Mountain National Park”
Jill Baron, ecosystem ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey
Feb 14, 6:30pm
Avon Public Library
The responses to a changing climate are all around us, from beetle infestations of our forests, to earlier emergences of marmots in the spring, to retreating glaciers. Dr. Baron will talk about what has been observed in the Colorado mountains and share results from long term and continuing research at Rocky Mountain National Park. One thing we DO know: the onset and continuance of climate change into the next century requires that we all think differently about how to manage our resources than we have in the past.
Dr. Jill Baron is an ecosystem ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and a Senior Research Ecologist with the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University.
“Colorado’s Amazing Climate”
Nolan Doesken, State Climatologist Colorado State University
Feb 28, 6:30pm
Avon Public Library
From the plains to the plateaus and the high mountains in between, Colorado’s climate is amazingly varied and complex. Even in the mountains the climate varies every mile — affected by elevation, slope, aspect and distance and direction from mountain ranges. Many of these variations are visibly apparent as we travel about the state and contribute to the beauty of our State. With our location in the mid latitudes close to 40 degree N, we see extremely large day to day and seasonal changes. Thanks to over a century of dedicated weather observing in many parts of the Colorado, climatologists have a pretty good idea of how the climate varies with elevation and location. Nolan Doesken will provide a background on what the key factors are that produce our climate. Examples of Colorado precipitation, temperature, humidity and wind patterns will be shown and historic trends will be discussed. Then we will assess why the climate varies from year to year and why long-range climate prediction is difficult. Finally, we will describe the important link between climate and water supplies.
Nolan Doesken has been at Colorado State University with the Colorado Climate Center since 1977 serving as State Climatologist since his appointment in 2006.
“Really Hot and Really Cool Times in the Rocky Mountains”
Richard Stucky, Curator of Paleoecology & Evolution, Denver Museum of Nature and Science
March 14, 6:30pm
Walking Mountains Science Center
The Rocky Mountain region has perhaps the most important sequence of fossil beds found on Planet Earth ranging in age from billions of years ago to the more recent Pleistocene about 10,000 years ago. At 50 million years ago the Rocky Mountain region was tropical. The plant and animal climate of that time reflects this tropical environment when diversity was at very high levels and animals such as primates were present that were well adapted to a tropical forest canopy. Over the past several hundred thousand years, the Rocky Mountain region has experience much cooler climates with glacial advances and plants and animals that reflect lower diversity and adaptations to cold. Climate change is a given through Earth history. We will explore what this means for the present world and predictions on how our region will change with either increased warming or cooling.
Richard Stucky, Curator of Paleoecology & Evolution, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
For more information please call Walking Mountains Science Center, (970) 827-9725 x110 or email info@walkingmountains.org
[...] us for the first event in our High Country Speaker Series in 2012. These events are free and supported through our partnership with the Eagle Valley Library [...]