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NAF Daily Digest, Day 2

The American Society of Adaptation Professionals, in partnership with EcoAdapt and a crew of volunteer reporters, are teaming up to keep you up to speed with all the latest and greatest news from the National Adaptation Forum! Today we’re bringing you member reports from the forum’s second day.

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Some announcements from the ASAP office:

2018 Regional Adaptation Fora Synthesis Report
Regional Adaptation Fora (RAF) move the needle on adaptation across the nation — read ASAP’s synthesis report on the 2018 RAFs! Be sure to pick up a paper copy of the report at the ASAP booth at NAF!

Beta Test the Climate Adaptation Service Registry
ASAP is partnering with EcoAdapt's Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE) program to develop a process for connecting climate adaptation service providers with service seekers: the Climate Adaptation Service Registry. The goal of this project is to increase the quality and volume of the climate adaptation work happening in communities across North America. We are currently recruiting Beta Testers for the Registry, an opportunity to use your knowledge and experience to improve the Registry application questions and review process, as well as enhance the tool’s overall design.
Photo contributed by Sascha Petersen

Sailing the Resilience Seas – Hands-on Training with New Tools for Every Step of the Resilience Journey

Contributed by Sascha Petersen, Adaptation International

Speakers:
Sascha Petersen, Adaptation International
Nikki Cooley, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
Joe Hostler, Yurok Tribe
Meade Krosby, University of Washington
Kyle Powys Whyte, Michigan State University


This session focused on tribal resilience and provided a hands-on opportunity to work through and discuss the five main phases of the resilience planning process. The tribal context for addressing climate change and enhancing resilience is unique and distinct from Western community approaches. The session was framed by the new Tribal Adaptation Guidebook and highlighted key approaches and challenges in each of the phases of the process.

The speakers shared a wealth of information, but the knowledge and expertise of the attendees was a large part of the session as well. It is inspiring to hear about the work that everyone in the room is doing — it is about doing meaningful life work, not just addressing a particular climate concern or completing a specific project.

Twitter summary: Learn to apply tools and resources to move your adaptation efforts forward. #ResilienceTraining #NAF2019

A Tribal Adaptation Menu of Indigenous-Led Climate Adaptation, Including Background and Case Studies

Contributed by Sharon Hausam, Pueblo of Laguna

Speakers:
Robert W. Croll, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
Stephen Handler, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, USFS
Melonee Montano, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
Katy Bresette, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Gerald Jondreau, Michigan Tech, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Tanya Aldred, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
Christopher Caldwell, College of Menominee Nation, Sustainable Development Institute


“Western societies value … human interactions … Indigenous cultures around the globe and throughout time have also applied these relational values to recognizing and developing connections with their natural environment.”
– Dibaginjigaadeg Anishinaabe Ezhitwaad

This session kicked off with a powerful comparison of text from two climate adaptation resources: the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science’s (NIACS) Adaptation Workbook, and the Tribal Adaptation Menu Team’s Dibaginjigaadeg Anishinaabe Ezhitwaad: A Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu. Key words in the NIACS text were “complexities,” “managers” and “management,” and “control.” Key words in the Tribal Team’s text were “relationships,” “non-human beings,” “generational,” and “equitable.”

Both workbooks include concepts, strategies, and tactics, and offer a “menu” of options for addressing climate change impacts, but their language and tone are quite different. The NIACS menu “wasn’t a great fit for Anishinaabe people,” noted Melonee Montano. It was missing “language, cultural practices, the way we view things.” Now, the Tribal Menu helps educate tribal professionals working in non-tribal systems, and non-tribal professionals working in tribal systems. Both menus have been considered as tools to support stewardship of Waabizheshi, the American marten.

The Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu not only models adaptation practice, but also human relationships, through the collaboration between NIACS and the Tribal Team.

Twitter summary: “Dibaginjigaadeg Anishinaabe Ezhitwaad: A Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu” is a model of climate change adaptation actions for natural resource management, for “caring for those who take care of us.”

Jacqui Patterson of the NAACP, also an ASAP board member. Photo by Shameika Hanson.

Transformational Climate Adaptation Tools For Equitable, Community-Driven Climate Resilience

Contributed by Shameika Hanson, The Nature Conservancy

Speakers:
Jacqueline C. Patterson, NAACP
Victoria Benson, Movement Strategy Center
Corrine Van Hook-Turner, Movement Strategy Center


This session began with an introduction to the Community Driven Planning Guide, which was created by the Movement Strategy Center in conjunction with the National Association of Climate Resilience Planners (NACRP). This framework is made up of five principles: 1) whole systems thinking, 2) desired outcomes reflected in every step, 3) planning process as a learning process, 4) planning into action, and 5) balancing power dynamics among stakeholders. The goal of the framework is to help disrupt the systems of inequity that lead transactional relationships to shift to transformational relationships.

The action toolkit Our Communities, Our Power: Advancing Resistance and Resilience in Climate Change Adaptation was created as a way to achieve transformational adaptation work. Through a series of 19 modules, the toolkit discusses and dives deeply into topics of adaptation that address the inequity that the most vulnerable communities face before climate change issues even begin to impact them. The toolkit will be used to help address these issues especially as they relate to climate adaptation and resilience planning. This toolkit will allow professionals to build genuine and authentic relationships with community members they are trying to work with. It is a living document and is expected to be altered as time progresses to reflect the work of the users.

Twitter summary: Jacqui Patterson presented the Our Communities, Our Power: Advancing Resistance and Resilience in Climate Change Adaptation action toolkit, which was created as a way to achieve transformational adaptation work in planning with communities for the #NAF2019 audience. Stay tuned, the toolkit will be released by the @NAACP soon.

Courageous Climate Action in the Southcentral U.S.: How Not Leading with 'Climate Change' is Making a Difference

Contributed by Rich Bunnell, NAF Daily Digest Editor

Speakers:

Ellu Nasser, Adaptation International
Lisa LaRoque, City of Las Cruces, New Mexico
Sascha Petersen, Adaptation International
Rachel Riley, Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program
Paula Dennison, City of Stillwater, OK


“When and where can we use the C-word: climate?” asked Sascha Petersen at the top of the session. Petersen’s question reflects a difficult truth of climate practice in states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, where “climate” is almost literally a dirty word. Part of this, panelists Rachel Riley and Lisa LaRoque argued, is that climate change in these regions is more nuanced than the rest of the country. The Southcentral United States already regularly experiences extreme weather so it can be difficult to pull the signal from the noise, though the intensity of these events has been increasing over time. Additionally, extreme weather events are generally the responsibility of emergency managers, who don’t traditionally do long-range planning and are often focused on recovery from the previous disaster.

“Seems really easy, huh?” Petersen asked the audience at the panel’s midpoint. “We’ll get into that.”

In the second half of the panel, Ellu Nasser, from San Antonio, and Paula Dennison, from Stillwater, Oklahoma, shed light on the socioeconomic realities that make adaptation a tough sell in their respective districts. San Antonio, for example, is extremely economically segregated, and distrustful of policies that resemble cities like Austin, or other relatively well-off liberal enclaves. So how do practitioners message this? Dennison suggested using examples that reflect residents’ on-the-ground experiences. “Have you noticed that the drought line has moved from the west side of I-35 to the east side of I-35?” she posed as an example worth more than thousands of charts and statistics. Dennison’s ultimate point is that it’s much less valuable to talk about climate than to talk about the climate.

Twitter summary: How do you communicate climate change in Southcentral U.S. states that regularly experience extreme weather and distrust policies associated with liberal cities? This panel suggests not talking about climate, but talking about *the* climate. #NAF2019
Photo contributed by Rachel Jacobson

Advancing Climate Networks through Regional Adaptation Forums: Lessons Learned from 2018 Events and Future Plans

Contributed by Rachel Jacobson, American Society of Adaptation Professionals

Speakers:
Rachel Jacobson, American Society of Adaptation Professionals
Jenna L Jorns, Great Lakes Adaptation Forum, Great Lakes Integrated Sciences & Assessments (GLISA)
Jason Liechty, Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, Broward County
Julia Kim, California Adaptation Forum, Local Government Commission
Michael Simpson, Local Solutions: Eastern Climate Preparedness Conference, Antioch University New England
Amanda Farris, Carolinas Climate Resilience Conference, Carolinas Integrated Sciences & Assessments (CISA)
Carolyn Enquist, Southwest Adaptation Forum, Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center
Lauren Lynch, National Adaptation Forum, EcoAdapt

"We know we need people-centered adaptation. We need
to remember that we [regional conveners] are people, too."
— Julia Kim, speaking to the benefits of collaboration
among regional conference organizers.


The top three areas that Regional Adaptation Fora (RAF) participants across regions want to address through future conferences are 1) equity, 2) funding, finance, and investment, and 3) building networks and relationships. This is consistent with information ASAP and other field actors have gathered about practitioner needs and challenges. Each panelist gave insightful explanations about how their RAF has evolved over time. Almost every region is shifting towards integrating equity directly and holistically throughout the program, and sessions are evolving from sharing best practices to transferring lessons learned from real, successful case studies. This shows the concrete growth of the adaptation field over time, and how local and regional work is driving and reflecting that growth.

"It's kind of like, you get your best ideas in the shower ..."
—Jason Leichty, speaking about the value of attending events outside of your region to take a step back from your
day-to-day work and learn across geographies.


Regional adaptation conferences are moving the needle for adaptation professionals and the field. Cross-regional coordination and sustained support will propel these events further forward to encourage field-wide cohesion and evolution. Read the 2018 Regional Adaptation Fora Synthesis Report.
Steve Adams (rear, center) is honored by attendees at ASAP's reception last night at the Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company. Photo contributed by Emily Mead.

ASAP @ NAF: Take Your Networking to the Next Level!

After the conclusion of our ASAP Members Leading and Transforming the Adaptation Profession session, where members and prospective members had a chance to brainstorm ideas for our member-led groups, the whole gang (and more!) strolled over to the Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company for our official networking reception! But before the revelry started in earnest the event kicked off with a tribute to the mind from which ASAP sprung in the first place: Steve Adams.

“Everyone in adaptation is one degree away from Steve Adams,” said Missy Stults, Adams’ successor as ASAP Board President, in just one of a lengthy series of tributes from members. Thank you, Steve!

Events at a Glance

The Annual ASAP Member Survey
The annual ASAP Member Survey is open through April 30. Insights from this survey directly inform ASAP activities, programs, and strategic direction, helping us create more valuable experiences for you. New this year is the State of the Adaptation Profession section, which will help us evaluate and improve professional development and career opportunities for adaptation professionals for years to come. Your thoughts, ideas, and experiences are the driving force behind all ASAP does and we thank you for taking the time to share your insights with us! Plus one lucky survey respondent will receive a FREE YEAR OF ASAP MEMBERSHIP! ($150 value!) Five additional respondents will receive ASAP water bottles!
Be sure to follow us at @adaptpros with hashtag #NAF2019 on Twitter to learn more about what is happening on the ground!
This National Adaptation Forum Digest is brought to you by the American Society of Adaptation Professionals. We are the nation's premier professional association for climate change adaptation and resilience practitioners and scholars.

Join us at: adaptationprofessionals.org
The National Adaptation Forum is hosted by EcoAdapt
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