Lake Superior: Natural Resources, Culture, Climate Change

Within the Lake Superior basin, global climate change is expected to cause increased annual temperature, decreased snow, increased rain, and more frequent and extreme weather events. These changes are likely to affect local economies dependent upon the aesthetics of water and the region, commercial and recreational fishing, forestry and the manufacture of forest products, wildlife, tourism, recreation, agriculture, and coastal communities with cultural traditions that have evolved over thousands of years. This workshop provides field experience-based climate change investigations within Lake Superior’s coastal communities and tribal lands.

This workshop is designed to expand climate change literacy for natural resource professionals by integrating climate science with place-based economic and cultural perspectives that resonate with learners and engage them in climate change mitigation or adaptive decision-making. By integrating scientific knowledge with economic and culturally relevant place-based research and innovative natural resources management outreach methodologies, participants will gain an understanding of climate impacts and needed adaptations in integrated natural resources management and decision-making. This culturally relevant climate literacy will provide ways and help build community leadership based on a systems approach to mitigate or adapt to climate changes.