#NAF2015
NATIONAL ADAPTATION FORUM
MEDIA GUIDE
MAY 12-14, 2015 ST. LOUIS, MO
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A searchable/sortable version of the program is available online at
www.nationaladaptationforum.org
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About the Table of Contents National Adaptation Forum About the National Adaptation Forum ................................................. 2 Program ................................................................................................. 3 Sponsors and Exhibitors / Guide to the Midway .................................. 4 Steering and Program Committees ...................................................... 5 National Adaptation Forum History / 2013 Event Summary ................ 6 About EcoAdapt .................................................................................... 8 About the Media Room at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel ............... 9 2015 National Adaptation Forum Media Guide / Please direct all inquiries to Alex Score ([email protected] or 305‐509‐2635) | 1 About the National Adaptation Forum The National Adaptation Forum (May 12‐14, 2015 at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri) gathers the adaptation community to foster knowledge exchange, innovation and mutual support for a better tomorrow. As climate change alters the environment around us, new ways are needed to achieve sustainability and conservation goals to meet the basic needs of society and the environment. Adaptation is a small, rapidly growing field developing in response to urgent needs and challenges. The National Adaptation Forum provides opportunities for the professional adaptation community from across the United States to convene to share strategies, lessons, tools and information through formal trainings, facilitated practitioner presentations, and informal exchange of information. This event affords participants the opportunity to learn more about how to make their work climate smart, share what they have learned with others, and develop a stronger network to be climate savvy in all that they do. More than 800 adaptation professionals are participating from every state in the United States, one territory, three Canadian provinces, and five countries. These registrants represent 37 percent government, 30 percent non‐profit, 15 percent university research/teaching, 10 percent student, 8 percent corporate. Sponsors from all sectors and from around the world are supporting the event with financial support and with booths. More than 39 organizations, including the Kresge Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation, are sponsoring this year’s event. In support of these professionals, the program will provide 71 traditional symposia, 21 innovative trainings, and 24 cutting edge working groups to develop new areas of adaptation. There will also be poster presentations and emerging tools demonstrations. Topics addressed in the program include agriculture and food security, architecture and design, city resilience planning, coalition building, community based adaptation, critical infrastructure, cultural heritage resources, disaster risk management, economic development, education and outreach, financing adaptation, international readiness, land use planning, marine and coastal impacts, monitoring and evaluation, natural resources, policy, public health, transportation, tribal, and water resources. Be Social The National Adaptation Forum is active on social media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/483430071784395/  Twitter: @AdaptationForum  Linked In: National Adaptation Forum The hashtag for the event is #NAF2015. Questions Please direct all inquiries to Alex Score ([email protected] or 305‐509‐2535). 2015 National Adaptation Forum Media Guide / Please direct all inquiries to Alex Score ([email protected] or 305‐509‐2635) | 2 Program Online at nationaladaptationforum.org The 2015 program will provide 71 traditional symposia, 21 innovative trainings, and 24 cutting edge working groups to develop new areas of adaptation. There will also be 76 poster presentations and 18 emerging tools. Topics addressed in the program include agriculture and food security, architecture and design, city resilience planning, coalition building, community based adaptation, critical infrastructure, cultural heritage resources, disaster risk management, economic development, education and outreach, financing adaptation, international readiness, land use planning, marine and coastal impacts, monitoring and evaluation, natural resources, policy, public health, transportation, tribal, and water resources. The full program is available online at www.nationaladaptationforum.org. 2015 National Adaptation Forum Media Guide / Please direct all inquiries to Alex Score ([email protected] or 305‐509‐2635) | 3 Sponsors and Exhibitors The National Adaptation Forum’s sponsors and exhibitors make the capacity building, professional development, and information sharing possible. Without them the National Adaptation Forum could not present an innovative and comprehensive program featuring plenary sessions, symposia, working groups, training sessions, exhibit booths, poster sessions, and networking events. Guide to the Midway / Exhibitor Floor Plan
Booth Key: 1 – American Society of Adaptation Professionals ■ 2 – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ■ 3 – EcoAdapt ■ 4 – Defenders of Wildlife ■ 5 – ISET International ■ 6 – ICLEI/DOE Solar SunShot Program ■ Path for Positive Communities ■ 8 – Climate Adaptation Scholars ■ 9 ‐‐ Buoyant Foundation Project ■ 10 – US Fish and Wildlife Service / Landscape Conservation Cooperatives ■ 11 – Conservation Biology Institute ■ 12 – Cascadia Consulting Group ■ 13 – Union of Concerned Scientists ■ 14 – RAND Corporation ■ 15 – Climate Planning ■ 16 – Anheuser‐Busch ■ 17 – Climate Change Art – Climate Change Action ■ 18 – United Nations Environmental Programme ■ 19 – The Nature Conservancy ■ 20 – Adaptation International ■ 21 – Abt Associates ■ 22 – Natural Hazard Mitigation Association ■ 23 – Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index ■ 24 – Local St. Louis Adaptation Partners ■ 25 – Anheuser‐Busch ■ 26 – ICF International ■ 27 – Greenway Network ■ 28 ‐‐ University of South Carolina Geography Department / Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments ■ 29 – Georgetown Climate Center ■ 30 – AECOM ■ 31 – ClimateWise ■ 32 – US EPA Office of Sustainable Communities ■ 33 – Model Forest Policy Program ■ 34 – Association of Climate Change Officers ■ 35 – City of St. Louis
2015 National Adaptation Forum Media Guide / Please direct all inquiries to Alex Score ([email protected] or 305‐509‐2635) | 4 Steering and Program Committees The 2015 National Adaptation Forum is made possible by individuals who donated their time and ideas to make it happen. With great appreciation, we acknowledge each of our Steering and Program Committee members. Steering Committee Paul Fleming, Seattle Public Utilities WendyKay Gewiss, EcoAdapt Lara Hansen, EcoAdapt (Chair) Ashlee Grace, Graham Sustainability Institute, Margaret Davidson, National Oceanic and University of Michigan Atmospheric Administration Jessica Grannis, Georgetown Climate Center Naomi Edelson, National Wildlife Federation Lara Hansen, EcoAdapt Garrett Fitzgerald, Urban Sustainability Directors Michelle Haynes, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Network Chris Hilke, National Wildlife Federation Mike Goldstein, U.S. Forest Service Jessica Hitt, EcoAdapt John A. Hall, Department of Defense Margaret Hiza Redsteer, U.S. Geological Survey Sean Hart, Bureau of Indian Affairs Sara Hoverter, Harrison Institute for Public Law Noah Matson, Defenders of Wildlife Kasey Jacobs, Caribbean Landscape Conservation Michael McCormick, California Governor’s Office of Cooperative Planning and Research Cynthia McHale, Ceres Jennifer Jurado, Broward County, Florida Amber Pairis, California Department of Fish and Nile Malloy, Communities for a Better Environment Wildlife Kris May, AECOM Linda Rudolph, Public Health Institute Mark McCaffrey, National Center for Science Joel Scheraga, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Education Paul Wagner, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Kate Meis, Local Government Commission Catherine Werner, Office of the Mayor, St. Louis MO John O'Leary, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Susan Wotkyns, Institute for Tribal Environmental Wildlife Professionals, Northern Arizona University Amber Pairis, California Department of Fish and Miya Yoshitani, Asian Pacific Environmental Network Wildlife Kim Penn, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Program Committee Administration Kimberly Hall, The Nature Conservancy (Co‐Chair) Sascha Peterson, American Society of Adaptation Alex Score, EcoAdapt (Co‐Chair) Professionals Amanda Brennan, Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Kara Reeve, RTI International Assessments Kif Scheuer, Local Government Commission Christa Daniels, Antioch University New England Parin Shah, Asian Pacific Environmental Network Center for Community Resilience and Climate Katie Skakel, Tetra Tech Preparedness Amy Snover, University of Washington Climate Aimee Delach, Defenders of Wildlife Impacts Group Mike Durglo, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Jason Vogel, Abt Associates, Inc. Tribes Lara Whitely Binder, University of Washington Garrett Fitzgerald, Urban Sustainability Directors Climate Impacts Group Network John Wiener, University of Colorado Institute of Behavioral Science
2015 National Adaptation Forum Media Guide / Please direct all inquiries to Alex Score ([email protected] or 305‐509‐2635) | 5 National Adaptation Forum History / 2013 Summary The Inaugural National Adaptation Forum convened in Denver, Colorado on April 2‐4, 2013. First envisioned by EcoAdapt, the event was a wild success providing a unique opportunity for climate adaptation practitioners to interact in a manner that had heretofore been missing from the adaptation community. Attendance at the Inaugural Adaptation Forum totaled 498 and was comprised of participants from non‐
government organizations, government at all levels, academia and the private sector from across the United States. Providing travel support was key to a successful event. The majority of government participants (including local, state, federal and tribal) have little or no designated travel funds, while non‐governmental organizations and students have perennially limited funds in general. The 2013 federal government’s sequestration of funds further compounded this situation. In order to increase participation of these groups that would otherwise be unable to attend and to increase geographic diversity of participants, travel grants were provided for 29% of participants. Several states had representation directly attributable to travel grant support, including Kentucky, New Mexico, Ohio, South Dakota, and Utah, as well as Puerto Rico and NMI. Symposia, training sessions and working groups brought to the fore an array of issues, from environmental/climate justice to tribal learning to savvy adaptation tips and new frameworks. It was abundantly clear that lot of adaptation is taking place despite a relatively small cohort of practitioners, limited regulatory mandate and a perceived lack of funds. States, large metropolitan regions, Tribes, counties, small towns, community groups and natural resource managers are all considering how to address the effects of climate change in their daily work. The sessions throughout the Forum were designed around conversations, not just presenters speaking to an audience. The National Adaptation Forum is building a field of adaptation practitioners and fostering a cohort that is engaged and interested in hearing all voices. At the closing town‐hall‐style plenary session, participants shared why they came to the Forum, what they learned and how they will make this new‐found knowledge part of their daily work. Responses were professional, personal and practical, and all were meaningful to not only the speaker but also the audience. Afterward, participants provided the following feedback about the Inaugural National Adaptation Forum: 2015 National Adaptation Forum Media Guide / Please direct all inquiries to Alex Score ([email protected] or 305‐509‐2635) | 6 It’s an unparalleled opportunity to meet with and learn from leaders in adaptation… Chris Keeley, New Hampshire Climate Adaptation Working Group The Forum was extremely valuable, thought provoking, and exciting! There is so much work to be done and listening to experts and practitioners discuss the many issues facing us all and how we can best address those issues was so important. I learned many, many things that I will take back to Benicia and try my best to integrate and implement. Alex Porteshawver, Consulting Climate Action Plan Coordinator, City of Benicia, CA Congratulations, on what I think was a spectacular conference last week. There was so much interesting information being presented, my head was spinning. I loved it. It was very well organized and I was very impressed with the service provided. One of the aspects of the conference I also appreciated was the small "d" democratic nature of it because if created a feeling of being open to all participants. In addition, as an exhibitor, I want to let you know we think the booth was a big success. We met a lot of people whom we probably would not have met. It really helped that the conference was not huge and the booths were in a central meeting area. Great work and I look forward the 2nd National Adaptation Forum! Joel B. Smith, Principal, Stratus Consulting The National Adaptation Forum was a smart conference—it provided a fabulous opportunity to learn about and to share information on the art, the science and the practice of climate adaptation. Maybe more importantly, it was a vibrant conference. Truly, there was palpable energy around building the capacity of participants not only as individuals but as a community. Liz Bell, Wilburforce Foundation I wanted to convey how impressed I was with the National Adaptation Forum – it was extremely thought‐
provoking and I learned a lot. I also wanted to ask you to convey my thanks once again to all of the sponsors who contributed to defraying our costs such that we were able to bring quite a number of people from Denver. This was also really useful and served to help engage staff from a variety of agencies. We have been building interest and a strong team in Denver, and this event helped to solidify commitments. Celia Vanderloop, Director, Environmental Quality Division, Department of Environmental Health, City and County of Denver I want to thank you, EcoAdapt, and the sponsors, John D and Catherine T Mac Arthur Foundation, for this fantastic conference and gathering! For those of us working in rural regions of the US in adaptation in isolated areas, and perhaps anyone in the field, it was so enlightening and uplifting to have the opportunity to share and meet our peers from across the country! So often in the pursuit of adaptation planning, I feel that I am the only one in the room that understands‐ to be surrounded by 500+ others who are moving in the same direction was energizing for the importance of the work that we are doing. Marcie Bidwell, Mountain Studies Institute, Durango, CO 2015 National Adaptation Forum Media Guide / Please direct all inquiries to Alex Score ([email protected] or 305‐509‐2635) | 7 About EcoAdapt Our Approach. Climate change is real. It is not a problem of the future, it's a problem of now. The disruptions it is causing require that we change the way we consider planning and management in order to ensure the future of natural and built systems. In order to protect these areas from the unavoidable effects of climate change, EcoAdapt provides support, training, and assistance to make planning and management less vulnerable and more climate savvy. Over the past 200 years, great strides have been made in the world of management and now all of that is at risk because of climate change. EcoAdapt is working to ensure the success of these past efforts by delivering a framework for climate adaptation. We help governments, organizations, and individuals figure out how to do what they do effectively, even in the face of climate change. Our Mission. EcoAdapt, founded by a team of some of the earliest adaptation thinkers and practitioners in the field, has one goal ‐ creating a robust future in the face of climate change. We bring together diverse players to reshape planning and management in response to rapid climate change. Our Main Objectives Include:  Building the field of adaptation by coordinating, magnifying, and making climate change adaptation capacity and resources more accessible.  Building capacity of current and future professionals in planning and management across sectors so they can engage in climate change adaptation.  Supporting implementation of adaptation strategies by providing capacity to partners eager to take climate adaptation action. EcoAdapt Achieves These Goals By:  Creating a core team of climate change adaptation specialists with extensive on‐the‐ground experience. This critical mass will strive to ferment and distill new ideas that build this new paradigm, both as team and with a network of partners.  Acting as an adviser and facilitator for groups wishing to engage on climate change adaptation but lack internal support or capacity.  Creating training opportunities and materials (adaptation workshops, guidebooks, curriculum and teaching, field experience).  Creating networks of projects and partners with similar concerns to support adaptation policy and building the field of adaptation science. One particular mechanism to achieve this is through the interactive online database – the Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE). EcoAdapt is committed to working with partners to ensure the bi‐annual National Adaptation Forum continues to expand the network of adaptation practitioners, helping them become climate‐savvy in all they do. EcoAdapt is a 501(c)(3) tax‐exempt nonprofit organization based in Bainbridge Island, Washington, USA. 2015 National Adaptation Forum Media Guide / Please direct all inquiries to Alex Score ([email protected] or 305‐509‐2635) | 8 About the Media Room at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel Set in the center of St. Louis, the historic St. Louis Union Station Hotel is within walking distance to Scottrade Center and Peabody Opera House. This hotel is minutes from Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village and just 20 minutes from Lambert International Airport. Enjoy direct MetroLink access to the airport. This hotel features the impressive ‘Headhouse’ Grand Hall as a lobby lounge area with its sweeping archways, gold leaf detailing, mosaics and art glass windows. Transport back to a time when travel was truly extraordinary. Witness a remarkable 3D projected show on the Grand Hall 65‐foot tall ceiling, once an hour between 5pm‐10pm daily. The historic beauty helped achieve a top Railway Themed Hotel rating by Condé Nast. During the Forum, members of the working media are invited to use the Red Caps Room (see red circle) for interviews, or to have a quiet space to work on and file stories. 2015 National Adaptation Forum Media Guide / Please direct all inquiries to Alex Score ([email protected] or 305‐509‐2635) | 9 THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IN ST. LOUIS!
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