Consortium Leadership Team Meeting

Invitation-only meeting. 

Location: Campus Center Room 406  

Break 

Special Topics Workshop: Ethical Engagement with Tribes

Facilitator: Sara Smith, Midwest Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison 

Invitation-only meeting. Ethical Tribal Engagement Training for MW CASC staff, leadership team members, and postdoctoral researchers. 

Location: Campus Center Room 409 

Optional Social Activity: Game Night

Welcome to Indianapolis! Stop by to play climate-themed board games and get to know your fellow attendees. Note: dinner will not be provided, but attendees are welcome to purchase their own meals and bring them to the meeting space. Check out this list of nearby restaurants. 

Location: Campus Center Room 405 

Optional Social Activity: WRASC-ALS 

Join the Walkers and Runners of the MW CASC for a group excursion. Meet at 6:30am at the corner of New York St. & University Ave.

Registration & Coffee 

Location: University Tower Ballroom Foyer 

Opening Remarks

Speaker: Dr. Phaedra Corso, Assistant Vice President for Research, Indiana University & Vice Chancellor for Research, IUPUI

Location: University Tower Ballroom 

The Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center: Who We Are & Where We’re Going

Speakers: Jessica Hellmann & Olivia LeDee, MW CASC

A discussion of the Midwest CASC’s shared values, priorities, accomplishments, and goals. 

Location: University Tower Ballroom

Lightning Talks 

• Elise Zipkin
  Michigan State University
• Matt Trumper
  University of Minnesota
• Rafael Davila 
  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Jacob Lemon
  Trout Unlimited
• Joseph Mrnak
  University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Shengwu Duan
  University of Missouri
• David Rothstein
  Michigan State University 
• Mo Abbasian
  University of Wisconsin-Madison
   

Location: University Tower Ballroom

Break 

LOCATION: UNIVERSITY TOWER BALLROOM Foyer 
 

Climate Adaptation in the Built Environment

Speaker: Gabriel Filippelli, Indiana University 

Urbanized areas are becoming both denser and more expansive, and in the Midwest make up the “third leg” of landscapes alongside agricultural land and undeveloped land (forests, grasslands, lakes). Cities are major players on the landscape and have a large impact on the health, movement, and adaptation of non-human organisms. This talk will describe ways that urbanized areas can be both boons and banes for climate adaptation and ecosystem health, and explore how green infrastructure practices and policies, typically considered in the context of ensuring climate resilience for people, might also be shaped to promote ecological benefits and enhance climate adaptability.

LOCATION: University Tower Ballroom 

Lunch & Informal Networking

Lunch is on your own. Check out this list of nearby restaurants.

Translating Research Into Action: Effective Science Communication

Speaker: Kimberly Hall, The Nature Conservancy 

Invitation-only meeting. Mentors and early career researchers gather for lunch and a workshop on effective science communication. 

LOCATION: University Tower Indiana Room 

Breakout Sessions

• Tutorial on Climate Change Projections (For Early Career Researchers) 
  • Facilitator: Steve Vavrus, University of Wisconsin-Madison 
  • Location: University Tower Ballroom
• Developing Management-Relevant Research Programs 
  • Facilitator: Marta Lyons, Midwest CASC
  • Speakers: Benjamin Zuckerberg, University of Wisconsin; Marissa Ahlering, The Nature Conservancy; Jacob Blandford, Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies; Russ Mason, Michigan Department of Natural Resources; and Desi Robertson-Thompson, MW CASC  
  • Management-relevant actionable science programs are most successful when formed through collaborations between researchers and natural resource partners. Early and frequent involvement with partners in project development ensures research questions and outcomes respond to relevant management needs. In this breakout session we will hear from MW CASC researchers and practitioners on their experiences and advice for developing management-relevant research programs. 
  • Location: University Tower Purdue Room
• The MW CASC Synthesis Research Approach 
  • Facilitator: Jessica Hellmann, University of Minnesota & Midwest CASC 
  • This roundtable session aims to familiarize attendees with the MW CASC Synthesis Research approach and create a space where the MW CASC community can contribute to defining specific areas of focus and practical outcomes for current and future synthesis efforts. Participants will gain insights into the role of synthesis research within the MW CASC and learn from case studies of synthesis projects on topics relevant to resource management and conservation. Additionally, through engaging discussions with practitioners and researchers, attendees will collaborate to identify topics or issues where synthesis research can be most useful in the context of adaptation decision-making and implementation in the Midwest region. 
  • Location: University Tower Presidents Room 

Poster Session 

Learn about the work of MW CASC researchers. Light refreshments will be available. Interested in bringing a poster? Contact Jess Del Fiacco for details. 

• Mo Abbasian, "Process-Based Calibration of WRF-Hydro: Leveraging a New Nationwide High-Resolution Forcing Dataset"
• Yog Aryal, "Exploring the Projected Changes in the Rain-on-Snow Melt, Hydrology, and Stream Temperature in the Great Lakes Basin Throughout the 21st Century"
• Jacy Bernath-Plaisted, "Can Microclimates Inform the Management of Midwestern Grasslands?"
• Rujia Bi, "Catchability Trends and Proportionality of the Catch-Per-Unit-Effort vs. Abundance Relationship for Recreational Fisheries Under Climate Change"
• Daniela Cala, "Dynamic Baselines for Climate Benefits Verification in Carbon Markets" 
• Katherine Charton, "An Encroaching Woody Species (Cornus racemosa) Does Not Alter Gas Exchange in Response to Drought as Much as the Dominant Herbaceous Species in Managed Temperate Grasslands" 
• Dimaris Colón, "Climate Change Impacts on Shorebird’s Foraging Sites in  Barrier Islands at the Gulf Coast" 
• Spencer Gardner, "Bottom-Up Modeling of Ecosystem Processes to Aid Understanding of Larval Recruitment Dynamics in Lake Michigan"
• Sean Lewandoski, "Climate Adaptation Decision Support for Lake Whitefish Fisheries in the Great Lakes"
• Cinnamon Mittan-Moreau, "Genomically-Informed Solutions to 'Small Population Problems' in a Critically Endangered Butterfly"
• Penelope Murphy, "Managing and Promoting the Resiliency of Winter-Adapted Species to Climate Change"
• Dustin O'Brien, "Ecological Grief in the Anthropocene"
• Ashley Trudeau, "Anticipating Angler Behavior for Climate Resilience"
• Lydia Voth Rurup, "Using Dendrochronology to Characterize Climate-Driven Changes to Floodplain Forests in the Upper Mississippi River"
• Rohini Vembar, "Development of a Climate-Focused Spatial Prioritization Tool for Midwest Wetland Management"
• Luoliang Xu, "Disentangling the Impacts of Warming and Fishing on Exploited Freshwater Fish Populations"

Location: University Tower "The Landing"

4:00 - 6:00 PM

Field Trip 

Join your fellow attendees for a walking tour along the White River and see examples of green infrastructure in downtown Indianapolis. Led by Gabriel Filippelli. Note: Transportation via carpooling is also available. 

Location: Meet in University Tower Ballroom Foyer 

External Advisory Committee Meeting 

Invitation-only meeting. 

Location: Campus Center Room 406

Synthesis Working Group Meeting

Invitation-only meeting. 

Location: University Tower Indiana Room 

Dinner 

Dinner is on your own. Check out this list of nearby restaurants, with more options coming soon!  

Early Career Mixer

Invitation-only meeting. A networking opportunity for Midwest CASC students, postdoctoral researchers, and mentors. 

Location: Brew Link Brewing 

Optional Social Activity: Meetup Downtown

Location: TBD 

Coffee & Networking 

Location: University Tower Ballroom Foyer 

Synthesis Project Discussion Group: Adaptation Planning and Practice 

In addition to invited participants, this discussion group is open to all interested Annual Gathering attendees. A discussion group for engagement of MW CASC partners with the first Synthesis Project, “Assessment of Adaptation Plans and Practices for Natural and Cultural Resources.” This session will convene attendees with experience in adaptation practice to share their perspectives and input on the MW CASC Synthesis Project’s goals and research directions. The purpose of the discussion group is to inform research strategies and insights so that research findings are relevant to regional practitioners. Additionally, this discussion group offers opportunities for connections and engagement with others from agencies and organizations who share an interest in climate adaptation planning.

Location: University Tower Presidents Room 

Welcome Back: Day 1 Recap 

Location: University Tower Ballroom

(Re)Searching for Connection Between Science and Management 

Speaker: Elizabeth Mabee, Indiana Department of Natural Resources  

Scientists and managers share the same passion at their core: a desire to make the world a better place. And, the realities of the profession of science and natural resources management sometimes drive disconnection. Together, we’ll explore how to find and build connection to maximize the effectiveness of science and management efforts.

Location: University Tower Ballroom

Break & Group Photo 

Location: University Tower Courtyard

Lightning Talks 

• Luoliang Xu
  University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Spencer Gardner
  Purdue University
• Russ Mason
  MI DNR and Michigan State University
• Wes Bickford
  USGS Great Lakes Science Center
• Rohini Vembar 
  University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Marta Lyons
  MW CASC 
• Chanse Ford
  Upper Midwest Water Science Center
   

Location: University Tower Ballroom

E Pluribus Unum: Personal and Shared Visions of Success

Speakers: 

• Christopher Hoving, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

• Cory Suski, Illinois University Urbana-Champaign

What assumptions do we make about the future in climate adaptation work? How do we define success? What variation do we have in these concepts?

Location: University Tower Ballroom

Closing Remarks 

Location: University Tower Ballroom

Field Trip 

Travel to Morgan-Monroe State Forest (60 mi from event location) to visit the long-running AmeriFlux tower, and to learn more about the challenges and opportunities of managing Central Hardwood forests. Facilitated by Kim Novick in coordination with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Location: Meet in University Tower Ballroom Foyer