Climate change and natural hazards are increasingly affecting National Park Service infrastructure, natural and cultural resources, and visitor use. Increases in climate hazards such as high temperatures and intense precipitation can detrimentally affect not only park natural resources, but also threaten important visitor-facing infrastructure such as campgrounds, comfort stations and trails, as well as operational systems like emergency notification and radio networks.
Join us on October 26 to learn about a collaboration between the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center and the NPS Midwest Regional Office that aims to increase climate adaptation capacity in Midwest parks. As part of the project, MW CASC researchers work closely with park managers to identify areas of high risk to future climate hazards, which, based on the scope of their planning and management goals, park staff may use to determine high-priority assets for upgrade, replacement, or decommissioning.
Speaker
Mariel Jones is an environmental engineer and hydrologist working with the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center and the National Park Service. Broadly, Mariel is interested in wetland and forest hydrology, modeling climate change impacts and adaptation, and working with the public to help them gain a better understanding of climate change and how it may affect them. Mariel recently completed a PhD in Water Resources Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, studying how snow and loss of winter are affecting Minnesota’s peatland dominated watersheds.