September 10, 2025
In August, the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (MW CASC) community came together for a three-day Summer Symposium at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a consortium member university.
Summer is traditionally when the MW CASC holds its Annual Gathering, but due to travel restrictions, many federal partners and others who are vital members of the MW CASC community were unable to join us in person this year. Instead, we re-imagined this event, dedicating a larger portion of our time to hands-on workshops and taking advantage of face-to-face time to have productive conversations that advance the shared mission of our partnerships – while transitioning our plenary sessions to a hybrid format, allowing remote community members to benefit from the research and ideas discussed.
Plenary sessions included a presentation by Dr. May Berenbaum of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on climate change and insect population declines (view recording), a panel discussion on the interface between natural resource management and working lands (view recording), and a panel discussion on restoration and adaptation at Illinois Beach State Park (view recording). Dr. Colleen Reid of the University of Colorado Boulder shared her recent research on climate, wildfire, and human health impacts (view recording), as part of the MW CASC’s ongoing Innovation in Adaptation series, sparking questions and ideas about the use of prescribed burns to manage wildfire. We were honored to welcome Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation to share his perspective on the recent return of land – Shabbona Lake State Park – to the Prairie Band, making them the first federally-recognized Tribe in Illinois.
Breakout sessions fostered smaller group discussions on changing fire management practices, cultural resources and climate change, and lessons learned from long-term data management. At a working meeting and a networking lunch hosted by the MW CASC Community of Practice (CoP), participants discussed the use of synthesis methodologies in adaptation research topics such as climate refugia.
25+ MW CASC researchers and students shared findings from their projects in a round of lightning talks and a poster session. Skill-building workshops on climate modelling, data visualization, and research storytelling supported additional learning throughout the event. Led by experts, these workshops explored relevant case studies and featured hands-on demonstrations.
In-person attendees connected with each other through formal and informal networking opportunities, including a group dinner, field trips to local sites of interest, and time for early career researchers exploring different professional pathways. One attendee shared their appreciation that the event created “space for collaborative and kind interactions – as always, the highlight was time to catch up with colleagues and further broaden my network.”
In our closing discussion, Jessica Hellmann, MW CASC Consortium Director, asked attendees what they would carry forward with them from the event. “Keep building connections” was the most popular response – we’re also excited to sustain and build our community this coming year.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, whether in-person or online. We’ll see you in 2026!
