Download Presentation PDF - Climate Generation

Boozhoo (Hello)
Gikinoo’wizhiwe Onji Waaban
(Guiding for Tomorrow)
or “G-WOW”
Changing Climate, Changing Culture Initiative
A New Model for Climate Change Literacy & Action
Cathy Techtmann- Environmental Outreach State Specialist
University of Wisconsin-Extension
NOAA Climate Steward
on behalf of G-WOW Team
G-WOW Project Partners
Funding Provided by:
Additional technical support and resources
Wisconsin climate science research, climate
maps, interactive climate mapping tools
Assessments of climate change for
northern Wisconsin forests and habitats
Multi-cultural examples of climate change impacts
Project Location:
Located in the heart of the Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe)
Indian Country. This area includes
11 Ojibwe Tribes living within the “Ceded Territory”
Based at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center Ashland, WI
Applicable to other locations & cultures
G-WOW Roots
•
•
•
Increasing evidence that climate change is affecting the sustainability of
Lake Superior coastal resources, communities, and cultures
Concern about climate change impacts to Ojibwe treaty rights and
traditional cultural practices within the Ceded Territory
“Traditional” climate literacy models were not resonating with audiences
Diverse project partners came together as the G-WOW Team
to develop a new climate change educational outreach strategy
Research basis for the G-WOW Model
“…local, place-based evidence of climate change gained through experiential
learning is as, or more effective than, simply studying analytical climate change
data to increasing climate change literacy.”
“The Psychology of Climate Change Communication”, Columbia University 2009
The Lake Superior Ojibwe have relied on the sustainability of key
plant and animal species for generations to support subsistence,
cultural, and spiritual practices or “lifeways”
Tribes have traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of natural systems
that provides place-based indicators of climate change impacts for
people of all cultures
Place-based Evidence
Unprecedented cancellations of tribal wild rice harvests and
poor harvest years (2007-2012)
Lake Superior ice cover at Bayfield, Wisconsin has decreased
approximately 3 days/decade or 45 days over the past 150
years
Lake Superior reached near record lows by 2013
Scientific evidence of a Changing Climate
WI has gotten warmer &
wetter over the past 60 years
From 1950-2006:
•
+1ºF over all temperature increase
• +2 - 2.5ºF increase in NW Wisconsin.
Projected (1980-2055)
Historic (1950-2006)
A1B Scenario
OVERALL WARMING
Change in Average Annual Temps +4-9ºF
Average +12 days growing season
Drought
WARMER WINTERS
Decrease in Frequency of Cold Nights
(70% decrease in northern WI)
Less ice cover on lakes, more evaporation
More precip as rain, not snow
EXTREME WEATHER
Up to 4.5 inch annual mean increase in
precip, but a projected
25% increase in the frequency of 2-inch or
greater rainfall events
2015 ??
You had to ask… what about 2014?
2014
Record or near-record cold for the
Midwest
Alaska warmest since records began
in 1918 (National Weather Service)
Globally the hottest year on record
2015
Record cold & snowfall for eastern cities
Alaska: 40-degrees above average,
record high temps for February
Second hottest January on record
(NOAA). Oceans at 3rd warmest
(NOAA)
Warmest March on record. Highest CO2
level ever at 400 parts per million
9 out of the past 10 years have been the warmest on record
Our Goal through G-WOW
Increase awareness of climate change impacts on the sustainability of resources,
cultures, and communities by integrating:
- Place-based evidence of climate change
-
Climate change scientific
research.
Create an e-z to understand climate literacy model , transferable to other
cultures & locations
Fight climate change with change through service learning
G-WOW Key Principles
•
Climate change is real
•
Humans contribute to climate change
•
Weather and climate are different
•
Climate affects culture
•
We can make a difference!
Harvesting birch barka boreal species that
relies on a cool climate
Projected change in Wisconsin’s
annual average temperatures
in ºF, 1980-2055
Why Is the G-WOW Model Unique?
It based on understanding how climate change affects
habitat conditions needed for the sustainability of plant or animal species
that supports a cultural practice.
• Creates a culturally relevant climate change perspective
• Links cultural, place-based evidence with scientific climate research
• Makes the model transferrable across different cultures
• Promotes action through service learning
G-WOW uses impacts on Ojibwe cultural practices as
an indicator of a changing climate for all cultures
Appling G-WOW model: Wild Ricing
Manoomin (wild rice) is an important species to the
Ojibwe for subsistence, spiritual, and ceremonial
purposes.
The Ojibwe lifeway of wild rice harvesting depends on
the sustainability of manoomin.
The sustainability of manoomin depends on habitats with:
• shallow water
• moderate water level fluctuations
• cool growing season temperatures
Place-based evidence of climate change
affecting the sustainability of manoomin?
2007 - 2012: Significant changes observed in wild rice
harvests and yields based on TEK due to drought, fungal
disease, storms
Scientific evidence of climate change affecting the sustainability of
manoomin?
HEAT
DROUGHT
Annual average temperatures in ºF,
Frequency of 90-degree days
GUSHERS
Change in frequency of 2” + precip
Do Culture and Science Agree?
Example: G-WOW application
Cultural Practice
Key Species
Place-based & Scientific Evidence
Requires cool moist forest habitats,
cold winters for sugar production
Projected frequency of days
over 90-degrees F,
1980-2055
What does this mean for sustainability of sugar maple,
the businesses the rely on sugar maple?
Example: G-WOW application
Cultural Practice
Key Species
Place-based and Scientific Evidence
Requires cold water habitats with
high oxygen levels
Projected change in Wisconsin’s
annual average summer
temperatures in ºF, 1980-2055
Climate models predict up to 95% of Wisconsin’s brook trout habitat across could
be lost if the average annual summer air temperature increased just over 5 º F.
Example: G-WOW application, South Milwaukee HS, WI
Cultural Practice
Perch fish fry
Requires cool water.
Warmer water also
favors invasives that
compete with Yellow
Perch
Credit: GLERL.
How could the G-WOW model engage students in the issue
of climate change?
Example: G-WOW application, Southern Florida
Cultural Practice
Large circles
= 50 or more
pythons
captured
Hiking in the
Everglades
Invasive Burmese python:
requires very warm, moist
“tropical” habitats
What does a changing climate mean for the sustainability of
this invasive species? How could this affect recreation,
nature-based tourism economies?
Increase in 95+degree day/year,
2041-2070.
Example: applying the G-WOW model to a
“non-species” dependent cultural practice
Cultural Practice
Key “condition”
What do these changes mean for species and
cultural practices that depend on
cold and snow?
Place-based and Scientific Evidence
Projected change in Wisconsin’s
winter average temperatures in ºF,
1980-2055
Your Turn--Create Your Own G-WOW model
Cultural Practice
What cultural
practice do you
enjoy?
What species is
needed to
support this
practice?
What habitat conditions
does the species need to
survive and thrive?
What changes are you seeing in
the key species or in the habitats
it needs?
What changes in
environmental variables
critical to supporting
these habitat conditions
are projected by climate
science? Variables may
include: temperature,
precipitation, drought,
intense rain/ storms,
humidity, etc.
Do culture and science agree?
What implications does this have for your community?
Culture informing Science
The G-WOW MODEL COMPONENTS
Ojibwe Lifeways
Place-based evidence of
climate impacts on 4-seasonal
Ojibwe cultural practices
Talking Circle
Sharing service
learning projects
via an interactive
blog
Investigate the Science
Climate science from
federal, state, and tribal
sources
What Can We Do?
Taking action through climate
service learning projects
The G-WOW model guides investigation…
 Do culture and science agree… is climate change affecting the
sustainability of the key species that supports an Ojibwe lifeway?
 What is the future for this cultural practice based on place-based evidence
and scientific climate change projections?
 What do these changes mean for the cultural practices you enjoy, the
environment, community, economy?
… then engages learners to act through service learning
 What can we do to mitigate or adapt to climate change impacts?
G-WOW Curriculum Outreach Tools
Web Curriculum
Experiential
learning
www.g-wow.org
Climate Change
Discovery Center
Ojibwe
language, TEK,
and cultural
elements
infused
Educator Training
Institutes
Multi-cultural
perspectives
TARGET AUDIENCES
Learners (middle school & above)
Teachers-Educators
General Public
G-WOW Website and Curriculum
www.g-wow.org
On-line climate change service learning curriculum
Ojibwe Lifeways
Spring
Ojibwe Lifeway:
Maple sugaring and Birch bark harvesting
Key species:
Sugar maple and paper birch trees
Winter
Summer
Ojibwe Lifeway:
Ojibwe Lifeway:
Respecting Our Culture
Fishing
Key species:
Key species:
American marten
Cold and coolwater fish
Fall
Ojibwe Lifeway:
Wild Ricing
Key species:
Manoomin
Each Ojibwe Lifeway unit includes:
Learning objectives
Cultural connection: importance of the key species to culture
Baseline ecological information: habitat conditions needed for
sustainability of the key species(s) depends on
Place-based evidence of how climate change impacts key species
Students investigate place-based evidence
within their culture.
Activity Guides guide student investigations.
Investigate the Science
Linked to an Ojibwe Lifeway unit, customized for that unit.
A toolbox to investigate and evaluate scientific climate change research via
interactive maps and soon NASA climate.
Students research climate trends and projections & evaluate impacts on the
sustainability of key species.
“Test It” : students test their own climate change
hypothesis through self-designed investigations.
Activity Guides focus student investigations.
What Can We Do?
• Students act on knowledge gained to develop a service learning project
to address climate change impacts in their community
• Provides service learning project templates and ideas
Ready-made project templates such as
Project Budburst, climate phenology wheels,
climate collages provide fun, service learning
options
Talking Circle
• Students share results of their service learning project through this web blog
• Projects are segmented by location and type
Online tools allow students to evaluate their project impacts
Other G-WOW Website Resources
Teacher Resources
About
Project background
Partner acknowledgements
G-WOW Curriculum Guide
Teacher Training vignettes
News & opportunities
Climate Change
Climate literacy basics
Contact
For more information
Games
Interactive climate change games
TEST DRIVE
www.g-wow.org
G-WOW Changing Climate, Changing Culture Institute
4-day experiential professional development based on the G-WOW model
Location: Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center-Ashland, WI; Apostle Island
National Lakeshore; tribal communities of Red Cliff and Bad River.
Stockton Island Climate Walk
Kakagon Sloughs Tribal Manoomin Tour
"When I saw that we would be teaching about climate change…, I thought
Ugghhh!!!. Now I see that the cultural impact of climate change is how
to approach middle school kids with this topic.“
- G-WOW
Institute Teacher
G-WOW Changing Climate, Changing Culture Discovery Center
Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, Ashland WI
Major exhibit and interactive kiosk
located at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, Ashland, WI
130,000 visitors, students, community members annually
G-WOW Discovery Center Interactive Kiosk
The G-WOW curriculum in a specially designed
interactive format for touch screen use.
The kiosk includes videos, many interactive tools, and
games!
Let’s Play
“CLIMATE QUIZ”
Ripples…
• Partnering with the Fond du Lac Tribal College (Duluth, MN) to expand the G-WOW
model throughout Ojibwe Ceded Territory via a $1.09 million NASA Innovations in
Climate Education-Tribal (NICE-T) grant.
• Partnering with Chicago Botanical Garden’s EPA climate initiative integrating G-WOW
model into regional climate change outreach.
• Sharing the G-WOW model to increase climate change literacy to people of all
cultures.
The G-WOW Initiative & Team received 2013 Honor Award
from the Eastern Region of the US Forest Service
for “Courageous Conservation”
We invite you to use and expand the G-WOW model
to increase climate change literacy based on the
unique lifeways of your culture
www.g-wow.org
Miigwech !
(Thank you)
For more information, please contact
Cathy Techtmann-Environmental Outreach State Specialist
University of Wisconsin-Extension
715.561.2695
[email protected]
http://fyi.uwex.edu/nglvc/