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Climate Change and Wildlife Workshop

August 10, 2011 | MSU Union Gold Room, Michigan State University | East Lansing, MI

The amount of research on climate change and wildlife has proliferated greatly since most Michigan DNR wildlife managers were trained in the universities. They find themselves faced with a new threat for which they have received little training. They have questions about the amount of predicted change, predicted wildlife responses, vulnerabilities and resilience, and what management tools they should be considering. On the other hand, many researchers want to begin projects on climate impacts to wildlife management that the agencies need and would implement. Thus, there is a need for a two-way dialogue on the topic of wildlife adaptation to a changing climate.

This meeting will be the beginning of that conversation, between the DNR, researchers, and other interested parties. A successful model for this dialogue in WI has been the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI), and representatives from the University of Wisconsin Madison will be coming to share their experience related to what adaptation to climate change has meant for wildlife management in Wisconsin. We will then have a discussion of the needs in the Michigan wildlife community. Future meetings could include presentations on what research has been done, is on-going, and what research wildlife managers now need. A forum for this could be the Michigan Climate Coalition, modeled on WICCI, in which the Michigan DNR has been participating with multiple organizations.

Workshop goals

I. To foster exchange between scientists and managers on climate change, ecological systems impacts, and responsive natural resource management; and
II. To discuss strategies for wildlife management and adaptation planning in Michigan