Zoom (virtual)

7th December 2021

Join presenters and participants from across British Columbia and beyond for three mornings (Pacific time) on December 7th – 9th. We will be discussing some of the biggest climate challenges and opportunities for agriculture:

Extreme heat and drought
Wildfire risk and recovery
Carbon sequestration

There is no cost to participate, but registration is required. REGISTER HERE.

Workshop Program

Extreme Heat & Drought

Webinar: 9-10am PST

Warning Issued: The June, 2021 Heatwave

Faron Anslow, Lead, Climate Analysis and Monitoring, Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium

This presentation will provide an analysis of the June, 2021 western North America heatwave; setting it in the historical and future contexts of extreme heat for British Columbia.

A Review of the 2021 Western Canadian Drought

Trevor Hadwen, Agroclimate Specialist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Drought is one of the world’s most significant natural hazards, having major impacts on the economy, environment, health, and society. The 2021 Western Canadian drought represents the most severe and expansive drought in more than a generation. This presentation will review the conditions that lead to the 2021 drought, discuss the unique features that made this drought rate as one of the worst droughts in more than 50 years and consider some of the potential implications for the 2022 growing season.

Panel: 10:30am-12pm PST

Extreme heat & drought: Impacts & adaptation

This panel will look at four producers’ perspectives (from the dairy, berry, ranching and tree fruit sectors) on the extreme heat and drought experienced across the province this past summer. Producers from these four unique commodity groups, and from different parts of B.C., will discuss how their operations were affected, how they adapted to persevere through these challenges, and what they found surprising about how their crops or livestock responded to these climate extremes. Panelists will also discuss what made adaptation possible for them, and /or what constrained their ability to adapt. Data gaps, research and infrastructure needs to bridge identified constraints to adaptation will be highlighted.

Speaker Bios

Faron Anslow is a climatologist who leads the Climate Analysis and Monitoring theme at PCIC. Characterizes BC’s climate history and extreme events in the context of climate expectations.

Trevor Hadwen is an Agroclimate Specialist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s National Agroclimate Information Service. Among leading a variety of climate monitoring, assessment, and reporting activities, Trevor is the lead for the Canadian Drought Monitor. Trevor represents Canada on the World Metrological Organization Integrated Drought Management Programme and the Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Trevor’s work also includes a long history of the development of extreme climate indicators and assessment tools that help anticipate and mitigate the impact of extreme climate events.

Dr. Mike Flannigan is the Research Chair of Predictive Services, Emergency Management and Fire Science at Thompson Rivers University and the Scientific Director of the Canadian Partnership for Wildland Fire Science. He has been studying fire and weather/climate interactions including the potential impact of climatic change, lightning-ignited forest fires for over 40 years.

Amanda Miller is passionate about rangeland stewardship and conservation, with a keen interest in providing ecological tools and strategies for long term sustainable land management. Applied science, extension, and effective communication with stakeholders and land managers are key areas of interest. Amanda has a Master’s degree in Rangeland and Wildlife Resources from the University of Alberta and has been a professional agrologist since 2016. The owner of Palouse Rangeland Consulting, Amanda is a supporter of sustainable beef and cattle as a conservation tool. In her free time you can find her exploring the mountains by foot, on skis, or horseback.

Dr. Edward Bork is the Mattheis Chair in Rangeland Ecology in Management, and Director of the Rangeland Research Institute at the University of Alberta. He has been teaching and conducting research for more than 25 years on basic and applied topics, including integrated weed control, grazing systems, fire ecology, forage production, agro-forestry, and recently, the role of rangelands in providing alternative ecosystem goods and services, including carbon storage, greenhouse gas reduction and biodiversity retention. He has supervised 48 graduate students, including 11 PhD students. Dr. Bork maintains close ties with the agriculture industry, and has given numerous extension talks.

Dr. Lauchlan Fraser is a Professor and NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Ecosystem Reclamation and former Canada Research Chair in Community and Ecosystem Ecology at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), Canada. Dr. Fraser’s expertise is in grassland and wetland ecosystems, with a focus on range management, climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystem reclamation. Lauch is an Associate Editor of two academic journals (Applied Vegetation Science and Plant Ecology), sits on the board of the Grasslands Conservation Council and is a member of a number of professional international associations and research networks.

Following the virtual workshop, we will be hosting a small in-person session in Kamloops focused on adaptation, mitigation and resilience in the BC cattle and forage sector.

Find out more about our in-person workshop.

Funding Acknowledgement

Funding for this event has been provided in part by an anonymous donor and in part by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.

Adaptation Research Virtual Workshop 2021