Climate Science Alliance team members and partners attended the 2024 San Diego Biodiversity Conservation Summit on February 22nd, joining over 200 conservation professionals to discuss priorities and opportunities, and hear about on-going regional efforts—including CNNCTS and other conservation-focused projects co-led by the Alliance! Learn more on today’s blog.
Joined by over 200 conservation professionals, the Climate Science Alliance (Alliance) team participated in the 2024 San Diego Biodiversity Conservation Summit, hosted on Kumeyaay homelands at the San Diego Natural History Museum on February 22, 2024. The daylong workshop brought together land managers, educators, and researchers to discuss priorities, gaps, needs, and opportunities related to biodiversity in San Diego County.
In attendance was the Alliance’s Executive Director, Dr. Amber Pairis, and our new Science Program Managers Kara Conner and Patricia Fernandez. San Diego State University partner and Alliance advisor Dr. Megan Jennings was a featured speaker, and presented a regional context overview on climate-adapted conservation programs, highlighting multiple collaborative projects as examples of conservation efforts in service of community. The projects include the Collaborative of Native Nations for Climate Transformation and Stewardship (CNNCTS), the Integrated Framework for Drought Response in Southern California’s Natural Landscapes, and the Southern California Montane Forests Climate-Informed Conservation Strategy. These projects represent years of partnership between Dr. Jennings and researchers at San Diego State University, the Climate Science Alliance, our Tribal Working Group, and our network of partners.
Attendees spent the morning in breakout sessions discussing topics including Public Awareness & Education—which was co-led by Dr. Pairis—as well as Recreation Management & Outdoor Access, Monitoring & Data Access, and Economic Resilience. Afternoon sessions focused on feedback-gathering activities throughout the entire museum.
Information gathered and shared at the summit will be used to compile a report from SANDAG. Results will be presented at The Nat’s 2024 State of Biodiversity Symposium on April 18, 2024. The Alliance looks forward to reviewing the results and continuing these important conversations in April!