Sharing an event on climate resilience
I hope you are all warm and well after our snow week! As you might recall, I'm working with PCEC on community resilience through AmeriCorps VISTA. You can read about that work here.
While winter seems to be upon us here – we’ve been trading in our hiking boots for ski boots and tying skates instead of flies– I’ve heard from my friends and family back in the Northeast that temperatures have been in the ranges of 60-80º. While it’s not Montana, that’s still well above average highs for the area. This has caused some panic among my peers and at first, had me rather concerned. However, after some contemplation, rather than discouraging me, this reality reminds me of why I wanted to serve for an environmental organization: to show up with my whole self among caring and talented coworkers and citizens to safeguard our community in a changing climate and continue to enjoy activities we love the most!
The snow gives me hope, both for our climate and community. It seems like this week especially, our community has come together. I’ve received friendly hellos and smiles along the Sacajawea Park trail, seen everything from late night hockey games to parking lot snowboarding, and seen neighbors helping each other to clear off snow or provide a late-night engine jump to a stranger.
The snow reignites my passion and purpose for being here, which is to work on community resilience. By fostering those cross-community relationships, we can continue to have something special here no matter what the climate brings.
So far, I have had the opportunity to speak to many of you in Park County, from scientists, politicians, business owners, students and engaged citizens alike. Through this, I feel like I really have begun to grasp what makes this place special, what challenges you face and fear, and what can be done to build on what makes this community excellent.
I have been inspired by the welcoming nature of you all, the keen ability to see areas of need, and the thoughtful solutions you have implemented or want to implement as we go forward.
On that note, I want to invite you all to an upcoming opportunity for further connection and education.
Climate Extremes in Montana: Stories of Change and Resilience
Wednesday, November 16, 7:00 p.m.
Virtual: Register here!
Experts from the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes and Montana Climate Office (housed at the University of Montana) will talk about the extreme weather events that occurred in Montana over the past year or so, and what we can expect in the future, with particular reference to Missoula, Helena, Bozeman, and Billings, as well as the tribal reservations across the state.
The Montana Climate Office is one of the leading state climate centers in the nation and just updated its projections for what to expect in specific locations within Montana in the coming years.
The event is sponsored by the League of Women Voters and Wild Montana.
I think it will be really valuable to learn more about what our neighboring counties are seeing in terms of climate and the measures they are taking to mitigate further impact and adapt to what has already changed. These examples are good models for Park County, as well as opportunities to learn! We don’t need to have all the solutions, but education is a great place to start.
I hope I will see some of you (virtually) there.
In Community,
Katherine