Florida DFG Launches Climate College to Better Understand, Address Climate Change
The California Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Climate Science program is launching a Climate College to increase climate literacy. The 10-month training course is open to DFG employees and the general public and will increase participants’ understanding of climate change and its impacts on natural resources in California.
“The DFG Climate College is a new and innovative approach to training that will provide a foundation of climate change knowledge for our staff, and not just our scientific staff. It is designed for the entire DFG family,” said DFG Director Charlton H. Bonham. “This kind of approach is an opportunity for true institutional change.”
The college is another initiative that keeps California at the forefront of climate-related planning and action.
“Through this course, DFG’s Climate Science program will provide tools and resources to empower staff to become emerging climate leaders in the Department,” said DFG Climate Change Advisor Amber Pairis.
“The course will support staff efforts to integrate climate change into their professional responsibilities – the very work that safeguards our natural resources.”
The DFG Climate College will include lectures, presentations, online discussions, reading assignments and a final project. The lectures and presentations will take place in Sacramento. They will be broadcast via WebEx and archived online.
The course will begin Sept. 18 with a Climate Town Hall at the Natural Resources Agency Building in Sacramento.
The town hall is expected to build enthusiasm for work toward climate solutions and include a broader discussion about what a changing climate means for natural resources in the state.
Director Bonham will deliver the keynote address, and Ken Alex and Cliff Rechtschaffen from the Governor’s Office will follow with a discussion on the Governor’s vision for a state-wide response.
Upon completion of the course, participants will receive a certificate of completion from DFG and the opportunity to show their final project to DFG leadership.
The Wildlife Society is offering participants contact hours in its Certified Wildlife Biologist Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program for participating in the DFG Climate College.
In addition, DFG is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center to coordinate training activities and materials between the National Climate Academy and the California-focused DFG Climate College.
For more information please visit
www.dfg.ca.gov/Climate_and_Energy/Climate_Change/Climate_College/.
To learn how to register for the course, email climatechange@dfg.ca.gov or DFG Climate Change Associate Whitney Albright at walbright@dfg.ca.gov.
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came into existence on July 1, 1999 - the result of a constitutional amendment approved in the 1998 General Election as part of the package proposed by the Constitution Revision Commission.
In the implementation of the Constitutional Amendment, the Florida Legislature combined all of the staff and Commissioners of the former Marine Fisheries Commission, elements of the Divisions of Marine Resources and Law Enforcement of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and all of the employees and Commissioners of the former Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.
Five years later, after consulting stakeholders, employees and other interested parties, the FWC adopted a new internal structure to address complex conservation issues of the new century. The new structure focuses on programs, such as habitat management, that affect numerous species. It will focus on moving the decision-making process closer to the public and did not require any additional funding or additional positions.
