Come Rain or Shine: Recent Episodes
USDA Southwest Climate Hub & DOI Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center
Collaborative product of the USDA Southwest Climate Hub and the DOI Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. We highlight stories to share the most recent advances in climate science, weather and climate adaptation, and innovative practices to support resilient landscapes and communities. We believe that sharing forward thinking and creative climate science and adaptation will strengthen our collective ability to respond to even the most challenging impacts of climate change in one of the hottest and driest regions of the world.
New episodes on the first Wednesday of each month. Sign up for email alerts and never miss an episode: https://forms.gle/7zkjrjghEBLrGf8Z9. Funding for the podcast comes from the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture funded Sustainable Southwest Beef Project.
In this episode we continue our discussion of the reforestation pipeline. Last month, we discussed how reforestation efforts are critical after high severity wildfires, like the ones we have been witnessing across the Southwest. Now we sit down with two researchers who specialize in modeling to learn more about the science of choosing the right spot on the landscape for the best chances of planted seedling survival.
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
This bonus episode is a re-release of our July 2023 episode highlighting the John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center in Mora, New Mexico, which aims to advance the understanding of restoration activities on forested areas in New Mexico. The Center also provides science-based solutions for private, tribal, state, and federal forest managers, who face the threat of catastrophic fires and the inability of forest ecosystems to naturally regenerate after fires.
Related Links:John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center at Mora
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
Dr. Joshua Sloan and Rachael Foe discuss the process of conifer seed selection and harvest for reforestation efforts in the Southwest, from selecting the parent trees and scouting for good cone crops to climbing the trees and collecting cones. Did you know some forest stands only produce a viable seed crop once every decade? Learn how you could help scout for cones through a new app from the New Mexico Reforestation Center.
Relevant links:
Related podcast episode: After-Fire Reforestation: The John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center
Cone Collector and Observations App and other resources
Seedlot Selection Tool
Info about the New Mexico Reforestation Center
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
Nature-based solutions - what are they exactly? Is there a standard definition? And even though the term is new to us, are the practices themselves actually something new? In this episode we speak with Dr. Laura Norman, a Research Physical Scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, to answer these questions and more.
Relevant links:
IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based SolutionsOpportunities to Accelerate Nature-Based Solutions (2022)Nature-Based Solutions Resource Guide 2.0 (2023)
The Science That Transformed A Dry Streambed Into An Oasis
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
**According to 2022 statistics published by the US EPA, enteric fermentation (gasses produced in the gut) by cattle accounted for around 3% of total US greenhouse gas emissions when converted to carbon dioxide equivalents. We spoke with Dr. Glenn Duff, from New Mexico State University to learn more about the research he and his team are conducting to measure gas fluxes and emissions from cattle in pursuit of improving efficiency and lowering emissions from this sector.
Relevant Links:**
Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer from the US EPA
Clayton Livestock Research Center, New Mexico State University
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
**Dr. Julian Reyes joins us to talk about climate services at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Julian shares how his work involves uplifting climate services across the entire federal family and finding synergies across federal agencies to maximize benefits to society. Note: at the time of this recording, Dr. Julian Reyes held the position of Assistant Director for Climate Services at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; he has since moved on to a new position with a different employer.
Relevant Links:**
Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation portal
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
Agrivoltaics is the combination of agriculture and photovoltaics to create co-benefits across food, energy, and water systems. There is a lot of research being conducted around the benefits and best practices for implementation of agrivoltaics. We spoke with two experts, Dr. Greg Barron-Gafford from the University of Arizona, and Dr. Brandon Bestelmeyer, research leader at the Jornada Experimental Range, to learn more about this fairly new technology.
Relevant links:Agrisolar ClearinghouseUniversity of Arizona Biosphere 2 - AgrivoltaicsJornada Experimental Range If you’re enjoying this podcast, please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser Thanks!
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
Flows in the Rio Chama, a tributary of the Rio Grande in northern New Mexico,
have dwindled from drought and rising temperatures as well as diversion for agricultural irrigation. These diminished flows threaten groundwater resources and habitat for endangered plants and animals. Paul Tashjian, Director of Freshwater Conservation with Audubon Southwest, tells us about solutions that have been implemented to alleviate pressures on the Rio Chama and other waterways, bringing back flows for the natural habitat.
Relevant Links:
Five-Year Lease of Water Rights for Environmental Flows Along the Rio Chama
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
How is climate change affecting our coasts and ocean? What about aquaculture? Halley Froehlich, an expert in climate change impacts to coasts and oceans, with a strong focus on aquaculture, joins us to discuss this important topic as we wrap up our series highlighting Key Messages in the Southwest Chapter of the 5th National Climate Assessment.
Relevant links:Read the 5th National Climate Assessment (NCA5)Webinars and podcasts on the NCA5NCA5 Atlas
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
**We continue our discussion of the Southwest Chapter of the 5th National Climate Assessment (NCA5). Each Chapter of NCA5 is organized around Key Messages. This month we interviewed the lead authors of four Key Messages in the Southwest Chapter, covering human health, water, agriculture, and wildfire. Each author shares what they would like people to know and what they found hopeful or encouraging within their Key Message topic.
Relevant links:**
Read the 5th National Climate Assessment (NCA5)
Webinars and podcasts on the NCA5
NCA5 Atlas
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
Drs. Emile Elias and Dave White discuss the Southwest chapter of the 5th National Climate Assessment (NCA5). They share what it was like to be lead authors of the Southwest chapter, what’s new in this assessment, how it’s being shared, some major findings, and other highlights. We wrap up this episode with what each of them found encouraging or hopeful from the assessment.
Relevant links:
Read the 5th National Climate Assessment (NCA5)
Webinars and podcasts on the NCA5
NCA5 Atlas
“Startlement”, a poem by Poet Laureate Ada Limón for NCA5
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
We speak with the directors of two non-profit organizations who are turning problems into solutions by getting nutritious food that would normally go to waste back into our food system and into the hands of those who can use it - reducing waste, methane emissions, and fighting food insecurity all at the same time. Cover Image credit: USDA Photo by Lance Cheung Relevant links:Association of Gleaning OrganizationsFalling FruitNational Gleaning ProjectBill Emerson Good Samaritan Act
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
Continuing with our agriculture theme, this month we are joined by Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson (Hopi Tribe of Arizona) who discusses Indigenous agricultural knowledge, traditional farming, Indigenous participation in conservation programs, climate change, and more. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Relevant links:
Johnson, M.K., Rowe, M. , Lien, A.M.& Hoffman-Lopez, L. 2021. Enhancing Integration of Indigenous Agricultural Knowledge into National Resource Conservation Service Cost-Share Initiatives. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. Online. https://www.jswconline.org/content/76/6/487
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
Kernza® is a small perennial grain with multiple environmental benefits, including carbon sequestration. We are joined by Nicole Tautges (Michael Fields Agricultural Institute) and Hana Fancher (The Land Institute) to learn more about the benefits and uses of Kernza®, as well as some of the challenges associated with growing this grain, and possible future directions. Photo credit: USDA
Relevant links:
Kernza® Coordinated Agriculture Project (CAP)
Kernza® Grower Guide
Kernza® Community Bake
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
“Old growth” is a term often associated with forests, however scientists are beginning to realize that this concept also applies to other types of ecosystems, including grasslands, which provide a host of important ecosystem services. We interviewed Dr. Katharine Suding, a researcher at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, to learn more about old growth grasslands. Image credit: USDA Photo **by Lance Cheung
Relevant links:
Buisson, E., Archibald, S., Fidelis, A. and Suding, K.N., 2022. Ancient grasslands guide ambitious goals in grassland restoration*.* Science*,* 377*(6606), pp.594-598. (also accessible* here**)
Veldman, J.W., Buisson, E., Durigan, G., Fernandes, G.W., Le Stradic, S., Mahy, G., Negreiros, D., Overbeck, G.E., Veldman, R.G., Zaloumis, N.P. and Putz, F.E., 2015. Toward an old‐growth concept for grasslands, savannas, and woodlands. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 13(3), pp.154-162.
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
**What’s behind the increasing size and severity of California’s wildfires? And if the trajectory continues, what does that mean for people living there? How has this trend already impacted residents? Three co-authors of a recent synthesis on drivers of wildfire in the Golden State share their main findings with us, as well as speculating on some possibilities for future solutions to living alongside increasing fire hazard. Photo credit: USDA
Related Links:**Climate Change Is Escalating California’s Wildfires
Drivers of California’s changing wildfires: a state-of-the-knowledge synthesis
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
The John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center in Mora, New Mexico, aims to advance the understanding of restoration activities on forested areas in New Mexico through multidisciplinary research, education, and partner collaborations. The Center also provides science-based solutions for private, tribal, state, and federal forest managers, who face the threat of catastrophic fires due to overgrown forests and the inability of post-fire forest communities and ecosystems to naturally regenerate after fires. Photo credit: Reanna Burnett
Related Links:John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center at Mora
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
**Traditional burning, also known as cultural burning, is a form of under burning that has been used by indigenous peoples for thousands of years to increase water runoff into streams, create habitats for plants and animals, recycle nutrients, and promote other ecosystem benefits. We interviewed Diana Almendariz (Maidu/Wintún/Hupa/Yurok), cultural fire practitioner, and Nina Fontana (Ukrainian and Italian), post-doctoral researcher at the University of California, Davis, to learn more about "good fire".
Related Links:**Cache Creek Conservancy Tending and Gathering Garden
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
We often talk about Climate Hope on this show, but what about Climate Anxiety? Perhaps even Climate Despair? These are very real emotions that many of us feel when thinking about this planet we call home. We sat down with Dr. Sarah Ray, author of the book A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet. Dr. Ray shared with us some of her tips and advice on navigating the complex landscape of climate change related issues, and some things she recommends for moving past the anxiety and into a place of self-efficacy.
Related Links:
Sarah Ray’s website: https://sarahjaquetteray.com/
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Water scarcity solutions, especially those solutions that allow for continued food production while reducing water use, are a critical component of coping with reduced water availability now and into the future. We interviewed Dr. Manoj Shukla about a current research project of his using microgravity drip irrigation technologies from Israel on an experimental farm in Southern New Mexico.
Related Links:
KRQE News Flash Video on YouTube
New Mexico State University Newsroom Article
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
We have been hearing a lot about biochar recently. Biochar is the charred material leftover after partially burning organic material, which is then used to improve soil health, remediate polluted soils, sequester carbon, and even improve soil water holding capacity and soil moisture. This month we spoke with Dr. Debbie Page-Dumerose and Dr. Nate Anderson, both with the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, to learn more about biochar and its many uses. Episode image: USDA Forest Service photo by Deborah Page-Dumroese.
Relevant links:
Read this handy fire safety brochure before you try to make biochar!
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
The impacts of climate change are threatening the resources in our national parks, including many of the cultural resources within them. This month we interviewed Lauren Meyer, Program Manager for the National Park Service Intermountain Historic Preservation Services Office, and Dr. Gregg Garfin, former director of the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center consortium and climatologist at the University of Arizona, to learn more about a project they worked on to develop an online, interactive tool for assessing the vulnerability of cultural resources to natural hazards that climate change may intensify in the Intermountain region of the US. Image credit: USDA photo by Bob Nichols.
Relevant links:
Cultural Resources Environmental Vulnerability Assessment Toolbox (CREVAT)
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
We always like to ask our guests on this show what gives them hope as they think about the future and our changing climate, particularly with regard to the systems they work in. For our first episode of 2023, we made a collage of some highlights from our guests’ responses to this question. As this new year begins, we hope you’re finding things to fuel your fire, and perhaps you might find some additional inspiration in the words of others!
Episode image credit: USDA Photo by Lance Cheung
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DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
**Ecological sites are the basic component of a land-type classification system that describes ecological potential and ecosystem dynamics of land areas. We interviewed Dr. Joel Brown, current leader of the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s National Ecological Site Team, to learn more about ecological site descriptions, transitions and transformations, and some thoughts about rangeland ecology under a changing climate. Image Credit: USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Relevant Links:**Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool (EDIT)
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Science education is critical in responding to future challenges, both in building awareness in our community and also building the skills to respond to some of our most pressing climate-related challenges, such as drought and water scarcity, wildfire, and food production under climate extremes. In this episode we speak with Dr. Stephanie Bestelmeyer, executive director of Asombro Institute for Science Education in Las Cruces, NM, and Dr. Kristy Ehlers, Director of School Partnerships for El Reno Public Schools and BlueSTEM AgriLearning Center in El Reno, Oklahoma, to learn about how they provide K-12 science education through programs that are grounded in agriculture, the natural world, and place-based learning. Image created using graphics by Kidaha and Venita Oberholster from Pixabay.
Relevant Links:
BlueSTEM Agrilearning Center
Free resources from Asombro Institute for Science Education
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DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Last month we heard from two experts on drought and aridity; this month we’re covering the other end of the spectrum and focusing on precipitation intensity and heavy downpours in the Southwestern US. Two hydrologic modelers, Dr. Dave Goodrich and Dr. Eleonora Demaria, discuss their research on intense precipitation events, as well as some of the implications of observed trends, associated challenges, and perhaps surprising opportunities. Image credit: Hans, Pixabay**.
Publications mentioned during interview:**
Demaria, E.M., Hazenberg, P., Scott, R.L., Meles, M.B., Nichols, M. and Goodrich, D., 2019. Intensification of the North American Monsoon rainfall as observed from a long‐term high‐density gauge network. Geophysical Research Letters, 46(12), pp.6839-6847.
Zhang, F., Biederman, J.A., Dannenberg, M.P., Yan, D., Reed, S.C. and Smith, W.K., 2021. Five decades of observed daily precipitation reveal longer and more variable drought events across much of the western United States. Geophysical Research Letters, 48(7), p.e2020GL092293.
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DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Megadrought is a term we’ve been hearing a lot of lately, with, as we find out from one of our guests, somewhat varying definitions. The term megadrought is generally used to describe the length of a drought, and not its acute intensity. A related term, aridity, is the degree to which climate lacks effective, life-promoting moisture. Simply put, aridity is permanent, while drought is temporary. But when drought extends multiple decades, as we are currently experiencing, is it actually aridification? We interviewed two experts in drought and aridification, Dr. Connie Woodhouse and Dr. Mike Crimmins, to talk about these different terms, and discuss the changes they have been observing, and hearing about from managers and ranchers in the Southwest.
Episode Image credit: U.S. Drought Monitor - West. National Drought Mitigation Center; U.S. Department of Agriculture; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2022). United States Drought Monitor. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?West. Accessed 2022-09-06.
Links and publications mentioned during the interview:
Woodhouse, C. A., & Overpeck, J. T. (1998). 2000 years of drought variability in the central United States. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 79(12), 2693-2714.
Gangopadhyay, S., Woodhouse, C.A., McCabe, G.J., Routson, C.C. and Meko, D.M., 2022. Tree rings reveal unmatched 2nd century drought in the Colorado River Basin. Geophysical Research Letters, 49(11), p.e2022GL098781.
Climate Assessment for the Southwest website.
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DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org
We interview Dr. Mike Hoffmann about climate change and the foods we love and need. Dr. Hoffmann is one of the authors of Our Changing Menu, a book published in 2021 about a complicated and nuanced topic – how climate change is impacting our food supply.
Relevant Links & Promo Codes:
Our Changing Menu website: https://www.ourchangingmenu.com/
Promo code for 40% off the book if ordered from Cornell Press: 09SAVE
Promo code for discount on eCornell Climate Change Leadership course: CORNELL100
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DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Warming temperatures can exacerbate forest drought stress, reducing defenses to bark beetle outbreaks, wildfire, and tree diseases. Concern about losses within the forests of the Navajo Nation due to these stressors led to a partnership between the Navajo Forestry Department and a diverse group of scientists to assess the vulnerability of Navajo forests to climate change and develop strategies to promote forest resilience to drought and extreme fire behavior. Here we speak with Principal Investigator Dr. Margaret Evans, and forestry consultant Jaime Yazzie, to learn more about this project.
Relevant Links:
Forest Monitoring and Tree Ring Data to Inform Forest Management on the Navajo Nation
CASC Project Explorer: Forest Monitoring and Tree Ring Data to Inform Forest Management on the Navajo Nation
Building Authentic Collaborations With Tribal Communities: A Living Reference for Climate Practitioners
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Dr. Carolyn Enquist and Dr. Dave Gutzler discuss the making of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, particularly the Working Group II section that presents an assessment of the impacts of, and vulnerabilities and adaptations to, climate change, of which both were authors. They share with us the scope and purpose of the report, applicability for resource managers and other decision-makers, what some of the terminology means, and more. Please note - this podcast episode is NOT a summary of the sixth assessment report’s findings. If you are interested in a quick summary of the findings, we encourage you to check out the FAQ documents linked below.
Relevant Links:
IPCC website: https://www.ipcc.ch/
Working Group I Fact Sheets
Working Group II Fact Sheets
Working Group II FAQs documents
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
**Continuing our series on managing for ecosystem transformation, we sit down with Dr. Mark Schwartz, a plant ecologist at UC Davis, and Aviv Karasov-Olson, a PhD candidate at UC Davis, to discuss a new tool for assessing the biotic risks associated with a managed relocation project (also referred to as assisted migration). Managed relocation is the act of deliberately relocating, or translocating, a species outside of its historic range to meet conservation goals, especially in response to climate change. Image credit: USFWS Midwest Region.
Relevant links:**
National Park Service: Managed Relocation (Includes links to both the report and the worksheet described in this episode)
Karasov‐Olson, Aviv, et al. "Co‐development of a risk assessment strategy for managed relocation." Ecological Solutions and Evidence 2.3 (2021): e12092.
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
How are extreme events transforming sequoia forests in the western US.? And what are land managers doing about it? Dr. Christy Brigham, Chief of Resources Management and Science at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and Dr. Joanna Nelson, Director of science and conservation planning with Save the Redwoods League, visited with us to share their knowledge and experiences working to conserve these iconic trees. Image credit: Pixabay Relevant links:Sequoia and Kings Canyon - National Park ServiceSave the Redwoods LeagueGiant Sequoia Lands Coalition
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Impacts from rapid climate change are challenging traditional land & wildlife management strategies that were based on a stable baseline condition. In some locations we are already observing early-stage ecosystem reorganization in response to historic land management practices combined with recent novel climate stresses. Dr. Craig Allen and Dr. Nate Stephenson discuss how the convergence of climate stress, human land use patterns and histories, and disturbance trends in the southwestern United States are leading to forest ecosystem changes and transformation. Image source: Pixabay**.
Papers mentioned during the interview:**
Allen, C.D., Macalady, A.K., Chenchouni, H., Bachelet, D., McDowell, N., Vennetier, M., Kitzberger, T., Rigling, A., Breshears, D.D., Hogg, E.T. and Gonzalez, P., 2010. A global overview of drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks for forests. Forest ecology and management, 259(4), pp.660-684.
Janzen, D., 1998. Gardenification of wildland nature and the human footprint. Science, 279(5355), pp.1312-1313.
Millar, C.I., Stephenson, N.L. and Stephens, S.L., 2007. Climate change and forests of the future: managing in the face of uncertainty. Ecological applications, 17(8), pp.2145-2151.
Milly, P.C., Betancourt, J., Falkenmark, M., Hirsch, R.M., Kundzewicz, Z.W., Lettenmaier, D.P. and Stouffer, R.J., 2008. Stationarity is dead: whither water management?. Science, 319(5863), pp.573-574.
Bioscience. January 2022 Issue (RAD spotlight)
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DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
A discussion around sustainability challenges and opportunities within the U.S. beef supply chain. Our guest for this episode is Dr. Sheri Spiegal, a rangeland scientist with the Jornada Experimental Range and Co-PI of the Sustainable Southwest Beef Project. Dr. Spiegal shares insights with us from her ongoing research on beef supply chains, trade offs, and producing “socially acceptable beef”.
Relevant links and resources:
August 1st, 2020 episode (for background info): The Sustainable Southwest Beef Project The Sustainable Southwest Beef Project website: https://southwestbeef.org/
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DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
An interview with world-renowned climate scientist and Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, on her most recent book titled Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. All opinions expressed by our guests are their own.
Relevant links and resources:
Katharine Hayhoe’s website: http://www.katharinehayhoe.com/
Coming soon from Dr. Hayhoe! Discussion questions for each section of the book, as well as short videos to go with each section, and annotated reading lists, designed for use in the classroom. All resources will be available from her website.
Katharine also let us know she will be doing a limited number of Zoom presentations per semester that classes of students can join for a Q & A after reading the book. Please reach out through her website for all questions.
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Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/**
The Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) project is a collaborative effort to establish experimental trials of climate change adaptation strategies across different forest ecosystems throughout the United States and Canada. According to the society of American Foresters, silviculture is “the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society.” In this episode we visit with Dr. Linda Nagel, department head for forest and rangeland stewardship at CSU and ASCC network lead and principal investigator, and Courtney Peterson, research associate at CSU and ASCC network coordinator, about this exciting project. Episode image credit: Courtney Peterson
Resources mentioned in the episode:
- Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change project website
- Millar, C. I., Stephenson, N. L., & Stephens, S. L. (2007). Climate change and forests of the future: managing in the face of uncertainty. Ecological applications, 17(8), 2145-2151.
- Swanston, Christopher W. et al. 2016. Forest Adaptation Resources: climate change tools and approaches for land managers, 2nd ed. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-GTR-87-2. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 161 p.
Additional resources:
- Nagel, Linda M. et al. 2017. Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change: A National Experiment in Manager-Scientist Partnerships to Apply an Adaptation Framework. Journal of Forestry 115(3):167-178.
- Muller, Jacob J. et al. 2019. Forest Adaptation Strategies Aimed at Climate Change: Assessing the Performance of Future Climate-Adapted Tree Species in a Northern Minnesota Pine Ecosystem. Forest Ecology and Management 451: 117539.
- Schmitt, Kristen M. et al. 2021. Beyond Planning Tools: Experiential Learning in Climate Adaptation Planning and Practices. Climate, 9, 76.
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
In this episode, Drs. Sheri Spiegal, Shelemia Nyamuryekung'e, and Matt McIntosh roll up their sleeves and dig into answering some of the questions that producers have asked the team about the precision ranching technologies currently under research as part of the Sustainable Southwest Beef Project.
**If you’re just tuning in for the first time and would like to know more about the Sustainable Southwest Beef Project, we recommend listening to our August 2020 episode called “The Sustainable Southwest Beef Project” that describes the mission and goals of this five-year Coordinated Agriculture Project.
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Affiliate links:
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/ DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
2020 and the first half of 2021 were brutal drought years for the Southwest U.S. continuing a much longer term regional drought. But this monsoon season brought welcome rain to many places in the region, with flowing washes and bright green vegetation. Many are asking, is the drought over? Surely if there is water in our usually dry washes, we must be out of drought. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case, and almost all of the region is still in at least moderate drought, according to the latest drought monitor. This month we chat with three state climatologists, Drs. Dave DuBois, Erin Saffell, and Steph McAfee, to hear how the monsoon has affected drought conditions and how drought is impacting their states. Image source: Pixabay Links:
Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS) podcast
CLIMAS Dec 2014 SW Climate Podcast video - What is El Nino?
CLIMAS May 2015 SW Climate Podcast video - Jetstream & El NIño
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
This month we take a closer look at desalination of brackish groundwater and/or seawater as a potential solution to augment water supply in the arid southwest. We are joined by Dr. Sam Fernald, Director of the New Mexico State University Water Resources Research Institute, and Dr. Pei Xu researcher and professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at New Mexico State University, who share their current research and thoughts on the future of this technology. Episode art courtesy of Pixabay.
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
In this episode we continue our conversation around the topic of extreme heat. We visit with three experts in urban planning to discuss how we can mitigate public health impacts of extreme heat through improved urban planning and green infrastructure. Dr. Ladd Keith, a researcher at the University of Arizona, Dr. Dave Hondula, a researcher at Arizona State University, and Lisa LaRocque, Sustainability Officer for the City of Las Cruces, New Mexico, share their insights and experiences with us in managing this natural hazard within an urban planning framework. Episode art from Pixabay.
Staying safe in the heat:
National weather service heat safety tips & resources
National Integrated Heat Health Information System
Arizona Department of Health Services’ Extreme Heat Guidelines
Taking action:
University of Arizona Extreme Heat Network
Cities Must Plan for Heat Resilience Now
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Extreme heat kills on average more than 600 people in the U.S. each year. Over the course of just a few weeks this summer (2021), three different heat waves baked the western U.S., breaking numerous heat records and killing hundreds. In this episode, as part of our educational outreach to local communities, we interview three experts, Drs. Jennifer Vanos and Rachel Braun, from Arizona State University, and Dr. Adelle Monteblanco from Middle Tennessee State University, about the impacts of extreme heat on public health, especially in vulnerable populations. Episode art from Pixabay.
Resources mentioned in the interview:How to protect yourself and others from high temperaturesHot Spots for Heat Resilience in Border Cities project information
Tucson Water and artist Alex! Jimenez are asking you to join their community-wide participatory audio project. This summer, capture the sounds of a Tucson monsoon/chubasco and contribute to an audio archive of the unique tropical storms that visit us each year.
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Taking action to manage drought and adapt to changing conditions can sometimes have unintended impacts on the adaptive capacity of others in the same social and ecological system. Jen Henderson, an assistant professor of geography at Texas Tech University, shares about two instances where social learning took place after actors experienced unanticipated impacts from others’ decisions. Jen is a disaster scholar and interdisciplinary social scientist who studies risk and uncertainty amid decision-making processes in weather and climate extremes. Her recent work highlighted in this episode focuses on two cases of drought decisions made along the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado. Image by David Nisley from Pixabay
For further reading:
The Colorado Water Plan details many of the water issues faced by resource managers, municipalities, and other sectors in the state--as well as future plans to address issues, including lease-fallow and flows management programs. The Arkansas River Basin Roundtables also detail ongoing efforts by communities to co-manage water.
Devine, B. (2015). Moving Waters: The Legacy of Buy-and-Dry and the Challenge of Lease-Fallowing in Colorado's Arkansas River Basin (Doctoral dissertation, University of Colorado at Boulder).
Upper Arkansas Voluntary Flows Management Program#ArkansasRiver: Voluntary Flow Management Program helps rafting industry and Gold Medal fishingWill the West figure out how to share #water?
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub:
CoCoRaHS is an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow), with the unique ability to capture fine-scale variability in local precipitation. CoCoRaHs is currently in all fifty states and currently expanding internationally as well. In this episode we are speaking with CoCoRaHs founder Nolan Doesken, National Coordinator Henry Reges, and Education Coordinator Noah Newman about the network’s origins, current operations, how to get involved, and who uses the data collected.
CoCoRaHs Network: https://www.cocorahs.org/
National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Climate Normals
WxTalk Webinars (Weather Talk Webinars)
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
**In this continuation of our special series on drought, we interview two water and climate scientists to learn what streamflow forecasts are predicting for the upcoming summer, and to learn more about an emerging area of research, termed snow drought. Dr. Adrian Harpold is a hydrologist with the University of Nevada, Reno, and is also a SW CASC funded researcher. Dr. Brad Udall is a Senior Water and Climate Scientist with the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University, and is a co-principal investigator with the SW CASC. Here they share with us insights such as why 100% of the historic snow-pack doesn’t always translate to 100% of the historic runoff, the challenges of “weather whiplash”, options for water management on the watershed scale, and what gives them hope for the future even in the face of some pretty grim predictions.
Links to organizations and events mentioned during the interview**
Center for Weather and Water Extremes https://cw3e.ucsd.edu/
Blue Forest Conservation Initiative https://www.blueforest.org/
Information on the Oroville Dam incident https://damfailures.org/case-study/oroville-dam-california-2017/
To learn more about atmospheric rivers, check out Season 1 Episode #1 Atmospheric Rivers
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
**In this mid-month bonus episode we interview Dr. Dannele Peck, Director of the USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub, about a rangeland/grassland forage productivity forecasting tool called Grass-Cast. Grass-Cast uses well-known relationships between historical weather and grassland production to provide estimates of annual forage production, beginning in the spring of each year and updated on a two-week cycle throughout the growing season. With the new growing season now upon us, we decided to check in with Dannele for a behind the scenes look at Grass-Cast - how it’s made, why it’s important, and what changes we might expect to see in the future.
Grass-Cast homepage https://grasscast.unl.edu/**
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Drought impacts more than our physical world - the psychological impacts of drought are also very real. Crop damage or failure, running out of forage for livestock, the loss of culturally important natural resources, and many other drought-related effects can lead to stress, anxiety, and a deep sense of loss. Sometimes it’s hard to know who to talk to or what resources are available. In this episode, we talk to three experts on this topic and discuss some strategies for coping and what you can do to help support others in your community.
Co-presented by the Southwest Drought Learning Network. Email Emile Elias for more information about the network.
Resources mentioned in the podcast:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (USA) 1-800-273-8255. Available 24/7
Crisis Text Line: text 'HOME' to 741741 in the USA & Canada; UK: text 85258; Ireland: text 50808. Available 24/7
Farm Aid: 1-800-FARM-AID (1-800-327-6243). Available Monday through Friday, 6am-7pm Pacific Standard Time.
Western Region Agricultural Stress Assistance Project (WRASASP): https://farmstress.us/
Washington State University Water Irrigation Systems Efficiency Program: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/wsu-wise/
Tribal Climate Health Project: http://tribalclimatehealth.org/
When Every Drop Counts, a guidance document for public health officials.
Preparing for the Health Effects of Drought: A Resource Guide for Public Health Professionals
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
As of March 1st 2020, 85% of Arizona and 82% of New Mexico were in extreme to exceptional drought--the most severe drought categories used by the U.S. Drought Monitor--and other states in the Southwest were fairing similarly. Rangelands and other arid ecosystems that are able to withstand exceptionally high temperatures may not seem as vulnerable to drought as other types of ecosystems, but they may be even closer to thresholds and more vulnerable. In this episode, we spoke with two USGS scientists about their drought-related research in Southwest dryland ecosystems and how it informs natural resource management in the region. Listen in to hear some entertaining fieldwork stories, and learn about programs and projects, like the Restoration Assessment & Monitoring Program for the Southwest **(RAMPS), that are designed to help managers develop better strategies for recovering ecosystems, and to foster knowledge exchange between land managers and researchers.
Co-presented by the Southwest Drought Learning Network. Email Emile Elias for more information about the network.**
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Do you drink wine? Do you know how many varieties of wine there are in the world? What’s enology? What makes a vintage unique? Join us as we sit down with three scientists who specialize in viticulture and the cultivation of wine-grapes to hear about all of this and more. Dr. Kerri Steenwerth, with USDA-ARS in California, Dr. Andy Walker, from UC Davis, California, and Dr. Jeremy Weiss, from University of Arizona, tell us why the study of viticulture is important to them, how they got into the field, and what they do in their professional calling. Be sure to listen to Part 2 as well, where we delve into how our changing climate might affect wine production in the future. Image by Photo Mix from Pixabay.
If you’re enjoying this podcast please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/ComeRainOrShine Thanks!
Have comments or episode suggestions for us? We welcome your feedback! Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
Never miss an episode! Sign up to get an email alert whenever a new episode publishes (http://eepurl.com/hRuJ5H)
Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Is climate change already impacting viticulture (the cultivation of grapevines)? How might a changing climate affect wine production? Is today a better time to drink red wine in Germany? Does weather affect alcohol content? You might be surprised by the answers to some of these! In this second half of our two-episode feature on viticulture, we delve into the effects of climate, weather, and our changing future on viticulture. If you haven’t already, be sure to listen to Part 1 where our guests, Dr. Kerri Steenwerth with USDA-ARS in California, Dr. Andy Walker, from UC Davis, California, and Dr. Jeremy Weiss, from University of Arizona, introduce themselves and their role in supporting the industry. Image credit: USDA.
If you’re enjoying this podcast please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/ComeRainOrShine Thanks!
Have comments or episode suggestions for us? We welcome your feedback! Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
Never miss an episode! Sign up to get an email alert whenever a new episode publishes (http://eepurl.com/hRuJ5H)
Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
We interview Ann Marie Chischilly, a member of the Navajo Nation and Executive Director of the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP), and Amber Pairis, Director of the Climate Science Alliance and partnership liaison for the Southwest CASC, to hear what they have to say about climate hope, and what gives them hope for the future. Episode image credit: USDA.All episodes: https://rainorshine.buzzsprout.com/
We welcome your feedback! Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
Never miss an episode! Sign up to get an email alert whenever a new episode publishes (http://eepurl.com/hRuJ5H)
Listening on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or Podcast Addict? Please consider leaving us a review. Thanks!
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Dr. Andres Cibils reflects on the first year of the Sustainable Southwest Beef Project - what's been accomplished, what's in the works, and what's changing. Want to learn about the beef and what's being researched? Check out this podcast, and visit https://southwestbeef.org/.
The Sustainable Southwest Beef Project is funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) program. Grant #2019-69012-29853
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Listening on Podchaser, Podcast Addict, or Apple Podcasts? Please consider leaving us a review. Thanks!
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Drs. Dave Dubois, New Mexico State Climatologist, and Nick Webb, research scientist at the Jornada Experimental Range, discuss the nitty gritty of dust (pun intended). While it may seem dry (haha, okay we'll stop now), it's important to know about moving forward. What weather conditions produce dust? What kind of modeling and monitoring projects are being implemented currently? They go over this and some speculations for the future. Photo courtesy of USDA ARS
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We welcome your feedback! Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Listening on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or Podcast Addict? Please consider leaving us a review. Thanks!
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Urban expansion and mismanagement of the Santa Cruz River in southern Arizona had led to a dry river bed for much of the year. Using effluent (treated wastewater), the City of Tucson Water Department brought perennial flow back to a portion of the river, just South of downtown Tucson. The returned water recharges groundwater to the local aquifer, while restoring vegetation and wildlife to this stretch of the river. James McAdam from Tucson Water, and Michael Bogan and Drew Eppehimer from the University of Arizona, describe the Santa Cruz River Project (https://tucsonaz.gov/water/Heritage), including its benefits to the ecosystem and local community, as well as challenges they experienced along the way. More info on the project can also be found at https://sonoraninstitute.org/resource/living-river-report-2019/ andhttps://peerj.com/articles/9856/. Related webinar series by our partners at the Desert Laboratory at Tumamoc Hill: https://tumamoc.arizona.edu/past-present-and-future-santa-cruz-river-heritage-reach. Episode photo by Michael Bogan
All episodes: https://rainorshine.buzzsprout.com/
Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
Never miss an episode! Sign up to get an email alert whenever a new episode publishes (http://eepurl.com/hRuJ5H)
We welcome your feedback! Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Listening on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or Podcast Addict? Please consider leaving us a review. Thanks!
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
How would you sum up the 2020 fire season in just one word? Tim Brown, Royce Fontenot, and Megan Friggens share their impressions of the current fire season and discuss their work with pre-fire preparedness, active fire management, and post-fire recovery. They close with sharing some additional thoughts on fire management and response. Want to hear what working with fire is really like? Take a listen to this podcast. URLs for online resources mentioned: After Fire Toolkit https://postfiresw.info/; FireCLIME Vulnerability Assessment Tool https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest/topic/fireclime-vulnerability-assessment-tool
All episodes: https://rainorshine.buzzsprout.com/
Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
Never miss an episode! Sign up to get an email alert whenever a new episode publishes (http://eepurl.com/hRuJ5H)
We welcome your feedback! Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Listening on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or Podcast Addict? Please consider leaving us a review. Thanks!
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
There are times when community resilience needs to be financially supported for a vision of sustainability and resilience to become reality. This month we interviewed Fred Petok from USDA Rural Development about the business of financially supporting climate adaptation for communities, and how the programs he administers can support rural communities in a changing climate.
All episodes: https://rainorshine.buzzsprout.com/
Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
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We welcome your feedback! Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Listening on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or Podcast Addict? Please consider leaving us a review. Thanks!
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
From smartphones to remote-controlled home appliances, the “internet of things” is everywhere. In this episode, Dr. Tony Waterhouse, professor emeritus at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) discusses virtual fencing, animal location/movement sensors, and other cutting edge precision ranching technologies either in the making or currently being introduced and tested for sheep and cattle ranching operations.
The Sustainable Southwest Beef Project is funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) program. Grant #2019-69012-29853
All Come Rain or Shine episodes: https://rainorshine.buzzsprout.com/
Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
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We welcome your feedback! Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Listening on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or Podcast Addict? Please consider leaving us a review. Thanks!
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
The Sustainable Southwest Beef Project is a 5-year project funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) program, grant #2019-69012-29853. Here Drs. Sheri Speigal and Andres Cibils discuss the goals and objectives of the project, the collaborations and partnerships, and some of the planned research and project outputs. There may even be some surprising findings for the links between cattle production practices and the environment.
All episodes: https://rainorshine.buzzsprout.com/
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We welcome your feedback! Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Listening on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or Podcast Addict? Please consider leaving us a review. Thanks!
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) are narrow streams of moisture in the atmosphere that transport water vapor from the tropics to other regions. In the U.S., they mostly impact the West Coast where they account for much of the region’s moisture. ARs can propagate as far inland as Utah, however, and have been identified as the primary source of hydrologic flooding in the western U.S.
In this episode of Come Rain or Shine, Sarah LeRoy talks with three atmospheric river researchers about the characteristics of ARs in the Southwest U.S., their impacts on water resources and ecosystems, their economic impacts, and how they are projected to change in the future. Alexander (Sasha) Gershunov and Dan Cayan are Research Meteorologists, and Tom Corringham is a Postdoctoral research economist, in the Climate, Atmospheric Science and Physical Oceanography Department at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC-San Diego. Sasha and Dan are also Principal Investigators with the SW Climate Adaptation Science Center, and they are all affiliated with the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E).
All episodes: https://rainorshine.buzzsprout.com/
Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
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We welcome your feedback! Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Listening on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or Podcast Addict? Please consider leaving us a review. Thanks!
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest
Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/