Transcript American Public Gardens Association: Our Climate is Changing Casey Sclar, Ph.D. Plant Health Care Leader - Longwood Gardens Inc. Interim Executive Director – American Public.

American Public
Gardens Association:
Our Climate is Changing
Casey Sclar, Ph.D.
Plant Health Care Leader - Longwood Gardens Inc.
Interim Executive Director – American Public Gardens Association
[email protected]
[email protected]
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
Acknowledgements
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G. Donnelly and N. Cavender – Morton
Arboretum
D. Herms, Ohio State University
B. Byers, Garvin Woodland Gardens
C. Lewis, CLEO Institute
S. Kister, Longwood Gardens
G. Briggs, NC Arboretum
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
An Inescapable Conclusion:
Climate change is having pervasive effects on
plant and animal distributions and phenology
that will alter on a wide scale:
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species distributions
population dynamics
ecological interactions
community composition
evolutionary trajectories
Adapted from D. Herms
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
APGA’s Vision:
A World Where Public Gardens Are
Indispensable
Our Mission:
Advancing public gardens as a force
for positive change in their
communities through national
leadership, advocacy, and innovation.
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
Public Gardens are multi-faceted.
Here are some of the issues they face
and areas they span/influence…
Volunteers
Historic
Landscapes
Visitor
Experience
Education
Donor
Relations
Performing
Arts
Plant
Conservation
Renewable
Energy
07.11.2015
Water Use
and Quality
Solid
Waste
Air
Quality
Environmentally
Preferred
Purchasing
Green
Buildings
Human
Resources
Special
Exhibits
Energy
Efficiency
Interpretation
Material
Handling
Neighbors/
Community
Garden
Design
Governance
Pest
Management
Economics
Land
Stewardship
Guest
Accessibility
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http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/climate-change-impacts-by-sector
Public Gardens are cultural, conservation, economic,
educational, as well as recreational resources
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
APGA Programs: Climate Change
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Vision and Rationale
NOAA Partnership
Two key partnerships
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EcoAmerica/YouTopia
IGES/NSF
How these all fit
Other key programs
and areas
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
Climate Change
Program Statement and Rationale
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Public Gardens are THE place to experience and
learn more about climate change
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See the plants involved, and the landscape effects
A regional place to understand broader impacts
You can observe BMP’s, and not so BMP’s
(what happens if not…)
A professional, leadership level stance – that
aligns with APGA’s Goals
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
APGA/NOAA Partnership
1. Cell Phone Tour (Done)
2. Incorporate CC into SPN (Done)
3. Community Dialogs with Leaders
and/or General Public on CC
4. Plan National Summit for Cultural
Institutions on CC
5. Develop Curricula for Public Garden
Professionals on CC
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
APGA/IGES - NSF
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A Growing Interest 3
Would utilize STEM principles to
educate Public Gardens Staff on CC
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Rigorous curricula proposed
Graduates “certified” to teach CC to K-12
teachers, K-12 students, other segments
Develop and use unique strategies to
reach diverse audiences
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
How These Fit
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EA – APGA = Yellow
NSF – IGES = Green
Both = Blue
Cell Phone Tour (Ongoing)
Incorporate CC into SPN (Done)
Community Dialogs with Leaders and/or General Public
(Regional, etc.)
Plan National Summit for Cultural Institutions on CC
Develop Curricula for Public Garden Professionals on CC
• Web Presence and Messaging
• Post NSF Program Funding
• Core education and certification
program of PG Professionals
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
Must Educate and Engage
“Many of those looking to discredit mainstream
scientific findings or individual studies like ours are not
participating in the normal scientific process. They’re
not going to meetings, giving lectures, or taking
questions from an audience. They’re not publishing in
peer-reviewed journals. They’re issuing attacks in op-eds
in newspapers, or on websites with no degree of critical
quality control.”
- Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael E. Mann; author of
The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars: Dispatches from the Front Lines
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
APGA/EA - MOU
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Engage garden visitors about CC
Allow APGA member institutions to
“join” in an effort to promote awarness
and educate about CC
Develop unique brand and message
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(“YouTopia” = Web center, social media)
Engage private and corporate sector
funding and sponsorship on CC
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
EcoAmerica
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Their approach:
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Use consumer marketing to engage
Americans in actively caring for nature and
our earth.
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use psychographic research to identify receptive
audiences
Build public and leadership support for
environmental and climate initiatives
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develop and launch behavior-changing
programs that make solutions personally
American Public Gardens Association
relevant for Americans.
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
ecoAmerica
Context
start with people
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ecoAmerica’s research tells us people:
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Believe climate change is happening, unsure of impact
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Find science confusing
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Believe what they see with their own eyes
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Want win-win and practical stewardship opportunities
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Looking for leadership
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Sources:
American Climate Values
Survey, ecoAmerica, 2008
Why Zoos and Aquariums
Matter, AZA, 2007
Gardens, Zoos, Aquariums, &
Museums Matter
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Visit time 2+ hours, leave with higher sense of responsibility
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Trusted, non-partisan
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Conservation leaders
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Effective scientific messengers
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
Politics Dominate Climate Perspectives
Politics
123
64
strong Republican
Education
101
123
< HS or less
Age
113
18 – 24
Gender
> College
119
55 - 64
97
102
male
Income
strong Democrat
102
< $40,000
female
104
> $100,000
100
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
American Climate & Environmental Values Survey
ecoAmerica, 2011
VALS methodology used:
http://strategicbusinessinsights.com/vals/
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
APGA Annual Conference 2012
• Public Gardens as
launch pads for
amplifying public
engagement on
climate change
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C. Lewis
T. Houston
W. Nicholls
C. Sclar
• How small/large gardens address and interpret CC
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
Climate Impact on Trees
 Trees must cope, adapt,
migrate, or go extinct
• Plasticity
• Adaptation
• Migration
 Some positive effects:
• More rapid growth
• Increased productivity
and carbon storage
• Expanded plant
palette and plant
collections
Plant / pollinator interactions Accelerated phenology
of bird migration
“A few studies have shown that
climate warming may generate
temporal mismatches among
mutualistic partners.
…their demographic
consequences are largely
unknown.”
Hegland et al. 2009. How does climate
warming affect plant-pollinator interactions?
Ecology Letters 12:184-195.
Long-distance migrants have
advanced their spring arrival in
Scandinavia more than shortdistance migrants.
Jonzén et al. 2006. Rapid advance
of spring arrival dates in longdistance migratory birds. Science
312:1959-1961
Broader, Global Conservation Concerns…
Martin Beritson
“In the Andes, all of
these (habitat) zones
are compressed
down to a few
hundred meters wide.
I could throw a rock
across the
elevational range of
an entire species.”
Dr. Miles Silman,
Wake Forest
University
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
Collections Considerations
 Collections developed and
evaluated retrospectively
 Less relevant for our future,
but possibly valuable for
others
 Genetic diversity even more
valuable
 Heightened research
opportunities and needs
 Other opportunities for
arboreta and gardens
NAPCC
a network of botanical gardens and arboreta working
to coordinate a continent-wide approach to plant
germplasm preservation, and to promote high
standards of plant collections management.
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Leadership Level Program
Rigorous Review Process
Member Supported/Involved
Sound Track Record of Delivery
Performs Vital Service to Horticulture
Valued by Federal Partner
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
Endangered Trees Conservation
 Increased need and
importance of ex situ
conservation efforts and
collections
 Expanding agenda for
BGCI
 Global Trees Campaign
Possible Effects on Plant Populations
• Symbiotic Fungi
Disappear?
• Generalist Species
Expand Range?
• Temperature/Humidity
Changes cause new disease
outbreaks?
Slide Adapted from B. Byers - 2011
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012
The Sentinel Plant Network
Mission
The Sentinel Plant Network contributes to
plant conservation by engaging public
garden professionals, volunteers, and
visitors in the detection and diagnosis of
high consequence pests and pathogens
Sentinel Plant Network
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100 member institutions (31 States, DC, Canada)
3 regional workshops given – 4th of 5 is planned
Training given to ~100 Staff from 50 institutions
Web Microsite aimed at K-12 in progress
But the real value of SPN is more than that…
American Public Gardens Association
A Growing Interest 2:
Plant Sector
Asheville, NC – March 2012