By Korie Marshall
A climate change workshop is coming to Valemount April 23.
The Village of Valemount has announced it is bringing Columbia Basin Trust’s Adapting to Climate Change to town. It is a community-focused workshop featuring climate scientist Dr. Mel Reasoner who will answer many questions on how climate change may impact Valemount and the surrounding area. The Village says it will also be an opportunity for local residents to share their own observations of changes and impacts.
Coordinator Kate Mahoney, consultant to CBT, says the agenda hasn’t been decided yet, but Dr. Reasoner will do an engaging and accessible presentation about climate change, and there will be time for questions and discussion. Mahoney says she and her colleague Jeff Zukiwsky and she will talk about how the CBT is working with communities around the Basin to help them understand what climate change means, and how to adapt to it.
“We will ask the group to think about some of the potential risks that climate change may pose to Valemount specifically, and what the community could do to adapt,” says Manoney.
The Village says after the workshop, the CBT staff will spend a full day working with the Village staff and council to identify Valemount’s climate risks and develop a preliminary plan to address them, and there is the option of applying for $10,000 in matching funds toward a local project to increase Valemount’s climate resilience.
The Communities Adapting to Climate Change Initiative started in 2007 and has helped 13 Basin communities and regional districts to increase their understanding and capacity to address the risks and opportunities associated with a changing climate. The workshop will be held at the Community Services building on April 23, from 7-9pm. Find out more about CBT’s Climate Change Initiative on CBT’s website.
