Climate Academy Registration Now Open for 2016 Session

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) is accepting applications for the 2016 session of the Climate Academy until December 11.

Designed for natural resource managers and conservation professionals, the Climate Academy is a 6 month online course that teaches the fundamentals of climate science, provides tools and resources for climate adaptation, and increases climate literacy and communication.

The 2016 session will begin in January with a 90 minute webinar held every other week over 5 months for a total of 10 sessions. For the sixth and final month of the Academy, participants will develop a final product, such as a report or presentation, to address climate change in their particular area of natural resource management. One final project will be selected from the course for publication in TWS’ The Wildlife Professional.

The Climate Academy was developed in partnership between the NCTC, The Wildlife Society (TWS), the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), the National Park Service (NPS), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Every year the course is revised through a collaborative effort between USFWS, NPS, TWS, AFWA, CDFW, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Society for Conservation Biology.

“Climate Academy offers an excellent opportunity for managers interested in an introduction to climate change. Participants interact with leaders in the research and application of climate science, implementation of climate adaption across multiple habitat types, and communicating about climate change.” says Davia Palmeri, Climate Change Coordinator for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, adding, “The final project allows participants to practice incorporating climate adaptation in to the types of management decisions that they will make throughout their careers.”

TWS members who complete the Academy receive Continuing Education Units under our professional certification program. A total of 40 CEUs can be earned for the Certified Wildlife Biologist© renewal certification and/or the Professional Development Certification. All participants are eligible to earn two college credits by completing the Academy.

Tuition for the Academy is $200, but employees of the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management have the tuition waived.

For registration questions, contact Jill DelVecchio at FWS (304-876-7424). For questions about the content of the Academy, contact Ashley Fortune Isham at FWS (304-876-7361).