Borlaug 375 and on Zoom
Join us Wednesdays at 3:30 for our fall departmental seminar series. This week's guest is Dr. Nathan Meyer, Associate Director and Extension Program Leader at the MN Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP).
"Rooted in Action: Building Healthy, Resilient Communities Through Climate Partnership"
In her book, The Climate Action Handbook, Dr. Heidi Roop invites us to envision a future rooted in possibility, practical solutions, and roadmaps for climate action. So, what does it actually look like to be "rooted in action" in our own Minnesota communities? Dr. Nathan Meyer, Associate Director of the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP), will showcase how a university applied research and Extension center is collaborating with a growing variety of local leaders and community members to understand weather and climate risks, plan and take actions to safeguard public health. The presentation will highlight our approach to engaging whole-community partnerships, including regional climate collaboratives in northern Minnesota, neighborhood air pollution monitoring, air quality education and action with North Minneapolis youth and adult supporters, and the co-creation of a network of hubs of community climate resilience across Minnesota. Dr. Meyer will describe real benefits and some of the challenges inherent to these approaches. We will explore together how these university science-grounded partnerships offer a tangible blueprint for what being "rooted in action" can look like in practice.
Dr. Nate Meyer is an Associate Director and Extension Program Leader with the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership. He has over twenty years of experience with the research-based design and leadership of environment-focused Extension programs that emphasize community-based innovation, effective teaching methods, informative curricula, and civic engagement. His research is focused on propelling innovation to strengthen Extension programs, as well as community-based efforts to tackle complex environmental challenges like climate change. Nate is specifically interested in productively integrating evaluation to strengthen critical thinking for innovation. In addition to his work on innovation practice, he has also explored public participation in science research as a rich STEM learning environment.