Project purpose
This collaborative project aims to develop and promote Tribal cultural and ecological resilience. In partnership with Climate Science Alliance’s Tribal Working Group and University of California, Riverside, IEMM is supporting cultural practices and actions that preserve the species and ecosystems that are integral to Tribal communities.
Project background
Funded by the California Strategic Growth Council’s Climate Change Research Program, Resilient Restoration focuses on collaborative evaluation of valuable cultural and ecological resources, co-development of tools that build tribal capacity, and supportive implementation and delivery of projects and strategies.
Key elements of our approach include:
• Characterizing changes in habitat suitability of species
• Evaluating potential impacts and threats to plant communities
• Informing and exploring management scenarios, adaptation strategies, and restoration actions
• Establishing research tools and resources to support long-term Tribal Working Group efforts
• Developing a model for climate adaptation planning and cultural and ecological resilience
Project objectives
The Tribal Working Group identifies the priorities, vision, goals, and deliverables for this project, which our collaborative team supports through these objectives:
I. Engagement
Engaging our Tribal partners to lead the work with researchers and stakeholders, using Traditional Ecological Knowledge, across the region to advance understanding of climate change impacts to plant communities and strategies to conserve and protect these resources.
II. Climate Science
Assessing/monitoring the vulnerability of plant communities, Native foods and medicines to climate change impacts to inform restoration actions and ensure Tribal access to plant communities for health, wellness, and Tribal practices.
III. Planning, Integration, Implementation
Providing support to Native-led pilot projects to test strategies on Tribal lands and build capacity within Tribal communities.
IV. Opportunities
Identifying opportunities to advance self-sustaining Intertribal projects for conservation, restoration, storage, and/or propagation of plants.
V. Outreach & Delivery
Providing a suite of products, applications, and tools to help create an integrated approach to advance and inform individual and Intertribal projects and actions.
Learn more about Resilient Restoration and the Climate Science Alliance Tribal Working Group.