Dear Climate Impacts Group community:

I was delighted to join the Climate Impacts Group as the new director this February, and I am honored to lead this amazing team. Between collaborating with Amy Snover on a chapter of my PhD dissertation in 2016, to frequently crossing paths with Guillaume Mauger on aquatic habitat restoration and climate change adaptation issues over the last several years, when I decided to make the transition to CIG, it felt like coming home! I have so appreciated the warm welcome from the CIG staff, the UW community, and all of our partners and collaborators.

As many of you know, it’s been a difficult few months for CIG with the termination of two of our major NOAA grants, including the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative. As a result of the loss of funding, we had to lay off two of our staff as well as reduce hours for several more. We feel these losses personally, as well as acknowledge the ripple effects this has on funding for our community and university partners across the region. We are also continuing to watch the federal funding situation closely, as funding for the Northwest Climate Adaptation Center continues to be at risk.

Despite these challenges, our work continues and we remain committed to building climate resilience in our region, alongside our many supporters and partners! From synthesizing data from the June 2021 “heat dome” and investigating strategies to cope with extreme heat, to deepening invasive species science that protects our habitats, we are continuing to build on our 30 year history to work in every corner of the Pacific Northwest to support equitable climate adaptation.

You read that right—30 years! We are starting to plan for some celebrations, and we would love for you to join us (details coming soon)! We are still going strong after 30 years because of the dedication and support of our partners, and we hope you will engage with us— join the celebration, tune into a webinar, call about a potential collaboration, or send in a data question. We are here in service to you and are honored to partner with you all.

With gratitude,
Susan

Director, Climate Impacts Group