November General Meeting -- Ecological Restoration in an Era of Global Change

Join us at Austin Sierra Club's monthly General Meeting at the Mosaic Workshop in East Austin for socializing, networking, and engagement on environmental topics of local interest! Doors open at 6:30 for light snacks and conversation. Club updates and program starts at 7pm.

Climate change is bringing increased temperature and more extreme events to Central Texas, which can cause stress to native plants and animals that evolved under different conditions, making them more vulnerable to pests, pathogens, and invasive species. At the same time, natural systems provide essential ecosystem services -- such as carbon sequestration, stormwater capture, and temperature regulation (e.g., shading and cooling) – that are increasingly important for mitigation and adaptation to the changing climate, for both rural and urban residents of Central Texas.

Dr. Amy Concilio of St. Edward's University investigates ecological restoration and other land management practices that aim to decrease vulnerability of native Texas grassland and woodland species, and maintain ecological function and biodiversity under changing climatic conditions. Amy will discuss several active research, outreach, and management projects that she is currently working on in Austin and the Texas Hill Country, all of which are in collaboration with community groups, landowners, and St. Edward's faculty, staff, and students. There will be time for interactive discussion and brainstorming about environmental policies and practices that support these types of initiatives, and she will include some opportunities to get involved!

Dr. Amy Concilio is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX, and board president of the Texas chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration. Her research is in ecological restoration and climate change impacts on natural systems, and she teaches interdisciplinary courses in climate change, natural resource conservation, and environmental research that provide hands-on learning opportunities for students through on-going projects on the St. Ed's campus and in the Texas Hill Country.

Can't make it to this event but still keenly interested in the topic? No worries, a recording of the presentation will be posted to the Austin Group's YouTube Channel within several days of the meeting.