Extension Professionals Unite at Historic Climate Action Convening

Story by Rose Hayden-Smith

February 14, 2024

As an atmospheric river intensified by climate change bore down on the West Coast, more than 40 Extension professionals from across the U.S. and outlying territories gathered in Tucson, Arizona for Cooperative Extension’s first national Climate Action Convening.

A central question guiding the gathering was: “How can we mobilize the U.S. Cooperative Extension system to quickly and effectively contribute to climate change solutions?"

Hosted by the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy’s Climate Program Action Team (Climate PAT), the event’s primary objectives were to:

Gather and strengthen the network of climate-focused leaders in Cooperative Extension,
Formulate a climate action plan that will empower Extension, and
Provide CES with direction to seek funding to develop climate change programs.

The Climate Action Convening was a coordinated effort between Climate PAT leadership team members, with the Extension Foundation providing support. The planning team included Climate PAT Co-Chairs, Roy Beckford (University of Vermont) and Jason Henderson (Iowa State University), Sylvie Brouder (Purdue University), Laura Edwards (South Dakota State University), Ros McCann (Utah State University), and Carrie McKillip (University of Illinois). This convening was supported through a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program award number 2024-67019-41467, Foundational and Applied Science Program 2023-08732. Iowa State University Extension provided additional funding through a generous sponsorship.

The gathering brought together individuals from 1862, 1890, and 1994 institutions and leaders from the USDA. Through focused conversations, participants identified opportunities in three areas where Extension is uniquely suited to deliver climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions: communities, natural resources, and working lands.

Learn more about the gathering and key takeaways in the full article from the Extension Foundation.

Related News

Corn plants prior to harvest at Purdue’s Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE) facility.

Maximizing Midwest drought resilience through sustainable solutions

As the summer months bring fluctuating weather, drought resilience has become a pressing concern...

AGSO Potluck Kicks Off the Summer with Food and Fun

The Agronomy Graduate Student Organization held their annual potluck over the weekend, and...

New Indiana Organic Network to engage farmers in statewide soil health census

A Purdue University interdisciplinary team is establishing a network of organic farmers to...

Senior Kayla Grennes stands in cap and sash in Purdue Greenhouse

The COVID-19 Class: Born a Boilermaker senior persists to find her fit at Purdue

The “COVID-19 Class” is a mini-series documenting the experiences of three members of...

gravel road through a variety of agricultural farm fields

Highlights from our 2024 Agronomy Clubs & Teams Competitions and Meetings

Purdue University PhD student Chance Clark (left), agronomy professor Jianxin Ma and their associates have discovered two long, noncoding RNA genes in soybeans that control multiple desirable traits for crops.

Gene seekers discover atypical genes that control multiple valuable soybean traits

A team led by Purdue University soybean geneticist Jianxin Ma has developed a new...