Training

See also: Riparian Conservation and Ecology, Habitat Restoration

Workshop Goal

Increase riparian restoration practitioners’ skills and knowledge in applying tools to improve riparian restoration to account for anticipated climate change.

Overview

This workshop aimed to broaden knowledge and skills around designing riparian restoration projects in the Central Coast Region, using the principles of climate-smart restoration.

Intended Audience

Restoration practitioners who were working with, or had immediate plans to be working with riparian restoration were encouraged to attend. Target audiences included biological consultants, conservation lands managers, water management agencies, and private landowners/managers. This was an advanced workshop with prerequisite knowledge and experience with restoration practice and science.

Workshop Objectives

Objective 1: Increase participants’ knowledge of:

·       Concepts and principles for guiding riparian restoration design to incorporate anticipated climate change (a.k.a. ‘Climate Smart Riparian Restoration’), such as

o   Addressing questions of climate uncertainty in restoration design

o   How to set forward-looking restoration goals based on current climate predictions

o   The importance of building in ecological insurance in restoration design

·       How funders support riparian restoration projects that incorporate anticipated climate change.

·       How to incorporate Climate Smart Riparian Restoration concepts and principles into riparian restoration practices

·       Tools available for designing Climate Smart Riparian Restoration projects

o   Riparian restoration design database

o   Climate Smart Riparian Restoration Design Checklist

o   Climate Change Projections for California’s Central Coast

Objective 2: Increase participants’ skills in:

·       Applying the principles to restoration design, including: 

o   Creating forward-looking goals

o   Incorporating ecological redundancy and diversity

o   Incorporating anticipated climate change in riparian restoration design and management