In collaboration with the Wood River Land Trust as part of its “Thinking Globally, Acting Locally Speaker Series,” The Community Library welcomes Dr. Jen Pierce, Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Boise State University, to discuss her research and field work in the rugged and scenic mountains of Idaho to bring a local perspective to this global question.

Pierce will discuss the reality of the increased size and severity of wildfires, reduced water quality, and severe health impacts from wildfire smoke and summer heat that the western U.S. will face as we move into a warmer future.  She will talk about local solutions, among them increasing climate education in our K-12 curriculum to prepare future generations to address these realities.

Jen Hill is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Boise State University and is passionate about learning about how we can coexist with our changing environment.  Her diverse research areas include climate science education from the K-12 to university level, wildfires and climate change, soils and carbon storage in the critical zone, and feedbacks among hydrologic, biologic and geologic systems.

Following Jen’s discussion, Ryan Santo, Restoration Specialist for the Wood River Land Trust will discuss some of the projects that the Land Trust is working on to increase the fishery resilience here in the Wood River Valley.  Jen and Ryan will then take questions from the audience.