Dear VMC Partners,

Because you have a stake in a future that is shaped by climate change, we invite your participation in a process designed to deepen our region’s capacity to respond to the impacts of a changing climate.
 
Background
The Research on Adaptation to Climate Change (RACC) program, an interdisciplinary effort funded by the National Science Foundation, seeks to gather input on potential strategies that address the impacts of climate change and its consequences for severely degrading water quality in the Lake Champlain Basin. We invite you to participate in an online “Delphi” Survey involving experts and stakeholders from many fields in an extended online discussion of  adaptive interventions to climate change.  This interactive survey will begin this March (2014). To participate in the survey, please click here to register.
 
While the impacts of climate change cannot be fully predicted, historical trends suggest that changes in seasonal precipitation and temperature are becoming more prominent to our region. Click here to view some of these historical data. A regional climate model developed by our team suggests that these trends will be accentuated in the coming decades. Click here to view climate forecasting data.
 
The online survey is an interactive tool designed to identify possible adaptive intervention strategies that, if undertaken, will help to lessen the effects of climate change on the region’s water quality, and the effects that decreased water quality can have on our region relative to other facets of our society: ecosystems, built environment, economy, infrastructure, and agriculture.  This survey builds upon a workshop hosted in November 2012, during which 130 experts from the region identified and discussed several of these impacts. We are aiming to have participation of ten times this many people in the online survey.
 
Survey Overview
Throughout the survey process, responses are anonymously shared with all users, providing an opportunity for ideas to evolve and reflect areas of emerging consensus. Your first pass through the survey should take about 20 minutes.  Unlike typical online surveys, you will be asked to return, repeatedly, to the survey to review how other participants have responded and add your comments/additions, revisions etc. Thus, your involvement can either be as limited or extensive as you like.
 
The success of this process hinges on the involvement of a diverse range of perspectives. We are recruiting participants from across all sectors and varieties of expertise and interests. 
 
We would greatly welcome your feedback in recommending or passing this invite along to others within your network.  
 
To participate in the survey, please click this link to register  – and please pardon any cross listings.  If you have any questions, please contact Ann Hoogenboom.  Thank you in advance.

Kindly,
 
Chris Koliba, Ph.D., Science Lead, RACC Social and Policy Modeling Group, [log in to unmask]
Asim Zia, Ph.D., Science Lead, RACC Integrated Assessment Modeling Group, [log in to unmask]
Stephanie Hurley, D.Des., Faculty Lead, RACC Adaptive Interventions Project, [log in to unmask]
Ann Hoogenboom, RACC Graduate Outreach Coordinator, [log in to unmask]
Sarah Coleman, RACC Graduate Project Leader, [log in to unmask]