VA Weather and Climate Series - Session 2

Climate Change in Virginia

In early 2015, the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office - in partnership with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the Virginia Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve - is offering the Virginia Weather and Climate Workshop Series.  

Session 2 will take place in Gloucester Point, Virginia at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science on February 24. This session will focus on the science supporting the understanding of climate change, and opportunities for incorporating climate change into education programming.

Climate change is the most important environmental issue of our time. Overwhelmingly, trends illustrate these changes and their wide-ranging effects.  Society and the environment are being affected by the melting of ice sheets, sea level rise, ecosystem changes, alterations in ocean chemistry, and changes in global water supplies. The United States is experiencing the effects of climate change, and the Chesapeake Bay region is particularly vulnerable to many of these impacts.

Session 2 Highlights

This workshop series will bring educators and scientists from the throughout the region together to explore the science that drives the understanding of climate change. 

Some of the questions the group will consider include:

1. How are weather and climate changing in Virginia, especially in the Hampton Roads area?
2. How are climate-related changes affecting my community?
3. What changes can we expect in the future?
4. How does current science support our understanding of a changing climate?
5. How do we incorporate this science into our education programs for students, teachers, and the general public?

Workshop Goals

Workshop participants will:

• Understand the differences between weather and climate;
• Learn about key aspects of climate science, data, and information products that are crucial to helping the public and decision makers understand and respond to climate-related challenges; 
• Be introduced to scientific work being conducted in Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay that explores questions related to climate change and sea level rise;
• Have access to data, maps, and other climate resources;
• Have the opportunity for educators and scientists to interact on topics related to climate science and education;
• Gain access to, and knowledge of quality tools, curricula, and hands-on/ field-based activities for exploring climate-related issues.

Workshop Format

The workshop will take place at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The workshop is free and lunch will be provided for workshop participants.

Register Now! 

If you are interested in participating, or have questions, please contact Bart Merrick.

More information on this and other NOAA workshops