News
CIRES Rendezvous 2025
The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) hosted its 20th annual Rendezvous symposium on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at the University Memorial Center in Boulder, Colorado.
Fighting Fire with Fire: Why We’re Not Ready for Wildfire Season
As another fire season begins across the western U.S., one of the most effective tools for reducing catastrophic wildfire remains underused: controlled burns. When executed correctly, they can prevent a smoldering forest floor from becoming a catastrophic inferno.
Ulyana Horodyskyj Peña
Recording Available: May 8th NC CASC webinar
The NC CASC webinar, "Exploring the carbon effects of forest transformation and exotic annual grassland restoration in the North Central U.S.", took place on May 8, 2025. Watch the recording.
NC CASC looks forward to CIRES' Rendezvous!
The NC CASC looks forward to the upcoming CIRES Rendezvous at the CU Boulder campus, where we'll present a poster on the work that we do to advance actionable climate adaptation science through a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach.
Consortium Partner Talk: April 22, 2025
Dr. Ana Davidson, of Colorado State University (one of the NC CASC's consortium partners) will be giving a talk on Tuesday, April 22 (Earth Day!), on conservation planning for prairie dogs.
The 2025 CIRES Science Summit
The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) hosted its inaugural Science Summit on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at the Sustainability, Energy and Environment Community (SEEC) auditorium at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Ulyana Horodyskyj Peña
Recording Available: Assessing the Future of Sagebrush Ecosystems
Sagebrush rangelands occupy 76 million hectares across western North America and provide a wide range of ecosystem services, notably wildlife habitat. However, these sagebrush rangelands are being transformed by combinations of wildfire, invasive species, and drought.
New Climate Dataset Offers High-Resolution Projections of Future Drought Risk Across the U.S.
A newly published dataset, developed by the NC CASC in partnership with ClimateToolbox.org, provides detailed projections of the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) for the contiguous United States.
A Climate Adaptation Menu for North American Grasslands
North American grasslands, which span vast territories across the continent, are important yet often overlooked ecosystems in climate policy and conservation efforts. Bernath-Plaisted et al. (2025) developed the Grassland Adaptation Menu, a structured guide designed to support managers in implementing climate resilience strategies tailored to grassland ecosystems.
Ulyana Horodyskyj Peña
State of the Birds 2025
Birds are good indicators of ecosystem health. In the new 2025 "State of the Birds", it's reported that over one-third of U.S. bird species are in trouble, with 112 “Tipping Point” species having lost more than half their populations in just 50 years. But it’s not all bad news: the report also highlights successful conservation efforts that have helped bird populations rebound.