Climate change is NIC panel's focus

Climate Action CDA, a program of the Kootenai Environmental Alliance, will present a panel discussion on how climate change impacts the Coeur d’Alene region Thursday evening at North Idaho College.

Russ Hersrud, a member of the board of directors for Climate Action CDA, said citizens should capitalize on this opportunity to learn about climate change.

“I believe this is the most important issue facing the world at this point in time,” Hersrud said, “and this event is an opportunity to learn about and then take action to mitigate the effects of climate change.”

The discussion will be moderated by Betsy Bancroft, an associate professor of biology and environmental studies at Gonzaga University.

Bancroft is researching how climate change affects frog and salamander populations. She has previously studied how these stressors impact birds, amphibians and reptiles throughout the United States.

The panel will comprise four women with extensive experience in climate sciences: Amanda Braley, Nancy Gilliam, Suzanne Marshall, and Julie VanMiddlesworth.

Braley is a biologist and instructor at Gonzaga University, where she has taught for 19 years. She teaches ecology, microbiology, physiology, and plant biology.

In addition, Braley helped to organize the March for Science in Spokane last April.

Gilliam is the founder and executive director of Model Forest Policy Program, a national nonprofit that helps communities create climate adaptation plans.

According to Gilliam, the organization has worked with more than 40 regions in the U.S. during the last 10 years.

Marshall serves on the board of the Kootenai Environmental Alliance and volunteers with Climate Action CDA.

Prior to moving to Coeur d’Alene two years ago, she taught U.S. history with specialties in environmental, African American, and women’s history.

VanMiddlesworth, an instructor at NIC, earned a master’s of science in aqueous geochemistry, and uses that experience in various environmental fields.

These include water quality and conservation, watershed restoration, contaminant characterization and cleanup, and geochemical equilibrium modeling.

The event will be held in the Driftwood Bay Room in the student union at NIC and begins at 6:30 p.m. Community members are encouraged to attend and ask questions of the panelists.