University of Richmond to host climate change symposium April 21

April 9, 2015

The University of Richmond will host "Nature, Virginia's Economy and the Climate Threat," a symposium on climate change, April 21 at 12:30 p.m. in the Robins School of Business, Queally Hall, Ukrop Auditorium.

The symposium focuses on how to protect Virginia wildlife and landscape from the threat of climate change.

Dr. Healy Hamilton is currently chief scientist and vice president for Conservation Science at NatureServe. She will kick off the event with a lecture titled “The Role of Biodiversity in a Climate-Resilient Virginia.” Healy will address the impact climate change will have on the economic value of natural resources.

Following Healy's keynote speech, a group of University of Richmond students in the Environmental Studies Program will present their research and recommendations for needed conservation measures. The recommendations focus on steps to conserve economically vital landscapes as global warming increases, including Virginia's wetlands, forests, streams, the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic fishery. Several members of the state Climate and Resilience Commission have said they will attend.

The Commission is charged with providing recommendations to the governor for how to meet the challenge of climate change and ideas on how to fund any proposed initiatives. The Commission will meet at 2:30 p.m. immediately following the symposium. Both events are free and open to the public, but community members are encouraged to RSVP to urclimate4.21@gmail.com.

This symposium is sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program and organized by professors Peter Smallwood and Steve Nash.

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