A naturalist symposium of warnings and solutions to problems compounded by climate change
An all-star line up of native plant experts, a climate resilience specialist, and an atmospheric scientist give powerful tools to act on climate change at the Columbus Botanical Garden. A naturalist symposium at the Columbus Botanical Garden in Georgia was held to discuss the role native plants play in climate change and the new climate normals for the planet. The event was attended by two scientists and a climate solutions project manager from the Georgia Climate Project Manager, Mackenzie Beverage, and local botanist, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, and biology professor at Columbus State University Ashley Desensi. Desensis emphasized the importance of protecting native plants and trees, which are vital food that all living things depend on. She also highlighted the danger of climate change affecting the timing and duration of flowering events for native plants in northern Georgia, which have been seen as being over 20 days early due to climate change. Beverage also addressed questions about how to get city leaders to act on a climate resilience plan.
Published : a month ago by Kala Hunter in Environment
Columbus Botanical Garden teemed with life on a cloudy, humid Saturday morning when two scientists and a climate solutions project manager imparted their wisdom about the role native plants play, and the new climate normals for the planet to an eager crowd of naturalists.
“Our garden is a resource to the community and we educate through presenting sound science,” said Adriana Quiñones, executive director of the Columbus Botanical Garden. “Climate change is so doom and gloom. There is hope. This symposium will allow you to walk away and do something to make a change for the better.”
Local botanist, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, and biology professor at Columbus State University Ashley Desensi tugged at the crowd’s heartstrings by reminding them how many plants are in danger and why Georgians should care.
Six hundred-fifty of our 4,000 plant and tree species in Georgia are listed as special concern,” she said. “That’s terrible. That is a huge fraction. We need to do more to protect our native plants and animals.”
The native plants and trees are vital food that all living things depend on, which climate change is making more difficult.
“Climate change is affecting the timing and duration of flowering events for native plants,” Desensi said. “Spring has sprung in areas in northern Georgia, over 20 days early, according to the National Weather Service leafing map. The problem is frost doesn’t care, which means plants blooming early will be lost ... like the Chickasaw plum.”
While Desensi emphasized native plants are resilient, she said they still need our help to continue to flourish to support healthy ecosystems by planting native trees and removing non-natives.
“Magnolia is out-competing native species,” she said. “They are moving around directly in relation to climate change. Get rid of them.”
Outside of the community-based conservation initiative Desensi recently led in Newnan, with 50 elementary students planting native seeds and cleaning up a creek, she said, “advocate for policies that support native plants.”
The Georgia state flower, Cherokee rose, is not native.
“The Georgia Native Plant Society has pushed Senate Bill 518 to change the state flower.”
How to fight climate change in Columbus?
Georgia Climate Project Manager, Mackenzie Beverage, took questions from the crowd about getting leadership to act on a resilience plan to be better prepared for some of the biggest issues to hit Columbus like triple digit heat days and flood events.
“This stuff isn’t rocket science,” one woman said. “How do we get our city to move forward with a plan?”
Beverage pointed to the local initiative to pass the resolution to be completely powered by clean energy by 2035.
“The city leaders are critical in helping with climate resilience,” she said. “The city passes resolutions, creates codes, they are the real leaders around climate change where solutions are seen the most.”
After native plants and resilience discussions concluded, the clouds broke and the sun beamed just as J. Marshall Shepherd, a meteorologist, and professor at the University of Georgia took to the stage and warned the audience what worries him most and how to talk about climate science.
“I am severely concerned about the 2024 hurricane season,” Shepherd said, as he pointed to a black line that hovers well above the other year sea surface temperature averages.
“In February the ocean waters were as warm as they would be in May.”
Also a fan of sports, Shepherd called the ocean temperature spike the equivalent of a track runner beating their record by 3 or 4 seconds instead of a tenth of a second.
“That heat finds its way back to the atmosphere and connects to vegetation, flora, and fauna biodiversity,” he said.
To make sure the audience understood the new normal, especially the older generation, who made up a large part of the crowd, he talked about past heat waves or other events.
“The heat waves and extreme events of the 1960s are now our normal events,” he said. “Your benchmarks are not applicable anymore. Hurricane Rita, Andrew, or a flood you remember from 20 years ago, they don’t apply. We are in a new normal climate system.”
Though 2020 and 2021 were the most active hurricane seasons on record, it’s the intensity that is changing in response to climate change, he emphasized to the crowd.
Contrary to popular opinion, we might have fewer hurricanes, but future hurricanes will be stronger.
“I want to make sure we convey the information properly,” he said. “If we get aspects wrong, skeptics and denialists will pounce. Those of us who are engaged have to make sure we’re clean and precise with our argument.”
Marshall also said about 10% of the U.S. population is dismissive when it comes to the realities of climate change and to not even bother having a discussion with them.
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication surveyed thousands of Americans in 2008 and found there are six distinct groups when it comes to how American’s think about climate change: alarmed, concerned, cautious, disengaged, doubtful and dismissive. In 2023, alarmed has doubled in size, and dismissive audiences have stayed the same.
“Dismissive are the folks who are loud and obnoxious on Twitter, Facebook, or the uncle who found a YouTube video that dismissed science,” he said. “Don’t waste your time with the dismissive. You aren’t going to move the needle because you will just get frustrated.”
Instead, he said, talk with folks that fall into the doubtful or disengaged category.
Gardiner Garrard, husband to Nora Garrard, the president of the Columbus Botanical Garden, loved the way Shepherd presented his keynote speech to the crowd.
“Dr. Shepherd was an incredible communicator and scientist,” Garrard said. “I learned a lot today. I only wish more people came.”
Lauren Moore, the environmental education coordinator at the Columbus Botanical Garden said they only sold about 25 tickets. Moore said the garden received feedback saying, “the topic theme of climate change was too polarizing.”
Topics: Climate Change, ESG