(Some of this story was taken from a Climate Science Alliance press release)
Climate Science Alliance South Coast Director Dr. Amber Pairis was among eight recipients honored nationally on May 8, for helping safeguard America’s valuable natural resources.
Pairis is a former Idyllwild resident. “I grew up in Idyllwild (age 5 and up) and lived there until I went to college in 1992,” she said. “Idyllwild will always be home and my family is still there so I am in Idyllwild often. I went to Idyllwild Elementary and graduated high school at Idyllwild Arts.”
For their outstanding work in raising awareness and helping the nation’s natural resources become more resilient to the impacts of a rapidly changing world, eight organizations and individuals were honored by their peers at the National Adaptation Forum as recipients of the Climate Adaption Leadership Award for Natural Resources. Recipients were selected from 27 nominations representing activities from individuals and federal, tribal, state, local and non-governmental organizations from around the country.
“Today we recognize individuals and agencies who are developing and using innovative methods to safeguard the nation’s living natural resources from a rapidly changing world,” said Kevin Hunting, chief deputy director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and co-chair of the Joint Implementation Working Group of the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy. “Their leadership is a source of inspiration for additional efforts to advance climate-smart resource conservation and management with lasting positive impacts on the nation’s communities and economy.”
The description of why she won is: “Amber Pairis is committed to climate adaptation actions that promote natural resource conservation. She serves as Director of the Climate Science Alliance-South Coast, a partnership between California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Landscape Conservation Cooperative with 140 + partner agencies and organizations. In 2013, Amber was appointed by Governor Brown as the Assistant Secretary for Climate Change-California Natural Resources Agency to coordinate the State’s nature-based climate adaptation activities. Pairis was the Climate Change Advisor for CDFW and created the Climate Science Program, CDFW Climate College, Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agency’s Climate Committee, and supported development of the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy.”
The Climate Adaptation Leadership Award was established in 2016 to recognize outstanding leadership by individuals, organizations, businesses and agencies to support the resilience of America’s vital natural resources and the many people, businesses and communities that depend on them.
For more information about the 2017 Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards for Natural Resources, including the eight recipients, honorable mentions and all 27 nominees, visit the www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/award.php. To view her work, visit www.ClimateScienceAlliance.org and www.climatekids.org.
