British Columbia 
Workshop
Using the Climate Atlas of Canada for Climate Action
Monday June 13, 2022 (10:00 Am – 12:30 PM)
Online Via Zoom
Following on December 2021 workshop on the use of climate data platforms to support community-based climate action, the BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) and the Prairie Climate Centre (PCC) are pleased to invite you to join us at Workshop #2 focused on the use of the Climate Atlas of Canada.
The Climate Atlas of Canada, developed by the PCC, is a powerful interactive tool, first of its kind, that combines climate science, mapping, and storytelling with Indigenous Knowledge and community-based research and video to inspire awareness and action. It makes public climate data and projected climate change scenarios available for First Nations at the community level. At Using the Climate Atlas of Canada for Climate Action Workshop, the PCC will:
- Present the Climate Atlas of Canada and a new First Nations information layer recently added to the Climate Atlas. Using real examples and exercises, participants will learn how to use the platform to produce community climate maps and projections to inform community-based climate projects.
- Present the First Nations and Climate Change resource webpage and promote discussions on the intersection of Indigenous Knowledge and western climate data. This resource page features how First Nations use their traditional knowledge to understand and address climate change; presents innovative First Nations-led climate initiatives, and provides ideas for individual and collective climate action.
The workshop is open to all First Nations in BC, including leadership, and will be most relevant for First Nations staff members and technicians who work with or want to work with climate data.
If you have any questions, please contact Patricia Rojas, BCAFN Regional Climate Change Coordinator, at patricia.rojas@bcafn.ca or 250-859-1511.
Presenters/Facilitators:
Hetxw’ms Gyetxw (Brett Huson, he/him/his)
Research Associate, Prairie Climate Centre
Brett is from the Gitxsan Nation of the Northwest Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Growing up in this strong matrilineal society, Brett developed a passion for the culture, land, and politics of his people, and a desire to share their knowledge and stories. The award-winning series Mothers of Xsan is Brett’s first series of books and part of a larger vision he has in sharing the worlds of the Gitxsan Nation.
As Brett continues creating new art and working on new books, he is also working with the Prairie Climate Centre at the University of Winnipeg, as a Research Associate, to connect science and Indigenous Knowledges. With the support of his wife Jeri and their children Warren and Ruby, Brett endeavours to continue sharing stories with his writing, artwork and photography.
Ian Mauro
Executive Director of the Prairie Climate Centre and Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg.
Ian holds a BSc in Environmental Science, PhD in Geography, and studied as a Postdoctoral fellow in Ethnoecology. He is a former Canada Research Chair, and has served on expert panels related to food security, energy issues, and climate change in Canada. As a scientist, community-based researcher and filmmaker, Mauro’s work explores the interface between climate science, society and sustainability and the important role of local and Indigenous knowledge in this discourse.
Matt Loxley
Research Associate, Prairie Climate Centre
Matthew has a Bachelor of Science (Ag.Env.Sc.) in Renewable Resource Management from McGill University and a Master of Environmental Science in Climate Change Impact Assessment from the University of Toronto. His work at the PCC revolves around climate model data and climate change adaptation, from which he draws on his previous experience working on climate change adaptation with UNICEF at the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Office in Panama.
Additional resources
- BCAFN previous sessions on climate data
- Climate Atlas of Canada
- Other climate data platforms:
- World: IPCC WGI Interactive Atlas