All Climate Events

Thursday, June 17, 2021. 2:00 PM. Webinar: Sustainable Strategies for Thornforest Restoration Along the Lower Rio Grande. Jon Dale, Thornforest Conservation Partnership; Kimberly-Wahl Villarreal, South Texas National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Sponsored by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. More information here.

As a result of climate change, intensified periods of drought are expected to increase throughout the southwestern U.S. as we progress further into the 21st century. This scenario underscores the need to develop habitat restoration methodology that will facilitate resilience in the region’s
existing ecosystems. In south Texas, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American Forests and the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Climate Adaptation Fund have been working since 2018 to develop a drought resilience strategy for the South Texas National Wildlife Refuge Complex
(STRC)’s forest restoration program. Conservation of the endangered ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), a forest dependent species, is a focus for management within the STRC, which lies in a region that has seen high rates of deforestation and habitat conversion. USFWS and American Forests combined efforts have included the development of modified planting methodology for the region’s native Tamaulipan thornforest and has produced a pilot restoration project that will serve as a basis for ongoing adaptation and evaluation of the strategy. We are hopeful that these efforts will provide a long-term answer for ocelot conservation within the region.