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COMMUNITY:
Project Descriptions

Valles Caldera, A Grand Land Experiment: Communicating Climate Change Research to Public Audiences

February 15, 2011 - January 31, 2013 | Media and Technology, Exhibitions

This proposed Communicating Research to Public Audiences (CRPA) project outlines a pathway for communicating how climate change can affect a watershed area that supplies water for a specific region. The educational platforms will address the geology of the Caldera along with meteorology, ecology and hydrology. The project will focus on the ongoing scientific research processes and the impact of climate change to the physical system as well as to the citizens who depend on this resource. Partners in this endeavor include New Mexico EPSCOR, the University of New Mexico, the Valles Caldera National Preserve, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Santa Fe Productions and Tim Aydelott Productions. The project team will create a PBS television documentary in English and Spanish, including a Native American Jemez Pueblo storyteller who will describe the natural environment of the Caldera. The team will also create a YouTube channel with updatable clips, a Facebook fan page, and a climate change exhibit. The evaluation will include front-end and summative components, and will be conducted by Minnick & Associates and Elsa Bailey Consulting. The intended impact of this CRPA is to educate the public about the importance of the Caldera in securing the region's water supply and how climate changes could impact their lives. Further, aspects of the multidisciplinary science used in this research will be described with the goal of encouraging more young people from the region to choose STEM careers.

Funders

NSF
Funding Program: ISE/AISL
Award Number: 1038654
Funding Amount: 150000

TEAM MEMBERS

  • William Michener
    Principal Investigator
    University of New Mexico
  • Anthony Tiano
    Former Co-Principal Investigator
    Santa Fe Productions
  • Discipline: Climate | Ecology, forestry, and agriculture | Geoscience and geography | Nature of science
    Audience: Youth/Teen (up to 17) | General Public | Museum/ISE Professionals | Scientists
    Environment Type: Media and Technology | Broadcast Media | Websites, Mobile Apps, and Online Media | Exhibitions | Museum and Science Center Exhibits
    Access and Inclusion: Ethnic/Racial | Hispanic/Latinx Communities | Indigenous and Tribal Communities | English Language Learners

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