Foreword by Kristin Timm
As a kid growing up in Wisconsin, I remember always sledding on Thanksgiving morning. Somewhere
around the time I stopped sledding, sledding on Thanksgiving morning stopped too. There was rarely
enough snow on the ground. A few years later I moved to Alaska, where I figured I would always have
winter in my life. But after being here over 20 years, I know that stories about Alaska’s changing ice and
snow are just as common and often more consequential.
At the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center, we work to understand and respond to environmental
changes by generating science that is rooted in place and relevant to the decisions Alaskans face. Through a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Alaska, our research, convening and capacity building efforts support people across the state as they navigate a changing climate while working to maintain the ways of life they value. This publication – the first in what we hope will be an ongoing series – features stories from across Alaska about how communities are adapting, how science is informing decisions, and how people are working together to address complex challenges in their communities.
Stories aren’t just a matter of record, they are an adaptive tool. For millennia, stories have helped people make sense of what they observe and experience, how they feel and what they learn along the way. Stories carry facts, data and instructions, but also hopes, fears and values. When we hear a story, our brains don’t just process information, we actually simulate an experience, and as a result, are better equipped to respond to novel challenges.
The stories in this edition reflect a landscape of thresholds being crossed. The Arctic has warmed nearly four times faster than the rest of the globe. The snow and ice that Alaskans have come to know, understand and rely on are changing. For example, in the Interior, river ice is less reliable for travel. In Western Alaska, changes in snowfall are contributing to shifting caribou migrations. On the North Slope, shorter winters are leading to fish die-offs. In Southeast Alaska, changes in glaciers are causing floods and altering downstream rivers and ecosystems. Together with our partners, communities and fellow scientists, the Alaska CASC is observing these changes, collaborating across disciplines and knowledge systems, and working to communicate what they mean for the future.
And across Alaska’s Arctic and sub-Arctic communities, people are already living with these changes. Our hope is that the stories in this publication help illustrate not only how climate change is affecting daily life, but also how Alaskans are studying, responding to, and adapting to those impacts. This is not a comprehensive collection. If you have a story to tell, we invite you to share it – with the Alaska CASC, with your neighbors, with your local newspapers and with one another. Story is how we share knowledge, support one another and ultimately adapt.
