Certified Local Government Climate Change Literacy

Learn how climate change is impacting cultural heritage—and gain practical tools to help protect historic resources.
About this Event

Lead by one of the world’s leading experts on cultural heritage, climate change, heritage management and geospatial techniques in archaeology, Dr. Will Megarry of the School of Natural and Built Environment, Culture and Society, Queen’s University, Belfast, Ireland will be joined by Julianne Polanco, California State Historic Preservation Officer.

This training has been informed by collaborations with the Preserving Legacies Project and the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the Climate Heritage Network. Additionally, the California Cultural Heritage Climate Change Assessment Framework, developed by the CA SHPO in partnership with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography will be highlighted as an example of possibilities within California.

Training details:

Climate Change Literacy
Friday, July 17, 2026
10: 00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Climate change literacy is an understanding of our impact on the climate and how we can best respond. In cultural terms, it seeks to explore the intersections between culture and climate exploring, both how climate change impacts culture but also how culture can contribute to climate action

In these sessions, you will learn about common language in climate reporting, terms such as:

Hazard, Exposure, Vulnerability, Adaptation, Mitigation, Impacts, Response

Learn about hazards and impacts on cultural heritage. Understand the many terms and science used to understand values and threats that factor into adaptation and mitigation responses.

Information will be shared about current practices, policies, and efforts to equip communities with the knowledge and tools to actively engage in stewarding historic and cultural resources- places of celebration, commemoration, and ways of life- into the future.

We hope you and your CLG team members can join us for this opportunity to learn more about the intersection of cultural heritage and climate action to better meet the needs of our communities to address the urgency before us.