Roving contacts commonly include dialogue, since interpreters and visitors can engage each other with few time or programmatic constraints. To encourage civic engagement on climate change, formal programs – including guided walks, short talks, and campfire programs – could also set aside time for dialogue.

To make comments that effectively represent their views, people need baseline knowledge about climate change, its causes, impacts, and solutions. Yosemite interpretive programming can play a strong role in developing climate literacy, through online and on-site activities. Some programming can provide opportunities for visitors to comment directly on this issue.

National park visitors are in a new environment, so taking new pro-climate actions can be part of their experience. The park can communicate in a variety of ways – on the web site, in the park newspaper, and in programs – about actions to take while in the park, including using the shuttle, “buying green,” and recycling. These actions can increase awareness and extend to actions at home.

Connector

Yosemite brings together millions of people from different nations, political perspectives, faiths, cultures, generations, and passions, so it provides a rare opportunity to serve as a connector on the topic of climate change.

Catalyst

Climate change has strong potential to create conflict, but its magnitude requires people to work together on solutions. National Park Service communication focuses on respect for multiple perspectives, so Yosemite may catalyze positive interactions among various people and views.

Container

National parks draw people out of their daily lives into a physical location protected because it celebrates a grand landscape, a great idea, or an exemplary life. As one of the first national parks, Yosemite reminds us that we can act in society’s best interest, and it invites us to consider positive new possibilities.

Convener

Yosemite is of interest to the world community, and the impacts of climate change on the park make it a focal point for discussion – an ideal convener. The approaching celebrations of Yosemite’s 150th anniversary and the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary might provide impetus to look at future solutions that will protect the park and beyond.

Target Audiences

For Casual Visitors

For Committed Visitors

Water

Fire

Wildlife

Glaciers

Impacts: Yosemite is famous for its waterfalls, granite domes and peaks, wildlife, and ancient forests. As the climate changes, Yosemite’s waterfalls may dry up earlier in the season. Wildlife species are moving upslope to cooler elevations. The park’s glaciers are melting. Wildfires

may become more frequent and intense.

Web ContentYosemite can develop climate-change Web pages that offer clear, accurate examples of local impacts and solutions, allowing people to form their own opinions and take action.

Reaching out to Kids The park offers a Junior Ranger program on climate change and can work with park partners to deliver curriculum-based programs on this topic. These youth programs can include climate-related service projects.

Formal Programs and RovingInterpreters can incorporate climate change into formal programming and informal discussions, inviting people to express diverse views.

Starting with Staff: Choosing a Climate Communications team to receive intensive climate-change education is a key first step. The team can then train colleagues in Interpretation & Education and other park divisions.

Branching out to the Public: The Climate Communications team can create a variety of interpretive programs to reach Yosemite’s diverse visitors. (See “Interpretive Program” at right for possible approaches.)

Yosemite Forum – Climate Change Bringing park and outside experts together for short formal talks followed by small-group discussions and impromptu meetings would allow scientists, leaders, and the public to brainstorm ideas that they could apply in their communities.

Yosemite Green Solutions TourNPS and park partners can showcasegreen efforts in the park, modelingeffective choices and inspiring action inother places.

Yosemite Climate LeadersGathering a group of committed staffand members of the public to exchange ideas and inspire effective action would take civic engagement on climate change to a new level, serving the park and the nation.

The National Park Service and park partners have taken many pro-climate actions in Yosemite and can model these for staff and visitors. Through civic-engagement programs – green solutions tours, climate-change forums and a climate leaders program – the park can encourage people to take leadership roles in Yosemite and beyond.