The topic

As the name already suggests, the School focuses on land use, land use change and the effect of these changes on ecosystems. In more detail, lectures addressed the modelling of land use change, the question of how land use is integrated in policy frameworks like IPBES as well as issues related to ecosystem services, species habitats, and biodiversity. Although some of these topics might seem familiar and are covered within GCE lectures, I really enjoyed looking at them from a land use (change) standpoint.

Furthermore, the School approached the discussed topics from a socio-ecological perspective, incorporating concepts like resilience, vulnerability, and risk management. Besides, we got a lot of input about past, present and future drivers of land use change and discussed the role of social networks and human impact, e.g., in form of deforestation or land abandonment. What I really enjoyed is that they tried to show how these changes and processes are connected on an international scale.

The format and lecturers

The organizers really put a strong effort into making the School as applied and active as possible. A usual day would start with a lecture followed by a Q&A session or a quick discussion round and an introduction into the group work, which was continued in the afternoon. The days adjourned by presenting the group work and having discussions about the topic. On two of the days, we had the chance to exchange our ideas about two posted questions through reading and commenting on each others’ ideas (basically a virtual form of a discussion forum). The group exercises were definitely a big plus. Using different models or assessment tools, we had to investigate about the effect of different land use and emission scenarios, and how these changes would differ between countries. We also took a closer look into the changes in ecosystem productivity under different land use scenarios.

I highly valued the broad variety of platforms, modelling tools, and datasets that they selected for the group exercises. It gave a great insight into the availability of (open source) data and makes you want to use this data for future analysis. Especially for students that like to dive into the field of land use (change), this could be beneficial for a future thesis or project. One other point why I recommend this School are the professors and lecturers. All are major experts in their field and have been closely engaged in important (research) activities, e.g., the writing of the IPBES report. They are very motivated to share their knowledge and are always happy to have a personal talk.

The participants and the setting

The School is open to international master and PhD students. I think the committee did a great job in selecting the participants. We had a diverse group with an almost equal split between master and PhD students. For me, I really enjoyed hearing about the projects the PhD students were conducting, and I think their perspectives enriched the discussions a lot. It was also nice to see some real-world projects dealing with land use change and the challenges they were facing. Even online, we had some very cool discussions and I assume that this is even better when the School will take place in person this year in the alpine region of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Although I have only been there during my free time, I can definitely say that this is a great region to spend a Summer School and I am convinced that the organizers have great excursions planned for this year, too.

Any drawbacks?

Well, as the master program GCE is very diverse, there are topics that have been covered in classes before. Especially the lectures about ecosystem services, biodiversity or the CBD will be more of a repetition rather than new knowledge. However, putting these topics in the light of land use change adds some new perspectives and I believe that it can be a nice possibility to refresh some knowledge or engage even more in the discussions. Moreover, the many tools, models and datasets that you will get to know during the School can be very beneficial for people that want to pursue a career in the field of land use and ecosystem change.

Wrap-up

I would recommend this School to anyone interested in land use, the drivers and challenges of land use change, and the relation to social system. The School offers a new perspective into a topic, i.e. land use change, that I find GCE courses only cover partly. If you are looking for motivating and engaging professors to extend your network, then you are absolutely right to go for this School. If you want completely new knowledge, then this Summer School might not be your first choice, as some of the topics are covered by the GCE program modules.

I hope I could motivate some of you to take part in this School. This year, the Summer School will take place from the 16^th to the 23^rd of August. Applications are still open until May 27^th, 2022. Keep in mind that you need a signed motivation letter, so don’t wait too long!

More information about this year’s summer school clicking here.

The post KIT Summer School 2021: Land Use and Ecosystem Change appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

We had our first meeting 4 weeks before the beginning of the Summer School to get to know each other, and to clarify who will join the event in-person or online. The structure and setting of the course allowed both, as it was planned to happen in a hybrid format. At first, I was quite sceptical about how this would work out, however the organization and execution was amazing, making the experience great for everyone!

As the participating students came not only from different countries, but also had different backgrounds, a lot of material for preparation was provided before the start of the course. This was accessible via an online platform, which was very easy and convenient to use. The preparation material encompassed daily compulsory reading, one or two scientific articles, to get a basic understanding of the content. In addition to this, more background information was offered via articles, field studies, blog posts etc. This reading was on a voluntary basis and really provided in depth information about the daily topic.

What was even more exceptional than the organization and provision of preparation materials was the expertise and variety of the speakers during the course. For the first four days, the lectures covered the topics of “Climate history and system”, “Food systems and land use”, “Energy systems” and “Biosphere responses”, which were very natural science-related. The lecturers not only designed the talks in an interactive way, but also showed great knowledge in their field by answering all upcoming questions. After the scientific drivers and impacts of climate change were covered, the course content change to a more socio-economic and political perspective on days 5 to 6: “Climate Law” and “Political economy”. For the last days of the course, the group was introduced to the broader fields of ethics, culture and communication and their connection with climate change. Here, the wickedness of the climate change problem really got into the focus. The topics were called “Consumers and communication”, “Ethics of the Anthropocene” and “Cultures of climate” and really stimulated interesting debates.

The daily structure of the school was as follows: We started in the morning at 9 with a three-hour introduction lecture until 12. I would like to highlight that it was not only lecture-centered teaching, but instead interactive and shaped by vivid discussions. After an hour of lunch break, during which you could enjoy specialties in the nearby Latin quarter of Aarhus, we had another hour to ask questions that came up during the lecture. At 2 pm, we started with our afternoon session, which included the work in our groups.

On the first day of the course, we were split up into groups of 4 and had to choose a topic that is currently connected with climate change and sustainability, e.g. food, travel, family etc. The aim of the group work was to create a presentation for the last day of the course (which was also the examination), in which we show how our topic was connected to each of the 9 topics we covered in the lectures. This approach was especially suited, as the discussion in the group in the afternoons really helped us to comprehend the content that was explained in the morning sessions and apply it in a solution-oriented manner.

Between 4 and 5 pm, the daily program ended, and we could use the remaining day to spent time with our study colleagues and students from other summer schools. After one and a half year of not seeing fellow students because of the pandemic, this spare time to get to know people and make new friends made the summer school truly remarkable. Because the university provided international students with the opportunity to live in the student accommodations, you really got the feeling of studying at a university and could forget COVID-19 for some time. The free time was used to discover Aarhus and its vicinity: We went swimming in the harbor, had a campfire at the beach and enjoyed live music in a jazz bar, to name only a few activities.

I very much appreciate the opportunity to have participated in such an exciting and memorable course, especially after such a long time of social distancing and not meeting new people. I want to give a special thank you to the coordinator of the course, Bo Holm Jacobsen, as well as to all guest lecturers who provided their expertise and opinions and to the coordination of the University of Aarhus, that made this summer school possible in a time when the majority of other summer schools were still only in an online format.

This blog post does only scratch the surface of the time I had in Aarhus, and it would take way too much space to tell it in detail. But the best way to retrace this experience is to try it by yourself. So if you are interested in joining the summer school and visit Aarhus, the website of the course provides a lot of information and the registration form. And, in case you have some more time, you could also combine this journey with a trip to other beautiful Scandinavian cities like Copenhagen, Stockholm or Oslo!

The post Aarhus Summer School 2021: Climate Change – Cross-disciplinary challenges and solutions appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

            This summer, I took part in the Potsdam Summer School (PSS). This science school was cooperatively organized by the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), the Helmholtz-Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), and the University of Potsdam in partnership with Geo.X and the City of Potsdam. With the Hydrosphere at its core, the eight day long programme covered climate change, the role of the cryosphere, water as a hazard, the interaction between water, land and humans, hydrological modelling, and oceans, as well as economy, management, governance, and stakeholder engagement.

            Virtually united

            This year was the first time that the PSS occurred in an online format due to the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, I have to say that the PSS was a wonderful experience. One could tell that the whole structure of the summer school was carefully planned to provide all the participants with the best experience possible. And they surely succeeded!

            Personally, I was impressed when I logged in for the first on the SCOOCS platform. There, we had the lectures (already available for us two weeks prior to the event!), the weekly schedule, networking tables, participants profile, and study cases. We had to prepare ourselves beforehand by watching the lectures, reading suggested materials, and making our questions for the discussion sessions. The 2021 edition of the school occurred from August 9^th to August 20^th.

            The eight day event kicked-off with a warm welcome from Prof. Dr. Ortwin Renn, scientific director of the IASS. This was followed by an interactive session with Dr. Thomas Bruhn, where we were put in break-out rooms and met our fellow colleagues to talk about ourselves, our backgrounds, and motivations. The afternoon brought a talk by Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström regarding water within planetary boundaries in light of the most recent released IPCC report. We got to have the first meeting of our working groups, to which we were assigned prior to the event.

            I was assigned to the working group about modelling hydrology. Within our working group, we had small lectures which nurtured the discussions in break-out rooms and in the plenary. We also had the opportunity to present our own work related to the study case that we submitted as part of our preparation for the school. This allowed us a place to share our projects, ideas, and different realities, as well as to receive valuable feedback, insights, and suggestions that we could try to implement to further improve our research. At the working groups, we also had the chance to get to know our colleagues further and develop a presentation to be given in the plenary in the last of the school.

            I always was looking forward to the beginning of another day of the summer school. The first moment would always be the welcome and 15-minute interactive session, as well as a moment of reflection within ourselves. After connecting to the others, we began a discussion of the talks. Finally, we joined our working groups. I particularly liked how they structured the programme, the topics covered and how they were presented in light of current research and new technologies. This included bringing awareness to climate change, natural hazards, food-water-energy-ecosystem nexus, international cooperation, and water governance. Another highlight was the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals, how they interact and how they are grounded in four SDGs that are particularly important: SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG 13 (Climate action), SDG 14 (Life below water), and SDG 15 (Life on land).

            I feel very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Potsdam Summer School, for the new knowledge, exchange of information and experience, as well as new insights on current research and even self-discovery. I would like to show my appreciation for everyone that made this summer school possible, and particularly for the organisation team that was always very present, friendly, and helpful. A special shout out to Angela Borowski (IASS) who has always been kind and welcoming to all of us! Thank you!

            There is so much to share about the PSS that a short blog post cannot cover. But you can visit their website (https://potsdam-summer-school.org/ ) and get to know more about the program, the wonderful speakers, and participants of this 2021 PSS Edition. It was a pity that we could not meet in Potsdam for this amazing event, but I myself cannot wait to visit this incredible city! Finally, if you are looking to expand your horizons, have access to current research and networking, I can only recommend this summer school. So, be attentive for the application process that should start in the beginning of next year, good luck, and maybe I will even see you there in 2022(?)!

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During the spring of 2021, I participated in a science school organized by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bundesamt für Naturschutz, BfN). Every year since 2010, the module has accepted 25 master-level students to learn at the International Academy for Nature Conservation on the Isle of Vilm in Germany. While this year was offered virtually, the experience remained worthwhile.

Broadening knowledge

Prior to the start of the course, students were expected to complete some background reading and an assignment to ensure that everyone had a good base of knowledge. From there, we hit the ground running! We began by assessing the current state of biodiversity and discussed both marine and terrestrial conservation. We learned about conservation tools like protected areas and about the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Students discussed how to engage in strategic conservation planning to meet goals most effectively and efficiently. We also spent some time addressing international law and the international governance framework for environmental protection, as well as discussing the social impacts of conservation.

Part of the reason that the seminar remained so engaging throughout the week was the mixed method of instruction, from lectures to panel discussions to interactive simulations. Generally, new topics were introduced with a talk from an invited expert. However, this was followed by group discussions and activities. This allowed students to actively engage with the material that had just been introduced. I found that this really made the information “stick,” while also creating connections among students.

Building a network

A strength of the module was the possibility to network. Lectures, panel discussions, and simulations run by conservation experts gave students a way to develop professional contacts for future internships, for example. Additionally, there were opportunities to interact with peers through “market place” activities, which closed each daily session. During these market place times, students shared short presentations outlining an experience they had with conservation. This took place in various breakout rooms, facilitating discussions in smaller groups.

The next Module on International Nature Conservation is expected to take place from 27 February to 5 March 2022, either online or in-person as the COVID-19 situation allows. If you are interested, then set a reminder – the upcoming application period will start in late autumn 2021.

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           Themed “Ecological Models and Beyond”, the EcoSum Autumn School covers topics since Bayesian inference and ecological networks to evolution and eco-anthropology. As the global pandemic is still on its peak, the school was developed virtually, however, this did not prevent the science school to be a success.

The Virtual Autumn School

            The Ecology Autumn School lasted for one week, from November 16^th until November 20^th, with an average workload of 6 hours per day. In order to make this school virtually, organisers had a great insight in regards to the use of online platforms. Slack was constantly used to make announcements, distribute courses’ materials and messaging between participants. Zoom was the lecture room. While Mural served as the colourful board, where we all could work on and develop ideas. The whole environment of the school was always dynamic, interactive, science-centred and very friendly.

           The week started with a very enlightening lecture and R session with Jim Clark (Clark Lab – Duke Trinity College) on Bayesian Inference, followed by a very interesting and dense lecture on process-based modelling and ecology given by Xavier Morim (CEFE – CNRS). Already on Tuesday, we had one of the highlights of the week: the Ecological networks session with Elisa Thébault (IEES Paris – CNRS). This day was very well balanced with lecture in the morning and the practical part in the afternoon. We had the chance to work on different questions in break out rooms, go through the R scripts together, understand the content that was lectured in the morning and present our results. This whole structure made the beginning of the school very exciting!

           On Wednesday, we were introduced to Macroevolutionary models by Hélène Morlon (IBENS – Ecole Normale Supérieure) and then we dived into Paleo-biogeography with Ignacio Quintero (IBENS – Ecole Normale Supérieure). It was possible to learn new concepts, definitions, models and databases, besides bringing the linkage between modelling and paleo-biogeography. And who doesn’t like evolution history? Fabien Condamine’s (ISEM – CNRS) session about evolutionary biogeography on Thursday morning was the perfect follow up from Quintero’s lecture of the previous day. We were introduced to hierarchical vicariance models, the Dispersal-Extinction-Cladogenesis (DEC) model and presented empirical case studies.

           Thursday also marked the day of the Virtual Roundtable, the event that I was very curious about when I first looked at the program. Beforehand, we had to read a specific paper in preparation for the roundtable. Once we were there, we were divided in groups and we had to discuss among ourselves about the paper, organise our ideas on a board on the Mural platform, and we would get back to the main room for more discussion. The paper was about climate change and ecological restoration. We discussed about issues that can rise from how we express scientific knowledge to the general public, and how sometimes journalism tend to fall on sensationalism, which can cause more issues in certain spheres and practices due to influence and lack of understanding of the scientific aspect. Concomitantly to the discussions, we structured a diagram on how modelling, scientific writing and better communication between science, journalism and general public should be developed to prevent more ecological problems.

           After a very productive and interactive Thursday, Friday came bringing a feeling of “I want more” and “I cannot believe this is the last day”, with two very interesting sessions. In the morning with Samuel Roturier (TESS – Univ. Paris Saclay) lecturing about Eco-anthropology, where he presented a practical case of integration between science and society in the Boreal forest, about the science of snow, the Sami people and the process of co-production. Finally, in the afternoon, Adrien Comte (CIRED – AgroParis Tech) did the last lecture of the EcoSum Autumn School 2020, talking about Ecological economics, coral reefs, ecosystem services and climate change.

A Science School to remember!

            Even though it was a pity not being able to visit the Grenoble Alpes, the Virtual EcoSum Autumn School was a great experience. Everything was well explained and presented. Regardless of which level of ecological modelling expertise you are, everyone was always helpful and friendly, making this a good introduction to the challenging and, yet, exciting world of modelling. All the activities were well developed, showing how much the organisers took the time to plan and make everything work. And we even had the chance to talk about our personal experiences related to isolation during the covid-19 pandemic. In summary, great content delivered, materials, modelling, knowledge exchange, group work and networking! The 2020 edition marks the beginning of a promising and solid Science School for the EcoSum Initiative Team. And I only have one thing to say: SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

EcoSum Iniative Website: https://leca.osug.fr/Autumn-School-Ecological-Models

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The curriculum

This year’s AEMS summer school took place over three weeks through late July and August. Over this period of time, students learned not only the basics about financial systems but also about tools of change across different sectors. What are some realistic ways in which our current systems can shift to be more sustainable and how can we add our own power behind this push? We explored this question through interaction with speakers and other students, writing blog posts and the final group project, in which we all presented our own idea for a project of change.

In Vienna… Or anywhere!

In total, thirty-six students from seventeen countries took part in the course. While the digital format meant that many participants were not located in Vienna, it made the science school very accessible to students and lecturers across the world. Students, organizers and lecturers could maintain contact and easily ask or answer questions as they arose through the use of digital tools like Zoom, Discord and YouTube. Furthermore, even after the school has ended, the channels remain open.

My experience

I absolutely had concerns about completing a fully digital science school! I worried about missing out on the personal side of group cooperation and learning, which (as I am sure we all know by now) comes so much more naturally in a physical setting compared to online. I thought I would have trouble remaining engaged through a computer screen and might not absorb the material well or burn out. I will admit that these things did end up being, at times, a challenge. At the beginning, I did struggle with feeling awkward trying to connect with a bunch of total strangers over the internet. And yes, sometimes it did take extra work to focus myself on lessons through a screen. However, all those strangers and I were both invested and interested in exploring avenues toward a better future, and we all found common ground just like in a physical setting – and suddenly, we became true colleagues! It was a mentally strenuous few weeks, but with motivation (and well-placed computer breaks), we made it through to our final change projects. It was great to hear how different groups integrated the weeks’ knowledge to propose change projects about how to support climate-friendly mobility, how to maintain businesses within planetary boundaries, the role of community currency, food sovereignty and more!

In the end…

The organizers of the AEMS science school were able to provide academically rigorous instruction for students online without sacrificing the elements of collaboration and group discussion that can potentially pose a problem for digital learning formats. Ultimately, the course organizers as well as the students both agree that AEMS 2020 accomplished the overall aim of “spreading the ideas of change and showing alternatives to the current economic and monetary system” and support student learning “to achieve a socially just and environmentally sustainable future”!

The post Alternative Economic and Monetary Systems (AEMS) Summer School 2020 appeared first on Global Change Ecology.

“In La Palma, we want the students to get in touch with science from a to z”, Irl says. The 34-year-old professor has been part of the annual La Palma Summer School for 10 years. “For us, this summer school is really important because we accompany the students’ working groups from the creation of a research concept to the final presentation about the whole project.” During the two weeks, there were also professors and specialists from other European countries supporting the students with their projects.

The biggest part of the work is done by the students in a self-directed way which can, according to Severin Irl, also cause problems during the working process or with the results themselves. “Actually, we just throw the students into the cold water and want them to learn how to swim”, Irl says and laughs. Sometimes, students who participated in the La Palma Science School are choosing a scientific career after experiencing this special research training. “This research project is one of the most important ones for the department of Biogeography here in Bayreuth because we are working together intensively with the students during the whole time.” The project takes two semesters in total, from the first approaches in methods to the final written paper. “As they are dealing with the project for such a long time, some students even kind of adopt it as their baby”, Irl says, a with a twinkle in his eye.

26-year-old Dagmar Hanz is one of the PhD students in the department of biogeography in Bayreuth. She is funded by the Ecopotential project, we recently wrote about. This year, she was also part of the research group on the Canary Island. “We are cooperating a lot with the local authorities, our results often help them with nature conservation projects on the island”, she says. “I am glad to have been part of the Science School, it was really good to actually use various methods. In university, we read about them, but experiencing them is something completely different.”

La Palma is an excellent spot for the research which aims at studying plants and their multifaceted interactions with the environment. This is mainly because the island is very mountainous and therefore has a broad variety of climate and vegetation zones: you can find steep coasts with species adapted to salty and dry conditions (such as sea lavender), dry regions that are crowded by succulents, and even dense laurel forests which grow due the humid trade winds. Also, you can find lots of endemic species there. Even though the island is not big, roughly 40 kilometres long and 30 kilometres broad, it takes quite a while to circle it. “The roads in La Palma are in some parts steep and extremely curvy. It took us up to five hours to circle the island once”, says Dagmar Hanz and laughs.

“Another important factor is that – compared to some of the other Canary Islands like Tenerife or Gran Canaria – mass tourism has not had such a huge impact on La Palma yet”, Severin Irl says. It is still quite untouched in some areas which often brings surprises: This year, the research team might have stumbled upon a new species of carline thistles in the far North of La Palma. “We have identified it as a species from the genus Carlina but we are not sure yet about the species’ name”, Irl says. “Every year again, La Palma is just beautiful.”

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