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June 2026 Newsletter

June 16, 2026
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Southeast CASC News

We are so excited to announce the 2026-27 Global Change Research Fellows cohort from across the SE CASC consortium! 

Welcome Alan Pomeroy, our new communications and engagement manager!

Catch the replay of our latest science seminar on assessing patterns of subterranean biodiversity & microclimates to inform cave management & conservation with Skylar Hopkins.

Hamdi Zurqani is a co-author on an article in Science of Remote Sensing Assessing UAV Imagery and High-Resolution LiDAR for Tree Height Estimation: The Role of Flight Speed and Image Overlap.

Jin Bai explains how Hurricane Helene has reshaped hellbender streams.

Chris Osburn has been named a Goodnight Distinguished Chair in Sustainability. 

The North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute has announced Erin Seekamp as one of their faculty researchers. 

Caren Cooper is a co-author on a People and Nature article on how Awe-Inspiring Nature Helps People Connect to Science.

Natalie Nelson was named as a 2026 William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor.

Community News from the Southeast

Apply to be on the NAISMA board, due by June 19.

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking proposals for projects to assess the status and distribution of North Carolina birds listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need, due by July 31.

NOAA predicts a below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

A new exhibit at the Havana History Museum explores the Miccosukee Tribe’s deep roots. 

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians Museum has opened a new exhibit on  “Illustrating the Native Southeast: Art, Culture, and Traditions”. 

Visit USET Climate Change Headlines for highlights from across the USET region

Gatherings

Webinars

Events

Find more events on our calendar.

Resources and Publications

Resources

  • Participatory research methods for sustainability. This toolkit article in GAIA – Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, highlights participatory storytelling as a research method. They also go through key strengths and challenges, as well as skills and resources required for using this method.

Publications

Strategies for dry forest recovery: Fifteen years of Caribbean experimentation across scales. Journal of Applied Ecology

In this study, the authors analyzed passive and active restoration approaches of dry tropical forests on the island of Bonaire across spatial and temporal scales. They found that there was a significant increase in the abundance of saplings and trees with herbivore exclusion, especially over a longer time scale of 15 years. Planting rare tree species under remaining forest patches also helped to accelerate forest recovery. The authors also highlight the importance of long-term management and community engagement in these efforts.

Trees halve urban heat island effect globally but unequal benefits only modestly mitigate climate-change warming. Nature Communications 

In this article, the authors estimate how tree cover will reduce urban heat islands across 8,919 large urban areas across the globe currently and with climate change. They found that cooling benefits are greater in high-income countries and suburbs, areas that are already cooler. Current and possible future tree cover only mitigates about 10% of warming though. They emphasize the need for tree canopy expansion in low-income urban areas for greater urban heat island mitigation and climate adaptation.

A Bayesian approach to include Indigenous Knowledge and satellite telemetry data in habitat selection functions. Journal of Applied Ecology

In this article, the authors partnered with Iñupiat hunters to develop a method of including Indigenous Knowledge (IK) into Bayesian habitat selection functions with satellite telemetry data. In a case study for ringed seals, they show that IK and Western scientific data can reflect similar ecological processes. They also found that spatial IK allows for the inclusion of some otherwise unavailable environmental covariates and can account for complex habitat types that would not be possible to model otherwise. 

Opportunities

Student Announcements

Native Plant Trust is seeking a field botany intern. Open until filled. 

Hiring Announcements

SE CASC is seeking a Fire-Climate Adaptation ORISE Fellow. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.

Climate and Community Institute is hiring an energy policy manager. Apply by June 23.

ICLEI USA is hiring a Program Officer of Sustainability with a Climate Mitigation focus. Apply by June 26.

UC Berkeley is hiring an executive director for energy, climate, and environment. Apply by June 30.

The University of Michigan is hiring a tenure-track professor of land use and resilience. Apply by Oct 16.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello is hiring a tenure-track assistant professor of forest ecohydrology. Open until filled. 

Yale Environmental Leadership & Training Initiative is hiring a program manager of nature-based solutions & coastal resilience training, a program manager of coastal resilience convening and events, and a program manager of coastal resilience lead. Open until filled.

The Pacific Institute is hiring a research specialist on water & climate equity. Open until filled.

Hudsonia is hiring a conservation biologist. Open until filled.

Funding Announcements

The Heising-Simons Foundation has released an open call for science events and gatherings grants. Due by July 10. 

AAAS requests proposals for Multidisciplinary Working Groups. Accepted on a rolling basis.