Fostering Diverse Resilient Bayland/Wetland Habitats in the Face of Sea Level Rise and Climate Change
Guest Speaker: Christina Toms
June 13, 7:30pm
7:30 p.m. – Online Zoom Presentation preregister HERE
Climate change threatens the health, biodiversity, and resilience of San Francisco Estuary’s tidal wetlands, including its native plant communities, through multiple mechanisms including sea level rise and changes in the timing, intensity, and duration of watershed runoff. Effective conservation and restoration of these ecosystems requires a long-term, landscape-scale perspective that considers the physical and ecological processes that support native plant biodiversity. This talk will present a scientific framework for CNPS members to help them understand and advocate for these amazing ecosystems within the broader context of climate change adaptation.
Christina is an ecological engineer and senior scientist with the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she specializes in the protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems, especially estuarine wetlands. Her interest in native plants was fostered during long childhood bike rides exploring the unique botanical riches of her native New Jersey Pine Barrens. An avid mountain biker and hiker, she lives with her husband Brian, daughter Sierra Grace, and a small but mighty native plant garden in Santa Rosa, CA.