What is happening with our climate and weather? What are seasonal outlooks and why do they never seem to be right? What is real in the climate change debate? Are there better ways to manage drought? If you have asked any of these questions, then you should attend a one-day Climate Workshop this fall, compliments of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (OCS). These workshops, offered at several locations around the state, will provide basic knowledge about our climate and weather, describe causes of climate variability and change, and help you find additional sources of information. The workshops build upon more than a decade of experience OCS has with public safety officials and K-12 teachers and students.

These workshops are geared toward providing more in-depth coverage than you can get with a brief one or two-hour presentation but do not require too much time away from your home or office. Specific topics include:

• Introduction to weather and climate - what shapes Oklahoma's climate and weather patterns?
• Climate change and climate variability - what might the future hold for us?
• Finding climate information - what products are out there and how do you use them?
• Climate hazards - what are the major weather-related threats in your town?
• Drought - what do we know about drought and how can we stay ahead of the next event?

In addition, there will be activities involving El Nino and tree rings to give you a hands-on understanding of what the climatologists do. We promise to do all we can to make climate fun!

The workshops are funded by a federal grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As part of the grant, we will be conducting an evaluation of the effectiveness of these workshops. Your participation in the evaluation is completely voluntary but your feedback will help us to better identify strengths and weaknesses of the presentations and activities. We are also interested in finding out how you may use climate information in the future. If you agree, we will contact you several months after the workshop to request additional feedback. Of course, you can participate in the workshop without taking part in the evaluation activities.

This is your chance to not only learn about Oklahoma's climate, but to help shape the future of how climatologists inform - and learn from - others.

Workshop Locations
November 24 - Tulsa
December 1 - Ada
December 4 - Ardmore
December 8 - Weatherford
December 11 - Ponca City
December 15 - Norman

For further information about the workshops and registration materials, please contact Nicole Giuliano, Oklahoma Climatological Survey, nicole@mesonet.org, (405) 325-2541.

If you have questions about the evaluation, please contact Tom James, Institute for Public Affairs, University of Oklahoma, tjames@ou.edu, (405) 325-6622.

Please return the registration form to OCS.