Facilitating Community Change: Lessons from Climate Adaptation to Guide Extension Engagement
Martha C. Monroe, Annie Oxarart, Thomas Ruppert, andLibby Carnahan
other_contacts: Holly Abeels, Wendy-Lin Bartels, andAlicia A. Betancourt
This publication provides Extension faculty in Florida with useful strategies to help communities understand, discuss, evaluate, and recommend potential solutions to current and future problems. While much of the research behind these strategies has been conducted in the context of climate adaptations in vulnerable communities and ecosystems, such as coastal fisheries, rainfed agriculture, and floodplain cities, the principles that underlie these processes are universal. The same strategies and guidelines can be tailored for any issue that requires the public to become more informed, generate options, and understand advantages and disadvantages of various choices. In these situations, Extension agents can facilitate a process of thoughtful deliberation to help communities find common ground and move toward finding solutions.
