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Join host and producers for a YouTube premiere with a live Q&A session

The newest series from PBS Wisconsin Education, Field Notes on Climate, focuses on climate change issues by highlighting work from scientists, researchers and youth in Wisconsin developing solutions for a sustainable and equitable climate future.

PBS Wisconsin Education creates free to use, standards-aligned, Wisconsin-focused media and resources for learners and educators for grades PreK-12. Field Notes on Climate is targeted for grades 6-12. The learning objectives of the project include expanding understanding of climate change and making connections to sources of hope for the future.

The series is hosted by Ami Eckard-Lee, an airplane pilot and the creative director at Kelch Aviation Museum in Brodhead, Wisconsin. As host, Eckard-Lee embraces her curiosity and offbeat sense of humor. Her tone creates an air of ease around a topic that could easily weigh down an audience.

“Field Notes on Climate doesn’t shy away from hard topics, but we try to approach them in a way that leads to fruitful discussions rather than fear or helplessness,” said PBS Wisconsin Education producer Kylie Compe. “The goal of the show is to teach students about the causes and effects of climate change — and the solutions.”

According to Compe, each episode includes examples of actionable solutions to empower viewers with knowledge. “There are already a lot of people around the state of Wisconsin doing amazing work to mitigate or adapt to various climate change issues in their communities,” she said. “We hope to see that grow.”

Viewers can enjoy a special virtual premiere of Field Notes on Climate during the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Earth Fest at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday, April 20.

UW–Madison Earth Fest is a weeklong collection of events held each April that celebrates all things environment and sustainability. This year’s event runs from Friday, April 17, to Thursday, April 23. Earth Fest is cohosted by UW–Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Office of Sustainability.

Topics in the episodes of Field Notes on Climate launching at Earth Fest include water quality and sustainability issues around fast fashion. A live Q&A session with the series host and producers will follow each episode.

Registration is free, but required to access the event web page. Find more information for how to attend the Earth Fest virtual premiere of Field Notes on Climate at earthfest.wisc.edu/schedule.

All Field Notes on Climate episodes and learning resources will be available to watch and download for free at pbswisconsineducation.org/fieldnotes following the virtual premiere on April 22.

Major funding for Field Notes on Climate is provided by Dr. Annette Beyer-Mears in memory of Howard & Nelle Weiss, Virginia Graves and Peter Tropman, the Focus Fund for Education, and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.

PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) are services of UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Public Media division and the Educational Communications Board. Together, they serve communities statewide through trusted journalism and Wisconsin storytelling, educational resources and lifelong learning, music and cultural programming — on air, online, and in person through live events, freely accessible to all and powered by community support. pbswisconsin.org and wpr.org

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