"On one hand, I’m gonna tell you, 'This is no big deal, bark beetles have been around for 35 million years, conifers have been around for a lot longer than that, and bark beetles have been killing conifers for 35 million years. There have been epidemics every 30 to 70 years.  This is no big deal.'"

"Then, on the other hand, I’m gonna tell you, 'Holy smokes guys, this has never been seen before.  Yes, it’s an epidemic, yes epidemics are natural, never has there been an epidemic like this as  far as biologists have been able to look into the past."

Professor Jeff Mitton begins his community programs with these statements as he introduces his research findings about the pine bark beetle and the link between climate change and this unprecedented epidemic.  Mitton will be presenting in ten Colorado towns and visiting area schools this year as a part of Learn More About Climate, a broader initiative at CU-Boulder to inform Coloradans about how climate change is already impacting our state. 

Mitton’s school visits start well before his arrival in town.  He sends classroom materials and readings in advance to engage teachers and their students in this critical issue.  The epidemic stretches from the Sangre de Cristo mountains in New Mexico up to the Yukon Territories, almost to Alaska and more than 1500 miles.  It extends from the edge of the Great Plains to the Pacific Ocean,  impacting an area approximately 1500 miles by 900 miles.  "There is a lot of discussion, questions and exploration when I get into the school," Mitton notes.

LearnMoreAboutClimate.colorado.edu, an online tool developed by CU-Boulder faculty and area scientists, features five videos that localize climate change by pairing interviews with leading scientists and everyday Coloradans to explain how climate change is affecting our state.  The site also offers teacher-developed and –tested model lessons for middle and high school students, including one that focuses on the pine beetle epidemic.