The 51st annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting was hosted December 10-14, 2018, in Washington, D.C., where more than 20,000 attendees from around the globe assembled for the largest worldwide conference on Earth and space sciences.

AGU, dedicated to advancing the Earth and space sciences for the benefit of humanity, showcased the return of AGU TV at the Fall Meeting and was broadcast at various kiosks around the convention center as well as in the hotel rooms of meeting attendees. Programming highlighted the latest research and emerging trends within the fields of Earth and space science. Through a partnership with the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS), American Forests was even featured on an AGU TV episode!

The American Forests video delivered a strong message that forests face existential threats from climate change and that their future depends on the expert assistance and guidance of foresters and others who manage our forests. This work deeply integrates climate science into effective forest management — helping forests overcome climate change threats while at the same time slowing climate change by trapping more carbon.

NIACS has created the most cutting edge model for making this science-into-practice connection and has partnered with American Forests to spread the approach as widely as possible.

At the AGU Fall Meeting, American Forests was delighted to observe a growing awareness around evidence-based research that bolsters the global importance of forest science — from hearing a panel discussion on Hurricane Maria’s effects on forest recovery in Puerto Rico to learning more about a global carbon cycling forest database. Key political figures also contributed; Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska delivered a keynote that addressed solutions for climate change.

AGU is a not-for-profit, professional, scientific organization representing more than 60,000 members in 139 countries. This year, the organization is celebrating its centennial year, marking an important milestone.