Maria Janowiak
Maria Janowiak is the acting director of the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, led by the USDA Forest Service. Her biggest project is to coordinate the Climate Change Response Framework activities in New England and northern New York, an area that includes more than 40 million acres of forest stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the peaks of the Appalachians. She has also assisted in expanding adaptation work to new topics, including agriculture and carbon management.
Maria has more than ten years of experience in helping natural resource professionals understand and adapt to climate change, with particular emphasis on the northern forests ecosystems. She has led multiple ecoregional vulnerability assessments, created decision-support tools, taught courses, and provided direct outreach to thousands of people. Maria was recognized with the Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources in 2018. Maria lives in western Upper Michigan and spends much of her free time on gardening and habitat improvement projects on her own land.
Maria is a member of the American Society of Adaptation Professionals.