The effects of climate change are often slow and hard to see, but national parks across the country are figuring out ways to make these seemingly subtle changes striking and visual.

We talked to a few people behind these efforts in Alaska’s national park system on Twitter for our latest #HOTM chat. They shared their take on this Heat of the Moment story and talked about the evolving role of national parks as climate change fundamentally alters landscapes.

Our guest hosts were Dr. Leigh Welling of NPS’s Climate Change Response Program and WBEZ’s Katherine Nagasawa. Catch up below and send any other questions you have to @AlaskaNPS and @kat_nagasawa.

The Arctic is an area that will be crucial in addressing climate change going forward. Alaska’s National Park system shared some numbers:

F1 AK is 20% of the total US area and has 60% of NPS lands #findyourpark #hotm pic.twitter.com/JC6n49mh4V — Alaska NPS (@AlaskaNPS) June 9, 2016

F2 #Arctic permafrost stores 1400 gigatons of carbon - more than what is in Earth’s atmosphere already #hotm pic.twitter.com/oE1RteNJWV — Alaska NPS (@AlaskaNPS) June 9, 2016

Parks across Alaska shared how warming temps have impacted the area:

A1 While the oceans aren’t “technically” part of our park. Protecting the wildlife of the #fjord #estuary is. #hotm https://t.co/f8z5mLimlE — Kenai Fjords NP (@KenaiFjordsNPS) June 9, 2016

A1 also longer fire seasons & tundra fires are more common now #hotm pic.twitter.com/LHWizzY5UK — Alaska NPS (@AlaskaNPS) June 9, 2016

In northern Alaska we’re seeing large tundra fires that impact caribou habitat.https://t.co/SFb58meQFk #HOTM — Gates Of The Arctic (@GatesArcticNPS) June 9, 2016

#HOTM In the 1950’s 75% of Denali’s soil was permafrost. By 2100 predictions suggest that 0.3% of the landscape will contain permafrost. — Denali National Park (@DenaliNPS) June 9, 2016

There has been an increase in shipping traffic in the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route because of climate change.#HOTM — BeringLandBridgeNP (@BeringLandNPS) June 9, 2016

The Heat of the Moment story focused on landscape change, but Alaskan communities’ cultures and livelihoods are threatened as well:

A1 Yep! Melting sea & river ice, more storms & coastal erosion impact villages & disrupt traditional practices #hotm pic.twitter.com/xB5ZUv3P0K — Alaska NPS (@AlaskaNPS) June 9, 2016

F3 Up to 88% of Inupiat peoples’ diet comes from marine mammals and fish @BeringLandNPS #hotm pic.twitter.com/8Qa7u7Ag5R — Alaska NPS (@AlaskaNPS) June 9, 2016

People store traditional foods in permafrost. Now their freezers are thawing. #HOTMhttps://t.co/uwoQmgsYl4 — Gates Of The Arctic (@GatesArcticNPS) June 9, 2016

Changes in ice conditions are a huge part of it. Spring ice once insulated communities from storm waves, but no longer. #HOTM — Gates Of The Arctic (@GatesArcticNPS) June 9, 2016

Here’s how the National Parks are responding and preparing:

@WBEZ A3 NPS is managing / redesigning infrastructure and new development to account for changing permafrost dynamics @DenaliNPS #hotm — Alaska NPS (@AlaskaNPS) June 9, 2016

A3 The park studies changing glaciers including the changing plant communities and hydrology in the wake of the glaciers. (1/3) #HOTM — Kenai Fjords NP (@KenaiFjordsNPS) June 9, 2016

Archeologists are surveying coastal sites which are at risk of erosion.#hotm — BeringLandBridgeNP (@BeringLandNPS) June 9, 2016

There are a number of national parks working on creative ways to communicate climate change to the public:

@WBEZ A4: I think a visual medium like photography provides an immediate, visceral way of experiencing climate change #HOTM @KenaiFjordsNPS — Katherine Nagasawa (@Kat_Nagasawa) June 9, 2016

A4: Nice link from @YaleClimateComm about the fusion of arts and science for climate change communication #HOTM https://t.co/ZPOwG1CoYy — Katherine Nagasawa (@Kat_Nagasawa) June 9, 2016

The historic photo pairs are a great way to see changes. #HOTM https://t.co/uubP1HauGw — Gates Of The Arctic (@GatesArcticNPS) June 9, 2016

And as climate change shifts temperatures and landscapes, the parks shared how their role has shifted:

#HOTM Denali is experiencing an increase in tourism during spring shoulder season - possibly because the last few springs have been warmer — Denali National Park (@DenaliNPS) June 9, 2016

@WBEZ @GlacierNPS Seems from this convo that parks have assumed educator roles given new opps. (warmer temps drawing more visitors) #HOTM — Katherine Nagasawa (@Kat_Nagasawa) June 9, 2016

A5 Our boat rangers have a great place to tell this story as they float in front of a tidewater #glacier. #hotm https://t.co/CElGM0LLLW — Kenai Fjords NP (@KenaiFjordsNPS) June 9, 2016

@Kat_Nagasawa @WBEZ we have to shift our thinking to processes and ecosystem service more than static environments #hotm — Alaska NPS (@AlaskaNPS) June 9, 2016