Two Bears Environmental Consulting, LLC.
Bringing Science to People
Preparing for Environmental Risks to Protect Communities
Discover our Hazard Risk Solutions
TBEC offers innovative hazard risk assessments. Our flagship services, Community Impact Statements (CIS), Integrated Community Adaptation and Risk Impact Statements (ICARIS), and Targeted Risk Impact Statements (TRIS) provide detailed evaluations of biophysical vulnerabilities to inform and develop effective adaptation strategies.
Leveraging machine learning and Local Traditional Ecological Knowledge, these tools integrate hazard impacts with socioeconomic vulnerabilities and human dimensions, offering clients actionable data to understand risks, reduce potential monetary losses and increase community environmental, social and cultural resilience.
We work with communities at the forefront of environmental risks to identify vulnerabilities (and opportunities) to infrastructure, supply chains, human health, water quality, economic development, capacity building, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, vegetation, wildlife, and subsistence lifestyles including food security and cultural activities to develop resilient and sustainable community plans that protect their way of life for future generations based on how they may use their resources, now and in the future.
Explore all of our Services
Two Bears Environmental Consulting offers a multitude of services by leveraging its expertise across various domains to meet diverse customer needs.
By identifying key areas of demand, need, and support, TBEC can expand our offerings, allowing clients to benefit from comprehensive solutions. This not only enhances customer satisfaction but also fosters loyalty and encourages long-term relationships.
Our various categories of service, help identify key areas of demand, need, and support.
A primary goal of our work is to reduce risks and increase resilience across impacted facilities, sites and/or environments.
We have coordinated and led multidisciplinary teams to develop scientifically-based environmental programs that bridge the state-of-knowledge science with applied research and traditional knowledge to answer specific environmental questions such as,
‘What will the future look like?’, ‘How will it affect me and my lifestyle?’ and ‘What is the risk to my business?’
Community at our core...
The impacts of changing environments due to increasing extreme weather events and disasters include loss of infrastructure, food security and supply chain concerns, public health challenges, high energy costs, spread of contaminants, cultural losses, economic challenges, and hindered development.
Impacts are occurring globally across all business sectors affecting people in various degrees from large cities to small remote communities. Understanding climate vulnerabilities at the regional and local level is becoming increasingly important. Proactive investments of $1 in disaster preparation and economic investment saves $13 in economic costs, damages, and cleanup, significantly reducing costs after an event (U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2025), 2024 Climate Resilience Report, IEM (2025). Communities can not alter the timing and magnitude of weather patterns, but they can complete proactive actions that will reduce the effect of those events.
TBEC has a process, developed through grants with National Science Foundation (NSF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop:
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Risk Assessment Services: Access Climate vulnerabilities and opportunities at the local and regional level
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Community Advancement: Co-create culturally aligned solutions to address local needs
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GIS and Data Visualization: Create easily understood data tools
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Capacity Building: Workplace development, training & empowerment
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Economic Strategies: Strategic business development and public policy & advocacy
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Environmental & Ecosystem Services: Nature-based solutions, disaster mitigation and recovery
The overarching goal is to provide a holistic set of tools communities need to assess their vulnerability to changing conditions and develop effective adaptation and resilience strategies. Community engagement and capacity building empowers stakeholders to take action to protect their communities, create actionable climate data for planning, develop sustainable infrastructure solutions, protect homes, cultures, and livelihoods, and improve food security, health, and economic self-reliance, building a more resilient future.
History: Two Bears Environmental Consulting
Dr. Ronni Wilcock, the founder of Two Bears Environmental Consulting, LLC (TBEC), has been a federal research scientist for over 15 years. During her career, she focused on modeling the impacts of both human-driven and natural changes on biophysical processes, such as the effect of forest removal on streamflow. Since relocating to Alaska in 2009, Dr. Wilcock has witnessed the devastating effects of permafrost thaw, erosion, flooding, and natural disasters on remote Alaskan villages. Despite many conferences addressing the needs of these communities, tangible solutions have been scarce.
While expressing frustration over the lack of support for remote populations facing increasing biophysical hazards, Dr. Wilcock spoke with Dr. John Walsh of the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Dr. Walsh shared in her concerns and suggested, “It sounds like a great niche for your company.” This conversation ultimately led to the creation of Two Bears Environmental Consulting, LLC (TBEC).
From the start, it became clear to Dr. Wilcock that addressing biophysical hazards would require more than just data and analysis. These hazards needed to be understood within a meaningful spatial and temporal scale that would help with decision-making. But just as importantly, it was essential to understand the impacts these hazards have on community infrastructure, ecosystems, culture, and lifestyles. Every community uses its resources in unique ways, with varying concerns. This makes it crucial to incorporate local knowledge. In essence, understanding the biophysical risks is only part of the picture; it is just as important to view those risks within the social, economic, and environmental context of the community.
Testimonials
Dr. John Walsh, International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
TBEC completes impressive state-of-the-art risk assessments that are at the leading edge of such work for Alaska.
Alex Tallekpalek - Village of Levelock
Partnering with Two Bears to reach our community goals has been an amazing experience. Their dedication to making a positive impact on the community is evident in every project they undertook.
Genelle Winter, Special Projects Director for the Metlakatla Indian Community
Metlakatla Indian Community engaged TBEC to support the updating of the tribe's Invasive Species Managment Plan. MIC appreciated the respectful, responsive and organized manner that the team at TBEC used in this project.
Key Collaborators
