The Seneca Park Zoo’s Environmental Innovation Awards celebrate leadership in environmental stewardship, raising the profile of innovative companies and people working to solve complex environmental problems in the Rochester and Finger Lakes Region. Awards were given in five categories: Youth, Individual, Civic & Nonprofit, Small Business, and Large Business. Check out these local innovators here! 🤩🌍✨ Congrats winners!
Two new low-carbon transport investments in Penn Yan this week: a horse shelter and a car charging station at the public library! Mennonite community members are frequent library users, and the new horse shelter will afford them additional convenience while accessing library resources. The new additions will join the existing bike rack and bike repair station, providing a diverse array of transportation assistance options for community members. Read more here.
Perdita Flats, a multifamily project in Ithaca, NY, has won $70,560 in NYSERDA’s Building’s of Excellence competition! A project of Taitem Engineering and STREAM Collaborative architecture + landscape architecture, the building design will demonstrate the viability of a ZERO ENERGY building for a multi-family development, AND will provide data on the building’s construction and operation to NYSERDA for sharing as part of its efforts to promote high-performing buildings in NYS. Congrats to them! Read more here.
A proposed galvanizing mill at the Seneca Lake Depot property (abandoned US military depot) presents another threat to Seneca Lake because of both potential leakage of zinc from the facility, and concerns with future Phase 2 and 3 of the project, a milling and welding facility. Seneca County IDA and the town of Romulus are being urged to address the areas of concern prior to making any approvals of the proposed plant. To learn more, read the Finger Lakes Times article.
Summary Job Description: This position will work closely with Groundswell’s Executive Director and staff, and a Project Advisory Team to develop, coordinate and teach many of Groundswell Center’s farmer training programs including a 6-month Farmer Training Practicum, technical workshops and an annual farm business course. Integrating input from multiracial stakeholders in program development and designing these programs with and for marginalized and aspiring growers who often experience barriers to these opportunities is an essential component to this position.
Federal, State, and utility incentives have never been as good as they are right now to make heat pumps affordable. There are additional incentives to help low and moderate income families. Please come for a presentation and discussion on home insulation and heat pump options for heating and cooling.
The Next Storm is a dark and humorous look at the impact that the climate crisis has had on our community. Set in the not-so-distant-future, the story follows an ensemble of characters as they face the struggle between apathy, anger, and action. Who gets to decide the course forward and what are we willing to sacrifice? What happens when students and bureaucrats, parents and developers, idealists and realist come head to head over the best course toward climate resiliency?
Everybody Eats provides a food delivery service that is inclusive of food-insecure customers. Customers can order food from local restaurants on the app, and food-insecure customers will pay a discounted price. Non-food insecure customers and business partners can help bridge the 226 million meal gap in NYC & Tompkins County by using their services. Want to make some side money and support a sustainable business? Become a driver! All you need are working papers, a license and a car OR alternative mode of transport (like bike or scooter!)
STEPS‘ mission is to strengthen families, address challenges that are part of rural life, grow a sustainable regional economy, cultivate leadership, encourage initiative, and foster respect for all. Some of their projects include community gardens, book boxes,
Tim and Katherine Clymer, owners of Threefold Farm in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, will lead this workshop. Threefold Farm is a transitional organic orchard specializing in unusual fruits. The concept behind a climate battery greenhouse is to use the earth beneath as a sort of “thermal battery” for storing excess heat generated by the structure.
Thursday, Oct 3rd 5:30pm-7:30pm
Groundswell Center Incubator Farm
101 Rachel Carson Way
Join Groundswell for their last farm tour and volunteer night of the season at the Incubator Farm. After a 30 min tour of the farm, they will lend a hand at Surik’s orchard, preparing it for the winter season!
Wood Pellet Boiler Home Tour by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County THIS WEDNESDAY and SATURDAY!Â
CCAA was formed to educate others and actively work towards reversing the anthropogenic climate change. The Founding Members of the CCAA came together as an organizing committee putting their minds together to host environmentally charged events in Syracuse, NY. They are also a 350.org local group! Thinking about an electric car? National Drive Electric Week is this week and CCAA is celebrating! Check out the event here.
Wellspring Forest Farm & School has a vision that humanity learns to see the forest as a valuable, productive space, forming relationships based on an intimate way of knowing and rooted in participatory action. Through mentoring students, they transform the eastern temperate forest into a productive and diverse ecosystem for generations to come. Take a class, order some mushrooms, or stay at their fun yurt Air BnB! For more info, visit their website.
Water Front is a blog by Peter Mantius, a journalist writing about the latest happenings in Environmental Politics in the Finger Lakes region. Check out one of his latest stories – a comprehensive look at the Harmful Algal Blooms in Cayuga Lake.