LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/653169
18 Spring 2016 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Climate Reality Project By The Students The term climate change often prompts feelings of gloom and doom about rising temperatures and sea levels, drought, wildfires, invasive species, diminishing snow pack, erratic storms, deep political divide, and climate refugees. In the Ad- irondacks, the feelings are those of optimism, determination and resilience. For the last eight years, over 1,000 students from the North Country have learned about climate change through a unique, youth-driven climate summit that has ex- panded into a year-round program: the Adirondack Youth Cli- mate Summit. The program's student leaders are a part of a worldwide movement whose purpose is to engage youth in climate change. Today's young people are a largely untapped resource when it comes to the struggle against climate change. The world is experiencing a historic growth in youth population. This new generation's social and environmental awareness will poten- tially lead our societies toward a future that is climate resil- ient and that reduces its carbon footprint. Young people are actively engaged at local, national and global levels in raising awareness, teaching, conserving nature, promoting renew- able energy, adopting environmentally friendly practices, and implementing adaptation and mitigation projects. Engaging work undertaken with and by youth is crucial for mobilizing climate action and influencing governments to agree on a climate change regime. This is happening right here in the Adirondacks. The Wild Center's Adirondack Youth Climate Summit was recognized by The White House and included in President Obama's Climate Action Plan. The Wild Center, stu- dent leaders and teachers are collaborating with communities and connecting youth – from the Adirondacks to Sri Lanka – to grow the next generation of student leaders through initiat- ing summits worldwide. - Jen Kretser Jen Kretser has been the Director of Programs & the Youth Cli- mate Initiative at The Wild Center for the last 8 years where she gets to hang out with all manner of wonderful people and creatures. As a fourth generation Adirondacker, she considers herself super lucky to be able to live, work and play in her home- town of Saranac Lake. Nancie Battaglia