LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/653169
Spring 2016 LOCALadk Magazine 19 LOCALadk #CONSERVATIONRESULTS EXPLORE Sil v e r L a k e B o g , M o s s L a ke , Sa n t an o n i P re s e r v e … a n d m a n y m o r e ! S p r i n g P o nd B o g, V a lc our I sl and, D u nh a m B a y M a r s h , Ev er t o n Fa l l s , O K S l ip F al l s , I n d i a n R iv e r , E ss ex C h ai n L a kes, L a ke L i l a , B l u e L e d g e , H u d s o n R iv e r, L yo n M o u n ta i n , Co o n M ou n t ai n , 518.576.2082 adirondacks@tnc.org Adirondack Chapter, Keene Valley, NY nature.org/adirondacks What is the Adirondack Youth Climate Summit & Program By Amanda Bruha - Senior, Keene Central School The Adirondack Youth Climate Summit is a unique experience. More than just a two-day conference, it is the celebration of a lifestyle, the exchange of ideas, and the empowerment of a generation. Hosted by The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, the Summit attracts 200 students yearly. In preparation, a planning committee of 20 students and teachers meets weekly for three months. Everything - from guest speakers to daily meals - is planned by these commit- tees. The guest speakers have included Tem Blessed, a rapper with an environmental message, the Alliance for Climate Ed- ucation, Curt Stager, Paul Smith's College, and Mamie Parker, the first female assistant director of the US Fish & Wildlife Service. On the first day of the summit, we listen to plenary sessions and participate in workshops. This year's workshops included Beginning a Green Team; Getting things Done! Project Plan- ning and Development; The World Climate Interactive; Build- ing a Movement for Climate Justice; Energy Efficiency; Draft Power: A Hands-on Approach to Harnessing Plants and Ani- mals; Be the Change! Using Music to Energize the Sustainabil- ity Movement; and Edible Landscaping. Current information is provided about the science behind climate change, its global effects, and possible solutions. On the second day, school green teams meet to create Cli- mate Action Plans, or CAPs, to implement projects and initia- tives in our schools and communities to encourage positive change. These student-driven plans include looking at energy efficiency, growing a school garden for the cafeteria, Earth Day dance, community event to raise awareness about climate change, speaker or film series, installing water bottle refill- ing stations; adopting zero sort recycling (which has saved schools $$$ thousands in fees); creating videos; encouraging Opposite Page: The Adirondack Youth Climate Summit has brought together over 1,000 youth to learn about climate change. Above Left: The Summit brings several speakers together to present on the top issues contributing to climate change and possible actions to minimize environmental damage. Above Right: Attendees of the AYCS and authors of this piece: Silas Swanson, Henry Birk Albert, Nathalie Munn, and Amanda Bruha The Wild Center The Wild Center