LOCALadk Magazine

20 Spring 2016 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk students and faculty to carpool, bike or walk to school; commu- nity clean up days; speaking to civic groups, village boards and agencies. Much time is spent in our school buildings, so a green school would reduce its carbon footprint. The youth summit may only last two days, but the youth in- volvement in the struggle against climate change is a year- round commitment. Our involvement includes presentations to civic organizations, clubs, government agencies, schools and community groups and events; traveling to trainings and oth- er youth summits as well as implementing our Climate Action Plans. As part of the Wild Center's work to share this model, similar youth summits have been started nationally and in Eu- rope. As a result of the Summit and the Program, thousands of kids have been given the opportunity to stand up for the earth's future, and to initiate viable change in peoples' lives and in the planet's health. Climate Action Plans in local schools and communities By Nathalie Munn - Senior, Saranac Lake High School The Adirondack Youth Climate Summit (AYCS) has created many opportunities for schools in northern New York to kick start some very innovative, green projects through our Climate Action Plans. Many schools have started gardens, installed zero-sort recycling and water bottle refilling stations, hosted events to educate others on climate change, and started com- posting in their cafeterias. Chris Williams, a senior at Lake Placid High School, and Tam- my Morgan, Environmental Club advisor, are developing an an- aerobic biodigester. The biodigester, a project initiated by the AYCS, converts food scraps, grass cuttings, chicken bones and cardboard boxes into energy, fertilizer, and garden compost. When implemented in the summer, it will take leftover food from restaurants, schools, and businesses, and drastically re- duce the amount of waste produced, and will save our commu- nities money in tipping fees and transportation to waste sites. Another result of the Summit that was hosted by Lake Placid in April, 2015 was The Big Green Shindig, an educational event on climate change which welcomed everyone. There were many different booths, including a smoothie bike and pancakes. The event's biggest attraction was live music. Fast forward to 2016 and the Big Green Shindig is expected to be even bigger, with more bands, booths and fun on May 21, 2016, in the Lake Placid Oval. Please come join us! In September 2015, eleven North Country students and teach- ers attended the Climate Reality Project leadership training. The project was founded by former Vice President Al Gore. At this training, the students were introduced to its initiative, I AM PRO SNOW, which represents a dedicated group of people who rely on snow for recreation, jobs, or for their livelihood. Those who sign the I AM PRO SNOW petition attest that they demand leaders to take bold action against climate change in order to save our snow. We brought this initiative back to the Nancie Battaglia Nancie Battaglia

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