August 5th
David Reilly
Nicole Gerber
Ecosystems at Risk: The Interdependence of Plants, Animals, and Climate
Description:
This presentation will focus on the critical importance of biodiversity and the relationships of various wildlife and plant life. It will demonstrate how the changing climate threatens healthy ecosystems,and offer ways we can contribute individually and productively to protecting them.
Bio:
Dr. Dave Reilly is the director of International Studies and chair of the Department of Political Science at Niagara University, where he teaches a variety of courses that include Environmental Thought and Environmental Policy. He has completed the Master Naturalist Training Program and is the co-founder of the Citizen Coalition for Wildlife and Environment, a non-profit based in Western New York. The organization’s mission is to be the voice of wildlife and stewards of the environment, to encourage and enlist citizens in the practice and promotion of compassionate coexistence and the realization of a kind and compassionate world, and to use education and action to protect our ecosystems and the lives of animals.
Dr. Nicole Gerber received her PhD in Biological Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She serves as the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Emergency Manager and Biosafety Officer. She is a certified Wildlife Rehabilitator and a Wildlife Control Officer, and is a co-founder of the Citizen Coalition for Wildlife and Environment.
David Reilly
Nicole Gerber
Ecosystems at Risk: The Interdependence of Plants, Animals, and Climate
Description:
This presentation will focus on the critical importance of biodiversity and the relationships of various wildlife and plant life. It will demonstrate how the changing climate threatens healthy ecosystems,and offer ways we can contribute individually and productively to protecting them.
Bio:
Dr. Dave Reilly is the director of International Studies and chair of the Department of Political Science at Niagara University, where he teaches a variety of courses that include Environmental Thought and Environmental Policy. He has completed the Master Naturalist Training Program and is the co-founder of the Citizen Coalition for Wildlife and Environment, a non-profit based in Western New York. The organization’s mission is to be the voice of wildlife and stewards of the environment, to encourage and enlist citizens in the practice and promotion of compassionate coexistence and the realization of a kind and compassionate world, and to use education and action to protect our ecosystems and the lives of animals.
Dr. Nicole Gerber received her PhD in Biological Sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She serves as the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Emergency Manager and Biosafety Officer. She is a certified Wildlife Rehabilitator and a Wildlife Control Officer, and is a co-founder of the Citizen Coalition for Wildlife and Environment.
July 29, 2020
Plant Based Virtual Dinner
Make a plant based meal to eat together for this evening.
Recipe Share-a-thon - share the recipe or another you like! Drop in the folder HERE or drop link in the chat during the work session.
Cooking demos in the "main room".
First breakout room session for action planning - Here is a link to sign up for an Advocacy Plan.
Here is a link to a recording of the advocacy plan summaries.
Plant Based Virtual Dinner
Make a plant based meal to eat together for this evening.
Recipe Share-a-thon - share the recipe or another you like! Drop in the folder HERE or drop link in the chat during the work session.
Cooking demos in the "main room".
First breakout room session for action planning - Here is a link to sign up for an Advocacy Plan.
Here is a link to a recording of the advocacy plan summaries.
July 22, 2020
Christine Collins
Healing Our Planet With a WFPB Lifestyle
To access the presentation, go to nearpod.com and type in COKNS for the code under "join a lesson". This is available until August 21st.
Here is a link to the facebook live recording of this presentation.
Description:
This workshop will explore the health, spiritual, social justice and environmental benefits of living a whole food plant based lifestyle.
Bio:
Christine Collins is a Registered Nurse with a background in Mental Health Nursing and School Nursing. She is a member of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments and utilizes her education in Psychology, Health Science and Nursing as well as her certification in Plant Based Nutrition and Health and Wellness Coaching to encourage and support people in making lifestyle changes which are beneficial for both their health and the health of our planet. Christine is an animal rights, social justice and environmental activist who brings awareness to the connection between animal exploitation and the exploitation of our environment and health.
July 15, 2020
Monica Miles
There is no Climate Justice without Racial Justice
Here is a LINK to the recording of this workshop.
Description:
This session is guided by environmental justice and critical race theory to unpack anticipated impacts of climate change and migration in our local context. Participants will engage in a dialog and activities to explore the ways that racial disparities can impact climate change and migration. Be prepared to engage to participation with peace, love, and liberation.
Bio:
Dr. Monica Miles has a joint appointment as the associate director of University at Buffalo’s Great Lakes Program and the Coastal Literacy Specialist between UB, New York Sea Grant and Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She earned a doctorate from the Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning Program in UB’s Graduate School of Education, with a concentration in science education in 2017.Monica’s research focuses on the role of identity, racialized experiences, and marginalization in K-12 and higher STEM spaces. She seeks to promote solutions for creating inclusive STEM environments for underrepresented students and boldly challenges systems of oppression. Monica maintains a commitment to social justice efforts through critical examinations of society and education.
Monica Miles
There is no Climate Justice without Racial Justice
Here is a LINK to the recording of this workshop.
Description:
This session is guided by environmental justice and critical race theory to unpack anticipated impacts of climate change and migration in our local context. Participants will engage in a dialog and activities to explore the ways that racial disparities can impact climate change and migration. Be prepared to engage to participation with peace, love, and liberation.
Bio:
Dr. Monica Miles has a joint appointment as the associate director of University at Buffalo’s Great Lakes Program and the Coastal Literacy Specialist between UB, New York Sea Grant and Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She earned a doctorate from the Curriculum, Instruction and the Science of Learning Program in UB’s Graduate School of Education, with a concentration in science education in 2017.Monica’s research focuses on the role of identity, racialized experiences, and marginalization in K-12 and higher STEM spaces. She seeks to promote solutions for creating inclusive STEM environments for underrepresented students and boldly challenges systems of oppression. Monica maintains a commitment to social justice efforts through critical examinations of society and education.
July 8, 2020
Emily Dyett - Geovaira Hernandez
Rising Up for Climate, Jobs and Justice: New York State's Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA)
Here is a LINK to a recording of this presentation.
Description:
This workshop will give an overview of New York State's boldest climate legislation, passed in July 2019, and identify how we can build awareness and infrastructure within our communities to ensure Western New York gets the resources necessary for a just transition.
Bios:
Emily Dyett’s work centers on youth leadership and development through climate justice advocacy and education. In addition to her educational background in Media, Society & the Arts and Environmental Science, Dyett also has experience in outdoor education, community outreach, and organizing to advocate for policies that protect people AND the planet. As the Youth Coordinator for the WNY Environmental Alliance, Dyett also works closely in partnership with the WNY Youth Climate Council and their campaign to Declare a Climate Emergency and pass a Climate Resolution.
Geovaira Hernandez is an Afro-latinx Bronx native working to dismantle white supremacy, colonialism, environmental racism and all subsequent forms of oppression through lived experience, organizing people and policy. She uses her degrees, Bachelors in Criminal Justice and Masters in Education, within her life’s purpose and work― making the connections between climate change and how it relates to peoples’ identities. She prioritizes popular education and political education to learn and teach about these systems and how we have the solutions necessary for liberation.
July 1, 2020 This workshop will go on at 5:30
Daniel Mlodozeniec
What's in the Water? Watershed Threat in a Changing Climate
Here is a LINK to a recording of this workshop.
Description:
Whether for recreation, relaxation, or basic biological needs, water is something we often take for granted. Especially the unique aquatic environments that surround the Great Lakes. Like the rest of the world, this unique system is threatened by climate change. In this presentation learn what threats our Great Lakes and WNY watersheds face in a changing climate, and how you can help the aquatic systems that we love and need.
Bio:
Daniel is an environmental educator at Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve. His passion for nature started at the age of five when he caught his first fish in Cayuga Creek, and he has been exploring WNY's waterways since. Throughout his career, Daniel has had some incredible mentors both within and outside his experience at Reinstein Woods to help him discuss matters regarding our waterways.
June 17, 2020
Link to a pdf of SLIDE PRESENTATION
View a recording of this presentation HERE
Stephine Hunt
The Environmental Humanities: The Importance of Storying Climate Change
Description:
How and why might the humanities be an important area of study in the context of climate change? More specifically, why does literature (fiction, nonfiction, poetry) matter when studying climate change? What power do stories hold in this moment of environmental devastation? How and why might climate change be a story we have to tell? In this workshop we will read, discuss, and briefly write our own stories of climate change and begin to explore the questions above.
Bio:
Stephine Hunt is a Ph.D. student and Teaching Assistant in the American Studies program at the University of Buffalo. Her research interests combine the fields of Environmental Humanities, Decolonial Methodologies, and Critical Race and Spatial Theories, through which she examines how writers from marginalized communities explore and discuss the environment and climate change within contemporary multi-ethnic American literature.
Link to a pdf of SLIDE PRESENTATION
View a recording of this presentation HERE
Stephine Hunt
The Environmental Humanities: The Importance of Storying Climate Change
Description:
How and why might the humanities be an important area of study in the context of climate change? More specifically, why does literature (fiction, nonfiction, poetry) matter when studying climate change? What power do stories hold in this moment of environmental devastation? How and why might climate change be a story we have to tell? In this workshop we will read, discuss, and briefly write our own stories of climate change and begin to explore the questions above.
Bio:
Stephine Hunt is a Ph.D. student and Teaching Assistant in the American Studies program at the University of Buffalo. Her research interests combine the fields of Environmental Humanities, Decolonial Methodologies, and Critical Race and Spatial Theories, through which she examines how writers from marginalized communities explore and discuss the environment and climate change within contemporary multi-ethnic American literature.
June 10, 2020
Alexander Bartkowiak
Genetic Engineering, Ego, and the Role of Science in Climate Change
View a recording of this presentation HERE
Description:
With an increase in media attention towards climate activism leaders and organizations, it becomes necessary to assess the effectiveness and impact of the climate movement. This workshop will showcase various environmental remediation projects Alex Bartkowiak has contributed towards, including the genetic modification trees for increased carbon capture and the development of Chitosan-based bioplastics. Additionally, he will discuss a range of political topics such as the effectiveness of climate lobbying, the importance of open-source technology, and the ethics of genetic engineering. There will be many questions for the audience and plenty of opportunities to question the speaker. The goal of this workshop is to create an open dialogue about our role as "youths" in the climate movement.
Bio:
Alex Bartkowiak is a 18-year-old independent scientist from Jacksonville, Florida. He has a strong passion for Environmental issues and plans to combat them through the development of various environmental remediation projects. He believes that in order to address these issues, we must fundamentally change the way science is done. He worked closely with SciHouse as a team member and continues to assist in projects. He has strong connections with those in the independent science community due to his mentorship with Gabriel Licina. His projects include the creation of: genetically modified trees to aid in carbon capture, a strain of salt water tolerant plastic eating fungus, and chitosan-based bioplastics. He has been featured in the film “Citizen Bio” (Showtime) and aspires to attend a high-level university to attain a degree in Molecular Biology. He plans to use his various projects as models to prove that valuable research can be produced outside of the university and Industry setting at a faster rate than current methods.
June 3, 2020
Pete Hill
Messages from our Mother -- Earth
Link to a recording of this presentation HERE.
Description:
Many Native American cultural concepts explain the connectedness of human beings to the health of the Natural World. However, many of these concepts are not considered. This session will present teachings such as "Dish with One Spoon," "Seven Generations," and related concepts. We will also discuss how our values influence the environmental and cross-cultural issues, as well as the importance of our actions today.
Bio:
Pete Hill is a citizen of the Cayuga Nation, Heron Clan and currently the “All Our Relations” / Special Initiatives Coordinator at Native American Community Services of Erie and Niagara Counties, Inc. (NACS). Pete has worked at NACS for over 27 years, spending most of that time with several youth and community programs in areas of youth and community development, ecological issues, and protecting the waters and environment. He has developed several successful programs and services in many areas of health and wellness promotion, staff and organizational capacity, integrating Native American cultural teachings and activities.
Pete Hill
Messages from our Mother -- Earth
Link to a recording of this presentation HERE.
Description:
Many Native American cultural concepts explain the connectedness of human beings to the health of the Natural World. However, many of these concepts are not considered. This session will present teachings such as "Dish with One Spoon," "Seven Generations," and related concepts. We will also discuss how our values influence the environmental and cross-cultural issues, as well as the importance of our actions today.
Bio:
Pete Hill is a citizen of the Cayuga Nation, Heron Clan and currently the “All Our Relations” / Special Initiatives Coordinator at Native American Community Services of Erie and Niagara Counties, Inc. (NACS). Pete has worked at NACS for over 27 years, spending most of that time with several youth and community programs in areas of youth and community development, ecological issues, and protecting the waters and environment. He has developed several successful programs and services in many areas of health and wellness promotion, staff and organizational capacity, integrating Native American cultural teachings and activities.
HERE IS A LINK TO A RECORDING OF OUR KICKOFF EVENT DESCRIBED BELOW.
WELCOME TO THE SUMMIT
1:00 PM
Featured Keynote Speaker
Don Haas - Paleontological Research Institute
It's Too Late, Let's Get to Work Anyway
1:10 PM
Meet and Greet
Get to know others attending the summit
2:00PM
WNY Youth Climate Council
Panel Discussion
2:30PM
For description of the council and member bios, see the WNY YCC page here or go to link above.
1:00 PM
Featured Keynote Speaker
Don Haas - Paleontological Research Institute
It's Too Late, Let's Get to Work Anyway
1:10 PM
Meet and Greet
Get to know others attending the summit
2:00PM
WNY Youth Climate Council
Panel Discussion
2:30PM
For description of the council and member bios, see the WNY YCC page here or go to link above.
Keynote Description:
It is too late to prevent horrible consequences of climate change, but when it’s too late is when we generally get to work. We ended slavery too late. We stopped Hitler’s genocide too late. We got to work on civil rights and getting out of Vietnam too late. We began our response to Covid-19 too late. Being too late doesn’t mean that it’s too late to do something. It means we’re already letting people suffer, but we can prevent future suffering. Addressing climate change is a wicked interdisciplinary problem, and an all-hands-on-deck moment. This session will address key aspects of the physical science of climate change, bring home its massive scale, and delve into the social science that provides different sorts of challenges to teaching and learning climate change than is presented by teaching, for example, photosynthesis.
Bio:
Don Haas (formerly, Don Duggan-Haas) is the Director of Teacher Programming at The Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth & Cayuga Nature Center in Ithaca, NY. He is a past president of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, and a nationally regarded expert in climate and energy education, place-based and technology-rich Earth and environmental science education. He is co-author of the books, The Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change and The Science Beneath the Surface: A Very Short Guide to the Marcellus Shale.
It is too late to prevent horrible consequences of climate change, but when it’s too late is when we generally get to work. We ended slavery too late. We stopped Hitler’s genocide too late. We got to work on civil rights and getting out of Vietnam too late. We began our response to Covid-19 too late. Being too late doesn’t mean that it’s too late to do something. It means we’re already letting people suffer, but we can prevent future suffering. Addressing climate change is a wicked interdisciplinary problem, and an all-hands-on-deck moment. This session will address key aspects of the physical science of climate change, bring home its massive scale, and delve into the social science that provides different sorts of challenges to teaching and learning climate change than is presented by teaching, for example, photosynthesis.
Bio:
Don Haas (formerly, Don Duggan-Haas) is the Director of Teacher Programming at The Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth & Cayuga Nature Center in Ithaca, NY. He is a past president of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, and a nationally regarded expert in climate and energy education, place-based and technology-rich Earth and environmental science education. He is co-author of the books, The Teacher-Friendly Guide to Climate Change and The Science Beneath the Surface: A Very Short Guide to the Marcellus Shale.
