On Giving Tuesday, Please Consider Supporting Research in the Adirondacks!

Photo by Laurel Fitts

To better support and sustain our work in the Adirondacks, we have launched a $20,000 Matching Fund Campaign to Sustain Excellence in Research to continue quality expert programming on the key issues facing the region. We have already raised $12,000 through gifts from generous donors and our Board of Directors. We are asking our corporate partners, members and friends to consider a matching gift toward our final goal. Contributions of any size are appreciated, and will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact. Please consider a tax deductible donation with a credit card or by check today. 

Please, we need your help!  There has never been a greater need for science and research to inform policies impacting the future of the Adirondacks!  Thank you!

2019 Fall Forestry Roundtable

Climate Change and the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

Tuesday, October 15^th, 2019, 9:00 – 4:30

Northwest Bay Conference Center in Adirondack Hall

SUNY Adirondack, 640 Bay Road, Queensbury, NY 12804 

The purpose of this one-day workshop is to get a better understanding of the CLCPA, what it means for New York’s forests and wood product manufacturers, and what would representatives of New York’s forests and wood products industries want to see in the process and outcomes.

SAF Continuing Forestry Education Credits and New York Logger Training Credits will be available.

 

For more program and registration information, click here.

 

 

 

Adirondack Social Science Research Workshop

Friday, October 4, 2019, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Joan Weill Student Center - Pine Room, Paul Smith's College, Paul Smiths, NY

The purpose of this workshop is to continue the dialogue on past and current social science research in the region, to identify gaps that warrant future inquiry, and to begin coordinating social science research to better address social issues within the Adirondacks.  Featuring a Keynote Presentation by Yale University Lecturer Bill Weber.

 

 

For more Program and Registration information  click here!

2019 Ecology and Environment Richard D. Morse Award Winners

The Adirondack Research Consortium is pleased to announce that two college seniors have been selected to receive the 2019 Rick Morse Award.  This $500 Award is given annually to students that share Rick’s passion for environmental policy, music, and/or outdoor activities in the Adirondacks. The Awards will be presented
at the 16thAnnual Conference on the Adirondacks.        

Katherine Gale is a 2019 graduate of Paul Smith’s College with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, and a dual minor of Botany and Chemistry. While at the College, she enjoyed hiking, kayaking, and rock-climbing.   She developed programs for fellow students on hiking, paddling, camping, and rock climbing. She developed “The Art’s Program”, a program to connect students to music, theatre, and the arts. Katherine has worked for the DEC Environmental Camps and the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program in education and outreach positions. Katherine plans to pursue a master’s degree and a career in education.

Kai Scarangella is an Environmental Studies major, with a chemistry focus, at Hamilton College. At Hamilton, she was the President of the Hamilton Environmental Action Group She participated in Hamilton’s Adirondack Program and interned at the Adirondack Watershed Institute and the Adirondack Mountain Club. She is an avid hiker and aspiring 46er and has completed 27 of the High Peaks and plans to summit all 46 by spring 2020.  As a Hamilton Outing Club leader, she leads hiking and snowshoeing trips to the Adirondacks. Kai plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Environmental Science focusing on public policy.  

Economic and Population Trends

A distinguished panel of experts will discuss the recently released report by Protect the Adirondacks on “Economic and Population Trends from 1970-2010” at the 26^th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks.  Participants are from top left clockwise: Ross Whaley, SUNY ESF, retired; Peter Bauer, Protect the Adirondacks; James McKenna, ROOST; Dr. Anthony Collins, Clarkson University; Stanzi Bliss, Adirondack Foundation; and, the Hon. Dan Stec, NYS Assembly. 

The Futue for Energy in the Adirondacks

Robert B. Catell

What is going on with the NYS energy landscape as we prepare for the future and how does this impact the Adirondacks?  Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center Chairman Bob Catell discusses this with Adirondack Research Consortium Board Members Liz Thorndike and David Miller.  Following this discussion, Dr. Sean Connin, ANCA's Clean Energy Program Director, will share his views on the challenges and opportunities in implementing an Adirondack Energy Policy.  Finally, Erik Backus, the Director of the Construction Engineering Management Program at Clarkson University, along with community representatives, will present their project to incorporate LEED standards in community development in Lake Placid and North Elba, NY.  This all happens at the 26th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks.

The Past, Present, and Future of Adirondack Social Science Research

Joseph Henderson, Ph.D. and Kelly Cerialo, Ph.C., of Paul Smith’s College, will lead a working session that will identify past and current social science research in the Adirondacks.  The goal is to identify gaps that warrant future inquiry and to begin coordinating social science research to better address social issues within the Adirondacks.  The session at the 26th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks will be followed by a broader workshop at Paul Smith’s College next summer to further social science research in the Adirondacks.

 

Engaging Private Forestland Owners to Improve Habitat

Ema Johnson  of the American Forest Foundation in Washington will lead a panel discussion on "Engaging Forest Owners, Foresters and Industry to Improve Habitat for Priority Birds in New York".  Ema's panel will include Suzanne Treyger, Audubon, New York; MJ Packer, NY Tree Farm Committee; and, Wayne Majuri, International Paper Ticonderoga.

 

Poster Reception

Join us for a Research Poster Author Reception on Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at 5:00.  In addition to meeting the authors and discussing their work, there will be refreshments, prizes, and live music!  Photo by Melanie Johnson.

Economic and Population Trends Study

Join us for an overview and panel discussion of the economic and population trends in the Adirondacks and how they compare with rural America.  This analysis is contained in a Report prepared by Protect the Adirondacks! and presented by Executive Director Peter Bauer, on May 23^rd at 8:30 during the 26^th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks.  That presentation will be followed by a panel discussion on Adirondack perspectives moderated by Ross Whaley and including Jim McKenna, ROOST; Tony Collins, Clarkson University; Hon. Dan Stec, NYS Assembly; and, Stanzi Bliss, Adirondack Foundation.

50 Years Later - Celebrating McHarg's "Design with Nature"

Join us for a presentation and discussion of Ian McHarg’s groundbreaking book, “Design with Nature”.  This work, written and published 50-years ago, has strong influences in the Adirondacks.  We have invited Adirondack Park experts to share their perspectives on this relationship at the 26^th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks, May 22-23, 2019, at the Conference Center in Lake Placid. Don’t miss this presentation!

Dr. William F. Porter to Receive the 2019 Dr. Elizabeth W. Thorndike Adirondack Achievement Award

Dr. William F. Porter will be presented the 2019 Dr. Elizabeth W. Thorndike Adirondack Achievement Award at the 26^th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks, May 22 and 23, 2019 at the Lake Placid Conference Center.  Bill is the inaugural Boone and Crockett Club Professor of Wildlife Conservation in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University. A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Porter earned his PhD in ecology and behavioral biology from the University of Minnesota.  Bill focuses his research on game-changing issues in conservation now reshaping wildlife conservation: land-use change affecting habitats, emerging diseases in wildlife, shifting patterns in weather and climate, and changing conservation policy. His efforts are helping policy makers of Michigan and the nation enhance conservation wildlife resources.

Prior to his work at Michigan State, Bill distinguished himself for 32 years at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse as both a professor and the administrator of the 15,000-acre Huntington Wildlife Forest research facility in Newcomb, NY.  His innovative and ground-breaking research has had a major impact on the field of wildlife management — in particular the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s policies and activities in regard to deer, wild turkey and moose.

The Dr. Elizabeth W. Thorndike Adirondack Achievement Award is given annually to an individual who has demonstrated significant contributions to the long-term sustainability of the Adirondack Park through scholarship, research, and policy initiatives.  Past awardees include Nina Schoch, wildlife veterinarian and biologist; Ray Curran, Adirondack ecologist; Eileen Allen, SUNY Plattsburgh; Barbara Bedford, Cornell University; Joe Martens, former Commissioner, NYS DEC; Myron Mitchell, SUNY ESF; Jerry Jenkins, Wildlife Conservation Society; Dudley Raynal, SUNY ESF; and, Barbara McMartin, Adirondack author.

Dr. Gonzalez-Murphy to Present NYS Immigration Policies and Programs

Dr. Laura Valeria Gonzalez-Murphy is the Director of NYS Office of New Americans.  She will be a featured luncheon speaker on Wednesday, May 22, 2019, at 12:00 during the 26th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks.  Dr. Gonzalez-Murphy will present efforts to design and launch sustainable initiatives in response to fluctuating immigration flows, during times of relative receptiveness to immigrants, and during periods of highly restrictive national policies.  The last two years have entailed formidable challenges for immigrants in New York State, particularly in the upstate areas, where services are limited.  Dr. Gonzalez-Murphy will discuss these challenges and programs available in the region.

Jennifer Hushaw Shakun to be a Featured Speaker at 2019 Annual Conference

Jennifer Hushaw Shakun will present: “Science and Research - Private Working Forests as Part of the Climate Change Solution" on Wednesday, May 22, at 9:30 a.m.     Jennifer is an Applied Forest Scientist with Manomet, a not-for-profit dedicated to applying science and engaging people to sustain the world. Within Manomet’s Climate Services Program, Jennifer works closely with landowners and land managers in the Climate Smart Land Network (CSLN) and provides guidance on strategies for reducing climate-related risk to managed forests. She is responsible for synthesizing the latest research about projected climate change, identifying the opportunities and challenges these changes pose for forest ecosystems, and working with CSLN members to integrate this science into their forest management and planning.

Award Winning Journalist Stephanie Hanes to Keynote 2019 Annual Conference on the Adirondacks!

Over the past decade, environmental practitioners have increasingly recognized the importance of communicating their research, expertise and goals to lay audiences.  But in many areas, particularly in the world’s most vulnerable regions, these efforts have done little to change behavior. Practitioners often look to solve this problem by focusing on the complicated forces they see blocking environmentally positive behavior changes – a lack of education, for instance, or perverse economic motivators.  But what if the problem is more foundational?  Stephanie Hanes, a Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting grantee and reporter on conservation in Africa, argues that undercutting many environmental efforts is a disconnect that stems from the earliest stages of conceiving and articulating problematics; a clash of world narratives that leads to lackluster results at best, and at worst results in exacerbated violence to the land and those who live on it.

 

Stephanie Hanes, Yale College ’00 (ES), is a regular correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor and an award-winning journalist whose stories have appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today, The Baltimore Sun, Smithsonian, and PBS NewsHour. Her work has been supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and by a fellowship from the Alicia Patterson Foundation. Her first book, White Man’s Game: Saving Animals, Rebuilding Eden and Other Myths of Conservation in Africa, came out in 2017. She teaches the Sharp Journalism Seminar at the College of William and Mary, another partner of the Pulitzer Center’s Campus Consortium network, and lives in Western Massachusetts.

 

The 2019 Annual Conference on the Adirondacks is May 22-23, 2019 at the Lake Placid Conference Center.  Stephanie's keynote is scheduled for Wednesday May 22 at 8:45,  Complete program and registration will be available shortly.

2019 Women's Workshop a Success!

Eighty-five women and men participated in the 2019 Women’s Workshop: “Celebrating Women in Leadership - Workplace Resources, Tools, and Strategies” at Paul Smith’s College on February 22, 2019.  Experts from diverse organizations presented their expertise and experiences related to gender equity in the workplace. In her keynote, Dr. Kristin Esteberg, President of SUNY Potsdam, presented her thinking on  “Why Leaning In Is Not Enough”.  Terry Phalon, President & Chief Executive Officer of the North Country Savings Bank in Canton, NY, described her approach and experiences advancing from an entry level position to becoming CEO. This annual program is sponsored by the Walbridge Fund and Paul Smith’s College.  To learn more about the program.  Photo by Dr. Melanie Johnson.

Panel of Experts to Speak at Women's Workshop

Leaders in their professions, these women will share their insights and experiences at the Women in Leadership Workshop at Paul Smith’s College on Friday, February 22, 2019 in the Joan Weill Adirondack Library.  Featured speakers include, clockwise from top left: Tracy Ormsbee, publisher of the Adirondack Explorer; Nicole Conant, Executive Assistant to the President at SUNY Potsdam; Dr. Lenore VanderZee, Executive Director for University Relations at SUNY Canton; Diane W. Fish, Deputy Director of the Adirondack Council; Dr. Malika Carter, Chief Diversity Officer SUNY ESF; and, Theresa A. Phalon, President and Chief Executive Officer,  North Country Savings Bank in Canton, NY.  They will be joined by Dr. Kristin Esterberg, President of SUNY Potsdam, who will present her keynote entitled, “Women in Leadership – Why Leaning In Is Not Enough!” For more information and to register.

Dr. Malika Carter to Present at Women's Workshop, Februrary 22, 2019, Paul Smith's College

 Dr. Malika Carter is a Chief Diversity Officer, activist, commentator, educator, and writer.  In August 2017, Dr. Malika Carter began as the first Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) for the College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, NY.  Prior to serving at ESF, Dr. Carter was the CDO for the City of Worcester, Massachusetts. Dr. Carter has more than 15 years' experience developing policies and initiatives that address inclusion, diversity, and equity.  Dr. Carter has her Ph.D. in Institutional Analysis from North Dakota State University. Her newest scholarly contribution is nestled in the book "Black Women and Social Justice Education: Legacies and Lessons".  For more Workshop registration and program information.  Photo by SUNY ESF.

Celebrating Women in Leadership, February 22, Paul Smith's College

For program and registration information.

Women's Workshop Luncheon Speaker Announced

Theresa A. Phalon, President and Chief Executive Officer of the North Country Savings Bank, will be the featured luncheon speaker at the 2019 Women in Leadership workshop at Paul Smith’s College on February 22, 2019. “From a Job to a Career” is the title of Terry’s talk reflecting on her experiences in the workplace.  North Country Savings is a $250 million mutual savings bank based in Canton, New York with branches located throughout St. Lawrence County, as well as a lending office in Malone, New York.  For more Workshop program and registration information.