Sustainability Week Events

Next week on the SUNY Cortland Campus is Sustainability Week.  Below is a list of events.  All events are free and open to the public.  Sessions address issues such as sustainable food, local foods, renewable energy, climate change, etc.  Hope to see you there!

Saturday April 16th from 8:30 to 11:00am:  

Sixth Annual Community Cleanup Day
Meet at the Chamber Parking lot at 37 Church St.
Organized by the Cortland Downtown Partnership, the City of Cortland, the Cortland Chamber of Commerce, the SUNY Cortland Institute for Civic Engagement, and SUNY Cortland AmeriCorps

“Fresh from the Farm” Little York Farms at 5668 U.S. Route 11, Homer, NY. from 9:00am to 2:00pm
A NEW opportunity to buy locally grown and processed foods including: local pasture-raised beef, free range eggs, honey, herb plants, real maple syrup, semi-soft cheese, homemade beef soup, and baked goods.   
Organized by Healthy Now Cortland County (For more information call 607-591-9727)


Sunday April 17th From  9:30 to 1:30pm 

A Trip to the Seneca Meadows Landfill
Meet at the loading dock behind Bowers Hall
Organized by the SUNY Cortland Environmental Science Club


Monday April 18th  

SUNY Cortland Sustainability Week Keynote Address 7:30 - 9:00 pm Sperry Hall 205
“Pedaling Climate Change: A bike trip from Delaware to Oregon, talking about climate change”
Dr. David Goodrich, former Director of Climate Observations at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and former director of the Global Climate Observing System Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland


Tuesday April 19th  Sustainability Week Sessions at SUNY Cortland Campus

1:40-2:40 pm in Bowers 155: The Environmental Impact of Tobacco: Working toward a Tobacco-Free Campus
The SUNY Cortland Tobacco Advisory Committee

3:00-4:00 pm in Bowers 155: A Not-So Temperate Environment and How it Affects Forests (and People, too)
Neil Pederson, Doherty Associate Research Scientist, Tree-Ring Laboratory, LDEO & Columbia University

4:00 to 6:00 pm Hoxie Gorge: An Outdoor Classroom for Sustainability: A tour of the 169-acre Hoxie Gorge Nature Preserve guided by two faculty from the Biology and Geology departments. Following an overview of ongoing research, the discussion will focus on carbon sequestration; biomimicry, and nutrient cycling.
(Note: You must sign up in advance by contacting the Center for Environmental and Outdoor Education at 607-753-5488 or emailing outdooredinfo@cortand.edu.)

7:00pm in Sperry Hall 205:  Annual Connie Wilkins Bird Lecture
“The Surprising Behavior of Crows”
John Marzluff, Professor of Wildlife - Habitat Relationships and Avian Social Ecology & Demography at the University of Washington in Seattle
Organized by the Lime Hollow Center for Environment and Culture and the SUNY Cortland Biology Club


Wednesday April 20th Sustainability Week Sessions at SUNY Cortland Campus

1:40-2:40 pm in Bowers 155
Doubt mongering in environmental issues A presentation by the ENS 486: Environmental Science Seminar class

3:00-4:00 pm in Bowers 155
Local Foods Movement: Learn about the local foods movement in our area and how you can get involved!
Beth Klein, SUNY Cortland; Christine Applegate, Co-Chair Cortland County Local Agricultural Promotions Committee ; Heather Birdsall, Cortland County Cornell Cooperative Extension; and more.

7:00-9:00 
Screening of “The Greenhorns” a documentary film exploring how young people are making a difference in America’s sustainable food movement. 
A discussion led by young, local farmers and beginning farmer mentors will follow the film.
Sperry Hall 105


Thursday April 21st Sustainability Week Sessions at SUNY Cortland Campus

12:00 – 1:00 pm Earth Week Sandwich Seminar 
“Sustainable Heating at SUNY Cortland Using Biomass and Geothermal Energy”
Matthew Rankin, Senior in Biological Science
Jacobus Lounge (Brockway Hall) 

1:40-2:40 pm in Bowers 155
Student Actions for Sustainability A presentation by the Environmental Science Club (C-SAVE), the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), and the SUNY Cortland Recreation Association (SCRA)

3:00-4:00 pm in Bowers 155
The Technical and Economic Success of Renewable Energy in Central New York
Melissa Kemp, Director of Halco Renewable Energy

7:30 - 9:00 pm:  Energy and Sustainability
“The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident: Lessons for U.S. Energy Policy in the Era of Extreme Energy” Sperry Hall 105
Brice Smith, Associate Professor and Chair of Physics and author of Insurmountable Risks: The Dangers of Using Nuclear Power to Combat Global Climate Change


Friday April 22nd
Student/Staff Events in Honor of the 41st Anniversary of Earth Day
Build Your Own Wind Turbine Physics & Engineering Club 11:30 am - 1:30 pm Under the Sustainability Week tent between Bowers and Sperry Halls
The Facts About Fracking New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPRIG) 12:00 - 3:00 pm Under the Sustainability Week tent between Bowers and Sperry Halls
Earth Café 2050 Environmental Science Club (C-SAVE) 12:00 - 3:00 pm Under the Sustainability Week tent between Bowers and Sperry Halls
Local Foods Resources and Composting Made Easy Cortland Faculty, Staff, and Community Members 11:30 - 3:00 pm Under the Sustainability Week tent between Bowers and Sperry Halls
3rd Annual Outdoor Gear Sale and Fender Blender: Bike Your Own Smoothie SUNY Cortland Recreation Association 12:00 - 5:00 pm Community Bike Shop Building next to the Lusk Field House

4:30 – 7:00 pm   Earth Day Open House
Center for Gender and Intercultural Studies (CGIS), Environmental Justice Committee and the Gas Drilling Awareness for Cortland County community group (GDACC)
Beard Building 9 Main Street Cortland, NY 13045
The Open House will include a screening of the film "My Name is Allegheny County." The film chronicles the way in which residents actively organized resistance to siting a low level radioactive waste dump in Allegheny County. Jim Weiss and Paul Yaman, two residents active in the resistance in Cortland County, will speak after the film.
The program will also highlight the need for greater activism to promote the use of clean, safe, and affordable energy.

Gardening has Started!!!!

broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts and cabbage seedlings

shallot and leek seedlings

Time for starting gardening has come!   Although we are mostly doing it indoors at this point.  We now have shallots, leeks, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, peppers, kale, brussels sprouts, eggplant and some cherry tomatoes started in containers on a shelf in an east facing window.  More seeds will be started soon.  Chives are coming up in the herb bed now that the snow has mostly melted away.  This slow warming trend is nice (even if it is slow I think we are all tired of winter!).  I just hope it means that we'll continue our gradual warm-up and won't have any mid and late spring cold snaps like the last couple of years.  It would be nice to have some apples, plums and pears blossoms NOT get frozen this year!