puffin in flight

Climate Change & Conservation eNews

Communications

Baby Cornstalks
Pixabay

As soils warm, microbes pump more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere

You and/or your land trust could share information like this—and connect the dots to why ramping up natural climate solutions and renewables is critical to farming, wildlife, and slowing down climate change.

Thomas Crowther is professor of ecosystem ecology at ETH Zurich, a university in Switzerland. “As we warm those soils, those microbes become more active, and that means they release more carbon into the atmosphere,” he says.

He says that makes the climate warmer, which in turn makes the microbes even more active, “which pumps more carbon out of the soil, which warms the planet further, leading to a feedback that can actually really accelerate the rate of climate change…”

Read More »
Female In Ag
Screenshot Ranching, Land, Climate: National Grazing Lands Coalition

Through the eyes of a young rancher

Connecting on shared values—especially around climate change—is one of the most powerful ways you can make a difference. Telling a good story, and not trumpeting your land trust, needs to be part of the approach. Check out this outstanding video that does both. You could share it via your Facebook page, with your family, or your organization —and then talk about how else you can connect around climate change.

“Our lands and soil are possibly the most underappreciated resources we have, yet their conservation is vital to humanity. We need to have an important discussion on what can be done to protect the planet through proper land management. This is so much more important than most people realize. Come join the conversation…”

If your land trust works with agriculture, this could be a great video to share—and then connect what you are doing to be part of the conversation, too.

Read More »
Farmer And Cows With Solar
collage of National Grazing Lands Coalition photos

Combating climate change: Solar energy, farming, and the future in New York

Could your land trust participate in, or help host, a learning session on how we can ramp up renewables as part of agricultural lands? If agricultural conservation and viability is part of your work, then slowing down climate change is going to be critical for your success—and the success of your farmers and ranchers. I'm providing the following workshop example as inspiration for what you could do in your area.

American Farmland Trust (An Example of Taking Action)

November 13, 2019
Hotel Indigo, Riverhead, NY
Join farmers, solar experts, public officials, and others to discuss ways to expand renewable energy generation, support farm businesses, and drive action in response to climate change.

Cost: $15 (payable by credit/debit card or eCheck)

Ticket price includes breakfast and lunch. Land use training credits will be offered to local officials. For any questions about the event or registration please contact newyork@farmland.org.

Read More »
Climate Strike Hashtag On Hands
Climate Strike Collage from #climatestrike

Becoming part of the community

You and/or your land trust can post photos, too. Just keep connecting the dots so people understand why it's important.

“Eastern Sierra Land Trust staff supported their local High School students in the Climate Strike—the future is in great hands!  #climatestrike #BUHS #itsnowornever”

Your local land trust can join with others to elevate climate awareness and action. That’s part of community conservation and helping people see their roles in conservation.

Read More »
There Is No Planet B
Creative Commons

Coming together to save what we love

Save Mount Diablo's mission is to preserve, protect, and restore the natural lands on and around Mount Diablo for wildlife and people to enjoy. Their Facebook page is helping people connect the dots to the conservation work they do, climate change, and climate action. They've been posting about youth taking action and why. Your local land trust can bring people along on this journey, too.

Save Mount Diablo shares…”The Mount Diablo area youth speak out. Save Mount Diablo and our partner schools recently came together at our conserved Curry Canyon Ranch to support the Global Climate Strike.

John Muir wrote about one love as he keenly observed the interconnectedness of everything and felt love and awe for this one great natural world of which we are a part.

In this climate change crisis we face, John Muir would almost certainly counsel us that an attitude of ‘One Love’ is required…”

Read More »
Red Barn Chicken Coop
Judy Anderson

Solar energy, farming, and the future in New York

It's time to help position farmers and ranchers as key components of the climate change solution. Your land trust can do this too.

American Farmland Trust (AFT) continues to expand its partnerships, collaborative training, and thinking and is working to serve communities and farmers and ranchers around climate change.

Here’s an example of an upcoming workshop they are hosting. Perhaps your land trust could host a similar workshop or partner with an organization like AFT…

Read More »
Solar Panels
Pixabay

Sheep get to work maintaining Newfield solar array

Help your community and/or region understand how solar can be compatible with farming—or pollinators—if it is designed in such a way. In this case, it's grazing sheep. In other cases, it can be growing crops or grazing large animals.

As solar panels in the 30-acre array off of Millard Hill Road in Newfield soaked up Tuesday morning’s sunshine, a new kind of maintenance crew was headed out to work: a flock of about 45 sheep. Though timid about getting out of their trailer and exploring the new surroundings at first (it was their first time leaving their home farm in Enfield), the lambs quickly got to work munching down on the tall grass, clovers, forbs, and other greenery sprouting up between the panels.

The solar panels in Newfield were Nexamp’s [a solar energy team’s] first community solar project in New York and officially went online last year…

Read More »
Gozelles Go Green
Broadway Green Alliance

Theater projects help people reflect on their experiences of climate change

Meet people where they are, and find shared values. Recognize that conservation is more than transactions—it's relationships, inspiration, and connecting the dots.

Since its inception, the Broadway Green Alliance‘s (BGA) mission has been to educate, motivate, and inspire the entire theatre community and its patrons to adopt environmentally-friendlier practices. This is a seemingly immense undertaking. But the BGA’s work is built on the recognition that environmental issues are caused by the cumulative effect of millions of small actions and that effective change comes from each of us doing a bit better every day.

We don’t aim to be fully “green,” but rather work to be “greener” than we were yesterday…

Read More »
Wetlands Sunset
Myer Bornstein

Mass Audubon & climate change

“Climate change requires us to boldly and urgently act to protect the wildlife and people we love. In response, Mass Audubon has committed to achieving a carbon neutral future in Massachusetts by 2050.

Carbon neutrality, or net zero emissions, means that we don’t emit any greenhouse gasses that we can’t soak back up out of the atmosphere. To do so entails protecting and conserving natural climate fighting tools, mitigating climate change by reducing and eliminating our greenhouse gas emissions, and amplifying nature’s resilience to climate impacts…”

Read More »
Bird With Caught Fish
Pixabay

Leading by example

Mass Audubon is stepping up to face climate change and encourage their members and the public to help slow it down, in addition to adapting to its impacts. It has meant walking the talk.

Mass Audubon is taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint, and they hope to inspire their members and visitors to do the same. They want to do their part to reduce their carbon emissions from fossil fuel consumption in order to help prevent the worst effects of climate change.

Since 2003, Mass Audubon has reduced its annual carbon emissions from its buildings and vehicles by almost 50 percent. In addition to explaining why they care (and why you should, too), they’ve made improvements in several key areas…

Read More »