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Teaching a New Generation About Long Island Water
Teaching a New Generation about Long Island Water Our educational programming has been building for some time. Through our outreach, educational panel discussions and our Walks in the Woods, the Land Alliance has felt the need to have a stronger presence in local schools. At the same time, there is increasing recognition that Long Island’s water is perhaps our community’s most precious and possibly most vulnerable resource. Still, many Long Islanders are unaware that the source of their drinking water is the aquifer under their feet or that nitrogen is the number one contaminant of our harbors, Long Island Sound and the ocean. For all of these reasons, a generous donor has offered to fund a part-time educator to enter local schools to implement a three-lesson series of programs that will start in the classroom and move outdoors. Students will learn about Long Island’s groundwater, surface waters and watersheds and stewardship of this essential resource, while using interactive models, diagrams, maps and aerial photos. Designed for fourth graders, the program can be modified for use with other ages or with after-school students. A selection of follow-up activities participants can do on their own or with their classroom teachers will be included, and state and federal education standards will be addressed. With an introduction in the classroom, the first lesson will introduce students to the aquifer from which their drinking water comes. Students will learn how water enters and leaves the aquifer and how contaminants and excessive use can threaten water quality and quantity. The second lesson, to be conducted on school grounds or within walking distance of the school, will identify the concept of watersheds. This will include a discussion on where rain goes and describe storm water runoff and its connection to the health of our streams, ponds, bays and Long Island Sound. Students will assess how their activities can be harmful or beneficial to our surface waters. The final lesson will take place at a local nature preserve where there is a pond, stream or beach. Students will identify where they are in a watershed and the role local topography plays in shaping the water body at the site. They will also make comparisons between the preserve and nearby developed land and discuss features that may impact water quality. Through any of a number of activities (including water quality or soil testing, a beach exploration, planting native plants, a study of wildlife at the site and pulling invasive plants), participants will become familiar with the preserve and interactions among its inhabitants. This will help students recognize how their actions can affect the quality and quantity of its water for preserve visitors and inhabitants alike. We hope that the implementation of this program in local schools will encourage students, and, in turn, their families, to become stewards of the waters that make Long Island such a desirable place to live. If your school would like to participate, please contact Jane Jackson at 516-6922-1028 or info@northshorelandalliance.org.
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The Future of Nature Featuring Bill McKibben
The Future of Nature Featuring Renowned Environmentalist and Author, Bill McKibben On April 25, 2012, the North Shore Land Alliance hosted an event in Manhattan featuring renowned environmentalist and author, Bill McKibben. Mr. McKibben has written several books on the environment including Earth, Making a Life on a Tough New Planet and The End of Nature. He has been called by Time magazine “the planet’s best green journalist.” Bill McKibben founded 350.org, an organization to draw immediate attention to the threat of climate change as the by-product of the industrial revolution and fossil fuel consumption. The name, 350.org, refers to the goal of restoring the earth to carbon emissions of no more than 350 parts per million (ppm). With a group of university friends, they ran a campaign in 2007 called Step It Up that organized over 2,000 rallies at iconic places in all 50 of the United States. These creative actions – from skiers descending a melting glacier to divers hosting an underwater event – helped convince many political leaders to adopt a common call to action: cutting carbon emissions 80% by 2050. Mr. McKibben spoke to an audience of over 100 people about the current measured level of carbon which is 393 ppm. If sustained this level will raise global temperatures and contribute to rising sea level, devastating droughts, the inability for large and traditionally productive countries like Russia to grow enough food to feed itself and possibly even more seismic activity. For the past 10,000 years of human activity, the period of time called the Holocene, the atmosphere had remained stable at 275 ppm. With the current rate of energy consumption, the carbon dioxide emitted into our atmosphere could result in a catastrophic 3-4 degree centigrade rise in global temperatures over time. The only solution is to immediately stop consuming fossil fuels and make the transition to energy efficient appliances and sun and wind power. This will not be fast or easy but cannot be avoided. The Land Alliance is most grateful to Mr. McKibben for taking time out of his busy schedule to educate and inspire us.
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2012 Small Farm Summit Featuring Will Allen and Chef Ann Cooper Draws a Record Crowd
2012 Small Farm Summit Featuring Will Allen and Chef Ann Cooper Draws a Record Crowd Interest in growing and farming on Long Island is a booming enterprise as evidenced by the 800+ people who enjoyed the Small Farm Summit on Saturday, April 14 at Hofstra University. More than 30 organizations, led by the North Shore Land Alliance and including Hofstra University, Whole Foods Market and the New York State Conservation Partnership Program stepped up to sponsor the second annual Small Farm Summit. It was an extensive day of learning, handson instruction, entertainment and networking focused on growing more food locally for individual use, in schools, to feed people in need and to grow the local economy. A recent Newsday article confirmed that on Long Island we do not grow enough fresh food to feed ourselves. In short, Long Island is not yet sustainable! People are hungry for both nutritious, local farm produce and new knowledge about how they can be a part of this growing movement. Eastern Suffolk County enjoys the #1 agricultural economy in the State and the land to support it. Locally we need to grow on a smaller scale and in some instances more creatively – from small farms, to front and back yards, to community gardens to service gardens at churches – on the sides of walls and the tops of buildings! This means “Planting Food Everywhere” as Small Farm Summit panelists Roxanne Zimmer, a Cornell Master Gardener, Brian Haweil, publisher of Edible East End, Denise Marku, Land Steward for Peconic Land Trust and Michael Veracka of Farmingdale State College explained in just one of the 45 workshops offered throughout the day. Summit topics covered something for everyone including new developments in aquaculture, shellfish and finfish cultivation, which has been a mainstay on the north shore for centuries. For the backyard gardener there were classes offered on composting, building healthy soil, season extension methods and insects of significance to Long Island. For health and nutrition advocates topics included school gardens, edible medicinal plants and school lunch nutrition. Experiential workshops on beekeeping and chicken-rearing delighted children and their parents. Beginning farmers and experienced farmers attended panels focused on business planning, marketing agricultural products, organics and valueadded operations. Did you know there are food deserts on Long Island? Food deserts are defined as areas where fresh fruits and vegetables are not available in local grocery stores. Adelphi University, Sustainable Long Island and Island Harvest hosted provocative discussions on both food equity and food justice and local programs that are addressing this issue. Throughout the day, farm and food related exhibitors like NOFA, Slow Food, local farms, service gardens and CSA’s hosted demonstrations and shared information about programs and products available on Long Island. Land trusts and organizations with resources for farmers disseminated information and gathered new, interested parties for their missions. In the late afternoon, Grammy award winner Tom Chapin led a family concert that addressed food in a comical way with his music and the event closed with a celebratory wine and cheese reception. Chris Ivers of Whole Foods Market presented a check to the North Shore Land Alliance for $5,600 for sponsorship of the Small Farm Summit from the proceeds of 5% of the register tally from one day of business at the Jericho Whole Foods Market. “The North Shore Land Alliance would like to thank the steering committee, co-sponsors and volunteers that made the day a rousing success,” said Lisa Ott, Land Alliance President. “When this many people devote a beautiful Saturday in the spring to learn about farming, there is clearly a movement on Long Island that will only continue to grow. Growing fresh, local food is closely related to land availability and we are so pleased to be a part of something that strengthens the inextricable bond between people and land.” Other sponsors of the 2012 Small Farms Summit included High Mowing Seeds, Edible East End, the Center for Collaborative Communities, the Town of Oyster Bay, the Waldorf School of Garden City, LI Green, Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, iEat Green, Long Island University, Adelphi University, Farmer’s Market Kennedy Plaza, Slow Food Huntington, Peconic Land Trust, NOFA-NY (Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York), Kaos Farm, Nassau Land Trust and many others who lent their expertise to creating such a worthwhile day. The Small Farm Summit is a part of the Small Farm Initiative that began in 2010 to support sustainable efforts in local food production, farmland preservation, food waste reduction and recycling, water conservation and agricultural education. #gallery-1 { margin: auto; } #gallery-1 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-1 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-1 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
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A Conversation with Journalist Alex Prud’homme: The Ripple Effect and the Fate of Freshwater in the 21st Century
A Conversation with Journalist Alex Prud’homme: The Ripple Effect and the Fate of Freshwater in the 21st Century On January 25, 2012, journalist Alex Prud’homme spoke to members and friends of the North Country Garden Club and North Shore Land Alliance about his latest book, The Ripple Effect. The Fate of Freshwater in the TwentyFirst Century. Prud’homme began his presentation with a series of thought-provoking questions. Will there be enough drinkable water to satisfy future demand? What is the state of our water infrastructure—both the pipes that bring us fresh water and the levees that keep it out? How secure is our water supply from natural disasters and terrorist attacks? Can we create new sources for our water supply through scientific innovation? Is water a right like air or a commodity like oil? Will the wars of the twenty-first century be fought over water? The answers to these questions were not so easy. As the climate warms and world population grows, demand for water has surged, but supplies of fresh water are static or dropping, and new threats to water quality appear every day. Prud’homme pointed out that only when a catastrophe hits do people start to think about their water. From the impacts of this summer’s storms, it’s easy to see that our world is increasingly subject to weather and its effects, something that Prud’homme calls global weirding: like flooding in the plains, drought in the south and west. He took the issue from a macro government level to the impacts occurring here on Long Island. Local communities nationwide have had to take the responsibility of lobbying for better screening of drinking water. Even though it seems natural that governments would respond to protecting drinking water, the costs are staggering. USGS models predict that Nassau County will be the hardest hit county in the state from the impacts of rising seas. Additionally, on Long Island, the quality and quantity of our drinking water is particularly relevant because we get our drinking water from one source: underground aquifers. Our aquifers replenish themselves from snow and rainfall. The permeability of the land above the aquifers will impact how easily rainwater travels to complete its cycle. As sea level rises salt water further intrudes into the aquifer polluting our drinking water source. Maintaining open space as recharge areas for drinking water as well as stormwater absorption for bays and ponds is critical to protecting both our ground and surface water resources.
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Inaugural Small Farm Summit Featuring Joel Salatin Inspired Hundreds
Inaugural Small Farm Summit Featuring Joel Salatin Inspired Hundreds There was standing room only for Virginia farmer Joel Salatin’s keynote address at the Small Farm Summit at SUNY College at Old Westbury on April 15, 2011. Nearly 600 gardeners, farmers, health and energy advocates, students, teachers, and interested individuals packed the auditorium for this inaugural event in support of sustainable local agriculture and growing the local food source. Mr. Salatin, a third-generation alternative farmer, was at one time a feature writer at the Staunton, Virginia newspaper, The News Leader, then returned to the farm full-time in 1982 and continued refining and adding to his parents’ ideas. A self-described “Christian-libertarian-environmentalist-capitalist farmer,” his Polyface Farm uses environmentally responsible, ecologically beneficial, sustainable, though unconventional, methods. His riveting, fire-and-brimstone address debunked ten myths about farming—ranging from “farming is environmentally harmful” (use of appropriate farming practices is responsible land and water stewardship) to “farmers are dummies” (in fact, they have to be some of the smartest, most resourceful people in our community to survive and prosper). The day was filled with 20 bustling workshops led by 72 expert panelists presenting a wide range of topics ranging from food and farm policy to raising honeybees, to starting an organic or school garden. Plenty of opportunities for discussion and networking enhanced participants’ understanding of the breadth of issues facing farmers and Long Island and New York City residents in pursuit of local food sources. Attendees’ awareness was further improved through dozens of educational exhibits and demonstrations staffed by a variety of non-profit, commercial, university, and municipal organizations. Decorations, provided by the North Country Garden Club, featured an educational display complete with a blue pickup truck, live chickens, fresh eggs, manure, and Muttontown vegetables grown from seed. The Sylvester Manor Worksongers played delightful live music throughout the day and included fiddlers, banjo players, drummers, and guitarists. They wrote a special “chicken song,” honoring Joel Salatin, which was received with laughter and cheers from the audience. Like all successful events, the Small Farm Summit would not have been possible without the many volunteers who gave their time and energy in the days leading up to the Summit, as well as the six months of planning that preceded this inspiring day. North Shore Land Alliance, convener and primary organizer of the event, is most grateful to the Land Trust Alliance / New York State Conservation Partnership Program, Whole Foods Market, Karma 411, the Center for Social Innovation at Adelphi University, NOFA-NY, and Lisa Mitten for their financial support. The Land Alliance strives to help people understand the incredible value land brings to our daily lives. The ability to grow more food locally leads to a more sustainable community which will benefit us all. #gallery-2 { margin: auto; } #gallery-2 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-2 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-2 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
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