Intersectionality 2.0: Public session with Choose Action Network

Chris Kosakowski delivered a compelling presentation during a session of SUNY ESF’s seminar FOR 797: Perspectives on Career and Gender that took place on April 2, 2024. The discussion centered on feminism and environmental justice, with a particular focus on how intersecting identities can compound marginalization.  

The presentation generated conversation among attendees about the complexities of engaging with environmental activism.  One particularly compelling topic of discussion revolved around how it is often easier to focus on the negative consequences of marginalization and injustice, rather than their solutions. During the conversation, attendees discussed the reasons for this. One student expressed how this is a matter of logistics, in that it is often necessary to diagnose a problem before one can address it. Michael Mikulewicz, a co-instructor of the class, observed that people who offer solutions then need to be accountable for the consequences of those solutions, which is an immense responsibility. Ultimately, the severity of environmental degradation may feel unapproachable to address at the individual level, which poses a significant barrier toward making meaningful change through environmental activism.

The conversation also centered on how the consequences of environmental injustice are not born evenly across identity categories. Socioeconomic status is the primary driving force determining one’s vulnerability to environmental injustice, and marginalized identity categories across gender, sexuality, disability-status, citizenship status, and race can compound such vulnerabilities. Chris Kosakowski insisted that individuals in positions of relative privilege have a duty to advocate on behalf of those who are the most marginalized.

Lia Figurelli, a campus educator and advocate, also provided an overview of the resources available to students through Vera House.   

 Chris Kosakowski earned a Master of Social Work from Syracuse University. He presently serves as the Coordinator of Student Inclusion Initiatives and is the Project Director for ESF's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Grant. For more information about his work, please visit https://www.esf.edu/student-affairs/index.php. Follow esf.edu/calendar to stay updated on all public programs.

As part of the requirements for FOR 797, Perspective on Career and Gender students share  responsibility of reporting on a subset of class discussions, including this public session with the Choose Action Network. The preceding was prepared by Taylor Wegner, MS student in the Department of Sustainable Resource Management

Decolonizing and Indigenizing Environmental Justice

Dina Gilio-Whitaker, journalist and columnist who lectures at California State University San Marcos, studies American Indian justice and environmental policy issues. She discussed Indigenizing environmental justice at ESF on Wednesday April 26, 2023.

Gilio-Whitaker analyzed environmental injustice through the lens of American Indians, explaining that the package of  "Environmental racism" centers on "racism", which has not been broad enough for Indigenous communities.  She explained:  "Native People are people as nations with a relationship to the United States... not ethnic groups, we're people with political status, with this government to government relationship."  She stressed that settler colonialism set the stage for deeming Indigenous Nations as inferior, which still has implications to Native Peoples to this day. Gilio-Whitaker broke down the role of white supremacy in driving the environmental movement,  and how history has led to the lack in accountability, human displacement, and ecocide.  She continued: “American narratives of ‘progress’ and ‘modernity’ are experiences of death for American Indians.” She strives to raise awareness on decolonizing environmental justice by recognizing Indigenous relationships to land and incorporating Tradition Ecological Knowledge through co-management practices with Native Peoples.  

 Dina Gilio-Whitaker, Colville Confederated Tribes, is co-author of "All the Real Indians Died Off": And 20 Other Myths About Native Americans (Myths Made in America) with Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz and author of As Long as Grass Grows: The Indigenous Fight for Environmental Justice, from Colonization to Standing Rock. She is an independent consultant and educator of Indigenous policy and environmental justice related issues and is a lecturer at California State University San Marcos on American Indian Studies.

A recording is available https://video.syr.edu/media/t/1_1wbw2ama.   This event was sponsored by the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, in partnership with Adaptive Peaks Seminar Series, sponsored by the Department of Environmental Biology, and the Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series,  sponsored by the SUNY ESF and the ESF Women's Caucus.  This event concluded the 2023 AP and WiSE Professions Series.

Information on the WiSE Speaker Series can be found at http://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus. Upcoming events and lectures at SUNY ESF can be found on the college’s calendar: https://www.esf.edu/calendar/ 

As part of the course requirements for FOR797 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students share  responsibility of reporting on speakers in the campus-wide Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series.  The preceding was prepared by Alyssa Colasanti, BS 2023,  Environmental Biology.

Making Space for Marginalized Voices, Women's Empowerment Brunch 2021

ESF's 6th Women's Empowerment Brunch invited participants, panelists, and keynote to consider ways to Make (or Reclaim) Space.

Emcee Emily Li (EnvStudies 2022) introduced Dr. Emily Stewart, Senior Director of Education & Curation, at Syracuse's Museum of Science and Technology  who discussed the ways the MOST has become more accessible for a variety of community members, including sensory friendly exhibits; reduced admission for veterans and active military, and EBT users; as well as supporting community science educators and youth science competitions.  (Families with middle schoolers:  check out their partnership with TACNY, called  Jr Cafe, which provides a free program with continental breakfast and free museum admission, generally 3rd Saturdays during the academic year.)  Panelists Alice Olom and Martikah Williams, co-founders of Black Artist Collective; Dr. Marcelle Haddix, Distinguished Dean's Professor of Literacy, Race and Justice in the Reading and Language Arts department in Syracuse University's School of Education; and ESF students Sachi Segan (EnvStudies 2022) and Isabella Fiorese (EnvScience 2023) answered questions about finding space, allyship, and ways of moving forward.

Panelists shared the necessity of resting, setting boundaries, and surrounding themselves with supporting people, and the challenge and exhaustion: 

of "having to act white" and the overwork of silent labor.  Women and other marginalized identities have to always be ready to respond to emails, even while on vacation.  One panelists who hails from a "collectivist, family-centered background" and being told by elder family members "Don't be too loud, Black and proud" for fear of risking citizenship process.

When asked how allies can make space for marginalized identities:  show up and speak up!  Challenge authority and speak for those who cannot.   Panelists countered with "are you educating yourself? Going where you are uncomfortable so others can be more so?  Thinking about and learning the details taught in Title IX training?"  They also noted that the question is upsetting because folks SHOULD know what an ally is by now, and label "ally" is used performatively, without active  engagement or demonstrative effort. Are so-called allies giving something up? Shifting power dynamics, leaving positions of privilege?  Its an intersectional question with many layers.  Fighting for Black people, Black LGBTQIA+, Black Muslims, fighting for and with.   Are allies standing up for these, even when they are not in the room?

In what ways can we move forward and make space?  Be honest that every day is a new challenge and that women have to fight all the time, especially Black women.  Acknowledge that its OK to "just be" for a minute.  Work with Cafe Sankofa and Women's Health, taking up brick and mortar with the 15th ward, understand what's happening with the I-81 project.  Land acknowledgements are empty; how do they lead to reconciliation of the violence that led to the use of these spaces?  BAC's mission is to interrupt, disrupt, break down barriers and speak to what's happening in our community, at any or multiple scales.  

Questions from the audience:  How do you physically create boundaries?  Takes practice, be specific.  Acknowledge what's causing you harm.  Understand what YOU need to be fully present.  May need to intentionality pause to figure out what your balance looks like.

When confronted with the phrases "Just take care of yourself" or "you should have said something", flip the script "I am struggling to establish boundaries, but I need them." Start small--it takes 21 days to create a habit.  One panelists had to unlearn "yes" because was working self to sickness.    For black women in particular, stories that are empowering but overwhelming, the protagonist is always strong.  Can we be fragile or vulnerable?

If boss does not respect need for rest, it's time to go.  A tip:  Review your job description.  If what you are asked to do is not listed, use that to negotiation.  Review other people's job descriptions, and call folks out when they aren't doing their jobs.  "You are director of _____; that's your job (and not _____'s).  

Suggestions:  Read White Fragility and How to be an AntiRacist, all of it!  More POC on boards, front money and invest in people and businesses that do the work. PAY for the Training, go in with other organizations to cover the costs.  1-3 POC out of 500 is not enough. 

Panelists love Gen Z, who are open and forward and use social media to call out, build up, and hold accountable.  

Last thoughts:  SU (academia?) has to come down from The Hill.  College has a utopian aspect, and college community should be more involved in community organizations like Black Cuse pride, BAC. which are small organizations that are constantly doing the work.  Bring elements back to ESF and SU.  

Be a good person, be more thoughtful, leave it better than you found it.  

  

The 2021 WEB was presented by the Baobab Society and the ESF Women's Caucus, in collaboration with The Writing Resource Center, Poetry Society, ESF Bookstore, Green Campus Initiative, and the Environmental Studies Student Organization,  with support of the Undergraduate Student Association, Counseling Center, Vera House,  and the Sustainability Office.  Organizers particulary wish to thank Chris from Vera House and Ruth from Counseling Services for being available for anyone in need of support, Christopher from ITSmedia for sound system set up (and providing student support during the event itself), as well as Bliss Bakehouse, Fat Cat Baking, Mello Velo, Recess Coffee for working with our budgets and guidance to deliciously meet dietary and low-waste constraints. 

To learn more about all WEB events, beginning May 2016, please visit the summaries compiled at:  http://esfwomen.blogspot.com/search?q=empowerment+brunch.

For questions about the 2021 program, contact thebaobabsociety@gmail.com and follow @thebaobabsociety on Instagram.  

Improving access through transit infrastructure: Conversation with Veronica O. Davis PE

As Director of Transportation and Drainage Operations for the City of Houston, Veronica O. Davis is responsible for maintaining and improving infrastructure across 671 square miles. She chatted with ESF on Earth Day about challenges in designing roadways for equitable transit through her lens as a civil engineer passionate about transportation and community development.

Veronica O. Davis.  Click for video

Houston is the 4th largest city. Its physically large, but is not contiguous because of its growth through annexation.  Houston's road system and bike lane are used to channel rainwater to prevent property drainage.  Both are swept to prevent debris blocking drains.  

Houston is seeking not just infrastructure, but "really good infrastructure" through better public transit and measures "to live with water.  Houston's highest point is only 100' above sea level.  So, biking is easy, but drainage is difficult."  The city has a big goal of 25 miles/yr of "High Comfort Bike Lanes" plus 50 miles of sidewalk.  These lanes are also called "protective bike lanes", which are bide, protected from traffic by a buffer, and have dedicated travel lanes.  Her office benefits from an "enterprise fund" from a drainage fee on water bills, sales tax on Metro, rather than on the general budget.  She also notes that they benefit from dedicated crews, working to expand their capacity.  Botanists are consulted to choose plants suitable for the ebbs and flows along drainage paths.

Half of roadways are concreate, rather than asphalt, which is cooler.  The city also uses cool pavements, which are gray and permeable, which helps with both heat retention and drainage. Other ways to make biking safer include reducing instances of speeding through better designed roads.   Coupling bike lanes with better public transit also improves bikability, as it helps address "what happens if I need to go far?"

For students nearing graduation, Davis notes that there are lots of opportunities in Houston. 

Ms Davis has 20 years of experience in engineering and transportation planning.  She co-founded Nspiregreen in Washington DC, which manages Community, Multimodal Transportation, and Environmental planning and consulting.  While at Nspiregreen, she led the Vision Zero Action Plans for Washington, DC and the City of Alexandria.  She also co-founded Black Women Bike, an organization and movement that builds community and interest in biking among black women.  She was named a Champion of Change  by the White House (2012) for these accomplishments and advocacy. Davis  earned a Bachelor of Science from University of Maryland College Park and a Master of Engineering and a Master of Regional and Urban Planning, Land Use and Environmental Planning from Cornell University.

This presentation was part of ESF's Earth Week Celebration, and an installment in the College's annual WiSE Professions Speaker Series.

Morningstar discusses healing socio-ecological wounds through plants and land justice

As an herbalist, academic, activist, and indigenous ethnobotanist, Stephanie Morningstar has learned to see the world through multiple lenses. She visited SUNY-ESF on March 4th, 2020 to discuss how these different worldviews have helped her in her work addressing socio-ecological problems of today. The talk was sponsored by the ESF Women’s Caucus and the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.

The lecture, titled “Co-creating Indigenous Futures: Finding My Place as a Haudenosaunee Woman in Academia, Land Sovereignty and Healing Justice”, began with the Haudenosaunee thanksgiving address, an expression of gratitude for all that supports life – from the sun to the plants to the animals to the soils. Morningstar encouraged the audience to envision where we find peace in nature, and center ourselves on that image. She then guided us into recognizing the ways that our relationships with land have been damaged over the years, and how we can learn to heal those broken relationships. Morningstar’s life work has focused on this mission, and she approaches it from both a social and a biological perspective. In her many different roles, she says she is always grounded in service to community.

As an herbalist at Sky World Apothecary + Farm, Morningstar develops relationships with plants and uses their gifts to help people heal. As an academic, Morningstar works with Global Water Futures, bridging western and traditional ecological knowledge in water research projects. And as an activist, Morningstar works with the North East Farmer’s of Color Land Trust to help return land to people who have been denied it for generations - specifically black, indigenous, and people of color (BI-POC). She noted that in the United States, BI-POC farmers and stewards own less than 1% of farm land. Morningtar encouraged us to recognize how historical injustices are continued today, and that we must actively work to correct them.

Throughout her talk, Morningstar helped the audience diagnose the ecogrief we may be feeling about the state of the world today. As environmentally-minded citizens, many of us feel the heavy weight of climate change upon us and the loss of beloved ecosystems. In addition to ecogrief, she also described the psychological toll of ethnostress - losing one’s sense of place in the world. These harms weigh especially heavy on indigenous people who have been cut off from their land and culture due to colonization, boarding schools, and land theft. Morningstar’s work to heal these wounds has led her to working for both ecological restoration as well as restorative social justice. 

Morningstar’s lecture ended by asking us to envision once again our wild place of peace, centering us on a vision of a healthy future. Despite the many environmental and social wounds we carry today, she showed us that there are also many paths for healing. To learn more about her work, you can visit her personal website and blog (www.skyworldapothecary.com), her research at Global Water Futures (https://gwf.usask.ca/projects-facilities/indigenous-projects.php), and the work of the North East Farmers of Color Land Trust (https://nefoclandtrust.org/)

              For more information about the ESF Women’s Caucus, and upcoming speakers, please visit: https:/www.esf.edu/womenscaucus.

As part of the requirements for FOR797 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students share responsibility for reporting on presentations in the Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series. The preceding was prepared by By Lauren Tarr (Environmental Science, PhD).

WiSE Professionals resumes with Co-Creating Indigenous Futures, March 4, 4pm

Co-Creating Indigenous Futures: Finding My Place as a Haudenosaunee Woman in Academia, Land Sovereignty, and Healing Justice, March 4, 4pm, Gateway Event Center

Abstract: Stephanie Morningstar, Oneida (Turtle Clan), discusses the evolution of her work as a student, activist, earth-worker, herbalist, and Indigenous Knowledge Mobilizer within her community, the academy, and institutions to advance land, food, water, and non-human sovereignty as a step toward decolonization. We will explore the intersections and legacy of settler colonialism through stories of how intergenerational trauma, racialization, and systemic racism compound health disparities; and how land and access to land is directly implicated in the extractive economies and ideologies that have led to the current climate crisis. This brief glimpse into the life of one singular story in a greater constellation of climate activists, front-line land and water defenders, medicine makers, researchers, farmers, healers, and emergent strategists is intended to activate and share a multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary approach to building community-driven, meaningful, equitable solutions and adaptations to our current shared legacy of colonization and how we can collectively heal together toward a radically beautiful future.

Bio: Stephanie Morningstar (OnΛyota'a:ka – Oneida, Turtle clan, Haudenosaunee Confederacy) is an Herbalist, soil and seed steward, scholar, student, and Earth Worker dedicated to decolonizing and liberating minds, hearts, and land- one plant, person, ecosystem, and non-human being at a time. Stephanie grows medicines and food for front line activists and communities of color at Sky World Apothecary & Farm. She serves as a Leadership Council member for the New England Women’s Herbal Conference and the International Herb Symposium where she has collectively worked to decolonize learning spaces for her community. She is the Co-Coordinator of the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust where she works to liberate land and resituate Indigenous and Diasporic peoples’ roles, responsibilities, and covenants to the land as a direct response to land dispossession, health disparities, and the ongoing climate crisis. Stephanie is also an Indigenous Knowledge Mobilization Specialist for Global Water Futures, where she helps Indigenous-led projects to advance the understanding of traditional knowledge and western knowledge indicators by working together to research and aid in water governance, food security, sediment restoration, water security, climate change and human and ecosystem health in Indigenous communities. She is in love with a beautiful human named Noel, who she has shared her life with for over 10 years. They currently live on Dish With One Spoon Wampum Agreement territory, also known as Niagara, Ontario. 

This program is cross-listed with the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.

For more information about the Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series, contact Heather Engelman, engelman@esf.edu or 315-470-4752

"The Environmental Implications of Interstate 81: Past, Present and Future Plans for I-81"

ESF's Environmental & Social Justice Lecture Series continues Tuesday, Mar 3, at 11am in ESF's Gateway Center, with "The Environmental Implications of Interstate 81." 

Lanessa Chaplin, Project Counsel for the NY Civil Liberties Union will catch us up on "Past, Present and Future Plans for I-81" and facilitate the discussion.  

Lunch provided

Co-sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs, the President’s Office, the Undergraduate Student Association and the Department of Environmental Studies

Afrofuturism and the Environment

On April 12^th, Robyn Reed, Head of Access Services, Schaffer Library, Union College,  lead the community in a conversation about Afrofuturism and the Environment.   Reed shared a short film titled Pumzi. This award-winning film is a Kenyan science-fiction story written and directed by Wanuri Kahiu. The film is set to take place in the future, 30 years after World War III – the water war. Life on earth is now largely nonexistent. The story line follows Asha, who curates a museum in an East African territory with exhibits including long gone plant and animal life. Asha receives a package that suggests that the planet outside her strictly enclosed community might be viable.

Struck by the possibility, Asha leaves her community to plant a seed. Trading her own security for the survival of the seed, she travels across the landscape to search for viable land. The film ends in a scene of sacrifice and hope.

Following the film, Reed facilitated a discussion, prompting viewers for their impressions; some saw themes of hope, while others saw hopelessness. The crowd praised the poignancy of the film, which projected a future in which resource scarcity has driven communities to war and insecurity. This theme is perhaps especially relevant for much of the African content, which may disproportionately feel the effects of climate change and resource depletion. 

Afrofuturism is a genre of speculative fiction that, unlike many science fiction stories, projects a future where black culture is significant and central. Afrofuturism addresses the fact that mainstream fictional futurism has failed to include black culture and black bodies from narratives. Further, as a sociopolitical thought movement, Afrofuturism expresses that solutions to social and environmental crises cannot and will not come exclusively from white voices, asserting a space for black culture in ideas for future innovation. While some see Afrofuturism as hugely speculative, like all good science fiction, it is potentially deeply prescriptive as is drives viewers to consider the possible.

Throughout her presentation Robyn Reed provided suggestions of further movies, books, anthologies, and artists in Afrofuturist genre. These include but are not limited to the anthologies Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturim and Beyond and Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora; works from authors such as Octavia Butler, Nalo Hopkinson, Nnedi Okorafor, and Samuel Delaney; art work such as Farbice Monteiro’s The Profecy series; and perhaps most notably the Black Panther movie, which has been hugely successful in theaters. To add a personal reference, much of Janelle Monet’s work has brought Afrofuturism to the popular modern music world.

This event served as a fantastic introduction the Afrofuturism. Perhaps most notably, Robyn Reed’s presentation on Afrofuturism serves to remind the ESF community to actively include the perspectives of minority individuals in conversations about environmental stewardship and the future direction of our college.

Reed's research interests include studying the intersection of race and science fiction in film and television, Afrofuturism, and information literacy. As a librarian, Reed expressively aims to combat “fake news” by guiding library patrons to more reliable sources for their work.

This event was cosponsored by the Friends of Moon Library and ESF Women's Caucus.  For more information about the Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions speaker series, visit http://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/speakers.htm 

As part of the requirements of FOR797, Perspectives on Career and Gender, students share responsibility for reporting on the WiSE Professions speaker series.  The preceding was written by Claudia N Victoroff, Megan Gallagher and Maisie Baronian.

Antibiotic Resistance as an Environmental Contaminant

As part of the requirements of FOR /496797, Perspectives on Career and Gender, student share responsibility for reporting on the WiSE Professions Speaker Series.  The following was prepared by Stacy Furgal, a MS student in EFB.

              Dr. Amy Pruden, of Virginia Tech, presented her research relating to antibiotic resistance and opportunistic pathogens as environmental contaminants on Tuesday, April 26.  This lecture was part of SUNY ESF’s Women in Science and Environmental Professions Spring Seminar Series.

              The lecture focused on the problem of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) and opportunistic pathogens (OPs) found in our water (both municipal and well), and the potential problems this could cause from a public health perspective. The water infrastructure in our country is antiquated and aging, and poorly suited to address these new contaminant issues. Current regulatory monitoring requirements do not apply to ARGs and OPs, but rather were designed with ingestion exposure type pathogens, like Cholera, in mind. Now the primary sources of water associated outbreaks are like Legionnaires’ Disease, which is acquired via breathing in particles that contain the bacteria, not ingesting infected water.

With that in mind, her multidisciplinary team is working to blend engineering and biology to find solutions to this complex issue. Dr. Pruden explained, using some of her and her colleagues’ work in Flint, MI, an examples. As most people know, a crisis occurred in Flint when the source for city drinking water was switched from Lake Michigan to the Flint River. The water from the Flint River had a higher salinity content, which corroded the pipes and caused lead to leach out into the water. Less well known is that this also released iron that acted as fuel for Legionella bacteria to grow. Her team investigated the increased number of reported cases of Legionnaires’ Disease and was able to link it to the corroded pipes through genetic markers.

Her team was also involved in a project that compared the amount of ARGs and OPs in regular potable water versus water that had been treated and reused, or  “recycled.” The study found that recycled water had more microbial activity, and more abundance and diversity of ARGs. It was also clear that the water tested at the water treatment facility had a different “resistome” (collection of ARGs) than water coming out of a tap in a home receiving water from that facility.

Both of Dr. Pruden’s studies highlighted that there should be a shared responsibility between utilities (water treatment facilities) and homeowners. Water quality at the point of use, i.e. in homes, is of the greatest concern to public health. Using a holistic approach, we need new frameworks and updated mitigation strategies to handle the new and emerging issue of antibiotic resistant genes and opportunistic pathogens. This is best done by a multidisciplinary team, like Dr. Pruden’s, that brings biologists, engineers, chemists, utility managers, and more, together to tackle the problem.

Dr. Pruden received her B.S. in Biology and Ph.D. in Environmental Science from University of Cincinnati. She is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Associate Dean and Director of Interdisciplinary Graduate Education in the Graduate School at Virginia Tech, as well as a W. Thomas Rice Professor. She serves as the Director of Strategic Planning for the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Sciences Water Sustainability Thrust, is an Associate Editor for the journal Biodegradation, and serves on an advisory panel on Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in recycled water. Dr. Pruden has published more than 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts and book chapters on subjects pertaining to bioremediation, pathogens, and antibiotic resistance.

For more information about the Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series, please visit http://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/speakers.htm .

Rochester Roots: Excellence in Community Sustainability Education

Jan McDonald, executive director of Rochester ROOTS, Inc., located in Rochester, New York, presented a seminar on March 9, 2016 titled “Bringing Science to Life: A collaborative Approach to Sustainability Education in Grades PreK-6th grade where Students, Teachers, Citizens, College Students, PhDs, and Businesses Learn Together” as part of SUNY ESF’s Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Seminar Series. SUNY ESF Graduate Student Association, and the ESF Women’s Caucus jointly sponsored the seminar. Her inspiration for ROOTs now signature programs started with her childhood food allergies, and realization that when her diet improved, they bothered her less—while spending less at the farmer’s market

            ROOTS mission is “To empower citizens and communities, starting with youth, to create agency for their own sustainable wellbeing.” Ms. Donald presented the organization’s work which involves improving community health through and wellbeing through youth school programs and community gardens.  An example of this is local Montessori children working with RIT students to develop their imaginative ideas into tangible systems like classroom composters and robotic interfaces and gaming models.

            A central theme for ROOTS is creating diverse community gardens through learning environments, grassroots initiative, and the use of adaptable urban sustainable designs. Ms. McDonald discussed how to improve life enrichment and nutrition by developing gardens for low income communities by integrating sustainable agriculture, art, and healthy eating.

            By incorporating hands-on gardening experiences, students are able to learn the value of gardening and food preparation which empowers youth, family, and community. These community gardens - repurpose otherwise abandoned land which simultaneously approves aesthetics. In addition, the produce can be sold at market or used in product development, serving additional lessons in marketing and sales.

            For more information about this lecture and Rochester ROOTS visit www.rochesterroots.org. For more information about WiSE Professions Speaker Series, please visit www.esf.edu/womenscaucus. For upcoming lecture, please visit the College Calendar at www.esf.edu/calendar.
Students in FOR797 Env Career Strategies for Women share responsibilty for reporting on the WiSE Professions Speaker Series.  The preceding was prepared by Kelley Corbine, Nicolette Fruehan, Devin Hansen and Joel Ramtahal, all graduate students in the Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management.

Revitalizing Baltimore: A better city through environmental discovery

As part of the course requirements for FOR496/797, students share responsibility for reporting on the WiSE Professions Speaker Series.  The following was prepared by Olga Shevtsova

Jackie Carrera, president and CEO of Parks & People Foundation in Baltimore, concluded ESF’s 2013 Women in Scientific and Environmental (WiSE) Professions Series with Revitalizing Baltimore: A better city through environmental discovery on Tuesday, April 23. The seminar was jointly sponsored by the Graduate Student Association and the ESF Women's Caucus.

Parks & People began with the idea that there is one park, a city within a park, that is, rather than many parks within a city as the greenspace and corridors provide a network for a healthy community.  Ms Carrera discussed problems in the city of Baltimore, including significant property abandonment as a result of suburban sprawl, lack of opportunities for young people, stream erosion and non-point source pollution, uncoordinated approaches to natural resource management. These examples demonstrated the urgent necessity of the Urban Resources Initiative which works towards sustainability through applied ecosystem management principles. This working group learned that “Urban greening programs influenced the health of the city—they bring people together in a way they are not used to working together.  This increases their social capital, enabling them to take on bigger community issues like schools and crime.  They also have an economic benefit by increasing property values.” 

Carrera also focused on the power of partnership between governments at all levels, nonprofits, academia, businesses, and communities. Defining the most important steps of planning process through discussion of how to meet the goals and how they’ve changed is a key to achieve urban ecological restoration. The Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) has enhanced increased public support of scientific research. Parks & People Foundation affords opportunities for BES scientists to communicate their knowledge for practical application in community organizing and public policy. Initiating different workshops, annual meetings, trainings and science presentations all contributed to the project’s success.  It is imperative that on the ground management strategies use sound scientific approaches; and that science research is informed by practical needs. The process “is established, then fixed, then tweaked, in an iterative way” to assure that everyone at each level are at the same table.  

Watershed 263 is a classic example. "The city had an unfunded mandate to clean up pollutants flowing into the city.   This watershed featured lots of impervious surfaces, a lot of city owned land, and significant but dispersed open space. What, they wondered, would happen if they could reduce the asphalt?  The removal of back parking lot of Franklin Square Elementary School, coupled with other projects increased the area available for infiltration."

Good Science is the key, and a technology committee capable of communicating science with practitioners, is the tipping point.

About Jackie Carrera
Jackie Carrera has been instrumental in the development of a 15-mile urban greenway, community forestry and watershed restoration programs numerous youth sports and camp programs which continue to be integral to the revitalization efforts of some of that city’s most underserved communities. She also chaired Revitalizing Baltimore, a US Forest Service urban and community forestry project and is a co-principal investigator for the Baltimore EcosystemStudy, a National Science Foundation-funded, long term ecological research project.  Ms. Carrera represented the Chesapeake region in preparing for the Obama Administration’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative and the Urban Waters Initiative.  She served on a national task force initiated by the US Forest Service, Vibrant Cities and Urban Forests: A National Call for to Action. Ms. Carrera was voted one of the Daily Record’s Maryland’s Top 100 Women and 100 Most Influential Marylanders by The Maryland Daily Record and was named the 2008 University of Baltimore Distinguished Social Entrepreneur. Ms. Carrera is a graduate of the Greater Baltimore Committee Leadership Program and the Weinberg Fellows Program. She earned a BA, Business Administration degree in Finance from Loyola College in Maryland.

For more information about the WiSE Professions Series, please visit http://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/speakers.htm