Kids Day 2020--virtually-all year!

While we wait on opportunities to bring our selves (and our Kids) safely back to campus, we invite the community to bring ESF principles into their homes with activities created by ESF's #WORKPLACESUPERSTARS--students, employees, alumni, and our collaborators near and far.   Please visit https://www.facebook.com/ESFKidsDay

While we miss seeing your shining faces in person this April 23, we are pleased to have a forum to share opportunities that come up between these one-day annual events.

Meet Sue Fassler, Sustainable Facilities Manager

Sue Fassler, the Sustainable Facilities Manager at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, discussed her experiences in the sustainability field on Thursday, April 16, 2020 in a webinar coordinated by ESF Open Academy. 

Ms. Fassler’s first job in the field of sustainability took her down to Hallandale Beach in south Florida, where she became the Green Initiatives Coordinator for the city. She was the first sustainability coordinator ever hired by the city. Her role was to create sustainability policies for the city, essentially from scratch, culminating in the creation of the Hallandale Beach Sustainability Action Plan. Ms. Fassler mentions several strategies that became key takeaways from her time spent in southern Florida.

She talked about taking the tedious and hard work for herself in order to give more enjoyable and engaging tasks to the rest of the team. She mentioned allowing the team members the freedom to create their own sustainability projects which in turn gave them a sense of project ownership. She also encouraged the inclusion of skeptics on the team and talked about how those who were, at first, most skeptical often became the loudest advocates. Each of these strategies were successfully implemented to increase engagement with and passion for the projects by every member of the team. 

Ms. Fassler went on to discuss her work in Onondaga county as the Save the Rain Project Coordinator. The goal of this project was to reduce combined sewer overflow during large rain events through the use of green infrastructure, such as gardens and plantings. With this example, Ms. Fassler discussed the importance of simplifying sustainability data into visual and compelling stories in order to draw more people in and make sustainability concepts and results more accessible to the general public. Telling stories and giving examples of success stories also makes the project goals feel more achievable. 

After working with the Save the Rain Project, Ms.Fassler applied to become the Sustainable Facilities Manager at SUNY-ESF. When she first saw the job posting for her current position at SUNY-ESF she didn’t think she was ready for the job. Ms. Fassler pushed past her initial hesitation to put together the application, regardless of whether she would actually apply or not, and found, in doing so, that she was in fact highly qualified for the position and the more she thought about it the more she wanted the job.  Throughout the webinar, but especially when discussing her job at ESF, Ms. Fassler encouraged us to challenge our perceived limits. She encouraged us to approach all aspects of a position with equal enthusiasm, even aspects which might not align with our strengths or passions. By pushing ourselves past our perceived strengths, we allow ourselves to grow and succeed -- not only in a singular position but in our careers as a whole. 

Sue Fassler received her B.S. in Environmental Studies from SUNY-ESF. She went on to complete a dual degree masters program where she received an M.S. in Environmental Science from SUNY-ESF and an M.S. in Public Administration from Syracuse University. She is currently the Sustainable Facilities Manager at SUNY-ESF, where she is working to improve campus wide recycling and composting efforts among other projects.  

While currently postponed, keep an eye out for a presentation by Sharon F. Owens, Deputy Major for the City of Syracuse, on local lead paint remediation, and speakers in the Women in Scientific and Environmental Professions Speaker Series.

As part of the requirements in FOR797 Perspectives on Career and Gender, students share the responsibility of reporting on speakers that visit ESF.  The preceding was prepared by Megan Hazlett, a MS student studying Fish and Wildlife Biology and Management in the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, and Arianna Wills, a MS student studying Ecology and Ecosystems, in the Department of Sustainable Management.

Coffee Break: Virtual Edition

During the standard business week, it gets so busy that we have skipped lunch, opted not to refill water bottle to save that time (and that of the inevitable restroom break)—and we are running out of steam carrying more than our fair shares of mental load and taking care of everyone around us.  The new need for "social distancing" and remote learning for our students and for some of us, for our children, may actually increase the need for contact this semester.  So, put on the brakes, recharge batteries a bit, reconnect, bounce ideas off of one another, and offer and receive advice about handling work and life pressures--from wherever you happen to be.

Unfortunately, with this format, we must ask you to provide your own coffee/tea and snacks, but we can still offer an ear and a (virtual) shoulder.  We have got this, and we have each other's backs!  

We are keeping the same schedule, [Mostly] Third Thursdays (3/26 and 4/16) 3:30-4:30 and First Fridays (4/3, 5/1), 11:40-12:35, but rather than walking across campus:  meet.google.com/sru-kxfo-qt or dial: +1 518-600-1124  PIN: 751998318#

FamilyResources now live!

Childcare and eldercare issues are universal concerns, unbounded by title, gender, sexuality or marital status.   So, after discussion with some others about how better to share resources with employees and students, inclusive of all family structures, and facilitate direct communication among interested parties, we launched:  FamilyResources!  Intended for any parent (or other person caring for, or supporting in any way, any family member, friend, or colleague--past, present, or future) to share resources, family friendly events on or off campus (including online!), and to request or offer advice.

To subscribe, email: listserv@listserv.syr.edu and leave the subject line blank, and message of:  SUBSCRIBE familyresources FirstName LastName

Please note:  this was hatched before the community was plunged into "social distancing" and indefinite landscape-level virtual work and study.  These factors actually increase the need for strong support, so please subscribe and stay connected.

Also, the Women's Caucus is seeking partners interested in co-owning this group.  To discuss, please Heather Engelman, engelman@esf.edu.

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

Information on menstrual products in more ESF restrooms

Shared via "CampusNews"

Dear ESF Campus Community,

Over winter break, the Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Committee worked with the Facilities Department to provide free menstrual products in every restroom on campus. These products have previously been available in women’s restrooms, but have now been placed in men’s and all-gender restrooms as well. A list of locations of women’s, all-gender, single-occupant, and accessible restrooms is available from the ESF Women’s Caucus: https://www.esf.edu/womenscaucus/documents/bathrooms.pdf.

The reasoning behind placing menstrual products in all restrooms is simple: there are people on our campus who find themselves in need of these products, and they should have easy access to them. The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) states that all restrooms may be used by any person regardless of gender identity or expression. Women are not the only people who menstruate, and people of all genders should be able to access menstrual health products in any restroom they enter.  The products are in small bins with lids, and can be easily avoided by those who are not in need of them.

One question that has been posed to the Committee is whether these products should be limited to the all-gender restrooms on campus. All-gender restrooms are very limited on campus; some buildings don’t have any, or lack quickly navigable paths to those in other buildings.  Timing access to these products when needed for ¼ of each month can be a challenge.  If any period is extra heavy, or a person also has a mobility challenge or an extra time constrained schedule, the difficulty to reach an all-gender restroom would be far greater. Many folks who menstruate have preferred products and will only be using what’s in the baskets when they don’t have time or funds to get what works best for them. Lacking access to these products can negatively impact access to education and to work.

The IDE Committee is proud to be part of this initiative to promote equitable access to necessary health products for our entire campus community.

For more information on this and other inclusion, diversity, and equity initiatives, please visit www.esf.edu/ide. Additional information and resources regarding GENDA can be found via the New York Transgender Advocacy Group website at https://www.nytag.org/genda. Any questions, concerns, or ideas can be addressed to [revised contact: Heather Engelman, engelman@esf.edu]. 

Best,

Jules Findlay (they/them)

Coordinator of Education Abroad

Office of International Education

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

9 Old Greenhouse · 1 Forestry Drive · Syracuse, NY 13210

https://www.esf.edu/studyabroad/

Choose action!

Ever witnessed situations or heard statements that sent up hackles, but weren’t sure what to do or say to intervene or how to get help? The Choose Action Network will be conducting the next Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Training for students over a 6 part workshop beginning NEXT THURSDAY (1/23/2020 during College Hour)! MVP is a renowned “gender violence, sexual harassment and bullying prevention program…[that teaches bystanders how] to challenge … social, cultural and institutional norms that support abusive behavior.”  Participants will have opportunities to practice responses AND gain a cohort of like-minded folks who share their concerns for a safer community.

We strongly encourage students to attend all the sessions.

This session is for students--please contact chooseaction@esf.edu to sign up!  For more information, contact Jennifer Keating at Jkeating@esf.edu.  Faculty and staff—let students know they have your support to participate, and stay tuned for announcement for a separate workshop just for you! 

Coffee Break rescheduled 12/9, 11am, 408 Baker

Coffee Break, Monday, 12/9, 11am-12:15 or so in 408 Baker, rescheduled in conjunction with Ladies Against Social Stigmas over an extended Diversity 24|7|365!   

Break?!

You might be thinking “I (or my students) don’t have time to lounge during finals week! ”  Of course not!  But short breaks help individuals regroup and gain fresh perspectives, and diversity of thought is beneficial for problem solving.  Networking and group mentoring are recommended to remove power differentials, and makes for some rich discussions.    And don’t forget about the research  that stress responses in women are moderated by social supports (tend and befriend vs fight or flight).  Or that while sexual coercion and unwanted sexual attention may have waned, gender harassment is pervasive (and campuses that let that fly tend to have higher rates of those more egregious issues).  And with racial and religious bias coming out in the local community in recent weeks, a supportive environment is more important than ever.  Not to mention that exam period is just plain stressful; everyone benefits when others root for their success!

So take a break with us; it’s good for you (and business, too).

About the partners:

LASS is an affinity group for underrepresented women students, which along with the forerunner of the Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) began in 2015, following the successful launch of the Kings Court Mentoring Program. Diversity@ESF 24|7|365 is a weekly or biweekly forum open to faculty, staff and students for concurrent student support and allyship development through facilitated discussions within a “brave space.” It developed in consultation with campus entities following the departure of a staff-level Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives. Intended as a “stopgap” until that office re-filled, with support of Baobab Society, CSTEP, Student Affairs, ESF Women’s Caucus, EOP, Graduate Student Association, International Education Office, King’s Court Mentoring Program, Ladies Against Social Stigma (LASS), Office of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, Professionals of Color, Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) and the Undergraduate Student Association (USA). ESF Women’s Caucus may be the first of ESF’s affinity groups, providing support across departments and titles since 1994. It followed on the heels of the the campus' internal and 3rd party assessments of the climate for women students, soon after the successful launch of the Baobab Society.  This student club was founded by students (ca 1991) under the advisement of Admissions Counselor Mrs. Eva Williams, about the same time that the college began actively recruiting domestic students of color, “to ensure the multicultural outreach and enlightenment of the college and Syracuse communities. [It] host several events throughout the academic year to celebrate the many different cultures represented at the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry.”