CAZENOVIA — This spring, the Cazenovia community will commemorate the 51st anniversary of Earth Day (April 22) with Earth Week, held April 17-25 at various locations.
Organized by the United Climate Action Network (U-CAN), the celebration will involve over 20 community groups.
According to the U-CAN website, the weeklong event is about “coming together to celebrate the wonderful and beautiful place where we live, [educating] ourselves about what we have, and taking actions here in our homes, neighborhoods and community to do our part to save our planet.”
Participating organizations include Scout Troop 18, Cazenovia College, Cazenovia Forum, Cazenovia Garden Club, Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF), Cazenovia Public Library (CPL), Cazenovia Rotary Club, Cazenovia Tree Commission, Greater Cazenovia Area Chamber of Commerce, League of Women Voters, Madison County Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Madison County Department of Solid Waste, Project Café, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park (SQHAP), the towns of Cazenovia and Nelson, and the Village of Cazenovia.
“The library is very happy to be part of the Earth Week activities,” said CPL Director Betsy Kennedy. “It fits right in with our mission to strengthen our community by connecting people and encouraging lifelong learning. All the organizations working together create a cohesive and fun experience for the public.”
Earth Week organizer Geoffrey Navias said that, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is especially important for the community to come together to celebrate Earth Day this year.
“[It’s important for us] to look around and recognize what we value here in Cazenovia, to take the time together to acknowledge that our healthy environment is worth saving, and to figure out ways to save it,” Navias said. “This year, more than ever, all around Cazenovia more people have been out on the trails, in the parks, and exploring the woods. Big problems can sometimes help us become more aware of what we value.”
Navias also compared the pandemic to the climate crisis, stating that both are worldwide problems that require worldwide attention.
“The pandemic has impacted people everywhere,” he said. “Some places [have been affected] more than others, but we all need to solve it. The climate crisis is a slowly gathering world problem. Right now its effects are creating major crises (e.g., fires, floods, etc.) in some places more than others. But it will affect us all . . . New York State has passed some vital environmental and energy bills. They will require work, investment and change. We can go into the next few years dragging our feet and being forced into change, or we can energetically work to preserve the environment and be a leading example in [developing] creative solutions and creating related new job opportunities.”
This year’s Earth Week will focus on trees.
“We in Cazenovia are blessed with great trees, colorful trees, changing trees,” said Navias. “When I think about it, my house, my chair, my guitar, and my bed are all made from trees.”
According to Navias, trees are not only valuable for their beauty and importance in everyday life, they also have an important role to play in the fight against climate change.
“To combat climate change and reduce our carbon footprint, there are four different major strategies, which all must work together to accomplish that goal,” he said. “Mitigation is one of these strategies, and planting and growing trees acts to mitigate our production of carbon. We live in a beautiful area that is ideally suited for the growing of wonderful trees. It is a good thing to focus on the strengths we have and to celebrate and encourage the growing of trees as a symbolic, doable and real step in celebrating and protecting the earth. Beyond that, trees provide homes and food for so many other animals, and is there anything better on a hot sunny day than sitting in the shade of a beautiful tree?”
To view the full Earth Week schedule, and to register for events, visit unitedclimateaction.org.
Activities throughout the week
Library book display
CPL will curate a tree and environment focused book display for readers of all ages. Tree themed bookmarks will also be included in the display.
The 220 Trees Project at SQHAP
The 220 Trees Project is an experiential installation that merges art and nature to help viewers understand carbon sequestration and climate change.
During Earth Week, SQHAP will be expanding the area that was planted in 2020 and replacing any trees that were damaged during the winter.
The effort is sponsored by volunteers from U-CAN, the Cazenovia College Environmental Club, and other local groups.
Visitors are invited to view the installation in the lower field near the art park exit.
For more information on the project, visit sqhap.org.
Story Stroll: “A Tree is Nice”
Beginning April 19, CPL will have a “story stroll” along its sidewalk, starting at the back parking lot. The stroll will feature the picture book “A Tree is Nice,” by Janice May Udry.
Tree distribution in partnership with Neighborhood Forest
Families who pre-registered to receive trees can pick up their saplings at CPL beginning April 23.
Poetry contest
During the month of April, National Poetry Month, CPF, the Friends of the Cazenovia Public Library, and local poet Eric Evans will be accepting submissions of tree-themed poetry from community members.
All poems will be published on the CPF website, and selected poems will be displayed on interpretive signs along the CPF Gorge Trail as part of the “Poetry on the Gorge Trail” exhibit from May 15 through Aug.15.
Students are encouraged to participate. Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: grades K-4, grades 5-8, grades 9-12, and adults.
The poetry entry form is available at unitedclimateaction.org.
The deadline for submissions is April 22.
Cleanups
Throughout the week, the Cazenovia Garden Club and the Cazenovia Rotary Club will conduct cleanups of the Cazenovia Lake parking lot, the Carpenter’s Barn garden and land, and the pollinator garden.
Outdoor events
Annual Chittenango Creek Cleanup
The annual creek cleanup will be held on Saturday, April 17. The event will be start at 10 a.m. in the Buyea’s parking lot in Cazenovia and end at approximately 12 p.m.
Each year, the cleanup results in the removal of about two pick-up loads of trash from the creek and its banks.
Cazenovia College’s environmental and fishing clubs, the Alpha Lambda Delta First Year Honor Society, the Alpha Phi Omega National Community Service Fraternity, the Madison County Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Scout Troop 18, and CPF are sponsoring this year’s event.
Participants are asked to arrive wearing facemasks and to maintain appropriate social distancing. Small groups of volunteers will then be dispersed to conduct the cleanup work. Trash bags will be provided and gloves will be available to borrow. Volunteers should plan to wear older clothes and boots.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome, but adults must accompany minors.
Village Cleanup
Project Café will host a village cleanup on Sunday, April 18, starting at 1 p.m. in the parking lot in front of Common Grounds (35 Albany St).
Volunteers are asked to bring their own trash bags, gloves and masks.
Guided forest tour
Senior Forester Paul Romanenko of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will lead a guided walk/talk of the forest at SQHAP on Thursday, April 22, at 2 p.m.
Romanenko specializes in private land services and is currently creating a forest management plan for SQHAP.
Participants will learn about trees, forest stewardship, and DEC management plans.
Registration is required.
Arbor Day celebration
The Cazenovia Village Tree Commission will host its annual Arbor Day celebration in front of the Presbyterian Church on Saturday, April 24, at 9 a.m.
The event will feature the planting of a young evergreen, along with an Arbor Day proclamation.
Online events
Documentary virtual showing and discussion
CPL and CPF will present the Emmy award-winning documentary film “Chasing Ice” online from Friday, April 16 through Sunday, April 18.
Released in 2012, the film explores how photographer James Balog documented polar and glacial ice loss through the Extreme Ice Survey to raise awareness about climate change.
Viewers are then invited to participate in a follow-up presentation via Zoom with Dr. Amy Leventer on Sunday, April 18, at 7 p.m. Leventer — a Colgate University professor and micropaleontologist specializing in paleoclimatic reconstructions of the Antarctic — will discuss the current understanding of climate data trends, and the ways in which people can start planning to mitigate the effects of climate change. A question and answer session will follow.
Viewers must register to receive links to the film screening and the follow-up discussion.
Madison County Recycling 101
On Wednesday, April 21, Madison County Recycling Coordinator Kristin Welch will discuss a variety of recycling topics, including the types of plastics that are recyclable, special recycling programs for hard-to-recycle materials, and how to rethink waste in the community. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m.
Registration is required.
“Caring for Our Lakes” lecture
On April 22, at 7 p.m., Nelson Town Supervisor Jim Cunningham will discuss environmental projects designed to improve and protect water quality in the towns of Cazenovia and Nelson.
Cunningham serves on the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation Board of Directors. He will speak from his 45 years of experience working to implement local water quality projects, as well as from his water purification consulting experience.
Anne Saltman will moderate the event, which will conclude with a question and answer session.
Registration is required.
“Climate Change, Global Challenge, and Local Response”
The Cazenovia Forum will present a lecture on climate change on Friday, April 23, at 7 p.m.
Andy Pattison, assistant professor of environmental studies at Colgate University, will discuss sustainability and climate action planning, politics and policy, the role of science and technical information in the policy process, and issues of urban environment justice and social equality.
Registration is required.
