EXPLORING CONSERVATION ISSUES
2020-2021 LECTURE SERIES
All lectures will take place on Zoom until further notice.
Bonus Lecture:
THE GEOLOGY OF THE RENSSELAER PLATEAU
with Bill Kelly
August 13 2020, 7pm
A reprise of the inaugural lecture of the RPA lecture series presented some five years ago. Geology determines the nature
of the Plateau. Bill will establish the overall structure of the Taconic Mountains. Once the geologic framework has been established, he will examine the Taconic Rocks of Rensselaer County and eastern Albany Counties,
with an emphasis on those that comprise the Rensselaer Plateau.
Bill Kelly is a retired New York State Geologist. He served as Managing Director of the New York State
Geological Association, President of the Hudson Mohawk Professional Geologists Association,
President of the New York State Council of Professional Geologists,
and Historian for the American State Geologists.
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EXPLORING CONSERVATION ISSUES
2020-2021 LECTURE SERIES
CLIMATE CHANGE: THE CLIMATE CRISIS
with Bonnie Cook
September 17 2020, 7pm
Bonnie Cook is a certified Climate Reality Leader and adjunct English professor at Hudson Valley Community College. She recently trained with Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore. She will be showing his latest slide show. As the planet warms, glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, and wildfires are worsening. Climate change is already causing stronger storms, bigger floods, and ironically, bigger droughts. Bonnie will talk about climate changes what we can and should do to combat the climate crisis.
FOREST REGENERATION
with Peter Smallidge
October 15 2020, 7pm
Peter Smallidge is the Director of Cornell University's Arnot Teaching and Research Forest. He will talk about the ecology of forest regeneration, identifying concerns and risks such as deer impact, invasive vegetation and unsustainable harvesting. He will describe management options for successful forest regeneration including fencing, brush piles and slash walls.
CONSERVING HABITATS AND WILDLIFE
ON THE RENSSELAER PLATEAU
with Ingrid Haeckel
November 19 2020, 7pm
Ingrid Haeckel is a Conservation and Land Use Specialist at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program through a partnership with Cornell University Department of Natural Resources. In this lecture she will introduce priority habitats and wildlife of conservation concern on the Rensselaer Plateau, maps and resources for learning more, and basic conservation strategies. She will talk about what we have, what’s most vulnerable, and what we can do about it.
TRAILS AND PUBLIC ACCESS TO WOODLANDS
with Brit Basinger
December 17 2020, 7pm
Brit Basinger is Director of Landscape Architecture at the Chazen Companies. His areas of expertise include waterfront design, parks and open space design, corporate facility master planning, streetscape design and urban design, among others. Brit has over 25 years experience in planning trails and open space amenities. His presentation will provide an overview on various ways to plan, fund and implement trails. He will give his perspectives on the importance of trails, planning, design and implementation, property ownership and collaboration, regulatory issues, understanding expectations and amenities required, and other challenges and opportunities.
WATER RESOURCES AND AIR QUALITY
ON THE RENSSELAER PLATEAU
with Fred and Barbara Nuffer
January 14 2021, 7pm
Fred and Barbara Nuffer are both retired from at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Fred was Assistant Director of the Division of Water Resources. Barbara worked at the Air Toxics Bureau in the Division of Air Resources. Fred will describe how the water resources in the county are impacted by the Rensselaer Plateau. Barbara will review air quality regulations, local sources of air pollution, and how they both impact air quality trends in Rensselaer County.
FLOODWATER MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
ON THE RENSSELAER PLATEAU
with Russell Urban-Mead
February 18 2021, 7pm
Russell Urban-Mead is a Senior Principal and Vice President for Environmental Services at The Chazen Companies. He will describe their work for RPA
to identify storm water management opportunities. He will also describe some of the recommended projects, and outline steps which communities can take now to protect themselves from future flood damage across Grafton, Poestenkill, Brunswick, and the City of Troy.
FOREST FRAGMENTATION, LANDSCAPE CHANGE,
AND ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE
with Rachel Riemann
March 18 2021, 7pm
Rachel Riemann is a Research Forester/Geographer with the US Forest Service. Rachel will take a close look at forest fragmentation, what it means for changes in the landscape, and how it affects the flora, fauna, and water quality. She will share where we get this information and how it is used.
CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE SOLUTIONS
with Ethan Winter
April 15 2021, 7pm
Ethan Winter is the Senior Community Engagement Manager at Cypress Creek Renewables with a focus on planning, development and government relations in support of community and transmission scale solar projects in New York and Massachusetts. He will discuss climate change, New York’s ambitious clean energy mandate, and community solar. He will also will discuss the latest science and trends in climate change, review the state’s clean energy and climate change policies, and explore the role of solar as well as land conservation as climate solutions.
LAND CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP
with Jim Bonesteel
May 20 2021, 7pm
Jim Bonesteel is the Executive Director of the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance. He will lead a panel discussion of land conservation principles, objectives,
and stewardship. Topics of discussion may include forests, farms, wetlands, community engagement, and a culture of welcome and inclusion. Other discussion topics include wildlife habitat and forest connectivity, source water protection, economic considerations, timber, recreation, monitoring, maintenance, and sustainability.
INVASIVE SPECIES
ON THE RENSSELAER PLATEAU
with Jennifer Dean
June 17 2021, 7pm
Jennifer Dean is the Invasive Species Biologist for the New York Natural Heritage Program. She provides biological expertise for the state invasive species database, iMapInvasives. She will talk about identifying the many non-native species established in the region and some things we can do to reduce the extent of invasive species and their effects.