February 12, 2013 Save the Rain is looking for a few good roofs! Ever wonder about all the green roofs going on buildings throughout Syracuse? Or whether a green roof might be possible on your property? Then consider having your house, shed, porch or garage be the focus of a design workshop for an interdisciplinary team of landscape architects, building architects, and engineers. Interested Onondaga County homeowners should fill out and return the preliminary application by March 1, 2013. In it you will find questions ranging from why you want a green roof to those concerning the physical features of your roof and property. Up to six sites will be selected for a more detailed feasibility analysis including a site visit and three of the six will be selected to be included in the design workshop. Selected homes will receive a set of conceptual designs that can be used as a starting point for creating an interesting, functional green roof.
Please contact Amy Samuels of Onondaga Environmental Institute with any questions; 443-1757 or asamuels[at]oei2.org. This project is sponsored by the Onondaga County Save the Rain program and the Green Roof Working Group.
February 2, 2013 OEI, Onondaga Earth Corps (OEC) and the Partnership for Onondaga Creek had a blast on February 2 with the new group of youth that comprise the Young Eco-cuse Explorer program (YECE). YECE is a program for youth 11-14 in the City of Syracuse that focuses on environmental justice issues. It is run by the Partnership for Onondaga Creek with assistance from OEI and OEC. The focus this year is on food security and food access. Youth meet for hands-on programs once a month throughout the year and attend a DEC sleep-away camp for one week during the summer. At the first session we all got to know each other through games and cooking a healthy breakfast. The organizers were pleased that we had so many vegetable eaters in the group and that many folks said they wanted to try cooking the breakfast burritos at home. Future sessions will provide the youth with the opportunity to think about where their food comes from, plant and tend a vegetable garden and create a meal for their families from the bounty of the garden.
September 19, 2012 Watershed Community Connections Final Report now available. The public meeting held on June 18, 2012 was a great chance for community members to come out and discuss their vision for the future of the Onondaga Lake Watershed. A special thanks to all of the organizations involved in the planning and execution of the public meeting and the participants who came out to show their support for a bright future in the Onondaga Lake Watershed.
March 13, 2012 The Our Water, Our Lives program piloted its first three lessons at Nottingham High School with the help of panelists from Partnership For Onondaga Creek, Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation, and Citizens Campaign for the Environment. Students learned about the way watersheds and communities are connected, focused on good communication skills, and listened to the stories of top advocates from the Syracuse area. Nottingham students will be attending Orenda Springs Experiential Learning Center at the end of the month as a part of the Our Water, Our Lives program. Stay tuned for more updates this spring!
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November 17, 2011 Amy Samuels and Meredith Perreault moderated conference sessions at the Growing Green Infrastructure in New York Symposium, hosted by the Environmental Finance Center at Syracuse University (EFC) and SUNY ESF. Amy moderated the “Green Roofs” session, and Meredith moderated the “Strategically Advancing Green Infrastructure” panel discussion. OEI staff were pleased to be a part of the symposium and continue our productive collaboration to grow green infrastructure in Central New
January 21, 2011 Tyler Andre, along side of several other community members, will be presenting the latest "Citizen's Strategic Action Plan" for walking, hiking, cycling, and wheeling CNY paths and trails, on behalf of CNY Pathways, at this Friday's F.O.C.U.S Core Group meeting. CNY Pathways, includes members from city and county government agencies, citizen's cycling groups, disability advocacy groups, advocates for healthy living, and other interested organizations and citizens. OEI has been a contributing member to CNY Pathways since the early days and is excited to see the work presented to the public.
December 3, 2010 Amy Samuels speaks at SUNY-ESF Green Train Landscaping & Urban Ecology (GLUE) workforce training program graduation. In late August Amy agreed to be one of the instructors for the 10-week program. Green Train is designed to support the emergence of green infrastructure throughout Syracuse and Central New York. Specifically, the Green Train program seeks to directly prepare a cohort of Syracuse citizens with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for employment in the emerging field of green infrastructure. Key partners include; SUNY-ESF, OEI and Northside UP
Amy was responsible for instructing 9 4-hour classes, for which, she developed the work plan. She also helped design and install rain gardens as part of the hands-on learning experience of Green Train (pictures and sound clip below).
Amy speaking to graduates of Green Train Program (clip 30 secs)
November 5, 2010 USEPA is requesting comments on their scoping document entitled: "Alleviate Sedimentation to Onondaga Creek From Mudboil Activity, Tully Valley, Onondaga County, New York" by November 30, 2010. You can download the scoping document here. EPA will hold a public meeting (flyer) at 6:30pm, on Friday, November 5, 2010 in the Grimshaw Elementary School cafeteria, 5957 Route 20 West, LaFayette, NY (map), to discuss alternatives to alleviate sedimentation from mudboil activity. OEI encourages the public to attend this meeting. More information.
