Consortium Circular
Spring/Summer 2015
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Consortium News
Regional News & Opportunities
Regional Events

 
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Our Mission


The mission of the Environmental Consortium of Colleges & Universities is to harness higher education's intellectual and physical resources to advance regional, ecosystem-based environmental research, teaching, and learning with a special emphasis on the greater Hudson-Mohawk River Watershed.

 

Pace University is the host institution of the Environmental Consortium of Colleges & Universities, with headquarters located at Pace Academy for Applied Environmental Studies.

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Consortium News


 

Nominations Due June 1 for Hudson-Mohawk Higher Education Award

 

 

 



20+ Institutions Represented at 10th Annual Student Summit






Regional News & Opportunities

 

 

2015 Hudson River Estuary Grants - Applications Due June 15  

   


Four Bard College Graduate Students Receive Prestigious EDF Climate Corps Fellowships 


  

Bard College Graduate Application Deadline Extended (Deadline June 15)


Call for Papers and Presentations: Iona College CFP for Sustainable Business Symposium (June 19-20)


Pace University Summer Courses for Students and Professionals (start May 26 and July 6)   


Clearwater Seeks Green Cities Coordinator


Seasonal Ranger Positions at Mohonk Preserve  
 

Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges & Universities

See list of events below.

Visit the Consortium's online regional event calendar for latest listings. 

news1Consortium News

 

Session Proposals Due June 15: Celebrating the Living Classroom: Research, Education and Collaboration in the Hudson-Mohawk Watersheds
The 12th Annual Conference of the Environmental Consortium will take place Friday and Saturday, November 6-7 at Vassar College, located at 124 Raymond Ave, Poughkeepsie, NY.

The conference planning committee is soliciting abstracts for short conference presentations that highlight how the Hudson and Mohawk rivers and their tributaries have been or can be incorporated in learning, teaching and research.

The conference will explore the Hudson and Mohawk River Basin as a vibrant venue for research and teaching. Conference highlights include workshops, faculty/student poster session, presentation of The Great Work Award, and field trips. This year's keynote will be delivered by Jean MacGregor, Senior Scholar and Director of the Curriculum for the Bioregion Initiative at The Evergreen State College.
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Nominations Due June 1 for Hudson-Mohawk Higher Education Award

The Great Work Award, in honor of Thomas Berry recognizes individuals in higher education whose work exemplifies Berry's admonition that colleges and universities should "reorient the human community toward a greater awareness that the human exists, survives, and becomes whole only within the single great community of the planet Earth." Furthermore, the Award aims to encourage teaching, scholarship, service, leadership and other educational activities that embody Berry's vision for the university to educate students about "how to move out of this alienation of the human into a more viable mode of presence to the natural world."

The award is named for and honors Thomas Berry, whose vision for the role of the university in a New Cosmology that celebrates the inherent interconnectedness of humans and nature, inspired the formation of the Environmental Consortium in 2004.

Nominees must demonstrate a dedication to teaching, scholarship, service, leadership or other educational activities that have resulted in significant achievement or impact while reflecting the essence of Thomas Berry's vision and philosophy. The nominee does not necessarily need to have directly referenced Thomas Berry, so long as his ethic is expressed
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Contribute Your Research to Regional Inventory

As a collaboration between the Environmental Consortium and Congressman Paul Tonko's Mighty Waters Initiative, the Consortium is working to create a working inventory of the environmental research that has occurred and is occurring in the Hudson and Mohawk River watersheds. A special thanks to Vassar College for assisting with the data gathering. Please fill out and circulate the form below with your colleagues. Link: https://docs.google.com/a/vassar.edu/forms/d/1g1VCXX95ljNozKAgI_zkVW4-8dXqA079rQNLElYD-dg/viewform.news4


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20+ Institutions Represented at 10th Annual Student Summit

On April 17, 2015 the Environmental Consortium's 10th Annual Student Summit, Reinventing Your Campus: Sustainability Starts With You, brought dozens of students from around the region to Pace University's NYC Campus with one goal: make the world more sustainable, starting right on campus. Student-driven discussions were lively and productive, as each registrant brought with them their unique experiences and ideas. Successful case studies on regionally sourcing food, hydration stations/banning bottled water, campus bikes, and effective communication were shared. Students represented more than 20 regional higher-education institutions.news5
 

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opportunity1Regional News & Opportunities

 

 

2015 Hudson River Estuary Grants - Applications Due June 15

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced the availability of the 2015 Hudson River Estuary Grants. Approximately $1.5 million is available for Tributary Restoration and Resiliency and Local Stewardship Planning from the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), the Natural Resources Damages Fund (NRD), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Program, State Wildlife Grant.
 

The Hudson River Estuary Grants Program implements priorities outlined in DEC's 2015-2020 Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda, a blueprint to achieve six key benefits: clean water; resilient communities; a vital estuarine ecosystem; conservation of fish, wildlife, and habitats; preservation of the river's natural scenery; and enhanced opportunities for education, river access, and inspiration. Read the Draft Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda 2015-2020. Grant descriptions and grant applications are available online at the New York State NYS Grants Gateway. Applicants must be registered in the Gateway in order to apply. Not-for-profit corporations also must 'prequalify'.

The two grant programs are:

  • Tributary Restoration and Resiliency: Approximately $750,000 is available, with a minimum of $10,500 award, and no maximum amount.  Project types include removing dams, mitigating undersized and habitat barriers at road/stream crossings and installing fish passage devices.  The tributary restoration grants are due June 15, 2015.  Nonprofits and municipalities are eligible.  A map of identified and prioritized barriers can be viewed at www.dec.ny.gov/lands/99489.html
  • Local Stewardship Planning: Approximately $800,000 is available in Hudson River Estuary Grants for Local Stewardship Planning.  Grants seek to assist Hudson Valley municipalities and organizations build capacity to implement the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda, focusing on clean water, resilient communities, vital estuary ecosystem, estuary fish, wildlife and habitats, natural scenery, and river access and education.  Minimum grant is $5,000, and maximum is $50,000. Applications due June 15, 2015. 

Descriptions of eligible projects are available on the Grants Program for the Hudson River Estuary webpage. To view the Tributary Restoration and Resiliency and Local Stewardship Planning RFAs, please visit the NYS Grants Gateway.opportunity2

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Four Bard College Graduate Students Receive Prestigious EDF Climate Corps Fellowships

Bard graduate students will be helping companies and colleges save money and slow down global warming this summer. The Environmental Defense Fund has selected two students from the MS programs in Environmental Policy and two MBA in Sustainability students as Climate Corps Fellows. They will be embedded in leading organizations nationwide, providing expert hands-on support to manage and reduce both energy bills and pollution.opportunity3

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Bard College Graduate Application Deadline Extended (Deadline June 15)  

Qualified candidates can now apply to Bard's CEP and MBA programs until June 15. The Bard Center for Environmental Policy (CEP) believes that to solve environmental challenges and achieve sustainability in our institutions and in society, government and business policies must be grounded in the best available science. The Bard Sustainability MBA in New York City focuses on the business case for sustainability. Bard trains students to see how firms can integrate economic, environmental, and social objectives, the integrated bottom line, to create successful businesses that build a more sustainable world.opportunity4

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Call for Papers and Presentations: Iona College CFP for Sustainable Business Symposium (June 19-20)

The annual Hagan Summer International Business Symposium (co-sponsored by UConn/CIBER, San Francisco State, and IBEC) will be held at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York on Friday and Saturday, June 19-20. This year's theme is "Sustainability in Business, Economics and Education." Papers and presentations related to those topics should be submitted by May 29, and presenters will be notified by June 5. A special session for student research papers has been added this year. Students who wish to submit must have received a course grade of A and the faculty member's recommendation to present their findings at the symposium. For additional information, or to submit a paper, poster, or other proposal, please contact the Symposium Program Chair, John Manley (Finance Department, Iona College).opportunity5

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Pace University Summer Courses for Students and Professionals (start May 26 and July 6) 
 
Pace University's Department of Environmental Studies and Science is running three summer courses. The opportunities are incredibly flexible: undergraduate credit, graduate credit, and non-credit options for professionals are all available. Two of the courses have a May 26 start: the Field Course on the Natural History of the Hudson Valley and the Nature Exposed photography course. The third course, Food Revolution: The Politics and Ecology of What We Eat, has as July 6 start. For more information, contact Department Chair Dr. Melanie DuPuis.opportunity6

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Clearwater Seeks Green Cities Coordinator

Clearwater's Green Cities Initiative (GCI) seeks to create sustainable Hudson Valley communities, with a focus on Hudson River cities including Kingston, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Beacon and Peekskill, through education, training, community organizing, and planning assistance related to watershed management, green infrastructure, and environmental and climate justice. It also includes elements of career development and preparation for inner city youth. The Green Cities Coordinator is responsible for performing program work, which currently has a focus on urban watershed protection initiatives and is grant-supported. Duties include coordinating community groups, performing stream assessments, developing green-infrastructure plans, mentoring youth, and organizing education and outreach programs and events. Clearwater is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For a full job description, click here. To apply, email a resume, cover letter to office@clearwater.org. opportunity7

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Seasonal Ranger Positions at Mohonk Preserve

The Mohonk Preserve, New York State's largest member & visitor supported nature preserve, is seeking qualified people who love the outdoors to fill multiple Seasonal Ranger positions. Positions available immediately. The successful candidate will patrol lands of the Mohonk Preserve, participate in emergency incidents such as Search And Rescue, vertical rescue and first aid, ensure public safety, resource protection, and quality of visitor's experiences. Seasonal rangers will participate in land stewardship projects: trail maintenance, invasive species removal, prescribed burns, boundary patrol, sign maintenance. The position is seasonal from April through October with hourly salary. More about the position, experience and education requirements, and where to send your resume at: www.mohonkpreserve.org/jobs-fellowships-and-internships.

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event1Regional Events   

 

 

MAY 21 - Beacon Institute: REON 2015 The Real World of Real-Time Data
7:00 pm
Beacon Institute, Center for Environmental Innovation and Education, 199 Dennings Avenue, Beacon, NY
Habitat restoration, contaminants, episodic weather insights, to name a few. Hear Beacon Institute's Chief Research Officer James S. Bonner, Ph.D., P.E. explain how REON generation II sensors are transforming environmental science with real-world applications of real-time data.


MAY 29 - Cary Institute: The Ecology of Lyme Disease
7:00 pm
Cary Institute Auditorium, 2801 Sharon Tpk., Millbrook, NY
Explore the ecology of Lyme disease with Dr. Richard Ostfeld, a disease ecologist at the Cary Institute. For more than twenty years, Ostfeld and his research team have been investigating how environmental conditions influence the spread of tick-borne illness. Learn why white-footed mice make bad neighbors and how predators, biodiversity, development, and climate change all play a role in setting the stage for Lyme disease risk. Free.


MAY 30 - Beacon Institute: History Walk with Karen Gell
10:00 am-11:30 am
Beacon Institute, Center for Environmental Innovation and Education, 199 Dennings Avenue, Beacon, NY
Based on historian Jim Heron's popular book, Denning's Point, A Hudson River History, this educational and enlightening walk will reveal a brilliant history which includes Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, on the very grounds where founding principals were created, Denning's Point.


JUN 6 - Cary Institute: Watershed Bird Walk
8:00 am
Cary Institute Auditorium, 2801 Sharon Tpk., Millbrook, NY
Join Dr. Kenneth Schmidt, an avian bird ecologist, for a walk in the Wappinger Creek watershed. Schmidt will provide insight into resident and migratory birds and the science of soundscapes. Dr. Schmidt is a visiting scientist at the Cary Institute and an avian behavioral ecologist from Texas Tech University. For several seasons, he has led a research team investigating how songbirds use environmental cues to avoid predators, select habitats, and make breeding decisions. Free.


JUN 18 - Beacon Institute: Planning ahead in the Anthropocene: Habitat restoration in the age of climate change
7:00 pm-8:30 pm
Beacon Institute, Center for Environmental Innovation and Education, 199 Dennings Avenue, Beacon, NY
From seed banks to riverbanks, Vassar College anthropology professor Dr. April Beisaw, Audubon's Constitution Marsh Director Eric Lind and Cary Institute Freshwater Ecologist Dr. David Strayer discuss the quandary of habitat restoration in the age of climate change. Moderated by Hudson River environmentalist John Cronin.


JUN 19-20 - Iona: Sustainability in Business, Economics and Education
Iona College, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801
The annual Hagan Summer International Business Symposium (co-sponsored by UConn/CIBER, San Francisco State, and IBEC) will be held at Iona College in New Rochelle. See call for papers and presentations in Regional News above.


JUN 26 - Cary Institute: Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City
7:00 pm
Cary Institute auditorium, 2801 Sharon Tpk., Millbrook, NY
Wildlife Conservation Society ecologist Dr. Eric Sanderson will reveal the ecology of Manhattan when Henry Hudson sailed into New York Bay in 1609. Discover changes of the last 400 years and visions for the future. Free.


JUN 27 - Beacon Institute: Walking Workshop on Photography with Joseph Squillante
10:00 am-12:00 pm
Beacon Institute, Center for Environmental Innovation and Education, 199 Dennings Avenue, Beacon, NY
Join Mr. Squillante for a photography Walkshop on Denning's Point and the Hudson Valley! Joseph Squillante has been photographing the Hudson River for more than 35 years. He has traveled the length of the river, from its source at Lake Tear of the Clouds on Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks to its mouth at New York Harbor.


JUL 11 - Beacon Institute: Forestry Walk with Ethan Pierce
10:00 am-11:30 am
Beacon Institute, Center for Environmental Innovation and Education, 199 Dennings Avenue, Beacon, NY
Every forest is waiting to be discovered. Crumbling stone walls, ancient stumps and rusted barbed wire are all clues to a forest's past. Join forester Ethan Pierce for a morning of surveying at Denning's Point.


SAVE THE DATE:

OCT 7-9 - AMNH: Student Conference on Conservation Science - New York
American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
The American Museum of Natural History's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation and its partners invite graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and early-career professionals to take part in the fourth annual Student Conference on Conservation Science New York (SCCS-NY). Interactions with established conservationists will encourage collaborations, inspire further research, and launch lasting associations.


NOV 6-7 - Environmental Consortium 12th Annual Conference
Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
"Celebrating the Living Classroom: Research, Education and Collaboration in the Hudson-Mohawk Watersheds" - see call for proposals in Consortium News above.

 


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