Ardent Vox

06/09/2022

UTICA — The Charlestown Mall site — the sprawling Turner Street complex that once housed a gun-making factory, a computer plant and most notably an outlet mall in the late 1970s and early 1980s — is officially coming down.

04/11/2022

Rebooting in 3...2

12/27/2021

Today, clean water advocates applauded Gov. Hochul for signing A.126-A/S.1759-A into law, which will inform New Yorkers about what’s in their water.

09/20/2021

Windy Fire burning through the Trail of 100 Giants, a Sequoia tree forest.

09/02/2021

A continuous failure.

08/22/2021

Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam.

08/11/2021

It is official the hottest ever recorded temperature in Europe was today. We are on fire.

08/10/2021

An elderly woman reacts as the wildfire is reaching her house in the village of Gouves on Evia island, Greece, Aug 8, 2021.

What are you prepared to do to act on climate change?

08/09/2021

07/29/2021

Water levels in the southern portion of Utah's Great Salt Lake have dropped to the their lowest levels ever recorded, and experts say conditions will worsen.

07/17/2021

The program will charge large packaging producers for collecting and recycling cardboard boxes, plastic containers and other packaging.

07/15/2021

As hundreds of songbirds have gone blind and died in several U.S. states, experts race to find out why, and wildlife rehabbers try to give avian patients a dignified death.

07/04/2021

While 4th of July festivities, fireworks, and flags of red, white and blue fill the American consciousness this holiday weekend, my thoughts settle on a more somber note.

My mind is swimming with the stories which have dominated the news cycle and have left a heaviness in my heart — the gruesome discovery of mass graves of Indigenous children in Canada and the deadly heat wave that gripped the Pacific Northwest. Two seemingly different topics that are connected, two devastating events that share common roots of greed, ignorance, and exploitation. One ecocide, one genocide. The land is burning as a result of the climate crisis, and we are literally unearthing man’s capacity for unspeakable harm.

The land is speaking, but are we listening? Can we hear over fireworks and other brazen displays of consumerism and consumption as we fill our tanks and toss disposable picnic cutlery. When will we acknowledge we traded one overlord for another, the monarchy for an oligarchy? Do we celebrate the birth of a nation conceived through assault? Acts of violence and aggression against Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color (BIPOC) are the same dark forces that ravage our land and seas. And it is the BIPOC communities which are disproportionately affected by the atrocities we inflict on the environment.

U.S Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland recently announced that the government will search the grounds of former U.S. Indigenous boarding schools for the remains of children. It’s believed that the number of children who died in American boarding schools will far exceed those found in Canada.

Scientists no longer question if climate change caused a specific heat event, instead now it’s by how much.

Excuse me if I feel less than moved by July 4th revelry. Our land is speaking, and during the loudest of American holidays, I’m just trying to listen.

06/25/2021

One of the top lobbyists pushing the bill expressed hope that the effort will expand into the K-12 system over time.

06/19/2021

The COVID-19 pandemic that kept state lawmakers at home for much of the year may be...

06/18/2021

Global warming has been fueling disasters in the region for years. Now, an early heat wave and severe drought are threatening lives and leaving water in perilously short supply.

06/07/2021

A proposal to construct barriers for storm surge protection has forced South Floridians to reckon with the many environmental challenges they face.

06/06/2021

"In its current undivided and undeveloped state, it provides many benefits, including absorbing greenhouse gases, while cooling and purifying the local waters. Dividing this intact forest into smaller pieces would alter the landscape in many ways. It would require the construction of a new road network, outdoor lighting and other development that would erect barriers to wildlife movement and prevent some wilderness species from living there any longer.”

Loss of tax benefits has changed owner John Hendrickson's plans for the 36,000-acre Whitney Property in Long Lake.

06/05/2021

AV has been on a bit of a hiatus, but we’ll be back. Writers have to write!

05/28/2021

05/18/2021

Join us tomorrow, May 18th, at 10am for a special LIVE announcement from DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos and a primer on how to practice Leave No Trace (LNT) when visiting State Lands with DEC staffer and LNT Master Educator Eileen Mowrey.

05/14/2021

Our Adirondack Backcountry Information pages have been updated: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7865.html.

The Adirondacks are still under a muddy trails advisory. Hikers are encouraged to postpone high elevation hikes until trails have dried and hardened. Snow and ice continue to melt at high elevations. Thin soils are susceptible to erosion and sensitive alpine vegetation can be easily damaged. Until conditions improve, explore lower elevation trails close to home and enjoy other forms of recreation. Visit the DEC website for a list of alternate Adirondack day hikes: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/116823.html.

05/12/2021

Between the months of May and June, be on the lookout for turtles crossing the road and remember to "give turtles a brake." In New York, thousands of turtles are killed each year when struck by vehicles while migrating to nesting areas. Increasing public awareness of turtles' nesting behavior can help save this important species. https://on.ny.gov/3hkMUfY

Wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta), like the one pictured here, have complex habitat needs. They use both aquatic habitats, especially streams, and adjacent upland habitats including fields. Land use changes that fragment or destroy their habitat can threaten wood turtles, especially when they need to move across roads to access their habitat. They are listed as a Special Concern species in New York State. Like many other semiaquatic turtles in NY, they often move longer distances for breeding in spring and summer, when they are especially vulnerable to vehicles.

Photo by Laura Heady

05/12/2021

Check out this cool initiative from 350.org.

Can you chip in to grow the climate movement?

05/11/2021

There have long been calls for international laws to make environmental destruction, or ecocide, a crime. Now that movement may have a chance, writes Graham Lawton

05/09/2021

Happy Mother's Day to mothers of all kinds—including our collective Mother Earth.

05/05/2021

From the world's leading forest ecologist who forever changed how people view trees and their connections to one another and to other living things in the forest--a moving, deeply personal journey of discovery.

Suzanne Simard is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; she's been compared to Rachel Carson, hailed as a scientist who conveys complex, technical ideas in a way that is dazzling and profound. Her work has influenced filmmakers (the Tree of Souls of James Cameron's Avatar) and her TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide.

Now, in her first book, Simard brings us into her world, the intimate world of the trees, in which she brilliantly illuminates the fascinating and vital truths--that trees are not simply the source of timber or pulp, but are a complex, interdependent circle of life; that forests are social, cooperative creatures connected through underground networks by which trees communicate their vitality and vulnerabilities with communal lives not that different from our own.

Simard writes--in inspiring, illuminating, and accessible ways--how trees, living side by side for hundreds of years, have evolved, how they perceive one another, learn and adapt their behaviors, recognize neighbors, and remember the past; how they have agency about the future; elicit warnings and mount defenses, compete and cooperate with one another with sophistication, characteristics ascribed to human intelligence, traits that are the essence of civil societies--and at the center of it all, the Mother Trees: the mysterious, powerful forces that connect and sustain the others that surround them.

Simard writes of her own life, born and raised into a logging world in the rainforests of British Columbia, of her days as a child spent cataloging the trees from the forest and how she came to love and respect them--embarking on a journey of discovery, and struggle. And as she writes of her scientific quest, she writes of her own journey--of love and loss, of observation and change, of risk and reward, making us understand how deeply human scientific inquiry exists beyond data and technology, that it is about understanding who we are and our place in the world, and, in writing of her own life, we come to see the true connectedness of the Mother Tree that nurtures the forest in the profound ways that families and human societies do, and how these inseparable bonds enable all our survival.

05/05/2021

“(The batteries) contain hazardous materials, and have an inconvenient tendency to explode if disassembled incorrectly.”

04/29/2021

Find a Women for the Land Learning Circle in your area.

04/29/2021

Did you know that this Saturday - May 1st - is our annual Party for the Planet? It is a day where we here at the zoo celebrate our world by encouraging and promoting healthy habitats and conservation efforts!

This year, there are a variety of fun things going on here at the zoo. The first 150 groups that visit will receive a special reusable drinking straw package. Around the zoo, there will be various education stations set up to teach everyone about animals, environments, and methods of conservation. And - throughout the day - our animals will receive specialized, conservation themed enrichment items to encourage their naturalistic behaviors in fun, healthy, and educational ways. So come on over to the zoo between 10am and 4:30pm THIS Saturday - May 1st - to join in on the fun at the Party for the Planet!

In the lead up to this conservation celebration, we also wanted to talk to you all about one of the ways that the Utica Zoo helps to protect the planet, its environments, and its species: the AZA's SAFE Program (Saving Animals from Extinction). This program seeks to educate people on threatened and endangered animal species around the world to protect, conserve, and restore them.

One of the branches of SAFE that the Utica Zoo specifically participates in - and YOU can help with - is Songbird SAFE. Songbird populations are threatened by a wide variety of factors including outdoor cats, man-made objects obstructing their flight paths, illegal pet trades, pollution, and habitat loss. If you want to learn all about Songbird SAFE, ways that you can help the birds that live around you, and the various birds who call the Utica Zoo home, follow this link: http://uticazoo.org/birds-of-the-utica-zoo/.

We hope you can all join us THIS Saturday to learn even more about conservation and join us in celebrating this year's .

04/27/2021

We are excited to announce a closing reception for the Pandemic Art Show at the Cinema Capitol Gallery! Exhibiting artists, their families and the general public are invited to attend.

We are thrilled to have Character Coffee’s pop-up cart serving drinks and Jesse Trepiak of Shed Wise Music playing live music.

This show exhibits artwork from over 60 local artists and celebrates the pieces they've made during this historic event.

Capacity in the gallery will be limited. Seating will be available outside the gallery and in the tunnel. Please remember to social distance and wear a mask.

Mark your calendars for Friday, April 30th from 5-7 pm! It will be a great time!

Event link: 'Pandemic Art Show' Closing Reception

*Participating artists can pick up their artwork at the end of the reception or on Saturday, May 1st from 12-2 pm*

04/22/2021

At AV, we think every day should be Earth Day.

04/21/2021

The Gravitricity system acts like a giant battery to balance the electricity coming from renewables.

04/20/2021

As April wraps up, local author Meaghan Curley reviews one of her favorite poets for National Poetry Month.

Local author Meaghan Curley reviews her favorite poet in recognition of National Poetry Month.

04/17/2021

A lawyer for a teenager said he overheard racist comments directed at his client during a hearing in New York Family Court. The incident came months after a judge warned about racism in the courts.

04/15/2021

The Muldrow Glacier, on the north side of Denali, is undergoing a rare surge.

04/11/2021

Loggers say blockades threaten their livelihoods as activists build fortifications and vow to remain

04/05/2021

A lose-lose proposition.

Florida environmental officials last week approved the pumping of wastewater from a reservoir into Tampa Bay in hopes of avoiding a major collapse.

04/03/2021

Brought to you by the Lorax!

03/25/2021

Utica is building a Storywalk in Proctor Park for May! The Storywalk will feature children's storybooks on one side and adult reading level short stories and poems on the other side. We're looking for some emerging writers in our area to submit a short story or poem to be featured on the adult side. These stories should be no more than 15-20 pages so that we can feature multiple authors at the same time. While these stories will be on a different side than the children's storybooks, please keep in mind that children & families may read them, so please keep it PG-13 for consideration. We will be reviewing all submissions and will contact you if your story/poem has been chosen. This is a great opportunity for a new or emerging writer to get their work published in a fun and new way!

Please contact Gabrielle at 315-735-2279 ext 201 or by email [email protected] with any questions (email is preferred). Submissions for the first storywalk must be submitted by April 18th to be considered for our May launch date. Please include your name, the name you would like published on the storywalk, phone number, email address, and any (optional) social media handles you would like included where people can find more of your work. By submitting your work, you give us permission to take pictures of the storywalk and post to our website and social media platforms with credit. We can give you the credit line for you to add to a resume/CV if wanted.