Introducing The Groton Student Farm!  Members of this year's elective, Food, Land, and You are busy and have big plans for this huge experiment.  Stay tuned for more details!

I had to share this awesome Prezi by Camille for her slug lab writeup.

Slug Lab on Prezi

Opportunity

Interested in impacting your local community, while developing key employment skills?  The Sustainability Internship Program, a feature of The Sustainability Center, is gearing up for Fall placements! We are matching students from local institutions of higher education with non-profit organizations and green businesses to complete sustainability projects here in Tompkins County, specifically work that addresses one or more of the following:

• Transportation Alternatives
• Waste Diversion and Reduction
• Community Engagement and Social Justice
• Energy / Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Community Health
• Smart Development / Green Building
• Natural Resource Conservation
• Sustainable Agriculture/Local Food

Check out the internships we have available at:

http://www.tompkins-co.org/planning/sustainability/index.htm

 

If you’re interested in applying, please submit your resume and a letter of inquiry, by Friday, Sept. 21^st, to: Jackie@sustainabilitycentertc.org or drop off a hard copy to my attention at the Tompkins County Planning Department, 121 E. Court Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 (Mon - Fri, 8:30 AM - 4 PM).

 

(PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE HOST ORGANIZATION DIRECTLY).

 

IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW:  During your participation as a STUDENT in the Sustainability Internship Program, we are asking that you commit to the following: 1) Participation in one Introductory Meeting / Orientation;   2) Completion of one pre- and one post-internship survey;   3) On-going communication with your host supervisor and lastly 4) Participation in a Celebration Event at the end of the semester honoring and showcasing projects completed through the program.

 

Haven’t heard of The Sustainability Center before? That’s because we’re new! If you’ve ever tried to navigate the spectacular sea of sustainability-focused businesses, non-profits and events in our area, perhaps you’ve been inspired, but a little overwhelmed. The Sustainability Center will help you find your way!

 

Our mission:  The Sustainability Center will create, in the center of the community, a physical space from which to promote community-wide sustainability efforts in Tompkins County, through public engagement, service learning, and partnership with local green businesses, non-profits and leaders in the field.

 

So, when can you use this new resource?! We expect to move into our temporary home in downtown Ithaca at the end of 2012! Shortly thereafter, the Center will have open hours of operation during which you can check out our sustainability gallery and programming. We’ll keep you posted as we progress.

 

In the meantime, we hope you’ll jump into the community and help a local non-profit or green business complete a sustainability project!!

Here we are starting the traditional 1st major lab of the year...the slug lab. Students are designing their own experiments to see what types of food slugs prefer to eat.

Welcome Back!

Welcome to another school year!  Hopefully the summer has left you recharged and ready to start a new chapter of your life.  Below is a link to a cool article.  Please read and be ready to discuss.

https://inspiringscience.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/five-common-biology-myths/

2012 Youth Power Summit Planning Meeting- Wed. 7/11

2012 Youth Power Summit Planning Meeting

Wed. 7/11 from 12-2PM

Borg Warner Room, Tompkins County Public Library

We are looking for teens across Tompkins County interested in bringing together youth throughout the county for positive environmental change and sustainability. 

Join us Wed. 7/11 for a FREE LUNCH and core group meeting to start planning the 2012 Youth Power Summit for this October! At the 2011 summit, over 200 young people gathered to empower themselves to take action for clean energy, local food, and social justice in our schools and communities. 

We're also looking for young people from across Tompkins County to help us brainstorm how a youth network could support and amplify what is being done individually at various schools around the county. 

Additional initiatives as a youth network could potentially include: Anti-fracking activism, the Youth Farm Project with LACS and Southside, Hydrilla monitoring and volunteer work through the Cayuga Lake Floating Classroom, work with Get Your Green Back Tompkins, and fundraising for the BJM Fresh Foods Project. 

Please invite your friends that may be interested, especially those who attend other schools throughout the county. We want to make sure the entire geographic area of Tompkins County is represented!

--
K.C. Alvey
Cornell '12 Natural Resources
Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative (TCCPI)- Assistant Coordinator
Green Umbrella: NY Youth for a Just and Sustainable Future - State Coordinator
kca27@cornell.edu
516-272-9892

Like TCCPI and the Green Umbrella on Facebook!

--
K.C. Alvey
Cornell '12 Natural Resources
Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative (TCCPI)- Assistant Coordinator
Green Umbrella: NY Youth for a Just and Sustainable Future - State Coordinator
kca27@cornell.edu
516-272-9892

Like TCCPI and the Green Umbrella on Facebook!

Thanks to everyone for another great school year...my first at the high school. I'm looking forward to implementing some new things next year so stay tuned! Today Cali, Jenny, Camille, Alissa, and Josh came out to pound tires and get a tour of the Earthship! If you're interested in helping out keep an eye on freevilleearthship.blogspot.com or 'like' Earthship Groton on Facebook. I'll be announcing volunteer days as the summer progresses. Have a safe, relaxing summer everyone!

The Groton Beekeeping Project is in full swing, thanks to freshman, Camille H. with oversight by Mr. Wiech.  The population seems active and healthy and enjoying the variety of wildflowers in and around the school's nature area.  What are we doing with the honey?  Stay tuned...

Not ready for the Biology Regents Exam??  No sweat!  Come to a review session during lunch (4th period) or after school 3-4pm between now and the end of classes.  Also...be sure to check out the review sites in the right hand column of this site!

After school today I met the new Groton Youth Director, Kat Clement, and 3 great 6th graders in the garden. We worked two beds and planted sweet pepper and tomato plants. Additionally, we have planted so far - lettuce, potatoes, garlic, onions, and peas.

Evolution Resources

Use the remainder of class Thursday to browse these sites on evolution:

Evolution 101

Natural Selection Interactive

PBS Evolution Series Online

The Evolution of Whales

In Food, Land, and You we recently planted 4 rows of potatoes (3 varieties) and 6 rows of onions. We're approaching our region's frost-free date so we'll be out in the garden mire then!

Michaela and Reid came out over break to kick off the Earthship build in Freeville. We currently have about 50 of the 700 tires pounded and leveled.

Members in Food, Land, and You just finished a mini-unit on Soapmaking. We made 3 batches of coconut/Crisco-based bar soap infused with almond, eucalyptus, and wintergreen essential oils. These will cure for a few weeks before we get to give them a try.

Fwd: Tompkins County Youth for Clean Energy Future: April 17

Join us for a convergence of Tompkins County youth from every background who are passionate about clean energy, local food, and social justice in our schools and communities. This will be an opportunity to enjoy free food, network with other young people committed to social change, build a vision for Tompkins County, and support each other's work.

• Stand together with young leaders from all backgrounds who care about taking back our political system, stopping fracking, and building the clean energy economy right here in Tompkins County
• Get inspired by youth-led efforts that are changing schools and communities across the region
• Brainstorm how our generation can shape the future of Tompkins County and discuss opportunities for collaboration, including planning for a county-wide Youth Power Summit in October 2012
• Get plugged in to emerging campaigns for a just and sustainable future in Tompkins County, including Get Your GreenBack Tompkins, Building Bridges, and more!
• Interested in going to Power Shift NY? Handle logistics and connect with others headed to Albany for Power Shift NY from April 27-29

Free food will be provided! Please come and join the conversation. Also, please forward to others who are interested. RSVP on Facebook here!

Co-sponsored by: Get Your GreenBack Tompkins, Sciencenter, Cornell Cooperative Extension- Tompkins County, Tompkins County Climate Protection Initiative, & The Green Umbrella: NY Youth for a Just and Sustainable Future

Questions? Contact KC Alvey <kca27@cornell.edu>, 516-592-7752, or Mike Koplinka-Loehr, 607-592-7650, < mak11@cornell.edu >

Fwd: New York Youth Institute 2012

"Cultivating Innovations to Feed the World" will be the topic for the World Food Prize's essay this year for New York students grades 9-12.  You will find guidelines for writing the paper, sample papers and the registration form for the New York Youth Institute on the following website.

 

http://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/youth_programs/global_youth_institute/new_york/

 

The New York Youth Institute will be held on September 15^th at Cornell University.

Registration and papers are due Monday, September 10^th. 

 

More Information:

 

Francine Wilson Jasper

Cornell University International Programs

Assistant Director, Professional Development Programs

622 Bradfield

Ithaca, NY  14853

 

Tel:  607-255-1907, Fax:  607-255-6683

http://ip.cals.cornell.edu/professionaldev/

 

Here is the site we are using for the Fetal Pig dissection in class:

http://www.whitman.edu/content/virtualpig/anatomical-references

Dillon and Chris test respiration rates in Goldfish vs. temp. of water during our latest lab.

Fwd: Samsung Solve for Tomorrow

Message from Samsung:

Dear Mr. DeVoe,

 

First, we'd like to say congratulations on being a finalist in the 2012 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest! Out of over 1,500 applicants for the program, you were one of only 12 schools who made it to the finals.  By being a finalist, your school has won $70,000 worth of technology and software courtesy of Samsung, Microsoft, Adobe and DIRECTV.

 

Unfortunately, your entry did not qualify you for our grand prize.  The submissions this year truly embraced the challenge put forth and our judges were faced with an extremely difficult decision. We appreciate all of the hard work you put into these submissions as well as your efforts in furthering STEM education. We encourage you to continue to approach these subjects with the creative and innovative thinking you've demonstrated throughout the Solve for Tomorrow contest.

 

Again, congratulations on winning the technology package for your school. We hope you will be able to use the technology to benefit your students and further their interest in STEM. A Samsung representative will be contacting you in the coming weeks to follow-up on fulfillment of this prize.

 

Best Regards,

 

Dr. David Steel, Adam Yates and Bree Falato

 

 

Bree Falato | Corporate Communications| Samsung Electronics North America
85 Challenger Road, 9th Fl. | Ridgefield Park, N.J 07660
Work 201.229.4789 | Mobile 201-289-6704 | b.falato@samsung.com

 

 

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For more information about Samsung's Sustainability initiative, please visit www.samsung.com/green