Sustainability News by Date
listings 1-12 of 12
December 2024
12-17-2024
Photo: Violacein, a purple pigment produced by bacteria, which Jude discovered in a water sample from the Hudson River Valley watershed and studies in her labs. Photo by Karl Rabe
Meta: Type(s): Faculty | Subject(s): Bard Undergraduate Programs,Biology Program,Division of Science, Math, and Computing,Environmental and Urban Studies Program,Environmental/Sustainability | Institutes(s): Bard Undergraduate Programs,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities |
Meta: Type(s): Faculty | Subject(s): Bard Undergraduate Programs,Biology Program,Division of Science, Math, and Computing,Environmental and Urban Studies Program,Environmental/Sustainability | Institutes(s): Bard Undergraduate Programs,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities |
November 2024
11-26-2024
The geothermal and HVAC renovation of the 60,000-square-foot Stevenson Library is Bard’s first conversion of an existing building from fossil fuels to geothermal. The College partnered with Brightcore as the turnkey provider of the library project, delivering a full scope of services, from the feasibility and design, drilling and ground loop installation, mechanical connections, incentive procurement, and upon completion, ongoing system performance monitoring. The library’s geothermal conversion will eliminate burning approximately 14,000 gallons of fuel oil and reduce 127 tons of carbon emissions per year. This conversion, along with Bard’s other sustainability-driven initiatives including its commitment to renewable solar and hydro energy, LED lighting, and LEEDs certifications, are significant steps toward fulfilling the College’s pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.
Further reading:
Bard College Continues Switch to Geothermal
Stevenson Library's new geothermal and HVAC system. Photo by Joseph Nartey ’26
Photo: Ribbon-cutting for the Stevenson Library's new geothermal and HVAC system. Photo by Joseph Nartey ’26
Meta: Type(s): General | Subject(s): Environmental/Sustainability |
Meta: Type(s): General | Subject(s): Environmental/Sustainability |
October 2024
10-29-2024
Photo: Still from Valve Turners. Photo courtest of Climate Film Fest
Meta: Type(s): Alumni | Subject(s): Alumni/ae,Bard Graduate Programs,Bard Graduate Programs in Sustainability,Environmental/Sustainability | Institutes(s): Bard Center for Environmental Policy |
Meta: Type(s): Alumni | Subject(s): Alumni/ae,Bard Graduate Programs,Bard Graduate Programs in Sustainability,Environmental/Sustainability | Institutes(s): Bard Center for Environmental Policy |
September 2024
09-30-2024
Photo: Associate Professor of Biology Bruce Robertson. Photo by Karl Rabe
Meta: Type(s): Faculty | Subject(s): Biology Program,Division of Science, Math, and Computing,Environmental/Sustainability,Mind, Brain, and Behavior | Institutes(s): Bard Undergraduate Programs,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities |
Meta: Type(s): Faculty | Subject(s): Biology Program,Division of Science, Math, and Computing,Environmental/Sustainability,Mind, Brain, and Behavior | Institutes(s): Bard Undergraduate Programs,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities |
09-24-2024
The Stone Barns Center funds will be used to study and document the impact of frost on the nutritional value of raw and fermented cabbage. Perron and Jain will also be investigating how frost impacts the microbial communities developing during fermentation, which affects the probiotic qualities of fermented cabbage (e.g. sauerkraut). This project will be conducted in collaboration with farmers at Stone Barns, chefs at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and Bard College researchers Perron and Jain. Former Bard student Pearson Lau ’19, who recently published his Senior Project on the effect of chlorination on sourdough starter cultures, will also be part of the research team. Professors Perron and Jain plan to involve current Bard undergraduates in their research project. This collaboration has also made it possible to bring students from Bard and Bard NYC to visit Stone Barns and Blue Hill at Stone Barns as part of their respective classes.
“We are very excited about this wonderful collaboration with farmers and chefs in our local community. This work will help us in addressing important questions related to nutrition and the overall health of our food ecosystem,” said Swapan S. Jain.
Photo: Bard College Food Microbiology class visits the Stone Barns Center.
Meta: Type(s): Faculty | Subject(s): Biology Program,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities (CESH),Chemistry Program,Division of Science, Math, and Computing,Environmental/Sustainability | Institutes(s): Bard Undergraduate Programs,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities |
Meta: Type(s): Faculty | Subject(s): Biology Program,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities (CESH),Chemistry Program,Division of Science, Math, and Computing,Environmental/Sustainability | Institutes(s): Bard Undergraduate Programs,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities |
June 2024
06-18-2024
The Burpee Trial Garden at Montgomery Place campus gives Bard students the opportunity to learn how to design, plan, and execute a planting schedule, develop skills to maintain display-quality working gardens, and interpret them for visitors on a public site. This opportunity further instills a passion for plants in students, inspires their commitment to nurture their environment, and opens up knowledge of plant-related careers.
“We are thrilled that the Burpee Foundation will help Bard restore and revive the historic formal gardens at the Montgomery Place campus, since they have been left fallow for decades. The new Burpee Trial Garden will showcase various varieties of vegetables and flowers that will be open to the public and act as a unique educational opportunity for students interested in research, horticulture, agriculture, and ecology. We are very excited to begin work on enhancing and using the gardens and reporting and sharing the results. Additionally, the grant award allows Bard to show their unwavering commitment to the stewardship of the campus landscape with a dedicated arboretum director and additional gardener positions,” said Bard’s Director of Horticulture and Arboretum Amy Parrella ’99.
Comprising more than 1000 acres along the historic Hudson River, the Bard Arboretum serves as both a place for enjoyment as well as a living classroom. Working to promote environmental and social justice, the Arboretum engages with the ecological and horticultural biodiversity of the Hudson River Valley as well as the political narratives that have shaped the land.
The Burpee Foundation is committed to reducing hunger and promoting well-being through investment in horticultural and agricultural projects across the US and around the world. The Foundation was established in 2003 by George Ball ’73, when he became the sole owner of W. Atlee Burpee Company, the innovative and iconic American horticultural company whose beautiful mail order catalogues, along with Sears Roebuck’s, were the mainstays of American farms and homes during the late 19th through the mid-20th centuries. Since its inception, the Foundation has made approximately $6.5 million in gifts consistent with its mission to more than 75 charitable organizations.
Photo: Bard students in the Montgomery Place greenhouse. Photo by China Jorrin ’86
Meta: Type(s): General | Subject(s): Arboretum and Horticulture,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities (CESH),Environmental/Sustainability,Grants |
Meta: Type(s): General | Subject(s): Arboretum and Horticulture,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities (CESH),Environmental/Sustainability,Grants |
April 2024
04-16-2024
Photo: Visiting Associate Professor of Writing Susan Fox Rogers (third from left) is leading Monday morning birding walks. Photo by Emily Sachar
Meta: Type(s): Faculty | Subject(s): American and Indigenous Studies Program,Division of Languages and Literature,Environmental and Urban Studies Program,Environmental/Sustainability,First-Year Seminar,Literature Program,Written Arts Program |
Meta: Type(s): Faculty | Subject(s): American and Indigenous Studies Program,Division of Languages and Literature,Environmental and Urban Studies Program,Environmental/Sustainability,First-Year Seminar,Literature Program,Written Arts Program |
04-11-2024
Photo: Student volunteers with the Bard College Office of Sustainability.
Meta: Subject(s): Environmental/Sustainability |
Meta: Subject(s): Environmental/Sustainability |
March 2024
03-05-2024
The Bard College Community Sciences Lab will partner with the Wallkill River Watershed Alliance, Hudson River Watershed Alliance, and Riverkeeper to develop a public-facing HABs Watershed Characterization report for the Wallkill River, a Wallkill River HABs Communications Toolkit to help coordinate effective public communications about future HABs, and a broader Water Issue Communications Framework for watershed groups or municipalities across the region to guide communications planning for HABs or other emergent and emergency conditions that affect public health.
“This funding is an important investment in community-directed stewardship of Hudson River waterways, and I applaud the DEC for recognizing this,” says Bard Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental and Urban Studies M. Elias Dueker, who is also codirector of the Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities, and head of the Community Sciences Lab. “With the increased pace of climate change, current policies regarding nutrient loading, stormwater management, and wastewater treatment simply are not keeping up with the increasing likelihood of algal blooms in our waterways as temperatures rise and precipitation regimes shift. Community scientists with a true sense of connection to these resources are a vital bridge between on-the-ground, real-time realities and the capacity for regulatory agencies to keep communities local to vulnerable waterways like the Wallkill safe. Community science is key to true climate adaptation and resilience, and I am thrilled to be part of this collaboration.”
Executive Director of Hudson River Watershed Alliance Emily Vail said: “The Hudson River Watershed Alliance is excited to be collaborating with scientists, local and regional organizations, and community members on this challenging and important issue. Harmful algal blooms can put people and pets at risk, and are an emerging threat in lakes and rivers. We’re looking forward to better understanding the latest science and communication strategies to keep people informed.”
Science Director of Riverkeeper Shannon Roback said: “Harmful algal blooms can pose health problems for both humans and animals who are exposed. As climate change progresses, we expect this risk to increase as blooms become more common. Effective public communication will be essential in reducing the harms. We are very excited that the NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary Program has funded our proposal to develop strategies to improve public outreach, communication and education around HABs, which we expect to have significant impacts to public health.”
“New York State is investing in projects that will improve resiliency and protect our natural resources both in the Hudson River Valley and across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “These 26 local grants will provide dozens of communities support to improve recreation, expand river access and education, and preserve and protect this iconic river for future generations of New Yorkers.”
Now in its 21st year, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Hudson River Estuary Grants Program implements priorities outlined in the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda 2021-2025. To date, DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program awarded 643 grants totaling more than $28 million. Funding for DEC’s Estuary Grants program is provided by New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), a critical resource for environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, water quality improvement, and environmental justice projects. Governor Hochul’s proposed 2024-25 Executive Budget maintains EPF funding at $400 million, the highest level of funding in the program’s history.
Photo: Wallkill River showing HABs and kayaker. Photo by Emily Vail
Meta: Type(s): General | Subject(s): Biology Program,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities (CESH),Division of Science, Math, and Computing,Environmental and Urban Studies Program,Environmental/Sustainability,Office of Institutional Support (OIS) |
Meta: Type(s): General | Subject(s): Biology Program,Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities (CESH),Division of Science, Math, and Computing,Environmental and Urban Studies Program,Environmental/Sustainability,Office of Institutional Support (OIS) |
February 2024
02-28-2024
Photo: Seth Goldfine Memorial Field and the Charles P. Stevenson Jr, Library at Bard College. Photo by Peter Aaron
Meta: Type(s): General | Subject(s): Campus and Facilities,Environmental/Sustainability |
Meta: Type(s): General | Subject(s): Campus and Facilities,Environmental/Sustainability |
02-20-2024
The rate and severity of extreme climate events can bring on a feeling of numbness and resignation rather than catalyzing responsive resilience in the classroom. How can we refocus the conversation from crisis to education and adaptation? The 2024 IWT April Conference will conduct a deep dive into layered and often contradictory pedagogies about the natural world. This day of shared writing and reflection invites participants to join together in small, interactive workshop groups in order to explore a range of written, audio, visual, and hybrid texts—on topics from manifest destiny to global climate strikes—that are creating a new ecology of education.
The day will feature a plenary conversation by two Bard colleagues on the topic of climate change in the classroom from the perspectives of the humanities and STEM, respectively. Visiting Writer in Residence Jenny Offill is the author of three novels, Last Things, Dept. of Speculation, and most recently, Weather, which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Eli Dueker is associate professor of biology and environmental and urban studies at Bard, codirector of the Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities, and head of the Community Sciences Lab.
Tuition fees are from $450 to $575, with Early Bird (before March 26) and Group discounts. Scholarships are available by application here. The IWT conference is Continuing Teacher and Leader Education 5.5 credit hours. Register here.
Photo: L-R: Bard faculty members Jenny Offill, visiting writer in residence, and Eli Dueker, associate professor of biology and environmental and urban studies, will hold a plenary discussion at the IWT April Conference “Climate Change in the Classroom: Embracing New Paradigms.”
Meta: Type(s): Event | Subject(s): Biology Program,Division of Languages and Literature,Division of Science, Math, and Computing,Environmental and Urban Studies Program,Environmental/Sustainability,Master of Arts in Teaching (Bard MAT),Written Arts Program | Institutes(s): Institute for Writing and Thinking |
Meta: Type(s): Event | Subject(s): Biology Program,Division of Languages and Literature,Division of Science, Math, and Computing,Environmental and Urban Studies Program,Environmental/Sustainability,Master of Arts in Teaching (Bard MAT),Written Arts Program | Institutes(s): Institute for Writing and Thinking |
January 2024
01-28-2024
“Bard is incredibly grateful to restore our beautiful meadow back to its prior glory. Its overall appearance and the quantity of ecosystem services it can offer will be immediately enhanced with this unique opportunity to reclaim a central landscape on the Bard campus,” said Bard’s Director of Horticulture and Arboretum Amy Parrella. “Meadows serve as important habitat and provide food for a number of pollinators and mammals; serve as natural reservoirs for water, capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, and help maintain biodiversity in our environment. Unfortunately, invasive plants tend to be aggressive and would eventually take over our meadow in a matter of a few years. This grant will allow Bard to proactively halt this invasion and reverse the damage that has already occurred.”
“We are committed to protecting New York’s waterways, forest lands, and agricultural crops from dangerous invasive species,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “This funding supports projects across the state that will help prevent the spread of invasive species in New York, protecting our natural resources, economy and public health from the negative impacts of this threat.”
This grant is supported by the NYS Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), a critical resource for environmental programs such as land acquisition, farmland protection, invasive species prevention and eradication, recreation access, water quality improvement, and environmental justice projects. Governor Hochul’s proposed 2024-25 Executive Budget maintains the EPF funding at $400 million, the highest level of funding in the program’s history.
Photo: Meadow on North Campus of Bard College.
Meta: Subject(s): Arboretum and Horticulture,Environmental/Sustainability,Grants,Office of Institutional Support (OIS) |
Meta: Subject(s): Arboretum and Horticulture,Environmental/Sustainability,Grants,Office of Institutional Support (OIS) |
listings 1-12 of 12