Representatives from The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program Attending White House Summit and Taiwan’s Youth Climate Forum
Tupper Lake, N.Y. – Representatives from The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program will be traveling around the globe this month to participate in events focused on climate resilience. On Sept. 28, 2024, two of the Wild Center’s Youth Climate Advisory Board Members, Andrew Fagerheim and Cedar Young, will attend the White House Summit on Building Climate Resilient Communities. Almost simultaneously, The Wild Center’s Director of Climate Initiatives, Jen Kretser, will be the keynote speaker at the Youth Climate Forum hosted by New Taipei City, Taiwan.
The White House Summit on Building Climate Resilient Communities will bring together local, state, Tribal, and territorial leaders and practitioners focused on climate resilience. The Summit, which was announced by President Biden earlier this summer, will explore opportunities to develop effective climate resilience strategies that are locally tailored and community-driven, with the aim of building communities that are not only resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, but also safer, more equitable, and economically stronger. Fagerheim and Young, who were instrumental in helping their communities (Homer, NY and Saranac Lake, NY respectively) achieve Bronze Level Certification with the NYS Climate Smart Communities Program, received a special invitation to participate in this exclusive event. They will be joining representatives of the White House and Federal Agencies at the Summit.
At the Youth Climate Forum, Kretser will be a guest of the New Taipei City Government and the Graduate Institute of Sustainability Management and Environmental Education at National Taiwan Normal University. She will be speaking at multiple sessions at the Youth Climate Forum as well as leading sessions at the University. Following the Forum, Kretser will be traveling to Malaysia to work with museum colleagues for a new youth climate initiative in Southeast Asia in 2024.
“It is an honor for our Youth Climate Program to be recognized by invitations to these prestigious, climate-focused events. They demonstrate The Wild Center’s continued commitment to climate change solutions,” said Kretser. “These events further illustrate the importance of empowering our youth to get involved with climate resilience programming that can impact their own communities.”
The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program will host its Adirondack Youth Climate Summit on Nov. 8 and 9, 2023. The program has been convening high school students from schools and community groups across Northern New York State since 2006.
###
About The Wild Center
The Wild Center invites visitors to discover the story of the Adirondacks, and to explore new ways that people and nature can thrive in the same place. Located in Tupper Lake, NY the Center uses science-based experiences, exhibits and programs to open new ways to look into the relationship that people have with nature and to promote environmental best practices. A 54,000-square-foot facility, The Wild Center features outdoor space, live animals, and its popular Wild Walk, an elevated trail across the Adirondack treetops.