ADIRONDACKS, NY - The Adirondack Climate Outreach and Resilience Network (ACORN) was nominated by Adirondack Foundation and selected as a Trust for Civic Life Civic Entrepreneur grantee for their work supporting community-driven climate solutions in New York State’s rural North Country region. ACORN is a collaboration of the Adirondack Research Consortium, Paul Smith’s College, and The Wild Center.
The Civic Entrepreneur award supports civic experiments that bring people together to shape a shared community vision, address local challenges, and work boldly toward solutions. These grants are part of a new program to fund over one hundred civic efforts in rural communities across America each year.
ACORN will use the award to share the results of their 2024-25 community listening sessions by creating a user-friendly North Country Rural Resilience Roadmap. The Roadmap will help local communities with outreach, planning, and applying for grant funding. The award will also support a Climate-Ready Workforce roundtable event bringing together agencies, entrepreneurs, and technical experts identified during the listening sessions.
“ACORN’s work is an essential part of strengthening community connections and fostering collaboration in our region, and we are excited to support the network’s efforts,” said Jennifer Russell, Vice President of Grants and Programs at Adirondack Foundation.
In addition to the Trust for Civic Life funding, ACORN was also awarded an Adirondack Foundation Generous Acts grant in partnership with WaterWheel Foundation at Vermont Community Foundation.
Sunita Halasz, ACORN Project Coordinator and Climate Strategy Advisor for the Adirondack Research Consortium, said, “With this support, we are able to expand our work to stimulate shared climate resilience initiatives across the North Country, which helps to make our region a safer, healthier, and yet more neighborly place in which to live, work, and thrive.”
More information about ACORN can be found at: adkwatershed.org/acorn.
More information about the Trust for Civic Life can be found at: trustforciviclife.org/.
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About The Wild Center
Located in Tupper Lake, NY, The Wild 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. In 2024, they were named the nation's best science museum in USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.
The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program works to convene, engage, connect and empower young people around the world to take action on climate change. The work is done through conference-style Youth Climate Summits that focus on the knowledge and skills needed to become effective climate leaders. Summits empower youth to generate Climate Action Plans that they can implement in their schools and communities. Using our Youth Climate Summit Toolkit, this model has been replicated across the globe.
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About Paul Smith’s College
At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in Northern New York, Paul Smith's College offers many Associate, Bachelors, and Master's degree programs. Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences and natural resources. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at paulsmiths.edu.
About Adirondack Research Consortium
The Adirondack Research Consortium is focused on stimulating research and acting as a knowledge-based forum and communicator among disciplines and diverse interests, primarily through its annual research conferences and the Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies.
About ACORN
The Adirondack Climate Outreach and Resilience Network (ACORN) is a collaboration of Paul Smith’s College, The Wild Center, and the Adirondack Research Consortium with funding from Trust for Civic Life, Adirondack Foundation, and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The rural resilience network includes communities, sectors, and individuals across the 14-county region of Northern New York State. ACORN’s mission is to work together to identify community-driven solutions, funding, and technical support that ensure the region is proactive in responding to the changing climate through conversation, connection, and collaboration. Learn more at adkwatershed.org/acorn.
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