Conservation/Environmental Videos

The New York-North Jersey Chapter of AMC has been organizing webinars about various conservation and environmental topics so that you can stay connected with us even if you can’t take part in your favorite outdoor activities. The presenters are experts in their field and are affiliated with the AMC or other organizations.

Below is a list of past presentations about many different conservation and environmentally related topics. All have been recorded and are available for your viewing. New presentations will be added to the top of the list as they occur.

May 13, 2021 – New York State’s Forest Action Plan and Urban Forestry Program

Metropolitan, urban, and suburban areas make up 10.3% of New York State’s land. Despite this relatively small percentage, these areas are home to nearly 88% of, or 16.7 million, New Yorkers. New York’s urban and community (urban) forests provide a myriad of economic, environmental, social, and health-related benefits.

View this recording to hear Gloria Van Duyne, Coordinator for the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, and Dan Gaidasz, Technical Coordinator for the Urban and Community Forestry Program from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Urban and Community Forestry Program, talk about the recently revised Forest Action Plan and DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry Program.

Apr 22, 2021 – Earth Day – Climate Change and other Policy Priorities at AMC

Learn about climate change policy approaches such as the recently launched Transportation and Climate Initiative Program, as well as other national and statewide advocacy opportunities to advance AMC’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. View this recorded video featuring Georgia Murray, Kimberly Witt, and Mark Zakutansky of AMC’s research and policy team. This program will also touch on advocacy around land and water conservation funding, community science, and opportunities to speak up on other pressing conservation issues across the Mid-Atlantic region.

Mar 11, 2021 – Your Compost Lifestyle with Earth Matter

Earth Matter partners with New York City to successfully manage a zero-waste food and waste cycle on Governors Island using food scraps from GrowNYC farmers markets and other sources.

View this recorded video and hear Marisa DeDominicis and Andrea Lieske of Earth Matter talk about the science and mechanics of composting. They also demonstrate how you can make composting a part of your life, whether in your backyard or in your apartment.

Feb 11, 2021 – Solutions to Marine Debris

Within both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, there is a huge area of floating debris. It just circulates. Plastics break down into smaller and smaller pieces, but don’t disappear. This is not garbage from ships – most comes from coastal waters, especially where there is urban sprawl. The vast majority comes from consumer products that were blown out of open landfills or were tossed out by litterbugs. Trash from streams feeds into rivers which feed into coastal waters, and eventually into the oceanic garbage patch. 

View this recorded webinar and hear Ashley Sullivan, Executive Director of the Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean, talk about Rozalia Project’s programs and research on the impact of marine debris in the world’s oceans and coastlines. They also recommend solutions to restoring ocean health that range in scale from individual action that you can take to broader coalitions.

Jan 26, 2021 – Liberty State Park and Caven Point – An Oasis within Sight of Manhattan

Liberty State Park is an inspiring and popular urban state park, located on the Jersey City waterfront. Its spectacular views of Lady Liberty, Ellis Island, the New York City skyline, and New York Harbor make the park one of the nation’s and the world’s most special public spaces. It provides recreation for local residents and visitors from further away, and also provides habitats for wildlife. The park has trails for walking, biking, nature walks, a playground, and areas for fishing and crabbing. 

Sam Pesin from the Friends of Liberty State Park talks about the future of Liberty State Park and especially the Craven Point section, a haven for wildlife, environmental education, and nature explorers, which has been under threat in recent years due to attempts to purchase it for expansion of a private luxury golf club.

Take action by sending an email to your state legislators, urging them to support the Liberty State Park Protection Act.

Nov 11, 2020 – Conservation Conversations: Getting AMC to Net Zero

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that society must achieve “net zero” global carbon emissions by 2050 to limit warming to 1.5° C and minimize the worst impacts of climate change. Meeting this goal will require rapid and far-reaching changes in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport and cities. In line with the IPCC recommendation, AMC has adopted an organizational “net zero” by 2050 goal. 

To meet these targets, we must reduce emissions using new approaches and innovative ways of thinking. AMC Senior Staff Scientist David Publicover and Research Fellow Arcadia Lee discuss how the AMC is working better to understand our carbon footprint, the development of a strategic plan to meet this ambitious goal, the issues and challenges that need to be addressed, and the role that members and guests can play in this effort.

What is your carbon footprint? Calculate it and compare it to the average carbon footprint.

Nov 3, 2020 – Invasive Insects

Jessica Cancelliere is a research scientist with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Bureau of Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. She talks about invasive insect species, which are non-native species whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health.

October 14, 2020 – Stand Up for Forests

Did you know that forests, trees, and green spaces make up 71% of the land in the Northeast? The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened our dependence on nature as people look to the outdoors for exercise, recreation, relaxation, and connection. Now more than ever we must stand up for forests. Hear Bill Labich of the Northeast Forest Network talk about the Stand Up for Forests campaign.

You might also like to view a video from March 24, 2020 about sustainable forestry in the Maine Woods.

Sep 17, 2020 – Recycling in New York City

Kara Napolitano is the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Sims Municipal Recycling. Kara describes how recycling works in New York City, and takes you on a virtual tour of the Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), the largest facility of its kind in all of the United States.

For more information on recycling in New York City see Grow NYC (includes composting) and Lower East Side Ecology Center (for recycling e-waste).

Sep 8, 2020 – Hudson River Eel Project

Aidan Mabey is an Environmental Educator with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Estuary Program and one of the coordinators for the Hudson River Eel Project through Citizen Science.  Aidan will talk about this ongoing project to study the American Eel, which is rapidly declining in numbers.

Sep 1, 2020 – Michael Fuhr of The Nature Conservancy

Michael Furh of The Nature Conservancy talks about Siting Wind Energy: How Do We Do It Better?. For more information about wind power, read AMC’s Wind Power Policy.

Aug 27, 2020 – Birding at the Meadowlands

Richard Santangelo, Program Director of Audubon New York, talks about Birding at the New Jersey Meadowlands.

Aug 4, 2020 – Fish and Water Quality

Maria Berezin of Raritan Headwaters Association talks about Fishes, Macroinvertebrate, and Water Quality.

Jul 28, 2020 – Wildlife in New York City

Arturo Romura of New York City Parks Department’s Wildlife Unit talks about Coexisting With New York City Wildlife. More information about the diverse wildlife of New York City is available here.

Jun 30, 2020 – How to Sustain the Landscape

Martine Lackey talks about sustainable landscape practices.

Jun 9, 2020 – Food Waste

Nathan Lohrmann, Stakeholder Manager at ReFED talks about Accelerating Solutions to U.S. Food Waste.

Jun 6, 2020 – Urban Farming

 Zannah Porter of Green City Growers talks about Urban Farming Benefits and Techniques.

Jun 2, 2020 – Land Preservation in New Jersey

Drew Tompkins, Director of Policy for New Jersey Audubon, talks about A Recent History Of New Jersey Land Preservation.

May 19, 2020 – Birds and Light Pollution

John Rowdan, of the Audubon Society talks about Birds and Artificial Light at Night.  

May 6, 2020 – Transportation Climate Initiative

Bruce Ho, Senior Advocate, Climate and Clean Energy for National Resources Defense Council talks about the Transportation and Climate Initiative. Georgia Murray, Senior Staff Scientist at Appalachian Mountain Club, talks about air quality.

Apr 29, 2020 – AMC and Net Zero Emissions

AMC recently adopted the goal of becoming “net zero” in carbon emissions in 2050 in light of the increasing severity of climate impacts. But what exactly does this mean? How will we overcome significant challenges to make this ambitious goal a reality? Hear AMC’s senior staff scientist David Publicover discuss AMC’s Net Zero Initiative (beginning at about 7:20). The talk covers the underlying environmental science, AMC’s progress to date, the role of forest carbon offsets, and how travel and personal decisions factor into the Net Zero plan.

Apr 28, 2020 – AMC’s Priorities for Conservation

Mark Zakutansky, AMC’s Director of Conservation Policy Engagement, talks about Active Conservation and You: AMC Priorities for the Outdoors.

Mar 24, 2020 – Sustainable Forestry

Have you ever been curious about sustainable forestry? This innovative method of land management has become a key tool for conservationists looking to enhance the ecological health of the forest while generating revenue and boosting the local economy.

Presented by Steve Tatko, AMC’s Director of Maine Conservation and Land Management, Sustainable Forestry in the Maine Woods will take you on a journey through the forests of Maine. It will examine the history of Maine Woods and cover the basics of land management, forest optimization, and AMC’s long-term vision for this special landscape.