If you would like to schedule a Witness Tree exhibition, presentation or workshop at your school or in your community, please send an email letting me know what type of event you are interested in. I have presented to diverse audiences of all ages. I can tailor my presentations and workshops to meet your needs.
Watch this short video (created by filmmaker Hugo Massa) to learn more about The Witness Tree and an audience-engagement “Postcards for Politicians” event and installation I held in Tompkins Square Park in New York City.
TAKE ACTION
There are many ways you can get involved in reducing the effects of climate change on our world. Below are some eco-tips for how to lower your personal carbon / environmental footprint but one of the best ways to protect and preserve our environment is to work for systemic changes that can result in climate justice.
Vote and support environmental-friendly legislation – Research what local and national ballot measures you can encourage our legislators to vote for (or against). Write and call them to let them know what issues you care about. Let them know you are watching how they vote. You can find out how politicians have voted on past environmental legislation via the League of Conservation Voters scorecard.
Clean-up-the-beach day – Every Autumn, The American Littoral Society hosts a New York State beach-cleaning event (usually the third Saturday of September) and if you can’t join in their events, find a stretch of beach, park or street near you to clean up. Check out their website and learn about how they strive to protect our coasts and marine life from harm. If you don’t live in New York, see if your town has a similar clean-up-the-beach or river or park day.
Conserve Water – Not all regions are experiencing drought – but why waste a precious resource? Turn water off when brushing your teeth or soaping up your dishes. To Note: the average person uses about 80-100 gallons a day – how much do you think you use?
Offset your carbon footprint – Taking a trip to a far-off location? Whether traveling for work or play, by car, plane or boat, you can offset your carbon footprint with companies like Terrapass who will invest your pennies in renewable resources or plant trees to absorb our excess carbon dioxide that’s contributing to climate change. Some airlines also offer the option to buy offsets when you reserve tickets. Just look for the links on their websites after you purchase your flight.
Be a tree steward – The city of New York had a campaign to plant over 1 million trees and they met their goal in November 2015 two years ahead of schedule! Visit MillionTreesNYC.org to learn about the project and how you can help take care of the trees around the city with MTNYC.
Buy local produce, fish, and meat – Locate and join a CSA (community supported agriculture) or find and visit your local farmer’s markets. To find the green markets in NYC check out the GrowNYC website. Although not all small regional farms are certified organic, many use few, if any, pesticides.
Compost – See if your local greenmarket or community garden collects food scraps to turn into rich compost! It will also save a lot of garbage from going into landfills. Composting also saves a lot of garbage from going into landfills. Store food scraps in the freezer or fridge in paper bags or reusable plastic containers until drop-off days . Paper bags can even go right into the compost bins. in NYC, you can check the GrowNYC site for composting info.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and UPCYCLE! Most of us have gotten in the habit of recycling most things but do you know in some communities can also help you recycle clothing and electronics? If you live in NYC check out their “zero waste” programs. Many of us can also try harder on the Reducing and Reusing bit: Carry a reusable bag to avoid needing a plastic bag at stores. Bring your own “Tupperware” for leftovers at restaurants. Create art from your trash like the cool artists of Project Vortex. Check out these other nifty upcycling ideas.
Reduce your paper trail – Do you really need that fluffy quilted Charmin toilet paper? Must your employer buy virgin paper for the copy machine? Worldwide, over 270,000 trees are flushed or dumped in landfills daily! (10% of that is TP!) Go green and buy recycled TP, paper towels, and paper products. Or take it one step further: use cloth towels or sponges, and when possible, avoid copying or printing out on paper (at least make sure you use 2-sided copying). Make a pledge to see if you can reuse everything at least once before recycling or throwing it away. Make notepads out of the backs of junk mail, x-mas ornaments from foil etc. Make it a family contest to see who can produce the least amount of garbage in a week or month!
Support Wildlife Conservation – Did you hear about the National Audubon Society report that found that by 2080 more than 2/3 of North American bird species will be affected by climate change? This report is the inspiration for my conceptual climate project, “Divergence of Birds.” To support birds and other animals, make a donation to groups like the World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy or the Audubon Society that are working to advance policies to fight climate change and protect and preserve wildlife and our natural world. Get involved in local chapters of these groups. Found out what climate disruptions are affecting the wildlife in your region. Interested in learning more about birds? Research your area for local birding organizations and every winter you can participate in a local Audubon Christmas bird watch.