Inspiring the next generation to take climate action

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Happy Tuesday, Capital Region! Today, we’ve got a bright young writer talking about inspiring the next generation of climate scientists, part of our grant-funded series, the Youth Climate Reporting Project. Also, be sure to check out our sweet Home of the Week in Loudonville.

—Phat X. Chiem & Karley Sullivan

Columbia Climate School: Inspiring the next generation of climate change fighters 🌎️👩‍🔬

Reported and written by Ava Pineda Fox, a sophomore English major at Skidmore College, this story is part of our Youth Climate Reporting Project, with generous support from Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley and the Youth Climate Action Fund. Read more stories from this series.

Building a strong connection with the local environment is key to inspiring the next generation of leaders to deepen their understanding of climate change.

At Columbia Climate School, the Hudson River Estuary not only serves as the city’s collective backyard, it’s also a living laboratory where students are inspired to connect with the environment—and become better stewards of it.

Established in 2020, the NYC-based school (which is affiliated with Columbia University) is taking action to address the climate crisis through collaborative partnerships and initiatives. It also strives to diversify the field of environmental science among historically underrepresented groups. Black graduates, for example, account for just 2.86% of environmental degrees each year (Data USA, 2020).

One of the school’s internship programs, “Hudson River Education: Building a Pathway,” gives students real-world experience in environmental science, especially benefiting those who might not have the resources to get into research otherwise.

“The big goal is to allow students from different backgrounds to gain hands-on experience in internships and science,” explains Margie Turrin, lead coordinator for the program. “Collecting their own data, analyzing it, and sharing it with the public are all important parts.”

The need for programs such as Columbia’s has only grown post-pandemic. Virtual learning has left students with fewer opportunities to participate in hands-on fieldwork, contributing to a lack of STEM skills and experience working in groups. This is a key aspect of the climate school’s internship program.

But science doesn’t just happen in labs.

“It’s right outside their door if they know what to look for,” Turrin says. With the right guidance, students in the Building a Pathway program learn that there are opportunities to connect with the natural environment everywhere. In the field, students gain direct knowledge by performing experiments such as water quality tests, biodiversity studies, and climate change investigations at sites throughout the Hudson River Estuary.

❄️ WEATHER WATCH

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🧂 Time to break out the table salt? Last weekend’s winter storm and this week’s coming cold snap has folks seeking out a precious commodity—rock salt. As we can personally attest (Home Depot, you failed us), there’s a severe shortage throughout the Capital Region. But there are actually excellent alternatives to salting your sidewalks. Here are 9 ways to melt ice without salt.

🏢 The TU’s Steve Barnes takes a hard look at what’s been happening in downtown Albany as dozens of businesses have closed and others threaten to leave, primarily over public safety concerns. “Downtown is at a turning point,” he writes as Albany County considers moving 600 workers to Pine Hills while the governor proposes investing $200 million into its historic downtown. [Times Union]

🚨 Local churches and businesses say they’re seeing fewer people due to fears of an immigration crackdown under the returning Trump administration. “I’ve never seen this level of fear in communities,” says Murad Awawdeh, the president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition. [Times Union]

💘 Say it ain’t so… the majority of you (60%) believe Valentine’s Day is a pretty much made-up holiday, according to last week’s reader poll.

“It definitely is a holiday created to support capitalist endeavors, but I also love to shower my sweetheart on this day, so it's win-win,” Liz R. wrote.

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🎟️ WHAT’S HAPPENING

Note: Our full weekend roundup publishes on Thursday! Keep an eye on your inbox.

🐅 Tonight, Proctors raises the curtain on its production of Life of Pi, the Tony Award-winning play based on the bestselling book. Critic Bob Goepfert calls it “visually splendid” and a “magical work that is almost subliminally touching.” [WAMC]

🖼️ On View: History Lessons at the UAlbany Museum of Art features stellar artists, including Glenn Ligon, Bethany Joy Collins, and our very own Judith Braun. Also, don’t miss Vito Acconci: Under-History Lessons in the Collections Study Space. Meanwhile, The Tang Museum has opened A Field of Bloom and Hum, a massive group show dedicated to queer artists.

🌲 🍄 “Science on Tap” returns on Wednesday to Common Roots Brewing in South Glens Falls as Skidmore professor Kurt Smemo talks about the fascinating relationship between forest trees and fungi.

🧒 Also Wednesday, Crossgates Mall invites families to Kids Club, featuring hot cocoa, snacks, and a visit from the Tri City Valley Cats and the Albany Firebirds.

🎭️ Based on the cult hit film, Heathers the Musical opens at the Cohoes Music Hall on Friday.

🧊 Also Friday, Bailey’s Annual Ice Bar opens in Saratoga, featuring ice and sand sculptures. Runs through the weekend.

🍻 The Saratoga Beer Summit 2025 on Saturday is your chance to sample over 100 craft beers, seltzers, ciders and malt beverages.

❄️ Albany County's Annual Winter Festival takes over Lawson Lake County Park on Saturday with snowshoeing, ice skating, ice fishing, sled dogs, bon fires, and an ice rescue demo by the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.

🎨 Also Saturday, bring the kids for this all-ages art workshop led by Russell Sage MAT Education students. Free, but space is limited.

🐕️ Last week, we had the NY Cat Film Festival. This week, the New York Dog Film Festival 2025 showcases short films—animated, documentary and narrative—from around the world, at Proctors. Also screening: Oscar Nominated Shorts: Live Action and Oscar Nominated Shorts: Documentary.

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Sundays are the deadline to be included in the coming week’s list!

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