Open Space Webinar Feb. 23; Wildlife EducaShin: Women in Science Webinar, Feb. 24

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Hudson RiverNet
News from the Hudson River Estuary Program

In This Issue

  • Open Space Inventories and Plans: Webinar February 23, 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
  • Wildlife EducaShin: Women in Science Webinar February 24, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Open Space Inventories and Plans Webinar February 23, 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

A group of seven people gather around a table covered with maps.Natural areas serve many purposes, whether publicly or privately owned, and can include parks, scenery, trails, woodlands, wetlands and streams, rare or important habitats, farms, and historic properties. With a natural resources inventory in hand, communities are well positioned to develop strategies to conserve their priority natural areas and the many benefits that come with a healthy environment.

The development of Open Space Inventories (OSIs) and Open Space Plans (OSPs) are two popular approaches that communities use to prioritize local conservation efforts. This webinar will introduce participants to the basics of creating OSIs and OSPs and will feature case studies from recently completed projects in the City of Kingston and the Town of Blooming Grove.

Register now for this Conservation and Land Use webinar on Tuesday, February 23, 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Webinar attendees will receive an email confirming attendance, which may be submitted locally for 1.5 hours of municipal planning or zoning board training credit. 

Presenters include Nate Nardi-Cyrus, DEC Hudson River Estuary Program and Cornell University; Julie Noble, City of Kingston; and Johanna Kiernan, Town of Blooming Grove. 


An image of the Shawangunk Ridge in fall on a cloudy day with field of wildflowers in the foreground. Photo: Laura Heady

Wildlife EducaShin: A Unique Perspective on Environmental Education
February 24, 3 - 4 p.m.

This is an image of Shinara Sunderlal.Shinara Sunderlal is a conservation educator at the New York Aquarium and has a story to tell. From teaching children in basements with no electricity in her hometown in India, to hosting virtual STEM workshops for Title 1 schools in New York City, Shinara has had a unique path to environmental education. Join Shinara for an afternoon of discussion about the importance of connecting young people with nature and about her own journey to  conservation education. Shinara will be zooming from the Aquarium, so you’ll also have a chance to meet some sharks!

Shinara began teaching during high school in her hometown of New Delhi, where she worked with youth to raise environmental awareness through the arts. She has a B.A. in Environmental Policy and Biology and a M.A. in Environmental Conservation Education from NYU. When Shinara is not facilitating workshops for schools and families or leading summer camps at the Aquarium, you can find her outdoors with her binoculars, singing Indian classical music, or doing yoga at her favorite studio in Brooklyn. This Women in Science webinar takes place Wednesday, February 24th, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. Register for the webinar now.