Adirondack Council recognizes Conservationist of the Year efforts

PAUL SMITHS | The Adirondack Council will present its Conservationist of the Year Award to climate change educator and activist Jen Kretser and The Wild Center's Youth Climate Program during the Council's Forever Wild Day celebration on July 9 at Paul Smith's College. "Jen Kretser, the Youth Climate Program and The Wild Center are doing a fantastic job of educating our youth about the dangers of global climate change and what they can do to curb its impacts and prepare for the changes we can no longer prevent," said Adirondack Council Executive Director William C. Janeway. "As Director of Climate Initiatives for The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, Jen manages the center's climate change engagement programs, including the now-famous global Youth Climate Summits and broader Youth Climate Program." "Not only was Jen's program praised by the Obama White House's Office of Science and Technology, she also led The Wild Center Youth Delegation and the US Action for Climate Empowerment Delegation at the United Nations Global Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow last November," said Sarah Collum Hatfield, Chair of the Adirondack Council's Board of Directors. "Science, education and leadership are the keys to climate solutions that provide our children a better future. Jen is inspiring a new generation to take on all three challenges." At The Wild Center, Kretser has also provided interpretive programs for visitors, as well as green building education and design. As a senior staff member at The Wild Center, Jen also works on diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion initiatives, including a longstanding partnership with members of the Haudenosaunee community at Akwesasne. Jen is a member of the coordinating team of the U.S. Action for Climate Empowerment — working to build a network of climate change education, public engagement and training across the country. In addition, she is a founding member of the NY Climate Resilience and Education Task Force, which elevates climate change education and action in NY Public Schools and the national Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network Board. She also serves on the Adirondack Diversity Initiative core team and the Adirondack Mountain Club board of directors. Prior to her work with The Wild Center, Kretser served as Director of Education for the Adirondack Mountain Club for seven years. She focused on educating for responsible recreation, stewardship, and interpretive planning. Originally from Saranac Lake, Kretser is active in the regional arts community — having served on the founding board of BluSeed Studios; coordinated community artists events and showing her own work (printmaking and mixed media) both regionally and in Mexico. Through her interest in international work, Kretser has participated in multiple professional exchanges to Finland to help create the first Finland Youth Climate Summit, the first Youth Climate Summit in Sri Lanka in January 2017, and the first Youth Climate Summit in Germany in November 2018. She has also worked in the Altai Region of Siberia to work with park officials on creating education programs for their National Park system and on an artist exchange to Mazatlan, Mexico. For her work in the Adirondacks, Jen was the 2006 recipient of the ADK Education Award, 2007 EPA Region 2 Environmental Educator Award, APA Appreciation Award, 2015 U.S. EPA Environmental Champion Award, 2018 Spirit of John Brown Freedom Award, and the 2019 Antioch Alumni Award.

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Adirondack Council recognizes Conservationist of the Year efforts

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