Federated Conservationists of Westchester County

Our Vision and Mission

FCWC, founded in 1965, envisions a county in which an environmental ethic defines and shapes all public and private decisions.

Our mission is to provide leadership that educates about environmental issues, advocates sound decision making, and unifies groups and individuals to protect and preserve Westchester's environment and address climate change.

Our motto is “Think Globally, Act Locally,” because we know the most effective change is from the grassroots – it comes from you.

FCWC's 4th Thirsty Thursday Pub Talk brings a full house to Sing Sing Kill Brewery!

FCWC's Pub Talk on August 22 at Sing Sing Kill Brewery in Ossining was powerful and timely. With our featured speaker, NYS Assembly Member Sandy Galef, FCWC packed this beautiful pub for a very engaging and informative discussion about New York State, Westchester County, and local government action on climate. The authentically "all-New York" Sing Sing Kill Brewery provided a a warm, comfortable setting and delicious local brews and food to fuel a very enlightening evening of informal discussion between elected officials and citizens.

In addition to Assembly Member Galef, NYS Senators David Carlucci and Shelley Mayer, Assembly Members Tom Abinanti and Steve Otis, and County Legislators Catherine Borgia and Nancy Barr were all eager to connect with constituents on the defining issue of our times: Climate. Attendees were also inspired to hear from Village of Ossining Mayor Gearity and Ossining Town Supervisor Dana Levenberg about the many important and enriching initiatives in the Village and Town of Ossining.

Sandy started the evening off with an impressive and encouraging report on climate and environmental legislation passed in the last NYS legislative session---the most productive NYS legislative session in recent memory. Reports on action at the County level and in the Town and Village of Ossining were also inspiring. Citizens brought up questions and concerns about how our State, County and municipalities will move forward to meet the goals of the newly passed Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act.

One question revolved around our schools---how well our young people are being educated to understand the world that they will inherit. NY State prides itself in our school system, but a veteran environmental educator offered his reflection that many NYS students do not understand the basic systems of our planet --even at the college level. Shelley Mayer, as Chair of the Committee on Education offered the encouragement that the State Board of Education and the State Legislature and working together better than ever before. Senator Mayer encouraged educators and people with expertise in this area to contact her to help offer understanding of how the school system can better serve students in this time when the well-being of our planet is in such jeopardy.

At each level of government, our elected officials had draft legislation and ideas to point to. The main message from all of them, though, is that our public servants want us to call, write, and meet with them, to send them resources and information on areas of our knowledge and concern. With so many critical issues and so much to learn, our legislators need our input. The main takeaway of the evening: These times require those in public office to work harder than ever. We citizens must also work harder than ever to help and support them----Get out your activist shoes and get into the action!

STUDENTS:

This school year will be unlike any other!

The school year starts off with the September 20th Global Student Strike for Climate Action -- https://globalclimatestrike.net

Many of you will be participating on your campus with this global strike. Please send us your photos and reports on your action so that we can post them on our Student Network page!

And FCWC is working with the County Climate Crisis Task Force to organize a Student-Youth Climate Action Summit for March 2020---You will want to be a part of this action!

September will be BUSY!!

Chappaqua Library & Town of New Castle present:

Author talk and lecture: The Girl and the Tiger

Wed. Sept. 18 - 7:00 PM

Naturalist Paul Rosolie discusses his novel about a young girl trying to save a tiger in the changing landscape of a modernizing India. Informed by a decade of research of endangered species in the rainforests-plus experiences with the legends of local people in remote villages-this gripping story explores our relationship to the natural world.

Mr. Rosolie is a conservationist, naturalist, explorer, and award-winning wildlife filmmaker and his work to preserve ecosystems and wildlife around the world.

Cosponsors: Federated Conservationists of Westchester County & Friends of Chappaqua Library

Library programs are free and open to the public.

Note: Click here for recent interview with the author on CBS This Morning!

Chappaqua Library & Town of New Castle present:

Celebrate 2019 NYC Climate Week as we join with 5 Westchester Audubon groups for a screening of a film depicting how Americans are demanding and developing real solutions in the face of climate change.

Cosponsors: Bedford Audubon, Bronx River-Sound Shore Audubon, Central Westchester Audubon, Hudson River Audubon, Saw Mill River Audubon, Federated Conservationists of Westchester County and Town of New Castle All library programs are free and open to the public.

Leading disaster and climate change law expert

Rob Verchick will present

“Lights Out: Climate Resilience and Energy Justice”

WHITE PLAINS, NY – The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University announced today that Rob Verchick will give the 2019 Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Lecture on Environmental Law. Mr. Verchick holds the Gauthier-St. Martin Chair in Environmental Law at Loyola University New Orleans and is a nationally recognized expert in climate change law. His talk, Lights Out: Climate Resilience and Energy Justice, will take place on the Haub Law campus on September 26th at 5 p.m.

“As home to the #1 ranked environmental law program in the nation, Haub Law is proud to host scholars and practitioners from around the world to speak to our students and faculty about pressing environmental challenges to help develop solutions,” said Interim Associate Dean & Executive Director of the Environmental Law Program Katy Kuh. “We look forward to welcoming Rob Verchick to campus to speak about the intersection of the energy system and climate change.”

The lecture will focus on how energy policy affects climate impacts. Verchick argues that making the nation’s energy grid climate-ready requires forward-looking policies that will spur change in technology, operations, and markets. Such reforms are barely under way, and still more are needed.

“From rancid food to emergency-room nightmares, communities take a punch when the lights go out,” said Kerlin lecturer Rob Verchick. “The nation’s aging power grid leaves us very susceptible to such risks. And the growing intensity of floods and storms on account of climate change make things even worse. If we fail to account for the climate’s impact on our energy system and don’t start addressing them now, we’ll leave our children and grandchildren with a massive infrastructure problem—one that will affect their personal safety and economic well-being.”

Rob Verchick is a leading expert in disaster and climate change law and a former EPA official in the Obama administration. He holds the Gauthier-St. Martin Chair in Environmental Law at Loyola University New Orleans and is a Senior Fellow at Tulane. He also leads the Center for Progressive Reform, a think tank focused on health and the environment. He has written more than 60 articles and four books, including the award-winning, Facing Catastrophe. His podcast, CPR’s Connect the Dots, offers straight talk with policy experts on everything from food safety to pipeline wars. Verchick has spent a career studying environmental resilience. He has paddled swamps, scaled glaciers, and dived among endangered corals, all to understand what’s at stake and how we can protect the things we need—and love. Verchick graduated with honors from Stanford University and Harvard Law School. He divides his time between New Orleans and Whidbey Island, Washington.

Heads Up for October/November!

Sparkle for a Cause at Crabtrees Kittle House!

PlanItWild - YouTube

Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Crabtree's Kittle House Restaurant & Inn

11 Kittle Rd, Chappaqua, New York 10514

November 5th (Election Day!)
is Federated Conservationists of Westchester County Day at Crabtree's Kittle House!

Come out for dinner (5:30-8:30 pm) on November 5th, and 30% of your entire check will be donated to FCWC!!
Join us for Live Music, Great Food and Sparkling Cocktails! All for a great cause.
Please call to make reservations and mention 'sparkle' when you make your reservation!
All of their menus are available and applicable to the 30% donation to each charity.

Reminder: remember to vote in your local elections first!

Save the Dates! Details to follow!

Environmental Justice Conference

Friday, November 8, 2019

co-sponsored by Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University

Climate Change in NY - Forum with Sandy Galef

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Cortlandt Town Center - 7 PM

Youth Climate Action Summit

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Westchester County Center - 8 AM - 2 PM

Other events can be found on our calendar!

Latimer swears in FCWC Officers 2018.jpg

We've always worked hard to provide leadership that educates about environmental issues, advocates sound decision making, and unifies groups and individuals to protect and preserve Westchester's environment and address climate change.

Make your mark today with a 100% tax-deductible donation to FCWC, so that we can continue to protect and preserve Westchester's environment in 2018.