BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (October 30, 2018) – A coalition of eight Long Island Audubon chapters, along with the National Audubon Society and Audubon New York, hosts the second annual Long Island Climate Conference at the Sisters of St. Joseph Academy in Brentwood, N.Y. on Saturday, November 10, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. As Long Islanders face the increasing likelihood of more extreme weather events and rising sea levels, Audubon leadership and regional experts will discuss the important and difficult policy decisions that must be made to combat the worst effects of climate change.
“We must take bold steps to address climate change, and I know Long Islanders are up to the challenge.” said David Ringer, Chief Network Officer at the National Audubon Society, who will deliver the keynote address. “At the conference, we’ll talk about actions community members can take to make a big difference.”
The conference will host a broad range of speakers who will address climate threats to coastal communities as well as highlight what is being done and what can be done to mitigate negative effects to Long Island’s critical coastal areas and important habitats for birds, wildlife and people.
“Long Island has experienced a 4-inch rise in sea level over the past 40 years. Over the next 40, sea level is projected to rise between 16 and 30 inches. The implications to coastal sustainability are profound,” said Kevin McAllister, Founder and President of Defend H2O and a panel participant. “Forward looking, politically courageous coastal management decisions must happen without further delay. Clean water, functioning wetlands and recreational beaches hang in the balance."
According to Audubon’s 2014 Birds and Climate Report, which describes how birds’ ranges are likely to shift as the climate changes, 314 North American bird species will be threatened by global warming by 2080, including the Piping Plover and the Red Knot. The report states, “Migrating Red Knots stage in huge numbers along the Mid-Atlantic coast… [and] winter along or near the shore, so rising sea levels will play a key role in determining the Red Knot’s future whereabouts in winter.”
Additional speakers include representatives from local government, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, the Peconic Estuary Program, and numerous advocacy groups.
The conference is open to the public, but registration is required. There is a $12 registration fee that includes lunch with vegan options.
To register for Audubon’s Long Island Climate Conference, please visit: http://ny.audubon.org/events/audubons-second-annual-long-island-climate-conference
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About Audubon New York
Audubon New York, the state program of the National Audubon Society, protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive.
