A Message from the President, Daniel M. Spada
June 2013
Dear Members, Supporters, and Friends,
The Adirondack Research Consortium has made significant strides in recent years to more permanently establish the organization in the Adirondack community. The Annual Conference on the Adirondacks has grown in participation and program, and has become much more relevant to the important issues we face as a region and State. The Adirondack Journal of Environmental Studies (AJES) is now firmly established in the on-line platform community making it far more accessible and meaningful to a broader audience. We expect that its reach, content, and relevance will grow as we move forward.
This year we have begun the two-year celebration of the Consortium’s 20th anniversary! We have a great deal planned. This spring, we held the first College Student Research Paper Symposium at Paul Smith’s College. Many thanks to the Pearsall Adirondack Foundation and the International Paper Foundation for their financial contributions and program support. Eleven students participated from five different colleges as far away as Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. Select presentations were invited to be part of the program at the Annual Conference on the Adirondacks and were offered opportunity to publish in a new student section of AJES. It was just a great experience for these students.
The 20th Annual Conference on the Adirondacks was May 15th and 16th, 2013 in Lake Placid. The theme was “20/20 – A Look Back 20-Years, Today, and 20-Years in the Future” and focused on the topics of climate change, sustainability and communities, wilderness and working landscapes, and wildlife and ecological trends. Featured speakers included Andy Revkin of the New York Times and Stephen Jackson of the Southwest Climate Center. A highlight of the Conference was the first-ever performance of the Adirondack Research Scientist Musical Review at the evening reception.
(2013 Adirondack Research Scientist Musical Review led by Dr. Curt Stager (left) Paul Smith's College, photo Alice Dahl)
This great experiment in conservation, with working landscapes, protected areas, and communities is unique in the world. There are few places that you can experience the quality of life that is found in the Adirondacks. We believe that the long term sustainability of this model is dependent on good research, information, and open dialogue which the Consortium is uniquely positioned to provide. I know you share our passion.
Best regards,
Dan Spada
President, Adirondack Research Consortium
201 Countess Alicia Spaulding-Paolozzi Environmental Research and Education Center
Paul Smith’s College Campus