2025 COE
Kingston, NY

Thank You!

Our 2025 COE was a
HUGE SUCCESS!

Innovations: Solutions for a Changing Environment

October 24 – 25, 2025 in Kingston, NY

Open to CACs, Climate Task Forces, EMCs and the General Public

Ulster County NYSACC members got into high gear to create a memorable program of plenaries, workshops and field trips to inform and inspire your work. The conference explored key trends, innovations, policies and strategies for staying on top of the issues in our communities. And, included time outdoors in beautiful Ulster County with great weather!

The 2025 COE explored issues in materials and waste management, energy transition, food systems, and open space. Innovation is everywhere. The COE informed about emerging trends, expanded our skills, and grew our network of trusted sources of guidance.

Conference Materials & Recap - click for presentation decks on our three themes

For Circularity recording and past COE recordings, check out our YouTube Channel.

Circularity

Morning

Innovating Materials Management: From Data and Policy to Community Practice

Kathryn Walker, ED, Center for Sustainable Materials Management
Melissa Young, Environmental Finance Center

Re-POWER: A Reuse Innovation Center and Circular Economy Strategic Plan

Tim Weidemann, UCRRA Coordinator of Performance and Development

Afternoon

Organics Processing Pathways

Moderated by Marc Rider, Executive Director, Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency

Biochar - Bill Hilgendorf, NY Carbon
Biogas - Kathy Puffer, Biogas Education Hub

Composting - Cary Oshins, US Composting Council board

Building with Biomaterials: Revitalizing Rural Economies

Stephen Stuart, Yestermorrow Design Build School

Open Space and Land Use

Morning:

New NYS Wetland Regulations

Krista Spohr, Wetlands Outreach Coordinator, NYSDEC Bureau of Ecosystem Health

Keeping Nature Connected

Laura Heady, NYSDEC, Hudson River Estuary Program and Cornell University
Mikael Cetin, Staying Connected Initiative

Afternoon

Using Community Preservation Funds to Protect Open Space

Laura Heady, NYSDEC, Hudson River Estuary Program and Cornell University
Carli Fraccarolli, Government Relations Manager, Scenic Hudson
Julie Noble, Project Manager and Sustainability Coordinator, City of Kingston
Michael Sweeton, Community Liaison for the Orange County Land Trust and Former Supervisor, Town of Warwick

Room Enough for Both: Why It Makes Sense for Conservationists and Affordable Housing Groups to Collaborate

Steve Rosenberg, Hudson Valley Alliance for Housing & Conservation
Rebecca Gillman Crimmins, Hudson Valley Alliance for Housing & Conservation
Adam Bosch, President and CEO of Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress

Energy Transition

Morning

Why Agrivoltaics are the Better Solution

Jared Buono, Director, Cornell's Hudson Valley Research Laboratory
lain Ward, CEO, Solar Agricultural Services, Inc. (SolAg)
Linda Garret, Regional Director, American Farmland Trust's NY & NJ
Meghan Welborn, Lightstar Renewables, LLC

Safe and connected energy storage is the linchpin of the energy transition

Evan VanHook, Viridi Inc.

Afternoon

Alternative fuels for a Sustainable Energy Society

Chulsung Bae, PhD., Associate Director of Center for Future Energy Systems at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Geoengineering Climate: Fiction or necessary Fact

Beate Liepert, PhD., Environmental Studies and Physics Bard College

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NYSACC Board and Annual Meeting

Networking Happy Hour

Evening Dinner and Keynote Speaker

Stephen Posner, Director of the Pathways to Planetary Health initiative at the Garrison Institute

NYSACC Awards

Stephen Posner

Dinner Reception Keynote

Stephen Posner
Director, Pathways to Planetary Health Program, Garrison Institute
Innovation Beyond Technical Fixes:

Building Trust and Vision for Environmental Leadership

Stephen Posner drew on his work in science, policy, and community resilience to explore innovative approaches to addressing the complex environmental challenges we face. Through stories from the Hudson Valley and beyond – from serving on the Town of Marbletown's Environmental Conservation Commission in Ulster County, to engaging with the White House on federal integration of ecosystem services in D.C. – Stephen highlighted the importance of trust, credibility, presence, and relationship in advancing bold, visionary goals at the intersection of people and nature. Stephen invited participants to look deeply into the landscape beyond technical fixes to build comfort and sophistication in relational approaches and systems thinking – reminding us that the success of our work depends not only on the solutions we propose, but on how we show up for the work itself. Participants were encouraged to innovate in how they communicate across differences, cultivate and sustain strategic collaborations, and embrace the visionary dimension of their advisory roles.

See Full Schedule below and HERE
Exhibitor and Vendor Showcase - All Day
Roundtable Presentation by Conservation Advisory Councils and Climate Smart Committees

Sharing Successes - A Casual Roundtable Discussion

Seven CAC reps presented case studies that resulted in a positive outcome in their community. CACs and environmental committees from across the state joined in our Roundtable discussions afterward to discuss and share their own success stories, resources and ideas.

Field Trips

Saturday October, 25th

Morning options