Sustainable Finger Lakes

08/31/2026

Local coverage of our press conference last Friday at Salt Point with the Stop Data Center tour.

A crowd gathered near the shore of Cayuga Lake Friday to urge Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill that would establish sweeping regulations for data centers. In July, Hochul […]

08/29/2026

SFLX organized yesterday's press conference on behalf of our FLX Strong Coalition that has been fighting the TeraWulf proposal for a year now.

Nearly 100 protesters and lawmakers gathered near Cayuga Lake to oppose TeraWulf’s proposed data center in Lansing and urged Governor Kathy Hochul to sign legislation imposing stricter regula…

08/29/2026

Thanks to WBNG 12 News for their coverage of the press conference that we helped organize yesterday at Salt Point in Lansing.

Statewide ‘Stop Data Centers’ tour hits Lansing

08/26/2026

We need more Repair Coaches for our Hector Repair Cafe! Know how to fix things such as lamps, vacuums, laptops, and tears in clothing? Contact Emma at [email protected] to receive your intake form. This event will take place at the Valois Logan Hector Fire Company on September 26th (Saturday) from 10am-2pm. Lunch will be provided!

08/25/2026

A huge thank you to Applied Energy Services (AES) for their second generous sponsorship of Sustainable Finger Lakes’ Neighborhood Mini-Grant Program!

This support will help bring community-driven projects to life across Tompkins, Cortland, Cayuga, Seneca, Schuyler, Yates, Steuben, Tioga, and Chemung counties.

Our Neighborhood Mini-Grants provide funding for grassroots projects that strengthen communities, promote environmental stewardship, encourage collaboration, and create opportunities for local leadership and civic engagement.

Sponsors like AES make local ideas into local action!

Interested in bringing an idea to life in your community? Visit our website to apply for a Mini-Grant or learn how you can sponsor local projects like these.

Pictured: Youth gardeners at the West Village Community Garden, a past Mini-Grant recipient!

08/19/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Sustainable Finger Lakes Potluck last night! 🌱🍷

It was a special evening filled with delicious food and wine, meaningful conversations, and plenty to celebrate. 🎉

We had the opportunity to honor our incredible founder, Gay Nicholson, and celebrate the many years of vision, leadership, and dedication she has given to Sustainable Finger Lakes and the greater community. We are endlessly grateful for all she has done, and continues to do!

We also officially celebrated and welcomed our new Deputy Director, Jessika Bond! We’re so excited for everything she will bring to Sustainable Finger Lakes as we look toward the future.

To bring it all together, we shared our Impact Report, emphasizing just how far Sustainable Finger Lakes has come and all the people, partnerships, and programs that have made this work possible over the years. 🌎

Thank you again to everyone who attended! The evening was a wonderful reminder of the strength of this community and the exciting conversations, collaborations, and connections still to come.

08/18/2026

We are hiring interns for the Fall and Spring semesters! Apply soon (deadline: August 27; applications accepted on a rolling basis) or send this to someone who would be a great addition to our team!

The Clean Energy and Networks Intern will:

- Participate as a team member in the outreach and programming of SFLX.

- Take over the ongoing project of developing our network analysis for the clean energy and climate sector on the Kumu platform.

- Follow up with those who have not yet filled out the survey for installers, clean energy hubs, municipal programs, and nonprofits working in the clean energy and climate space across the 14 counties of the Finger Lakes Region.

- Supervise data entry from the surveys, and develop network maps for specific issues to show the relationships and networks of the participants.

- Conduct in-depth review of economic development strategies, workforce development programs, and current marketplace conditions for the clean energy sector in Tompkins and the surrounding counties of Schuyler, Yates, Seneca, Cayuga, Cortland, Tioga, Steuben and Chemung.

- Assist with an awareness and engagement campaign across the 14 counties of the Finger Lakes Region to promote clean energy, environmental stewardship, and climate justice.

In addition, the intern may be asked to help staff with other tasks related to Sustainable Finger Lakes.

Please submit a cover letter and resume to Gay Nicholson, President at [email protected] with Energy Networks Internship in the subject line.

https://cornell.joinhandshake.com/jobs/11318596

08/18/2026

We are hiring interns for the Fall and Spring semesters! Apply soon (deadline: August 27; applications accepted on a rolling basis) or send this to someone who would be a great addition to our team!

The fall/spring intern will:

- Participate as a team member in the outreach and programming of SFLX.

- Write press releases and feature articles for local media to share clean energy stories.

- Post updates to social media and websites for our Finger Lakes Climate Fund and SFLX.

- Research potential businesses across the region to join our Finger Lakes Enterprises for Climate Action (FLECA) and recruit them as a carbon offsetting partner.

- Update our website and social media; make short one-take videos of our partners; create graphic designs using Canva; write and edit short articles; provide community education at events and door-to-door; give talks to groups about our programs.

- Assist with an awareness and engagement campaign across the 14 counties of the Finger Lakes Region to promote clean energy, grid stability, environmental stewardship, and climate justice.

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to Gay Nicholson, President at [email protected] with Communications Internship in the subject line by August 27.

For the full job description, please see the listing on Handshake:

https://cornell.joinhandshake.com/public/jobs/11314720?utm_source=web&utm_campaign=job_share&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_content=stu-copy_link-job_page

08/15/2026

On the Rights of Nature movement, from an American law professor's 1972 article to the fight against fracking in Pennsylvania to the laws passed in countries across the world.

Image: Elizabeth Keokosky. Photo provided by Tompkins Weekly (2022).

(Tompkins Weekly, 8-12-26, by Elizabeth Keokosky) As early as 1972 American law professor, Christopher Stone wrote a detailed, 52-page, seminal article, “Should trees have standing – toward legal rights for natural objects.” Stone writes, “Throughout legal history, each successive extension ...

08/15/2026

After the 2025 halt in federal food benefits, and continuing in a long-term state of increased need, the Fall Creek Elementary School community has been working together to keep the school's students fed.
https://sustainablefingerlakes.org/2026/07/07/fall-creek-for-food-futures/

Image: Tompkins Food Futures logo

(Tompkins Weekly, 7-7-26, by Charles McKenzie) When federal food benefits were cut over the past year, the impact didn’t fall evenly — it landed hardest on children in households already stretched thin by low wages and the rising cost of living. Families who were already walking a tightrope soon...