Sustainable Finger Lakes

10/16/2026

Sustainable Finger Lakes will host an online discussion Oct. 20 about how new power sources connect to New York's electric grid. The Ithaca-based group's “Future Proofing the NY Grid — Part II” webinar is scheduled for noon to 1:15 p.m., with registration available through its event page.

10/16/2026

Sustainable Finger Lakes offers $150-$750 mini-grants for Seneca, Schuyler, and Yates county projects. Apply by November 1.

10/16/2026

Our Communications and Outreach Intern, Maya, will be leading this class on October 24! Sign up!

Hey SewGreen community! It’s crochet season ☺️🧶 If you’ve always wanted to try but don’t know where to start, this one’s for you!

This class will be one standalone session dedicated to teaching participants the essential basics of crochet. No experience is required for attendance! Students will walk away with a crocheted cloth (round or rectangular) which can be used for household cleaning, face washing, etc., as well as a foundational knowledge of crochet.

Skills and topics covered in class:
About crochet hooks and choosing the right yarn for your project
Slip knot
Foundation chain
Single crochet
Half double crochet
Double crochet
Increase stitch
Slip stitch
Sewing in loose ends

Materials needed:
5 mm crochet hook
Medium worsted weight yarn (size 4), wool or acrylic
Darning needle

10/16/2026

Mark your calendars! You wont want to miss these classes in the Textile Repair Series taught by Zoë Van Nostrand . Extend the life of your clothes and accessories by mending them, instead of adding them to the landfill. No experience necessary!
This series is supported in part by a Neighborhood Mini Grant from Sustainable Finger Lakes.

10/16/2026

10/16/2026

After our community’s strong showing at the September 29th Town Hall meeting at the Lansing Middle School, the Town Board requested that their attorney draft language for a ban on data centers. While this was a fantastic outcome and no small victory, we must keep up the pressure on the Town to ensure that the ban moves forward as quickly as possible.

To that end, please mark your calendars and make plans to attend the Town Board's monthly meeting, next Wednesday October 21st, 6:30pm at the Town Hall.

Bring at least one friend or family member. Wear red. Sign up for Privilege of the Floor and encourage the Town Board to draft and propose language for a ban, so we can move to the next step in the process -- a public hearing on the matter.

Again -- we need to keep up the pressure if we want to see a ban happen. Please stay in the fight, even if all that means for you right now is to simply show up to the Town Board meeting. Our collective presence is our power!

10/16/2026

Meet our second speaker for next week's webinar!

Noah Ginsburg is Executive Director of the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA), where he leads policy, advocacy, public education, and industry initiatives to accelerate rooftop and community solar and energy storage across New York. During his tenure, he has strengthened NYSEIA’s political arm, and helped secure major policy victories, including unlocking 2 gigawatts of cost-effective interconnection hosting capacity by intervening in National Grid’s rate case, and spearheading the Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (ASAP) Act campaign.

Previously, Noah served as Program Director at Solar One, expanding access to solar power on affordable housing via technical assistance and workforce development. He began his career as a Solar Ombudsman at the City University of New York before moving to California, where he worked with solar companies including Sungevity, Sunrun, and OnGrid. He also volunteered on more than 40 solar installations with GRID Alternatives and earned his NABCEP PV Installation Professional certification.

Noah holds a bachelor’s degree in Renewable Energy from the CUNY Baccalaureate Program/Hunter College and is passionate about accelerating local solar adoption while expanding access to clean energy.

Our goal for next week's webinar is to help people understand how they can become more involved in building the resiliency of our grid and deciding where they want power to go -- our homes and businesses that benefit the local community!

Registration is required to receive the link: bit.ly/sflxwebinar5

10/15/2026

A key component of sustainable living is, of course, community care. However, it is important to remember that community extends beyond our species. As interconnected beings and a vital part of the ecological landscape, we should always consider the ways we can show up for our beyond-human neighbors. A core pillar of sustainability is working to support the wellness and future of all living beings, including the organisms we may take for granted.

If you are interested in community care that not only supports human wellness, but provides for local fauna, a pollinator garden is a wonderful place to start! The Dutton S. Peterson Memorial Library in Odessa utilized their Fall 2025 Neighborhood Mini-Grant to do just that. In lieu of a typical Mini-Grant update, Sustainable Finger Lakes would like to use this opportunity to share information about the native species the Dutton S. Peterson Memorial Library planted, the fauna they support, and how you can do so, too!

10/15/2026

Meet one of our speakers for next week's webinar!

Marguerite Wells is the Executive Director of the Alliance For Clean Energy New York (ACE NY), having joined the organization in April 2024. Under her leadership, ACE NY expanded its team, earned a spot on City & State’s Top Workplaces list, and successfully co-led a high-profile multi-state lawsuit that overturned a federal ban on new wind projects in December 2025.

A prominent subject matter expert, Wells regularly speaks at major industry events like the CCSA Community & Distributed Energy Summit and Infocast’s New York Energy Summit. Her prior experience includes seven years heading Invenergy’s New York development office—overseeing 2 GW of renewable projects—and developing the community-funded Black Oak Wind Farm. An entrepreneur, she also founded and sold Motherplants, a green roof plant nursery. Wells is a fifth-generation New Yorker who holds a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a Master’s in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh.

Join us next Tuesday to learn about the resilience of our electric grid and how to be involved in making sure it is robust and well supplied with affordable, clean power for our homes and local businesses.

Registration is required to receive the link: bit.ly/sflxwebinar5

10/14/2026

In a world where access to basic needs is not guaranteed for all, the responsibility often falls on communities to bridge the gap. It came to the attention of Dusty Baker, the Director of the Dundee Library, that necessities such as medical equipment have become just one too many steps out of reach for some community members in need. In November of 2025, the Dundee Library was awarded a Neighborhood Mini-Grant to establish a public loaning system for medical technology and supplies.  

After posting about the medical equipment on social media, Baker shared that the library “had a patron see [the] post regarding the blood pressure cuff. When she came in, she told [Baker and library staff] she had recently had a short hospitalization for an infection. Her doctor asked her to track her blood pressure for a week or so following her return home. She told them, ‘I immediately chuckled when the doctor asked me to do that, because I had seen your post not too long before and knew I could stop by and borrow one and not have to purchase it.’” According to Baker, the patron is in good health now and expressed gratitude for access to this resource. 

Stories like these help us remember that the little things are bigger than they seem. What started as a Mini-Grant ended with access to vital health supplies, contributing significantly to the wellness of the community. Sustainable Finger Lakes is proud to have supported this impactful project at the Dundee Library.

Sustainable Finger Lakes is currently looking to help bring community-centered sustainability projects to life for the Fall 2026 Neighborhood Mini-Grant cycle! Learn more about the program by visiting: https://sustainablefingerlakes.org/neighborhood-mini-grant-program/ 

For Seneca, Schuyler, and Yates County residents, the deadline for the Fall 2026 cycle is Nov. 1, 2026.