As Earth Month gets underway, a group of New York students is making clear they are not waiting for someone else to address climate change.
Students gathered recently for the first Youth Climate Summit in the Capital Region, driven not by a class assignment, but by something far more personal.
For attendee Piper Casterlin, a concern for the environment was instilled early.
“I grew up with my parents, who always went hiking, were always outdoorsy, always being aware of what is happening around me and how our earth is being affected by the things we do,” Casterlin said.
That awareness has grown into a sense of urgency and responsibility she said feels both personal and generational.
“We are the future generation. We are the next people that are going to be able to make these changes,” she said. “And the way that things are going right now, if we do not make the changes, nothing will happen.”
Fellow attendee River Henriksen echoed that sentiment.
“It’s something that I know is going to impact me and all of my friends in the future,” Henriksen said. “So I just want to try and help with that as much as I can.”
The summit offered students hands-on experience, including chemical testing and examining invertebrates under microscopes.
Organizer Khila Pecoraro said giving young people a sense of agency was central to the event’s mission.
“We want to make sure that students feel like they have a voice and feel like they can achieve something,” Pecoraro said.
Casterlin said she came hoping to find new and innovative ways to help the environment, both on a personal level and by encouraging others.
According to Pecoraro, students who have attended similar events have gone on to revitalize community greenhouses, install water bottle refilling stations and bring solar energy to their schools.
“We’re showing that students are so incredibly knowledgeable and powerful, and youth voices are incredibly important,” she said.