POTSDAM – The public is invited to attend the annual Sustainability Day and Green Living Fair at Clarkson University.

In addition to keynote speakers on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27 and 28, there will be more than 30 exhibitors, electric vehicles, workshops and more from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday in Clarkson’s Schuler Educational Resources Center (ERC).

The exhibits will feature community organizations, renewable energy and environmentally oriented businesses, local food service, topical posters created by area students, outdoor learning activities, and an informational display of electric vehicles. A fun and educational “Kid’s Zone” is also planned.

The event is free.

The Sustainability Day and Green Living Fair is sponsored by the North Country Partnership for Environmental Action, Community, and Sustainability (NoCoPEACS), a project of the Associated Colleges of the St. Lawrence Valley and Paul Smith’s College.

Two keynote speakers will be featured.

The first keynote address, “Waters Have No Borders: Working Together for the Great River and the Great Lakes,” will be virtual from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27.

Hosted by Talking Rivers, the artist and activist couple Blake Lavia and Tzintzun Aguilar-Izzo, it will feature four panelists from across the Great Lakes Bioregion discussing how to unite across borders and advocate for the rights of the connecting waters that bring life to all.

Coming from different fields of expertise, including environmental management, freshwater science, and Indigenous methodologies, the panelists will address the intricacies of the geopolitical interests that partition the Great Lakes. The panelists will include Kerry-Ann Charles, Jerome Marty, Heather Stirratt, and Abraham Francis, who is pursuing a PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering at Clarkson.

Together they will grapple with the settler colonial constructs that treat this Bioregion as a mere resource, and will contemplate the implications of granting legal enforceable rights to the Great Lakes’ ecosystems.

The presentation is part of a symposium series, “Listening to Water,” that will run through November, with workshops, talks, events and art exhibits that explore the Rights and Rites of Nature.

For more information on the panelists and to register for the virtual keynote visit TalkingRivers.org/Water-Has-No-Borders.

The second keynote talk will feature Dr. Curt Stager, an esteemed Paul Smith’s College Professor of Natural Sciences, on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 3:30 p.m. in the Student Center Forum at Clarkson.

He will speak about how climate change is affecting plants, animals and people in the Adirondacks and what to expect in the future.

Stager is an author, radio co-host, and a science journalist focusing on ecology, paleoclimatology.

His diverse background and communication skills have enabled him to contribute immensely to the long-term sustainability of the Adirondacks.

A variety of workshops, talks and panel presentations are planned Saturday, Oct. 27 in the Schuler ERC Building at Clarkson University. The schedule follows:

10:30 a.m.

• Carbon Offsets and Climate Change, Alex French, Climate Action Reserve. Presents why carbon offsets are critical for incentivizing climate action at least cost. It will include examples from projects registered with the Climate Action Reserve.

• Transforming Landscapes for Sustainability, Raymond Bowdish, WISER Center(SUNY Potsdam) The Conway School’s Campus Sustainable Master Plan for SUNY Potsdam is presented with workshop activities to help you transform your backyard or your institution’s or business’s landscape.

• Net Zero Houses in Northern New York, Jon Montan & Will Siegfried, community members. Jon and Will both live in net zero energy homes. They will describe the design, construction and operation of a home and retrofitting an existing home with solar, a heat pump and induction stove

• Re-Use and Waste Diversion: Universities Partnering with Community, Lori Clark, St. Lawrence University. Panel discussion on Re-use, Thrift store/events, furniture exchange and green purchasing and the interactions between campus and community that support the circular economy.

11 a.m.

• NP&L, a Community Hydro Company, with emphasis on Community Kate Glenn & Emmett Smith, Northern Power & Light.

11:45 a.m.

• How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint with the Vehicle You Already Own, Brandon Baldwin, SUNY Canton Automotive. Can’t afford to buy a hybrid or EV? Learn how to reduce your impact on the earth with your transportation needs.

• Tiny House Design for a Sustainable Lifestyle, Dr. Deborah Naybor, Paul Smith’s College. In this workshop, you will learn design techniques which maximize available space and functionality while minimizing square footage. We’ll discuss options for plumbing, heating and energy supply as well as a review of building codes and regulations that can impact your ability to live legally in a tiny house.

• Wear and Repair: Student-Led Workshop, Clarkson Sustainability Club, Clarkson University. Join this hands-on sustainable fashion workshop and clothing swap. Bring clothes you may no longer wear to swap and have the chance to learn how to mend your own clothes.

• Benefits of Masonry Heaters: History, Structure, Design to Living Space and Use, Mark Seymour, Radiant Hearth Inc. This presentation will highlight the benefits of masonry heaters: history, structure, design to living space. and use.

• Rich Road Solar Integrated Design Workshop, Haylee Ferington, EDF Renewables. In this workshop we will have an interactive session on what the community would like to see in and around the solar facility, such as sheep grazing, bee habitats and more! Community members can input feedback and ideas!

12:15 p.m.

• Stories! Join Master Story Teller Dan Dullea for 30 minutes of fun and interactive earth centered stories. For kids of all ages.

1 p.m

• Greening Your Career Path: Student-Led Panel, Institute for a Sustainable Environment (ISE) Interns, Clarkson University. Join professionals in green careers like policy, conservation, energy and more.

1:30 p.m.

• The Environmental Cutting Board, Dr. Deborah Naybor, Paul Smith’s College. You will build a small but beautiful cutting board using local and exotic woods. Participants will assemble the cutting boards from precut strips (no cutting required) using glue and clamps.

For more information, email GreenLivingNNY@gmail.com, see the NoCoPEACS page on Facebook, or visit www.bit.ly/GreenLivingEvents.