The Village of Pelham Climate Smart Communities Task Force, whose members have been appointed by the village trustees since 2019, is running a town-wide nature photo contest to raise awareness about global warming.

 The task force sees the viewpoints of young people as a top priority in the fight against global warming.

“I joined the Climate Smart Communities Task Force because I saw a need for Pelham to be more environmentally conscious on a local level,” said committee member Nadine Leesang, a Pelham Memorial High School senior.

Although there are many projects on the way in the coming year, the task force will be starting the 2020-21 school year with an Instagram photo contest. Running from Oct. 23 to Nov. 23, the contest will allow Pelham residents to display their nature-based photography. Those interested in participating can post submissions to Instagram under the hashtag #CSCphotosynthesis. 

The photo contest is the first step towards the task force’s vision for a greener Pelham. “We have lots of exciting projects planned for this year,” said Leesang. “We are currently planning a campaign for Pelham residents to install geothermal and air source heat pumps, installing a food scrap recycling program, advocating for tree canopy protection, and, of course, finalizing the photo contest.”

The task force works with the village’s sustainability advisory board and EcoPel to educate on climate and sustainability issues and to implement sustainability programs in the village. It is looking for new members. More information is available here.