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Our Vision and Mission

FCWC, founded in 1965,  envisions a county in which an environmental ethic defines and shapes all public and private decisions.
 
Our mission is to provide leadership that:

educates about environmental
issues,

advocates sound decision making, and 

unifies groups and individuals to protect and preserve Westchester's environment and address climate change.


More on Climate Change Communication

Interested in digging deeper on the topic of climate change communication? 

Check out a guide on "The Psychology of Climate Change Communication" by Columbia University's Center for Research on Environmental Decisions.

Some tips:

- "Bring the message close to home. Highlight the current and potential impacts of climate change not only globally, but also locally to increase the audience's sense of connection with the issue."

- "Tap into people's desire to avoid future losses rather than realize future gains."




   News & Upcoming Events
                           Winter 2021

Letter from FCWC's President

February 5, 2021

It is good to see a national administration recognizing climate change. It is good to rejoin the international community, conforming to (surpassing?) the Paris Climate Accord. It is good to have local government leaders working to address legislative needs for solar and wind power implementation, green jobs and environmental justice. So far, one month into 2021, this is all good.

However, we have many tasks ahead of us and we need many hands and minds to address all the issues. We still have months to struggle against COVID 19, its variants, and the economic fallout. We still have much work to do to address the upcoming challenges of climate change, achieve food security, clean up our air and water,  protect pollinators and figure out safe recycling programs. Please join us: join our webinars, our virtual events, our student-led programs, and shop at our green business supporters so FCWC can continue to press our shared goals forward in our local communities, protecting our Westchester environment.

Thank you,
Carol G. Durst-Wertheim, Ph.D.
President, on behalf of the FCWC Board of Directors



WCF Grant News!!



Federated Conservationists of Westchester County (FCWC) is proud to announce we received a grant from the Westchester Community Foundation (WCF) to facilitate community engagement addressing community-prioritized environmental justice issues.   

FCWC will lead workshops, identify expertise and resources, and provide a variety of technical assistance to support actions identified by environmentally concerned Mt. Vernon residents and organizations as they create a more environmentally healthy and resilient Mt. Vernon.  

"Our administration is excited to partner with Federated Conservationists of Westchester County and the Westchester Community Foundation on exploring the environmental justice issues we have here in Mount Vernon," said Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard. "Our belief is that these partnerships will help raise awareness on environmental issues in underrepresented communities like Mount Vernon. We look forward to the resources that become available from this announcement."

FCWC has noted attendees at our conferences and workshops and other environmental meetings in Westchester did not reflect the economic and ethnic diversity of Westchester County for the past several years. We realized the need to extend our work, to encourage and listen to additional voices, to address environmental concerns with locally relevant, and successful, solutions.  

Since 1975 the Westchester Community Foundation (WCF) has worked to improve the quality of life in Westchester by promoting responsible philanthropy and connecting donors to critical local needs. The Foundation is a division of The New York Community Trust, one of the largest community foundations in the U.S., with assets of approximately $2.9 billion. For more information about the Foundation, go to wcf-ny.org.


For more information about FCWC or this grant, visit www.fcwc.org or contact:

Anne Jaffe Holmes
FCWC Director of Programs


Upcoming Events

 Stop & Shop Community Bag Program for February!




For the month of February 2021, 
Federated Conservationists of Westchester County 
will receive $1 donation from each purchase of the 
$2.50 reusable Community Bag at the 

**********************************************************

Westchester Municipal Sustainability Conference



MOM's Grand Opening in Dobbs Ferry!



Coming soon! Opening scheduled for mid-February!  
(in Chauncey Square, off Saw Mill River Parkway)

We welcome MOM's as a new partner in the area, and look forward to collaborating with them!


 
Benefits include:
-30% Store Discount 
-Green Benefits 
-Electric/Hybrid Vehicle Incentive
-Gym Membership
-401k
-Health Insurance 
-Paid Time Off 
-$15/hr

Opening promotion: 5% of Grand Opening Sales will be donated to 

Please watch for dates, as FCWC among others will be included (see link above)!!  


Past Programs Updates

First in our series of Solar Initiatives was very well received! 

Overview of Solar Siting Issues in Westchester
Thurs., Jan. 14, 2021

 - click below for YouTube link
Solar Panels open land




Upcoming Film Festival

In a time of serious stress, nothing soothes like the great outdoors. Now, even people who are staying home will be inspired and excited, thanks to the first-ever virtual outdoors film festival hosted by 7 ICO groups across the country! NYC has partnered with Chicago, Detroit, Palm Beach County, Los Angeles, New Jersey and Tampa Bay to make this the biggest collaborative ICO fundraising event to date.

The 2-night Inspiring Connections Outdoors Film Festival will take place February 20th and 21st beginning at 7PM Eastern Time (6PM Central/5PM Mountain/4PM Pacific) and can be watched on a smart TV or computer on Youtube Premieres. The program will feature a range of exciting, touching, and, importantly, diverse films centered on the outdoors. Night 1 will feature 5Point on the Road, and Night 2 will be a totally unique lineup curated by ICO Volunteers and Youth, including many NYC ICO youth!

Suggested Viewing - Now Free For Schools!

Narrated and featuring Woody Harrelson, Kiss the Ground is an inspiring and groundbreaking film that reveals the first viable solution to our climate crisis. Kiss the Ground reveals that, by regenerating the world's soils, we can completely and rapidly stabilize Earth's climate, restore lost ecosystems and create abundant food supplies. Using compelling graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, the film artfully illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is the missing piece of the climate puzzle.

This movie is positioned to catalyze a movement to accomplish the impossible - to solve humanity's greatest challenge, to balance the climate and secure our species future.
Support FCWC 

Below are a variety of ways you can help support FCWC now and in the future. 

1.Follow us on social mediaLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get updates throughout the month about local events, action alerts, environmental stories and more! 

2. Help us with your purchases: If you're already planning on making a purchase through Amazon, simply use smile.amazon.com instead of amazon.com. On your first visit, select FCWC as your organization to support. Amazon will then donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible Amazon Smile purchases to FCWC at no cost to you. Every bit adds up!



3. Share with your friends: Find yourself forwarding our newsletter to your friends? Please send this link to them so they can sign up too! 

4. Consider making a charitable gift directly from your IRA. If you are 70 1/2 or older you can support FCWC and avoid paying taxes. To learn more about  how to give through your retirement account, or add FCWC as a beneficiary, consult you financial advisor or call FCWC at (914) 422-4053.

 

5. If you are employed at a firm that matches charitable donations, please contact the foundation and fill out the matching form when you make your donation to FCWC.

6.Make FCWC a beneficiary in your will. Please consult your attorney and/or financial advisor before you do this. 

7. Become a Member or Renew Your Membership.  Our members are our strength, and to continue our work, we really need your support! Click on the button below for more information:



We hope you find the information contained within this E-News relevant and useful. As always, please keep in touch and let us know your thoughts and ideas regarding environmental issues throughout the County. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Federated Conservationists of Westchester County
Anne Jaffe Holmes - Managing Director
Monika Kerschus Granholm - Membership Relations