ESF students clean up the green roof on the gateway center

City and County Proclaim 4/22 SUNY ESF Day

04/22/2020

The City of Syracuse and Onondaga County will recognize the 50th anniversary of Earth Day by recognizing the contributions that the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry have made to the local, state, and national environmental and sustainability efforts. Toward that goal, the City and County have proclaimed that all future Earth Days in the City of Syracuse and Onondaga County will also be known as SUNY ESF Day.

County Executive McMahon said, "It is important now, more than ever, that we be good stewards of our local environment. SUNY ESF has been a leader in this front, and it is fitting that we recognize their efforts on Earth Day." McMahon continued, "While we may not be able to get together like in years past, I still encourage folks to do their part to clean up our community while practicing responsible social distancing."

"SUNY ESF has played an integral role in Syracuse's emergence as a leader in sustainability and green technology," said City of Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh. "The college has produced some of the foremost leaders in environmental stewardship and natural resource management, and has made significant contributions throughout the Central New York region and around the world. It is fitting to honor SUNY ESF with a proclamation on this day recognizing 50 years of coordinated efforts to protect the earth, and I'm proud to have this world-class institution right in our own backyard."

"We are honored to have the work of our faculty and students recognized with this proclamation," said David Amberg, interim president of SUNY ESF. "The College's mission is at the very heart of Earth Day, as developing sustainable solutions for every facet of life is the foundation for all that we do. We prepare graduates to meet the critical call to action for clean air; clean water; to protect, preserve, and understand biodiversity; and to ignite a passion in those around us for caring for the world that gives so much to us."

The joint proclamation was issued by the City and County on April 22, 2020. The College is celebrating Earth Week this year with virtual celebrations in light of the pandemic. In the fall, the College will celebrate the half-birthday of SUNY ESF Day with a day of in-person events that recommit the college and local community to the united spirit and sense of shared responsibility that energized this movement on April 22, 1970.