January 28, 2022

MEDIA ALERT

For Immediate Release – January 28, 2022 |  1 pm

Media Contact:

Matt Pusateri, Senior Director of Marketing
(919) 220-5429 x390
matt.pusateri@lifeandscience.org

DURHAM, NC – On February 21, 2022, more than 75 people from North Carolina high schools and community groups will gather at The Museum of Life and Science for the institution’s first Youth Climate Summit.

The effects of climate change are reshaping the world. As its impact escalates over time, it will most directly affect future generations. Numerous national and international reports emphasize the critically urgent need for action on climate change. Young people are stepping up to meet that need.

This Summit will feature a variety of opportunities for pre-registered students to learn, network, and plan. Interactive exhibits and booths will highlight community partners, including Boomerang Bags, Don’t Waste Durham, and community science initiatives. Sessions will highlight land use and environmental planning, sustainable agriculture, action and advocacy, waste reduction, and the changing definition of personal responsibility. Teams will then apply what they learned and create their climate action plan: an actionable carbon reduction plan designed to decrease energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in ways salient to their local community.

Student groups who participated in similar summits at the Wild Center (wildcenter.org) over the past few years returned to their schools to implement change. They have created school gardens to provide food for their cafeterias, expanded recycling and composting programs, examined energy-saving opportunities by conducting carbon audits for their schools, and presented to school boards about their activities and potential financial savings.

Presenters at the Summit will include Erica Neal from Farmer Food Share; author Sami Grover; professor of urban planning at UNC Dr. Danielle Spurlock; Crystal Dreisbach of Don’t Waste Durham; Clean Aire NC; and hosts of Operation Climate at Duke University. This event has been made possible with support from the Biogen Foundation, Triangle Community Foundation, and the Wild Center.

The Museum of Life and Science recognizes the importance of this initiative by the youth in Durham. The commitment and leadership of young people are valuable assets towards climate resilience. Communities, schools, local organizations, and governments are natural partners to implement these solutions in our backyards and work together towards a sustainable future.

More info, including the Summit schedule and registration link, is available at lifeandscience.org/learn/youth-climate-summit.

About The Wild Center and the Youth Climate Program

Youth Climate Summits — like the one to be held in Durham — are a part of The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program, which works to convene and empower young people worldwide to take climate change action. Since hosting the first Adirondack Youth Climate Summit more than 11 years ago, the model, developed by The Wild Center, has inspired over 60 summits in 11 states and five countries, and that number is growing fast. For more information on The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program, visit  wildcenter.org/our-work/youth-climate-program.

About the Museum of Life and Science

Located less than five miles from downtown Durham, the Museum of Life and Science is one of North Carolina’s top family destinations. Our 84-acre campus includes a two-story science center, one of the largest butterfly conservatories on the East Coast, and beautifully landscaped outdoor exhibits. Our interactive experiences include Dinosaur Trail, Ellerbe Creek Railway, Hideaway Woods, Into the Mist, Earth Moves, and Aerospace, which features one of the largest collections of Apollo-era NASA artifacts in the state. The Museum is also an AZA-accredited zoo, home to rescued black bears, lemurs, endangered red wolves, and more than 60 species of live animals. This year, the Museum celebrates its 75th anniversary and its ongoing commitment to the communities of Durham, the Triangle, and North Carolina. To learn more, visit lifeandscience.org.

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