by Connie Oswald Stofko What’s up with this warm weather in Western New York? We can’t predict these things with 100 percent accuracy, but because of El Niño, it looks like we are going to have a mild autumn and early winter, said John Farfaglia, extension educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Niagara County. Our winter may not be as cold as the two previous winters have been, “which would be nice for a change,” he added. We may not…
Tag: Climate change
Fascinating green roof project under way in Springville; you can help
by Connie Oswald Stofko The Springville Center for the Arts is seeking volunteers to start seedlings for its green roof project. You’ll get seeds that you are asked to start in containers and nurture until they’re ready to be transplanted onto the green roof. You don’t have to live in Springville to participate. In addition to the seedling program, volunteers are needed for the installation of the green roof on the building that the arts center is rehabilitating at 5 East Main…
Winter has been bitter, but all that snow should help WNY gardens
by Connie Oswald Stofko This has been one bitterly cold winter. On the plus side, it has been snowy. You may think the cold and snow combine to create a double whammy, but when it comes to our gardens in Western New York, it would have been worse without the snow. “If you see snow, you should be happy,” said Carol Ann Harlos, Master Gardener coordinator for the Erie County Cornell Cooperative Extension. The air temperature and soil temperature can…
Caring for trees in Western New York’s changing climate
by Jeremy Sayers of The Tree Doctor Our trees and shrubs are suffering and changing as a result of climate changes, and as a Board Certified Master Arborist, that concerns me. What also concerns me is that many professional arborists insist on denying scientific consensus on the reality of global warming. Scientific consensus on climate change Emission of greenhouse gasses caused by humans is the leading factor contributing to climate change. In 2001 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the…
What does climate change mean for Buffalo-area gardeners?
by Mike Van Der Puy Climate change is here. What does that mean for gardeners and farmers in Western New York? Should we alter our growing plans? If so, how? Evidence that the climate is changing in Western New York You may have noticed migratory birds arriving earlier than they used to or see some bushes budding in January. Those are clues that the Western New York climate is slowly changing. However, we have more than anecdotal evidence that climate…
Pick a project on 10/10/10 to cut carbon (gardening is an option!)
by Connie Oswald Stofko It’s easy to tell ourselves that we puny humans couldn’t possibly be affecting the earth’s environment. But puny humans polluted the Cuyahoga River in Ohio so badly it caught fire, and our own Lake Erie was once declared dead. We do affect our environment. That’s the bad news. The good news is that while we have the power to harm our environment, we also have the power to improve our environment! On 10/10/10, Western New Yorkers…