This is a past event
Climate Week 2024
Sep 20—29, 2024
Climate Week NYC 2024 events on Governors Island are organized by the Trust for Governors Island, the Island’s community of partners and tenants, and The New York Climate Exchange and its core partners. Events will take place across Governors Island, including at a new community convening space inside Building 309 (the former Our Lady Star of the Sea) — a deconsecrated former military chapel located in the Island’s Historic District that features Church, Shantell Martin’s popular public artwork commissioned through Governors Island Arts, on its façade. This historic building has recently undergone upgrades to create an accessible indoor space for community events on Governors Island. Events will take place in Building 309 unless otherwise noted.
Schedule of Events
ONGOING: Other of Pearl, Jenny Kendler Governors Island Arts and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) Open Friday-Sunday through November 3 in Fort Jay — Public art installation that tells the story of the extractive histories that form the origin stories of the climate and environmental crisis, while considering the oyster and whale as central players in an ecological entanglement between human and nonhuman beings, waterways, and flows of capital. Through seven delicate works, the artist confronts contemporary environmental issues — climate change, ocean noise, chemical pollution, biodiversity loss, and sea level rise — while pointing towards the cultural structures that have allowed these catastrophes to occur.
ONGOING: Sari Carel: A More Perfect Circle, KODA Open Friday-Sunday through October 31 in Colonels Row Building 407B — Artist and activist Sari Carel presents a series of ceramic sculptures inspired by the single-use coffee cup, uncovering a sense of powerlessness and conflict about a choice at the center of a daily routine. This public art installation explores what happens to this item when tossed into the trash can, and why we take it for granted.
ONGOING: [SUN] Flower Waves, Harvestworks Open Friday-Sunday through October 31 in Nolan Park Building 10A — This digital media installation by Victoria Vesna in collaboration with Walter Gekelman explores the harmonious interaction between sunflowers and Alfvén waves, demonstrating how art and science converge to reveal deeper understandings.
ONGOING: Governors Island Arts Public Artworks — Governors Island Arts, the arts and cultural program presented by the Trust, boasts a diverse collection of public art pieces, several of which engage directly with issues of climate and the environment, including Sam Van Aken’s The Open Orchard, Mark Dion’s The Field Station of the Melancholy Marine Biologist, and Duke Riley’s Not for Nutten.
September 21, 1 – 4PM: Play is Power: Design Your Own Climate Game, Climate Imaginarium Colonels Row Building 406A — In this series of consecutive, hour-long workshops, participants will be guided step-by-step through the process of designing their very own Climate Game: a tabletop, role-playing, or outdoor game that explores a climate issue of their choosing. Register
September 21, 11AM‑3:30PM: Environmental Walkshop with Melting Metropolis & CUNY Community Sensor Lab, Wellcome Trust & The New York Climate Exchange Departing from Soissons Landing Register
September 21, 2 – 3:30PM: Governors Island Birds & Bees Tour, The Bee Conservancy and NYC Bird Alliance Colonels Row Building 405B - Join NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) and The Bee Conservancy for a special tour highlighting the birds and bees around Governors Island, including the Urban Farm. Since 2018, The Bee Conservancy has established a Bee Santuary on Governors Island, complete with native flower beds, honey bee hives, and native bee homes. In addition to bees, nearly 240 bird species have been spotted on Governors Island, which provides excellent habitat all year round. Register
September 21, 2PM: Nature in Absentia: Monarch Migrations Artist Talk, ArtCrawl Harlem Colonels Row Building 403 — ArtCrawl Harlem resident artist Michele Brody will delve into her captivating installation that explores the themes of environmental change and the delicate journey of monarch butterflies.
September 22, 1 – 3PM: Earth, Wind, and Water demonstration, Earth Matter NY Urban Farm — Discover the role organic matter plays in water retention, erosion control, and carbon sequestration.
September 22, 1 – 4PM: Climate Week NYU Kickoff, NYU & New York Climate Exchange Register
September 22, all day: NYU Climate Week BioBlitz, NYU Learn more & download iNaturalist
September 22, 2 – 2:30PM: Climate Week Seed Collecting, The Bee Conservancy Urban Farm — Collect seeds with the Bee Conservancy at their Bee Sanctuary on Governors Island’s Urban Farm — participants will get seed collecting tips, learn about seed stratification and germination, and hear how climate and its changes impact the bee and plant species on Governors Island and beyond.
September 22 – 25, 5 – 7PM: Climate Week Walking Tours, Billion Oyster Project Nolan Park Building 16 — Join a Climate Week walking tour to explore Billion Oyster Project’s vibrant efforts in restoring New York Harbor’s oyster reefs and their impact on combating climate change. Register
September 23, 9 – 11AM: Cities and Climate Change: Global Insights and Urban Solutions Emerging from the Assessment Process Urban Climate Change Research Network & New York Climate Exchange Register
September 23, 12 – 3PM: Extreme Heat Survival Through a Public Health Lens: Introducing Project HEATWAVE (Part1), NYU & The New York Climate Exchange (by invitation only)
September 23, 3 – 4:30PM: Ready Set Act! An Ethical Framework for a Rapidly Changing Climate Community, American Geophysical Union & New York Climate Exchange Register
September 23, 5 – 7PM: Urban@UW’s Research to Action Collaboratory, University of Washington & The New York Climate Exchange (by invitation only)
September 24, 10AM-1PM: Solutions to the Energy Transition Challenges in the NYC Region, Stony Brook University & New York Climate Exchange (by invitation only)
September 24, 11AM-5PM: Wasted Textiles: A Story About Slow Fashion in Film & Art, Climate Imaginarium Colonels Row Building 406A - Enjoy short films and art exhibit by filmmaker and slow fashion designer Clementina “The Sustainable Latina” Martinez-Masarweh.
September 24, 12 – 2PM: A Journey into the Mind of a Trash Talker: Fashion, Film, & Art, Climate Imaginarium Colonels Row Building 406A - Is textile talk a waste? A not so demure, Clementina “The Sustainable Latina” Martinez-Masarweh shares her art, her short films and talks about dumpster diving, thrifting, and upcycling for her runway shows, and art exhibits.
September 24, 12 – 2PM: Adaptation(s) 2.0 Guided Tours, Pratt Institute Center for Climate Adaptation Nolan Park Building 14 — Guided tour of exhibitions that spotlight different perspectives on climate adaptation and strategies in archipelagos — communities at the greatest risk and in need of finding livable solutions for future climate change. Register
September 24, 3 – 7:30PM: Charging Ahead: Global Strategies for Bus Electrification, Crux Alliance & The New York Climate Exchange Register
September 24, 4 – 6PM: IA Island(ing) Adaptations Discussion, Pratt Institute Center for Climate Adaptation Admiral’s House — Panel discussion bringing together representation from high level government officials, innovative designers, financial leaders, and policy makers. Participants will share their perspectives and engage one another and the audience in discussion through a moderated discussion and a Q&A. Register
September 25, 8:30AM: Milkweed Morning Volunteer Opportunity, Governors Island Nature - Join the Trust for Governors Island’s horticulture team during to help wrap up the Year of Milkweed initiative. This is a unique Participants will be collecting and cleaning milkweed seeds, a native plant essential for monarchs and other pollinators. Register
September 25, 9AM-6PM: Climate Tech Showcase, The New York Climate Exchange Register
September 26, 10 – 11:30 AM: Imagining Climate Resilient and Thriving Communities through Youth Education Programs, Georgia Tech & New York Climate Exchange Register
September 26, 12 – 3PM: Growing the Green Collar Workforce The New York Climate Exchange & NYCETC Register
September 26, 3 – 4:30PM: Living Buildings are Resilient Buildings: Climate Mitigation AND Adaptation, Georgia Tech & New York Climate Exchange Register
September 26, 6:30 – 8:30PM: Film Screening and Panel: “Outside the Climate Bubble,” Wellcome Trust & The New York Climate Exchange Register
September 27, 9:30AM-12:30PM: THE OCEAN COUNTDOWN: Dine, Design, Do, The New York Climate Exchange, Okhtapus, and The Undertow Register
September 27, 11AM-1PM: Sustainable Storytelling: On and Off Camera, Climate Imaginarium and the “Micro-Plastination” film crew Colonels Row Building 406A — Learn what makes an impactful story that inspires change both on and off camera. This panel will include a mixer with other media-makers and a preview of an upcoming short film: “Micro-Plastination.” Register
September 27, 1 – 3PM: Healthy Choices, Healthy Planet: Climate Awareness in Health Education, Pace University & New York Climate Exchange Register
September 27, 1 – 4PM: Sustainable Stories: Climate, Food, and Culture through Diverse Voices, Climate Imaginarium and The Uproot Project Colonels Row Building 406A — A keynote on the intersection of diversity, culture, and food as climate solutions, followed by a panel discussion and workshop offering storytelling techniques for environmental journalism and insights into highlighting these crucial intersections. Register
September 27, 1 – 4PM: Climate Education for Sustainable Cities: Solutions That Inspire, UNESCO, GrowNYC, the Trust for Governors Island Building 309 - Join us for a unique event combining panel discussions with a tour of some of NYC’s more innovative climate solutions and reception at GrowNYC’s urban farm. Register
September 27, 2 – 3:30PM: Climate Week Nature Walk, The Trust for Governors Island Departing from Liggett Terrace — Led by the Governors Island Nature program along with insect ecologist Amy Berkov, this tour will take participants on a journey through Governors Island’s diverse natural areas, discussing the impacts of climate change on insect populations. You’ll get to learn about these resilient, built landscapes directly from the people who know them best, and get the chance to participate in different community science projects. Register
September 28, 10AM-5PM: Imaginary Acoustic Visions of Castle Williams, Harvestworks & New York Climate Exchange
September 28, 11AM-1PM: Solarpunk & Hopepunk: Imagine a Better Future, Climate Imaginarium & NYC Climate Writers Collective Colonels Row Building 406A — Learn about hopepunk and solarpunk writing and harness your imagination to build a greener and more just world. Register
September 28, 11AM-5PM: Flower Plasma by Victoria Vesna in collaboration with plasma physicist Walter Gekelman and biomedical engineer Haley Marks, Harvestworks Nolan Park Building 10A — Special installation featuring sound and images from UCLA’s Large Plasma Device, solar wind data from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, and natural recordings — offering an immersive meditation on solar energy and the cycle of creation and destruction.
September 28, 1 – 3PM: Climate Café- “Red: A Mark Rothko Story,” “Imagined Futures: Grief & Seeds,” Climate Imaginarium Colonels Row Building 406A — An uplifting afternoon of refreshments, meditation, and a meaningful conversation on climate emotions. Participants can enjoy coffee and snacks with others in the climate community as they share their feelings and get to know others in the movement. Register
September 28, 2 – 2:30PM: Gardening for Climate Change, GrowNYC Urban Farm - This guided tour will focus on how climate change will impact gardening, what GrowNYC’s Teaching Garden on Governors Island does to mitigate its impact on climate change, and how gardens can adapt to a changing climate.
September 28, 2 – 3:30PM: Governors Island Bird Tour, NYC Bird Alliance and the Trust for Governors Island Colonels Row Building 405B — Whether you’re an expert birder or a beginner, this guided tour — led by an NYC Bird Alliance educator along with the Trust for Governors Island’s arborist — will help you discover all of the birdlife the Island has to offer, and how the Island’s trees provide vital habitat. Register
September 28, 2 – 3:30PM: Climate Week Pollinator Walk, The Bee Conservancy Urban Farm — Learn about New York City’s pollinators (and the habitats that support them) and explore nature through a pollinator’s lens with an experienced guide from the Bee Conservancy. Register
September 28, 3 – 6PM: Remember Ida: A 3rd Anniversary Podcast Listening Session and Reflection Circle, Queens Memory Project & New York Climate Exchange Register
September 28, 3 – 5PM: The Chase (EP) Release Party: A Climate Week Jam, Climate Imaginarium and Credle Entertainment Colonels Row Building 406A — Celebrate the close of Climate Week with the release of CREDLE’s 5th studio project, The Chase (EP), an Afropop, R&B, and House genre-focused music project. Register
September 29, 1 – 3PM: Solarpunk & Hopepunk: Imagine a Better Future, Climate Imaginarium & NYC Climate Writers Collective Colonels Row Building 406A — Learn about hopepunk and solarpunk writing and harness your imagination to build a greener and more just world. Register
September 29, 3 – 5PM: Grief & Seeds: Honoring the Past, Creating the Future, Climate Imaginarium, Holes in the Wall Collective, American Indian Community House Colonels Row Building 406A — Close out Climate Week with intention at this gathering to honor place and possibility. Featuring elder and activist Jk Canepa, youth organizer Anna Tsomo with youth from 6th St. Community Climate Action group, a popup seed gathering with Next Epoch Seed Library, and a closing ritual led by Noelle Ghoussaini of Sacred Space. Register
Related
See below for past programs and events on Governors Island.