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Greene County New York

Greene County New York. An Environmental Health Diagnosis. By Aidan McDonough 4th Grade, Tamarac Elementary. Abstract.

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Greene County New York

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  1. Greene County New York

  2. An Environmental Health Diagnosis By Aidan McDonough 4th Grade, Tamarac Elementary

  3. Abstract The aim of my study is to research the characteristics of a New York County and diagnose its environmental health. My county is Greene County, NY. Through my research I learned that: 1. In Greene County, one major habitat is the Catskill Mountains. It is a major tourist attraction. 2. In Greene County, many people work in Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting. The important industries in this county are public administration, retail trade and accommodation and food services. 3. In Greene County, there are watersheds that provide water to New York City. As a major supplier of New York City water, the Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District is a partner with the New York City Department of Environmental Conservation to make sure the water is safe for drinking. 4. In Greene County, there are not any renewable energy plants and there are no plans to make any. There is one section of Greene County with a lot of wind where they may be able to build a wind turbine. 5. In Greene County, there are only transfer stations for waste. The county does not have any active landfills or waste-to-energy stations.

  4. Maps Greene County in relation to the rest of New York State. New York State’s major watersheds.

  5. Methods It is important to study counties to learn about the different characteristics of a county. Studying counties helps us to understand the way a state is broken up into sections with towns, cities, and villages, and helps us to learn what our role is in the county. Researchers can ask many questions in order to understand the county. Specific questions can be asked to determine a county’s environmental health. There is data available for Greene County that shows the number of unhealthy air days in the county, water quality information, information about waste transfer, jobs people have in the county, and population data. This information is available on websites such as NRDC Renewable Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and other state and county websites. One challenge encountered while researching Greene County was finding local news articles that had to do with the environment.

  6. About Eco Ed and Mentors Eco Ed Mentor Michelle Laura Zeliph is a fifth year student at RPI earning a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biology. Michelle is originally from Germantown, NY, a town in another Region 4 County. Next year, Michelle will be studying at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ in pursuit of a PhD in Microbial Biology. Rensselaer’s EcoEd Research Group involves faculty and students in the development and delivery of creative and interdisciplinary environmental lessons and education to K-12 students. In the Upper Elementary School Research Program, young students are assigned an RPI student mentor, and with them move through a nine-week exploration of a research topic, culminating in a substantial written report and formal oral presentation.

  7. Timeline County Timeline 350 million years ago Formation of the Catskill Mountains. The Catskill Mountains are in Greene County. Formation of Marcellus Shale. Most of Greene County is within the Marcellus Shale. 1600s The Mohican tribe, and likely small parts of the Mohawk and Delaware tribes, lived in Greene County. 1663 The Bronck House in Coxsackie, NY (the oldest known building in Upstate New York) was built. March 25, 1800 Greene County becomes a county. August 2008 Report on the water quality of the Lower Hudson River Watershed was issued. The Lower Hudson River Watershed lies within Greene County. 2012 Reevaluation of the water quality in the Lower Hudson River Watershed scheduled for this year.

  8. Background Greene County is located in Region 4, in southeastern New York. It was established in March 25, 1800 and named after General Nathaniel Greene, a famous soldier of the Revolutionary War. Greene County was created by dividing Albany and Ulster County. The first discovery of Greene County was by Henry Hudson who found a Native American flint mine. He described the Catskill Indians as loving people. Greene County contains several mountains in the Catskill Mountain Range. Greene County’s Catskill Mountain Range is a well known tourist site which developed in the mid 1800s for rich people. The Catskill Mountains’ highest peak is Slide Mountain. It is 4,180 feet above sea level. Greene County is made up of towns and is mostly rural. It has a lot of farms. The Catskill region alone has over 2,000 farmers. The population is 49,221 and is average compared to counties located near it.

  9. Environmental Indicators:Watershed Health

  10. Environmental Indicators:Climate Smart Communities There are many ways that people in New York State are trying to combat environmental problems in their counties. One way is by forming climate smart communities. A climate smart community is a group of people who work to improve greenhouse gases and climate change. There are three climate smart communities in Greene County: Hunter, Jewett, and Cairo. “The Town of Hunter, a Climate Smart Community inGreene County, runs a leachate treatment plant at itsclosed landfill site on power generated by a horizontalwindmill. (Photo courtesy Town of Hunter)”

  11. Environmental Indicators:Envirothon Communities are also working to educate their young people about environmental issues. The Envirothon is a competition where high school students compete for awards like scholarships. High school students learn about topics such as forestry, soil, and land use and work with professionals with hands-on experience. High school students in Greene County compete in the Hudson Valley Region Envirothon Competition.

  12. Recommendations Greene County is a healthy county because a good mix of energy sources are used. Greene County emits less pollution than the average county. An environmental agency that helps to protect the health of the county is the Department of Environmental Conservation with the Cornell Cooperative Extension. Their research focuses on the Catskill Creek Watershed and they have a community cleanup program to help keep the water safe for drinking. Greene County, however, faces many challenges. For example, it does not have any renewable energy stations. One way to solve this problem is to start renewable energy plants. Greene County is a healthy county but there is still work to be done to make this county more sustainable.

  13. Industries The major industries in Greene County are public administration, retail trade, and accommodations and food services. One challenge a business may face is not having enough customers. They may need to advertise their businesses more in order to overcome this challenge. B & B Lounge, a resort located in the Catskills Senior Center

  14. Water and Soil The Catskill Creek Watershed and the Lower Hudson River Watershed are some major watersheds in Greene County. The rivers and creeks in Greene County include the Hudson River, Basic Creek, and Catskill Creek. One challenge to water resources in Greene County is fertilizers that may run off and pollute the water. Using organic fertilizers will solve this problem.

  15. Energy The major renewable energy source in Upstate New York, where Greene County is located, is hydroelectric power. The nonrenewable energy mix in this region includes gas, oil, nuclear and coal. One challenge in this region is that they use nuclear energy. Nuclear energy, if it leaks, can cause dizziness and vomiting. Greene County’s energy mix could be made more sustainable if they used less nuclear energy and more renewable energy like hydroelectric. First Fuel & Propane is one business that provides Greene County with oil and propane (natural gas).

  16. Waste Greene County has waste transfer stations and recycling stations. There are no active landfills, waste-to-energy stations, or community composting facilities in Greene County. One challenge associated with waste management in Greene County is that transferring waste is costly and the transfer stations may lose money and decide to close, making it harder for people to dispose of their waste properly. To make waste management more sustainable in Greene County, they can develop systems to recycle and recover energy from food or other organic materials in solid wastes. The Catskill and Windham Transfer Stations are the primary transfer stations for Greene County.

  17. Habitats There are different types of habitats in Greene County. One is the Catskill Mountains where bobcats, black and brown bears, porcupines, fishers, and the threatened timber rattlesnake live. Other habitats include the Rusk Forest and Great Vly. One threat to the forests in Greene County is the number of invasive species. They should be monitored so they do not take over the forest. The Catskill Mountains The Great Vly Wetland

  18. Sources Full list of sources can be found in the paper. Major sources include:

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