When we talk about “being green” in Central New York what we really mean is living in better partnership with our ecosystem.  So what is an ecosystem and why is it important?

Simply speaking, an ecosystem consists of all the living organisms – plants, animals, microorganisms – functioning together with all the physical elements in a particular environment. Seemingly simple, yet exceedingly complex, especially when human settlements enter the environment.

To put a framework around much of our future discussion of sustainability including green building, alternative energy, green products, and more, we’ll begin our exploration of “What Does It Mean to be Green?” with a discussion of Ecosystems and Sustainable Human Settlements with Professors Emanuel Carter and Richard Smardon of the SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry. The study session, which is free and open to all, is on Tuesday, September 15 from 5:00 – 6:30 PM in 409 Marshall Hall on the SUNY ESF campus For more information, contact OCL at ocl@syr.edu or 315.443.4846.