By Victoria Masters & Sarah Katan
The cornerstone of Climate Smart NY is connecting people with local sustainable solutions that make the most sense to them. A lot of Climate Smart Claverack’s inspiration and novel approaches are born from the great interactions we have with the people involved in nearby Climate Smart Communities. We want to highlight what some of the other local task forces are up to in our newsletter to share the good vibes.
In August, we reached out to Craig Westcott, who leads the Climate Smart Canaan Task Force. Read on to learn more about this diverse and proactive group of community members!
It's so great to connect with other Climate Smart Communities around us! Tell us a little about the Climate Smart Canaan team.
Craig: Our key strength is in the diversity of our members and the breadth and depth of our aggregated skill sets. We have 8 current members: Andrei-a polymer chemist, Becky-an educator, Dylan-ED of Columbia County Soil and Water, Elyse-Ghent CSC TF Coordinator, Marion, COO of We Clean Heat Pumps and a designer, Tom-MASS EPA/DEP (retired), Victoria-EPA (retired), and me-an educator/fundraiser. Town Board member Will Powers is the liaison to the Task Force and an ex-officio member, as is Town Supervisor Brenda Adams. We meet once per month.
I know you were formed in 2020 by the town board. When did you achieve Bronze status? What is your timeline like for Silver?
Craig: The Climate Smart Canaan Task Force was formed near the end of 2020 and was led by then Town Board member Terese Platten, who executed several important CEC projects, like the charge point and electrified vehicle for the code enforcement officer. She set to recruiting more members and by January 2023 we had accrued enough points to apply for Bronze. We are working to submit for Silver in the January 2025 round.
What is your favorite aspect of being on the Climate Smart Canaan Task Force?
Craig: For me the primary driver is the opportunity to organize a group of motivated people to take actions today that will create resilience and health for the future. I also love how folks are willing, literally and figuratively, to get their hands dirty to make our home beautiful. I am especially proud of winning and implementing an HVCCP grant for an Ecological Restoration project in the town park.
Are there any fun community events you are hosting this summer or fall?
Craig: On June 15th we tabled at Canaan Day in the town park and then followed it up a few days later with an EV webinar, which may have helped us reach our goal for newly purchased EVs as part of our community campaign. We will of course participate in the 2nd Climate Carnival in September.
To learn more about the Climate Smart Canaan Task Force, check out their website: https://www.canaanclimatesmarttaskforce.org/
And a big thanks to Elyse Mason and Craig Westcott for making this interview happen!
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