NYS Reparations Commission, Impact of Climate Change and Birds

Season 2024 Episode 33 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions

Exploring reparations in New York; learn why New Yorkers love birds, and why we need to help them in the face of climate change.

08/16/2024

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New York NOW is a local public television program presented by WMHT

NYS Reparations Commission, Impact of Climate Change and Birds

Season 2024 Episode 33 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions

Exploring reparations in New York; learn why New Yorkers love birds, and why we need to help them in the face of climate change.

08/16/2024

Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback

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[MUSIC] >> ON THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF "NEW YORK NOW," WE SIT DOWN WITH ASSEMBLY MEMBER MICHAELLE SOLAGES TO DISCUSS THE WORK AHEAD FOR THE NEWLY FORMED STATE COMMISSION ON REPARATIONS. AND THEN WE EXAMINE THE WAYS CLIMATE CHANGE IS IMPACTING BIRDS IN THE STATE AND HOW A STATE GOAL TO PRESERVE LAND AND WATER COULD OFFER HELP. I'M SHANTEL DESTRA,AND THIS IS "NEW YORK NOW.

" [MUSIC] WELCOME TO THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF "NEW YORK NOW.

" I'M SHANTEL DESTRA. IT WAS JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT THE STATE'S NEWLY FORMED COMMISSION ON REPARATION REMEDIES KICKED OFF THEIR FIRST MEETING. THROUGH LEGISLATION SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR LATE LAST YEAR, THE NINE-MEMBER BODY IS TASKED WITH STUDYING THE IMPACT OF SLAVERY AND ITS LINGERING EFFECTS. THE MEMBERS WERE SELECTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS - AND COME WITH A WIDE ARRAY OF EXPERIENCE IN LAW, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY-BUILDING. THE BODY WAS GIVEN $5 MILLION TO CONDUCT ITS WORK AND IS EXPECTED TO DELIVER A REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE WITH THEIR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR. TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPETUS OF CREATING THE COMMISSION AND THE WORK AHEAD FOR THE BODY, WE SAT DOWN WITH ASSEMBLYMEMBER MICHAELLE SOLAGES - A LEAD SPONSOR OF THE LEGISLATION THAT CREATED THE COMMISSION. HERE'S THAT CONVERSATION. [MUSIC] >> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY, ASSEMBLYMEMBER. >> THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. >> OF COURSE, ABSOLUTELY. NOW, YOU WERE ONE OF THE LEAD SPONSORS OF THE LEGISLATION THAT CREATED A STATE COMMISSION TO STUDY REPARATIONS LATE LAST YEAR. SO I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO SPONSOR THIS LEGISLATION. >> IT'S VERY SIMPLE. WE KNOW THAT NEW YORK STATE HAS A GREAT HISTORY, BUT IT ALSO HAS A DARK HISTORY. AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE AND USE HOPE AND JOY TO REPAIR SOME OF THE HARMS THAT WE'RE CREATED. SO WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD 250 YEARS OF SLAVERY WITHIN THIS COUNTRY; 90 YEARS OF JIM CROW; 60 YEARS OF SEPARATE BUT EQUAL; AND 30 YEARS OF POLICIES LIKE SOME OF OUR, YOU KNOW, UNEQUAL DISCRIMINATORY HOUSING POLICIES. AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THESE HARMS HAPPENED AND ALSO BUILD A PATHWAY TO HEAL OUR COMMUNITIES. AND SO WITH MY COLLEAGUES IN THE ASSEMBLY AND SENATE, WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF [ANDREW STEWART COUSINS] AND [SPEAKER HASTY], WE WERE ABLE TO DRAFT THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT JUST STUDIES WHETHER WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION IN OUR COMMUNITIES ABOUT REPARATIONS, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, AND SEE HOW WE CAN KIND OF DISMANTLE MANY OF THESE POLICIES THAT DO EXIST AND BUILD A BETTER NEW YORK. >> SO CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE PROCESS OF GARNERING SUPPORT FOR THE LEGISLATION, GETTING IT PASSED WITHIN THE LEGISLATURE, AND THEN ULTIMATELY GETTING IT SIGNED INTO LAW? >> WE PUT IN THE LEGISLATION, YOU KNOW, MANY YEARS AGO. IT WAS SUBMITTED UNDER FORMER [ASSEMBLYMEMBER CHARLES BARRON]. HE PASSED IT IN THE ASSEMBLY. UNFORTUNATELY, HE WASN'T SUCCESSFUL IN THE SENATE. AND WHEN HE LEFT, HE GAVE ME THE PIECE OF LEGISLATION. AND FROM THERE, I USED THE SUPPORT AND INFLUENCE OF THE BLACK, HISPANIC, PUERTO RICAN ASIAN CAUCUS TO REALLY START GALVANIZING SUPPORT. YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, OUR LEADERSHIP WAS GREAT. THEY ORGANIZED MEMBERS TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE LEGISLATION. SO THE LEGISLATION CHANGED FROM WHEN IT WAS INITIALLY SUBMITTED TO THE POINT OF WHEN WE ACTUALLY PASSED IT ON THE FLOOR AND IN BOTH HOUSES. AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL TYPES OF MEMBERS, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IRON OUT THE KINKS TO BE ABLE TO PRODUCE A DOCUMENT WHICH SAYS THAT A COMMISSION OF NINE PEOPLE, THREE APPOINTED FROM THE ASSEMBLY, THREE APPOINTED FROM THE SENATE, AND THREE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, WILL HAVE ABOUT A YEAR TO WRITE A REPORT, TO ANALYZE REPARATIONS, AND THAT REPORT WILL BE THEN SUBMITTED TO THE LEGISLATURE FOR THEM TO DECIDE. SO IT'S A NON-BINDING REPORT, ESSENTIALLY JUST A DOCUMENT. AND THEY HAVE TO WORK WITH RESEARCH CENTERS AND ALSO HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS TO HEAR FROM NEW YORKERS. AND SO IT TOOK A LOT OF GALVANIZING AMONGST LEGISLATURE. WE PASSED IT IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR. AND THEN WE WORK WITH THE GOVERNOR TO SUPPORT THE LEGISLATION. AND FROM THERE, THE GOVERNOR SIGNED IT IN LATE DECEMBER, AND AS OF, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THE COMMISSION ACTUALLY HAS CONVENED, WHICH WAS AMAZING TO SEE IT COME ABOUT. >> AND WHAT ARE YOU HOPING THE IMPACT OF THE STATE'S COMMISSION WILL BE? HOW WILL THEIR WORK IMPACT THE DAILY LIVES OF NEW YORKERS FROM YOUR PURVIEW? >> WELL, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT REPARATIONS IS NOT JUST ABOUT FINANCIAL COMPENSATION. EVERYONE WANTS TO FOCUS ON THE CHECK. THAT'S NOT WHAT REPARATION IS ABOUT. THERE'S FIVE POINTS OF REPARATIONS. AND FOR YOUR VIEWERS, I'M GOING TO JUST GO OVER IT VERY QUICKLY. THERE'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, THERE'S APOLOGY, THERE'S REHABILITATION, THERE'S INSTITUTIONAL REFORM, THERE'S A GUARANTEE OF NON[-REPERTITION], AND OF COURSE, THERE'S COMPENSATION. SO FROM THIS REPORT, THEY CAN PRODUCE A DOCUMENT THAT SAYS WE SHOULD JUST ISSUE AN APOLOGY OR WE SHOULD CHANGE SOME OF THE POLICIES THAT EXISTED IN OUR SOCIETY. OR FOR EXAMPLE, THE PEOPLE OF SENECA VILLAGE, WHICH IS A MODERN DAY CENTRAL PARK, THEY HAVE NEVER RECEIVED COMPENSATION FOR THEIR STOLEN LAND. THAT SENECA VILLAGE WAS A HISTORICALLY BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS PLOWED FOR CENTRAL PARK. AND THOSE PEOPLE WEREN'T TRULY COMPENSATED FOR THEIR LAND. AND SO MAYBE THE REPORT SAYS THAT THEY GET COMPENSATION FOR THEIR LAND. YOU KNOW, THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT PARADIGMS OF REPARATIONS. AND FROM THE COMMISSION, I HOPE THAT THEY FOCUS IN ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, COME UP WITH POLICIES THAT AS A LEGISLATURE WE CAN TACKLE. >> AND CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE SELECTION PROCESS THAT WENT INTO APPOINTING THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION. I KNOW YOU SAID THAT IT WAS THREE FROM THE SENATE, THREE FROM THE ASSEMBLY, AND THREE FROM THE GOVERNOR. BUT WHAT WERE SOME OF THE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR WHEN IT CAME TO APPOINTING THESE MEMBERS? >> WE WANTED EXPERTS. EVEN WITHIN THE LEGISLATION WHEN WE DRAFTED IT, WE SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSIONS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PARADIGM OF REPARATIONS. AND SO WE WERE HOPING -- AND WE HAVE APPOINTED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT WHAT THE FIVE POINTS OF REPARATIONS ARE AND ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE HISTORY OF NEW YORK STATE AND WANT TO BEGIN THE HEALING JOURNEY FOR OUR BLACK COMMUNITIES. SO THIS, YOU KNOW, EACH HOUSE HAD THEIR OWN PARADIGM OF THINKING OF HOW TO DO THIS. BUT FOR US IN THE ASSEMBLY, WE WANTED EXPERTS. WE WANTED PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTOOD REPARATIONS AND RACIAL JUSTICE AND HOW WE CAN REALLY CREATE A PARADIGM IN WHICH WE CAN BREAK DOWN THESE SYSTEMATIC DISPARITIES AND BUILD A SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITION THAT IS BENEFICIAL NOT ONLY TO BLACK COMMUNITIES, BUT FOR ALL. BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN ONE NEW YORKER IS EMPOWERED, WE ARE ALL EMPOWERED. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A STATE WHERE IT'S CELSIUS -- EVER UPWARDS. WE CAN'T GO UP IF WE'RE NOT WORKING TOGETHER IN TANDEM. >> AND WHAT GUIDANCE OR BENCHMARKS WERE GIVEN TO THE COMMISSION AS THEY PREPARED TO PRODUCE THAT REPORT IN THE NEXT YEAR? >> SO THE COMMISSION IS TRULY INDEPENDENT. THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIRE THEIR OWN STAFF. THEY HAVE THE AUTONOMY TO BOOK THEIR OWN MEETINGS. IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY UP TO THEM. YOU KNOW, THEY ARE AN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AND THEY ARE JUST TASKED WITH LISTENING TO NEW YORKERS BY HAVING PUBLIC HEARINGS AND USING THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE TO DRAFT A REPORT. >> AND CAN YOU UNPACK THE THINKING BEHIND THE ONE-YEAR TIME FRAME THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE COMMISSION TO PRODUCE THE REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE? >> I KNOW. MANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SHORTENED TIMELINE, BUT I FREQUENTLY HAVE SEEN IN MY HISTORY THAT WHEN GOVERNMENT IS TASKED WITH DRAFTING A REPORT OR SOME TYPE OF DOCUMENT, IT GETS DELAYED. AND SO THE THINKING BEHIND PUTTING TIMELINES IS TO ENSURE THAT THIS WORK IS DONE EXPEDITIOUSLY. YOU KNOW, WE, AS OUR COMMUNITIES, CANNOT WAIT FOR, YOU KNOW, YEARS TO PASS TO RESOLVE SOME OF THESE SOCIOECONOMIC ISSUES. WE NEED THE WORK TO BE DONE EXPEDITIOUSLY. SO THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND IT WAS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK PROGRESSES QUICKLY. >> HOW WILL THE LEGISLATURE APPROACH THE REPORT ONCE IT'S GIVEN TO THEM? AND WHAT WILL BE SORT OF THE NEXT STEPS AFTER THE REPORT IS PRESENTED? >> WELL, WE WILL TAKE THE REPORT, OF COURSE DIGEST IT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT DOCUMENT, A REALLY GUIDING LIGHT TO WHAT WE NEED TO DO. AND FROM THERE, WE CAN PICK THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE FEEL ARE REALLY EFFECTIVE IN TACKLING THE SYSTEMATIC RACISM IN OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE IDEAS AND IF THEY NEED TO BE AMENDED, CHANGED, WE CAN DO SO. SO IT'S REALLY UP TO WHAT WE SEE IN THE REPORT AND HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE FOCUS ON OUR HISTORY OF DISCRIMINATION AND BREAK DOWN THESE SYSTEMS, THESE DISPARITIES, THESE DISPARITIES THAT EXIST AND IMPROVE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE FOR BLACK NEW YORKERS. AND FOR ALL NEW YORKERS. YOU COULD SEE THAT THERE'S SO MANY METRICS IN OUR STATE WHERE BLACKS ARE BEHIND, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, ECONOMICS, HEALTH, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS REALLY HURTING OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE TAKING EXPERT ADVICE AND LOOKING HOW WE CAN MOVE FORWARD. >> AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS IN YOUR DISTRICT NOW THAT THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN CREATED AND ESTABLISHED AND THEIR WORK IS UNDERWAY? >> YOU KNOW, MY COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT LIKE RACIAL INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES EXISTS TODAY AND ULTIMATELY WHETHER IT WAS BASED ON SLAVERY OR ITS OTHER VESTIGES THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DESTROY THESE PARADIGMS OF RACIAL INEQUALITY THAT EXISTS WITHIN GOVERNMENT AND ALSO IN PRIVATE INDUSTRIES. AND SO I'VE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THE SUPPORT OF MY CONSTITUENTS. THEY WANT TO TACKLE SYSTEMATIC RACISM. OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE THOSE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING YET, AND I HOPE THAT THEY CAN OPEN THEIR HEARTS AND MINDS TO THE CONVERSATION. BUT IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FINANCE AND TALKING ABOUT DOLLARS AND CENTS, IT ONLY MAKES SENSE AS A GOVERNMENT AND AS PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BREAKING DOWN THESE SYSTEMS AND SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES AND BUILDING A BETTER NEW YORK. >> AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THE FIRST MEETING OF THE STATE COMMISSION WAS JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. SO CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE ENERGY IN THE ROOM DURING THAT FIRST MEETING AND SOME OF THE BIG TAKEAWAYS THAT YOU HAD. >> IT WAS TRULY EXCITEMENT. I AM HUMBLED BECAUSE WE HAVE NINE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TAKING THEIR WORK VERY SERIOUSLY. AND SO WE WERE -- I, ALONG WITH SENATOR JAMES SANDERS, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SWEAR IN THE COMMISSION. WHEN THEY SAT DOWN, THEY GOT RIGHT BACK TO WORK, EXCUSE ME, AND STARTED TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS OF HOW TO FORM THE COMMISSION AND WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO MOVE FORWARD. THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES AHEAD, BUT THESE NINE INDIVIDUALS ARE VERY EXCITED AND ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING SURE THE WORK IS DONE IN A STANDARD AND WAY THAT NEW YORKERS CAN BE PROUD OF. >> AND NOW THAT THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND THEIR WORK IS UNDERWAY, HOW ARE YOU HOPING TO BUILD ON THIS WORK AND CONTINUE FOCUSING ON THIS ISSUE HEADING INTO THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION? >> SO WE KNOW THAT THE COMMISSION IS MEETING AND THERE ARE A WHOLE HOST OF INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THAT WORLD LIKE ELJOY WILLIAMS FROM NAACP WHO IS GOING TO SUPPORT THAT WORK IN AN EXTERNAL SENSE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MESSAGE GETS OUT TO OUR COMMUNITIES. WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EDUCATING PEOPLE ON REPARATIONS BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS A WAY TO ACTUALLY SHIFT AND CREATE POLICY CHANGES IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF EDUCATING, A LOT OF TALKING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND GETTING THEM EXCITED ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE INDUSTRIES IN THIS WAY. >> AND LASTLY, LOOKING AHEAD, WHERE DO YOU SEE THE CONVERSATION AROUND REPARATIONS ON THE STATE AS WELL AS ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL IN THE YEARS TO COME. WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO SEE MOVING FORWARD. >> YOU KNOW, I COME FROM LONG ISLAND. I TELL PEOPLE. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S A CONVERSATION AROUND REPARATIONS AND CHILD SLAVERY, PEOPLE WANT TO FOCUS ON THE PART OF REPARATIONS THAT'S JUST CHILD SLAVERY. AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. HOWEVER, BLACKS HAVE BEEN DISCRIMINATED IN THIS STATE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT. FOR EXAMPLE, ON LONG ISLAND, ONE OF THE GREATEST HOUSING PROGRAMS THAT WAS CREATED WAS THE THE LEVITTOWN HOUSES, THE FIRST SUBURBS. AND IF YOU SEE WITHIN THE DEEDS OF THOSE HOUSES, THEY EXCLUDED BLACKS FROM OWNING THOSE HOMES. IT SAID IN THE DEED, BLACKS CANNOT OWN THESE HOMES. WE AS A COMMUNITY WERE NEVER GIVEN REPARATIONS FOR THAT. WE'VE MISSED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN GENERATIONAL WEALTH. AND SO I WANT MY COMMUNITY AND NEW YORKERS TO FOCUS ON THE TRAVESTIES THAT HAPPENED FROM CHILD SLAVERY AND BEYOND TO MODERN DAY AND KNOW THAT BLACKS HAVE BEEN PUT AT A DISADVANTAGE. AND IN ORDER FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD TO SOCIETY WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIX THOSE ISSUES AND TO REPAIR OUR COMMUNITIES. SO I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IN THE CONVERSATION MY EXPECTATIONS ARE VERY OPEN AND LOW IN THE SENSE THAT THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME, THAT THIS IS ABOUT NEW YORKERS. THIS IS ABOUT US HAVING A CONVERSATION AND THEN GETTING THE REPORT AND THEN MOVING FORWARD AS A SOCIETY BECAUSE WE CANNOT MOVE FORWARD, WE CANNOT GO UP, IF WE ARE NOT TOGETHER ON THE SAME PAGE AND FIXING THE HARMS THAT WERE CREATED IN THE PAST. >> WELL, CERTAINLY A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR NOW. WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK WITH US, ASSEMBLYMEMBER. >> THANK YOU. >> AND WE WERE SPEAKING WITH ASSEMBLYMEMBER MICHAELLE SOLAGES OF THE 22ND ASSEMBLY DISTRICT. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE WORK OF THE BODY AND ITS MEMBERS, YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE. THAT'S AT NYNOW.ORG. NOW TURNING TO ANOTHER TOPIC. FOR YEARS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS HAVE WARNED OF THE DANGERS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT ONE OFTEN OVERLOOKED BUT VERY IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THAT ISSUE HAS TO DEAL WITH BIRDS. AND THE STATE'S GOAL OF PROTECTING 30% OF LAND AND WATER BY 2030 COULD HELP. TO UNDERSTAND HOW, PRODUCER DANA WRIGHT SPOKE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS AND EDUCATORS FOR THE LATEST EPISODE OF NEW YORK IN CLIMATE. >> IT'S A WARM SUMMER MORNING. THE WATER'S RUNNING. A GENTLE BREEZE IS BLOWING. BUT WHAT TENDS TO TOP OFF THE NATURAL SOUNDSCAPE WHEN YOU'RE GOING FOR A NATURE WALK? A LOT OF TIMES, IT'S THE SOUND OF BIRDS. NOW, I'M SOMEONE WHO LOVES TO HIKE AND SPEND TIME OUTDOORS, BUT FOR SOME REASON, I'VE NEVER PAID SUPER CLOSE ATTENTION TO OUR FLYING FRIENDS. BUT THAT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE. BECAUSE I AM NEARING THE AGE OF 30. AND IF FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE ANY INDICATOR, YOU ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO START IDENTIFYING EVERY BIRD YOU EVER SEE ONCE YOU HIT THAT AGE. YELLOW-BELLIED SAP SUCKER. SO WITH THIS VIDEO, I'M LOOKING TO GET A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH BIRDS, BOTH IN HOW THEY BRING US ENJOYMENT, BUT ALSO HOW WE ARE IMPACTING THEIR LIVES VIA CLIMATE CHANGE. TO BEGIN MY BIRD JOURNEY, I MET UP WITH SHARON BRUCE FROM THE AUDUBON SOCIETY TO TALK ABOUT THE HOBBY OF BIRD WATCHING. >> OKAY.

SO WE ARE AT THE NORMAN SKILL FARM AND PRESERVE. AND IT'S A GREAT HABITAT AREA FOR BIRDING BECAUSE IT'S GOT WATER, IT'S GOT OPEN FIELD AREAS. IT'S GOT BIG FORESTED TREE AREAS. SO YOU CAN GET QUITE A VARIETY OF BIRDS AT THIS PARK. >> IN YOUR WORDS, WHAT IS BIRDING. >> SO BIRDING FOR ME IS JUST A FUN ADVENTURE. I THINK THERE'S LIKE THE THRILL OF THE CHASE. AND ALSO IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT AND EXPLORE NEW PLACES. IT'S JUST A FUN AND AN ADVENTUROUS HOBBY FOR ME. >> BUT BIRDWATCHING IS NOT A HOBBY SOLELY ENJOYED BY SHARON. IN FACT, IT'S AN IMMENSELY POPULAR ACTIVITY FOR NEW YORKERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. >> DURING, THE PANDEMIC, WE SAW A HUGE INFLUX OF PEOPLE AT NATURE CENTERS, AT SANCTUARIES, ON TRAILS, JUST WANTING TO BE OUTDOORS WHERE THEY FELT SAFE AND FOUND SOLACE IN NATURE. AND THAT JUST SORT OF HASN'T STOPPED. A LOT OF BIRD CLUBS FULL OF YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE POPPING UP, ESPECIALLY IN NEW YORK CITY AND PLACES WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN GATHER TOGETHER, LIKE AT ONE OF THE BIG PARKS AND GO BIRDING TOGETHER, AND IT'S SORT OF A SOCIAL EXPERIENCE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN PARTICIPATE IN IN DIFFERENT WAYS, WHICH IS GREAT. WHETHER THEY HAVE UNDULATING NECK MEETS OR A BULBOUS BUILD, IT'S NO WONDER PEOPLE LIKE SPOTTING THESE VARIED AND FUN CREATURES. BUT SPOTTING BIRDS CAN BE TRICKY, SO SOMETIMES JUST HEARING THEIR SONG IS ENOUGH. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE HEARING A SONG SPARROW IN THAT TREE. IT'S BROWN AND IT'S GOT KIND OF LIKE BLACK STREAKING AND SPOTTING AND A WHITE CHEST. [BIRD CHIRPING.]

YEAH, IT HAS THAT COOL SONG, RIGHT? >> I WAS UNABLE TO CONVINCE THE SONG SPARROW TO APPEAR ON CAMERA, BUT I IMMENSELY ENJOYED THE MEDITATIVE ZEN THAT CAME WITH STANDING OUTSIDE AND LISTENING TO ALL OF THE BIRDS. AND THE CHALLENGE THIS HOBBY BRINGS MAKES IT THAT MUCH MORE SATISFYING ANY TIME YOU DO MANAGE TO SPOT SOMETHING OR EVEN CAPTURE IT ON CAMERA. >> OH, IT'S SO SATISFYING. A LOT OF BIRDERS KEEP A LIFE LIST WHERE THEY WRITE DOWN EVERY SINGLE BIRD THEY SEE, AND THEN THEY SEEK OUT THE ONES THAT THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN YET. AND YOU COULD SPEND YOUR WHOLE LIFE COLLECTING BIRDS ON YOUR LIFE LIST. >> CONNECTING WITH NATURE THIS WAY MADE ME REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE TAKE CARE OF OUR AVIAN FRIENDS. AND I THOUGHT ABOUT HOW CLIMATE CHANGE COULD IMPACT BIRDS THAT CALL OUR STATE HOME. SHARON RECOMMENDED THAT I REACH OUT TO FIVE RIVERS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER. THERE, I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATOR DREW HOPKINS ABOUT HOW A CHANGING CLIMATE CAN IMPACT BIRDS IN OUR STATE. >> CLIMATE CHANGE IS HAVING A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON BIRDS. THE RATE AT WHICH IT'S HAPPENING IS CAUSING WHAT'S CALLED HABITAT DISSONANCE. A LOT OF WHAT BECOMES AVAILABLE IN NATURE IS BASED ON CURRENT TEMPERATURES. AND AS THE TEMPERATURES ARE WARMING, THINGS ARE BECOMING AVAILABLE EARLIER AND EARLIER IN THE YEAR. >> SO THE FOODS BIRDS ENJOY ARE BECOMING AVAILABLE TO THEM SOONER. BUT WHY IS THAT A BIG DEAL. >> MANY OF THE BIRDS THAT COME HERE MIGRATE THOUSANDS OF MILES THEY'RE CALLED NEOTROPICAL MIGRANTS BECAUSE THEY COME FROM THE TROPICS. GENETICALLY, IT'S INGRAINED IN THEM THAT WHEN THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DAYLIGHT, THEY MIGRATE. SO WHEN THEY GET TO A SPOT, THE DAYLIGHT MAY BE APPROPRIATE FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE OVER THE LAST THOUSAND YEARS, BUT NOW IT'S ALREADY WARMER. THOSE PLANTS HAVE BLOOMED OR THE INSECTS HAVE HATCHED AND GONE AWAY, AND NOW THEY DON'T HAVE THE AVAILABLE FOOD THAT THEY WERE EXPECTING WHEN THEY GET THERE. SOME OF THOSE WINDOWS IN TERMS OF THE FOOD, THE PLANTS BLOOMING OR INSECTS COMING OUT, IS REALLY ONLY ONE TO TWO WEEKS. SO IF THEY MISS THAT BY A COUPLE OF DAYS, THEY CAN MISS A SIGNIFICANT FOOD SOURCE. >> EVEN RESIDENT BIRDS THAT STAY IN NEW YORK YEAR-ROUND ARE EXPANDING THEIR RANGES FURTHER NORTH. AND SHIFTING FURTHER NORTH COMES WITH CHALLENGES AS WELL. >> THE BIRDS THAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE IN CERTAIN SPOTS IN NEW YORK ARE GETTING PUSHED OUT OF THEIR HABITAT BY THE SOUTHERN BIRDS, AND THEY ARE GOING NORTH TO FIND THEIR PREFERRED TEMPERATURE. SO AS THE TEMPERATURES INCREASE VERY RAPIDLY, THAT PUSHES THE BIRD RANGES NORTH VERY QUICKLY. PLANTS CAN'T MOVE EXCEPT EVERY GENERATION. WHAT THE BIRDS ARE FINDING WHEN THEY FIND THE APPROPRIATE TEMPERATURE, THE PLANTS AND THE INSECTS THAT THEY USED TO RELY ON FOR FOOD ARE STILL DOWN SOUTH COMPARED TO WHERE THEY ARE. >> A LOT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR US TO GET CLIMATE CHANGE UNDER CONTROL. BUT ONE OF THE BEST THINGS WE CAN DO FOR BIRDS IS TO CONSERVE LAND AND PRESERVE HABITATS, AS LARGE PRESERVED SPACES CAN BETTER WEATHER THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. >> LOTS OF ANIMALS NEED SPACE TO ROAM. THINGS CHANGE IN AREAS. THERE ARE SMALL MICROCHANGES ACROSS HABITATS, AND WHETHER THAT MEANS THERE'S A FIRE OR SOME OTHER DISTURBANCE, IT ALLOWS THOSE POPULATIONS, THOSE BIRDS, TO MOVE TO A NEARBY AREA. IF THERE ISN'T A NEARBY AREA, THEN THOSE DISTURBANCES BECOME REAL PROBLEMS. WHEREAS, IF WE HAVE LARGE AREAS, THEN WITH THOSE DISTURBANCES, WHICH ABSOLUTELY OCCUR, THEY CAN JUST MOVE. >> WITH THAT IN MIND, NEW YORK HAS SET A GOAL TO PROTECT 30% OF THE STATE'S LAND AND WATER BY THE YEAR 2030. THIS IS A RESPONSE TO A NATIONAL EFFORT SET BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO PROTECT 30% OF THE NATION'S LAND AND WATER SPACE BY 2030. THE DEC HAS DETERMINED THAT CURRENTLY ABOUT 22% OF NEW YORK'S LAND IS PROTECTED. A SPACE IS CONSIDERED PROTECTED IF THERE ARE ESTABLISHED ENDURING MEASURES THAT SUPPORT BIODIVERSITY, SUPPORT CLIMATE RESILIENCY, MAINTAIN OR ENHANCE THE NATURAL CHARACTER OF THE SPACE, AND MORE. THAT'S ABOUT ALL WE HAVE TO COVER FOR TODAY. BUT BEFORE WE GO, I WANTED TO ASK BOTH SHARON AND DREW, WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT THIS? WHY BIRDS? >> BIRDS ARE ABSOLUTELY AN INDICATOR SPECIES OF THE HEALTH OF THE WORLD AROUND US. SO IF A BIRD POPULATION IS IN DECLINE, THAT TELLS US THAT WE HAVE A GREATER HABITAT ISSUE. TRYING TO PROTECT AND RESTORE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HABITAT ISN'T JUST FOR BIRDS. IT'S FOR PEOPLE, TOO, TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF AND WHEN THINGS CHANGE, WE'VE GOTTEN A HEAD START ON PROTECTING OUR NATURAL RESOURCES. >> BIRDS ARE REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO HUMANS. THERE ARE ABOUT 7 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES THAT ARE ACTIVE BIRDERS. THEY TRAVEL AND THEY BUY BIRDING EQUIPMENT AND THEY STAY PLACES AND THEY BRING IN EASTERN U.S. ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. AND WE KNOW THAT CONNECTIONS WITH NATURE BRING GREAT MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS. THEY INCREASE ONE'S SENSE OF WELLNESS AND HAPPINESS. >> EVEN IF BIRDS AREN'T YOUR FAVORITE PART OF NATURE, MAYBE SOMETHING ELSE IS. IT COULD BE THE FRESH AIR OR THE TREES OR EVEN RUNNING WATER, WHICH WE'LL BE TAKING A LOOK AT IN OUR NEXT VIDEO. SO MAKE SURE TO TUNE IN, AND UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'LL SEE YOU OUTSIDE. >> AND FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS IMPACTING BIRDS AND TO ACCESS ALL OF THE NEW YORK AND CLIMATE EPISODES, YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE. AGAIN, THAT'S AT NYNOW.ORG. YOU CAN ALSO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER BY GOING TO NEWSLETTER.NYNOW.ORG OR BY SCANNING THE QR CODE ON YOUR SCREEN. WELL, THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF "NEW YORK NOW.

" THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN AND SEE YOU NEXT WEEK. [MUSIC] FUNDING FOR "NEW YORK NOW" IS PROVIDED BY WNET.