It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the negative news out there about the state of the planet. But the best way to ground yourself is to look for signs of progress that are happening not only globally, but locally. At a time when many things might seem like losses, always acknowledge the wins. In keeping with that philosophy, here are some positive environmental headlines from across the Hudson Valley.
Ulster County Reaches Its 2025 “Green Fleet” Vehicle Goal
To curb rising temperatures, we know we’ll have to cut greenhouse emissions in every facet of daily life. One of the easiest ways to start is by cleaning up transportation. The adoption of all-electric and hybrid vehicles will be crucial to cutting emissions here in the Hudson Valley and nationwide.
Luckily, in Ulster County, they’re on the right track. This spring, county executive Jen Metzger released the 2024 Green Fleet Annual Report, revealing that Ulster beat its goal of 20% green vehicles by 2025. In 2024, 22% of the county’s 472 light-duty vehicles — that’s 104 vehicles — were green vehicles, including hybrids, plug-in electric hybrids, and fully electric vehicles. This win pushes them closer to their larger goal of having a 100% green fleet by 2035.
“We specify green fleet vehicles as our default purchase. We continue to also prioritize charging infrastructure. The county has also prioritized getting various grants, rebates, and IRA direct pay incentives to help reduce the cost of both the vehicles and the charging infrastructure,” deputy county executive Amanda LaValle says.
All those green cars, trucks, and buses aren’t just saving carbon, they’re saving money. The county saw a 93% drop in maintenance costs over the last several years. The maintenance costs for an all-gas car owned by the county averaged $8,100 since 2017. For a plug-in hybrid? Only $4,100. And for an all-electric vehicle? Just $500.
Photographing New York’s Fleeting Forests with “Gathering Growth“
The gargantuan old growth trees that dot the state’s forests are as breathtaking as they are essential. These centuries-old behemoths are important sources of carbon sequestration and one of our best defenses against a warming world. They’ve been struggling, though; 90% of the virgin forests that once blanketed much of the lower 48 have been logged since the 1700s. One estimate puts the total makeup of old-growth forests at a paltry 7% of American forest cover.
Since 2017, Lumberland-based photographer Brian Kelley has been visually preserving New York’s remaining old-growth trees with Gathering Growth, his project and partnership with the American Forests Big Tree Program. Kelley created an archive of more than 120 “champion trees” by taking photos and detailed measurements of height, girth, and crown spread of each one he’s encountered during his travels.
“It’s always challenging to figure out where to start,” Kelley explains. “I remember back in 2016-17, when I was just getting into trees, I dove into reading everything I could about them. Understanding what you’re looking at and being able to identify trees is incredibly helpful. Even after all these years, I’m still learning every day.”
In 2019, Kelley expanded upon that work with the launch of his nonprofit, the Gathering Growth Foundation. His van-fueled mission has grown to include photos and information on old-growth forests across the country.
With each post, he takes viewers on a journey imbued with sound, imagery, and history. A mighty bur oak in Dutchess County — the largest in the state — towers over him in one photo. A photo gallery of the Mongaup Falls Reservoir turns into an immersive tour thanks to the inclusion of ambient recordings of the landscape.
“After nearly eight years of documenting trees and forests, the archive is finally starting to feel substantial. Now, whether you visit the website or scroll through Instagram, you can truly immerse yourself in it for a significant amount of time,” Kelley says. “When people see my images or hear me speak about the project, my hope is that they feel inspired — to seek out a big tree, hug a tree, or care for one in their own community. To see trees from a new perspective.”
New York Celebrates 17th Year of Helping Amphibians Cross Roads
In March and April, the New York State Department of Conservation ran its 17th annual Amphibian Migrations and Road Crossings Project, where volunteers across the Hudson Valley come together to help survey the annual spring migrations of amphibians that breed in vernal pools, like frogs and salamanders. These shallow, temporary pools of water emerging in spring are miniature ecosystems play a critical role in the seasonal breeding cycles of amphibians like spotted salamanders, American toads, and wood frogs.
On rainy, warm spring nights, volunteers combed through the region’s roads, collecting valuable data such as the location of migrating amphibians, weather and traffic conditions, identifying species, and keeping counts. More importantly, they got hands-on experience by assisting amphibians cross New York’s busy and perilous roadways.
“Every year, hundreds of migrations happen safely thanks to the efforts of the individuals and organizations who volunteer their time to protect New York’s amphibians,” Laura Heady, conservation and land use program coordinator at the DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program, says. “Volunteer surveys are increasing our understanding of the locations of important forest and vernal pool habitat, and we’ll be using the data to develop conservation planning tools that can inform future decision-making and proactive habitat conservation.”
They’ve done a tremendous job in the last few years. In 2023 and 2024, more than 300 volunteers participated in the program, and moving more than 7,000 amphibians each year. Since this year’s start on March 5, volunteers counted more than 1,600 amphibians and helped 800 of them safely cross roads from the Lower Hudson Valley to the Capital District.
According to the DEC, since the project began in 2009, more than 1,000 community volunteers have observed 20 different species, tallied more than 70,000 amphibians, and helped at least 45,000 across roads.
