hands hold plants in the foreground as a student looks on

Environment

Natural resources, sustainable energy and climate change

Building resiliency: Cornell Cooperative Extension’s environment and natural resources programs engage individuals and communities to sustain the quality and diversity of the natural assets in New York state.  Research-based education is focused on conserving and protecting the environment, boosting sustainable energy and mitigating climate change. 

To see what programs are offered in your area, visit or contact a local office.

Education

Fostering Mastery

CCE offers education for citizens to become Master Gardener Volunteers, Master Forest Owners, Master Naturalists and Master Composters, fostering a sense of ownership and understanding of the environment and natural world. 

a woman waters her garden with a hose

New York Sea Grant (NYSG)

New York Sea Grant (NYSG)

NYSG, a cooperative program of the State University of New York (SUNY) and Cornell University, promotes the informed stewardship of coastal resources. 

Learn more about NYSG
an orange gloved hand holds a mussel

Partner organizations and programs 

Programs throughout Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences partner with CCE educators on environment, natural resources, sustainable energy and climate change work. 

 

Stories

Abstract art by KAR Robison

News

Community remembers undergraduate student, artist and activist KAR Robison
Robison originally attended Baylor University, where they took courses in pre-medicine, philosophy and African studies. They went on to work in the field of sustainable food marketing in both San Diego and New York City for nearly 20 years...
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
  • Natural Resources and the Environment
A male stands next to a tractor that is being driven through a field of short crops

News

CALS dean advises on carbon removal strategies
Benjamin Z. Houlton, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, joined a group of experts working with the Energy Futures Initiative (EFI) to identify key pathways for terrestrial carbon dioxide removal that merit...
  • Department of Global Development
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • Agriculture
Two men stand on a construction scaffold flying a purple flag

News

Native ironworkers’ tradition continues on North Campus
Indigenous people began ironworking in the 19th century, when they were hired to build railroad bridges in Canada. They helped craft the New York City skyline, working on projects including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and...
  • American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program
  • Communication
  • Land
a field of malting barley growing

News

Cornell-bred malting barley has a name: Excelsior Gold
Formerly called CU-31, the barley got its name as a result of a contest co-hosted this fall by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Richard Ball, commissioner of Ag and...
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics Section
Hands hold a pile of biochar

News

Food systems innovation idea earns Global Development team award

  • Department of Global Development
  • Food
  • Global Development