At this Rose Cafe, Andy Zepp came to discuss his conservation work in the Finger Lakes Region. This discussion was very interesting, since I did not previously know what type of work went into conservation and what types of local environmental problems that are of concern.

Mr. Zepp described how his land trust works to buy and obtain land to protect it from commercial usage and private usage. Specifically, land is protected from development, which also protects other resources such as water supply. What was particularly interesting the specific actions taken for conservation. They do not necessarily buy land and close it off from any usage as I had previously thought, but instead the land is also preserved for recreational purposes. At first I was surprised, but it also makes sense, since if people are allowed to use the preserved land recreationally, this may raise awareness for conservation issues in the area.

Additional, Mr. Zepp discussed problems with chemical pollutants in lakes and algal blooms. I had some prior knowledge due to an environmental science class in high school, but I did not realize the extent of the problems that algal blooms can cause. For example, Mr. Zepp mentioned that the lakes have to be closed to public usage, which causes further economical impacts. In addition, I was not aware that the problems of salt running into Cayuga Lake could worsen in the future, and would be very problematic for water resources. Overall, I learned that the land conservation and environmental preservation are very complex topics, and that environmental problems could cause many unintended consequences. I hope to be more aware of my environmental impact from now on to help with the conservation efforts in the local area.