{"@context":"http://iiif.io/api/presentation/3/context.json","id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/iiif/8w3804zq15/manifest","type":"Manifest","label":{"en":["Noah Chesnin Oral History"]},"logo":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","metadata":[{"label":{"en":["Description"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eNoah Chesnin the Associate Director of the New York Seascape program for the Wildlife Conservation Society. The program is based at the New York Aquarium, but focused on the waters around New York City as well as Long Island and New Jersey including Long Island Sound. WCS does many different types of work including conservation policy work and original research on local species and habitats. Noah is mostly focused on the effort to help establish Hudson Canyon as the first national marine sanctuary off of New York. In this interview he talks about the importance of conservation and how he first got involved. He discusses the various projects he’s worked on for WCS, including bringing awareness to the local cold water corals. He also talks about community outreach, climate change and what people can do to create a better environment in their communities.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto: Portrait photograph of Noah Chesnin, 2019. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher (Wildlife Conservation Society).\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Rights Statement"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source Metadata URI"]},"value":{"en":["https://digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/search/browse/39861"]}},{"label":{"en":["Date"]},"value":{"en":["2022-11-03 (created)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Type"]},"value":{"en":["Video"]}},{"label":{"en":["Agent"]},"value":{"en":["Noah Chesnin (Interviewee)","Daniela Trapani (Interviewer)","Julie Larsen Maher (Wildlife Conservation Society) (Photographer)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Source"]},"value":{"en":["This interview was conducted as part of the Hunters Point Environmental Education Center Program."]}},{"label":{"en":["Coverage"]},"value":{"en":["1600s-2022 (temporal)","Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New York Harbor; Seattle, WA (spatial)"]}},{"label":{"en":["Language"]},"value":{"en":["English"]}}],"summary":{"en":["\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary of Full Interview\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eNoah Chesnin the Associate Director of the New York Seascape program for the Wildlife Conservation Society. The program is based at the New York Aquarium, but focused on the waters around New York City as well as Long Island and New Jersey including Long Island Sound. WCS does many different types of work including conservation policy work and original research on local species and habitats. Noah is mostly focused on the effort to help establish Hudson Canyon as the first national marine sanctuary off of New York. In this interview he talks about the importance of conservation and how he first got involved. He discusses the various projects he\u0026rsquo;s worked on for WCS, including bringing awareness to the local cold water corals. He also talks about community outreach, climate change and what people can do to create a better environment in their communities.\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003ePhoto: Portrait photograph of Noah Chesnin, 2019. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher (Wildlife Conservation Society).\u003c/p\u003e"]},"requiredStatement":{"label":{"en":["Attribution"]},"value":{"en":["\u003cp\u003eCC BY-NC-SA Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.\u003c/p\u003e"]}},"provider":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/aboutus","type":"Agent","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"homepage":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/","type":"Text","label":{"en":["Queens Public Library"]},"format":"text/html"}],"logo":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/organizations/logo_images/000/000/010/original/Aviary_QPLlogo_192x192.png?1578574261","type":"Image"}]}],"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/172/501/small/Screenshot_%28163%29.png?1670873920","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501","type":"Canvas","label":{"en":["Media File 1 of 1 - Hunters_Point_Noah_Chesnin_and_Daniela_Trapani.mp4"]},"duration":3538.045,"width":640,"height":360,"thumbnail":[{"id":"https://d9jk7wjtjpu5g.cloudfront.net/collection_resource_files/thumbnails/000/172/501/small/Screenshot_%28163%29.png?1670873920","type":"Image","format":"image/png"}],"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/content/1","type":"AnnotationPage","items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/content/1/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"painting","body":{"id":"https://aviary-p-queenslibrary.s3.wasabisys.com/collection_resource_files/resource_files/000/172/501/original/Hunters_Point_Noah_Chesnin_and_Daniela_Trapani.mp4?1670873601","type":"Video","format":"video/mp4","duration":3538.045,"width":640,"height":360},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501","metadata":[]}]}],"annotations":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819","type":"AnnotationPage","label":{"en":["Full Transcript [Transcript]"]},"items":[{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/1","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Do you agree to the terms and conditions outlining the Queens Memory informed consent in copyright permission form that I shared with you over email?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3.0,11.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/2","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: I do.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=11.0,13.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/3","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Great, thank you. This is Daniela Trapani with Noah Chesnin. We are recording on November 11th [3rd], 2022 for the Queens Memory Project. Noah, could you say your full name and spell it, please?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=13.0,30.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/4","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Sure. Hi, Daniela Noah Chesnin, n o a h c h e s n as in Nancy, i n as in Nancy.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=30.0,42.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/5","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Great, thank you, Noah. My first question that I wanted to ask you was how did you get interested in environmental efforts?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=42.0,51.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/6","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: That's an exciting question, Daniela, and I'm sure many people have their own inspiration. So I grew up actually in Seattle. My mom's side of the family is from New York and from Queens. So it's a real honor to be able to join you today and to be a part of this program through the Queens Library. Growing up in Seattle, I had the opportunity to go to the mountains, to go to the lakes, to go to the ocean and to see wildlife and to see how people interacted with these natural spaces. And so that experience inspired in me, a love especially for fish and mammals. And then on the flip side, I also loved coming and visiting grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins here in New York City. And I always wanted to be able to live and work in a place that had lots of people, lots of diversity big skyscrapers, and then also get to work on ocean issues. And so that sort of juxtaposition of city and nature is something that I've always really loved, and I feel very fortunate to be able to do that kind of work here in New York City.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=51.0,133.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/7","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Great. Yes. Two very different habitats or \u003claugh\u003e.Yeah, \u003claugh\u003e. Did you have a favorite place in Seattle that you like to visit? A natural spot.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=133.0,147.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/8","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Yeah. So Seattle is sort of squished between Puget Sound to the west and Lake Washington to the east, and there are lots of hills in the city. And so wherever you are, you can really see how you live, not just in a city but on earth. So one of my favorite places is along Lake Washington the lake to the east, on the eastern side of the city. And there's a park that has playgrounds, but it also has restored sort like a restored waterfront to what it would've looked like historically. And so having both a place to play as a little kid, but also a place to learn about science and ecosystems makes it a really special place for me. So","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=147.0,199.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/9","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: That's great. You touched on this a little bit already because you have family here but I wanted to ask you what your personal relationship was with Queens, since we're recording for Queens Library. Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=199.0,213.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/10","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: So my mom's side of the family, as I said is from New York City, and my aunt and my uncle used to, when my aunt lives in Queens, when I was little I'd go visit my aunt and uncle and they live in Flushing. So we'd go down towards the water, we'd go to the Queens Museum, for example. And so my relationship with Queens was always going out and exploring and seeing the world in Queens. I have to admit, I live in Brooklyn. It's just easier to get to the aquarium by public transit. Of course, Aquarium, the New York Aquarium is in Coney Island. And so while I love taking the F out towards Forest Hills and Flushing it's like an hour and a half from there to Coney Island via subway. So I live in Queens but my husband and I, we go to see my aunt, if not a couple times a month then than pretty regularly and spend time with her enjoying all that Queens has to offer.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=213.0,286.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/11","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: That's great. That's nice. You had the connection when you were little, and now you're still in the city as an adult too. Great. So shifting now to more into your work, I wanted to know what is the Wildlife Conservation Society? Could you talk about a little bit about its history and what you know.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=286.0,309.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/12","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Sure. So to most Queens residents the Wildlife Conservation Society is the Queens Zoo or maybe the Bronx Zoo, Central Park, and Prospect Park Zoos as well as the New York Aquarium. So the organization has been based in New York City for over 125 years, and we've operated the zoos and the aquarium, especially the what are called the city zoos, including the Queen Zoo for the last couple decades. And so we've always had that sort of public facing purpose to provide New Yorkers of all backgrounds and opportunity to learn about wildlife and habitats and see the world while still living in this incredible city. The organization also does conservation work both locally, nationally, and even globally. So I work for what's called the New York Seascape Program, which is the conservation program housed at the New York Aquarium, but focused on the waters around New York City as well as Long Island and New Jersey including up into Long Island Sound.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=309.0,388.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/13","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: And so my team does conservation work locally, and we do that in concert and partnership with lots of different organizations. But WCS does similar work around the world. So we have scientists, thousands of staff around the world that are working in communities to study wildlife and habitats to understand the sort of intersections between community and economic development and sustainability and conservation, and find ways to balance wildlife conservation and sustainable use. And so the work that my team does gets to use the zoos and the aquarium as a platform to talk about these issues because we're working on wildlife that are found in our ocean backyard.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=388.0,440.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/14","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Wow, that's amazing. I didn't know that WCS was global in its reach like that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=440.0,445.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/15","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Yeah, it's, it's sort of a surprise to many people. So there are maybe about a thousand staff in New York City that work at the zoos and the aquarium, and then on conservation issues, \u003caffirmative\u003e, but there's actually more staff globally. And so we have programs in 60 countries with several thousand staff globally, so","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=445.0,466.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/16","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Wow, that's amazing. I didn't know that at all. Yeah. You mentioned that your team works on conservation projects in the New York City area. Then this answer might be many, but is what is the current one that your team's working on?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=466.0,483.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/17","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: There are many, but I'm happy to talk and dive into a couple for this conversation and maybe sort of break it down into categories. We do original research on local species and habitats. So colleagues, and this is work really that some of the scientists, I'm more of the policy and coms and sort of communications and public engagement side but the colleagues that work on the research front are studying sharks, marine mammals, so whales and dolphins and also diadromous fishes, so fish that go between salt and fresh water and doing this work not only in New York City, but across what's called the New York Bight, which spans from Cape May, New Jersey to Montauk, New York. So we're doing original research and then some of the work that we're doing on of conservation policy work. And that's really what my area of focus is, relates to an effort to help establish the first national marine sanctuary, a type of marine protected area off of New York for this really incredible deep sea canyon called the Hudson Canyon which is located about a hundred miles south and east of the Statue of Liberty.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=483.0,565.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/18","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Okay. Yeah. Wow, that's really interesting. So it's really right. You're saying there's the scientist side and then more of the policy side, which is really interesting. This is a broader question, so you can answer it as you'd like, but can you talk about some of the WCS past work that you've been involved in?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=565.0,589.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/19","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: The past work?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=589.0,590.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/20","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yes,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=590.0,591.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/21","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: \u003caffirmative\u003e. Yeah. So I've been at WCS since 2014 and have had the privilege of working on a range of different types of projects and programs in terms of the work we're doing in terms of local marine conservation. Let's see, one area that we've worked on in the past, so we've worked to support sustainable fishing and habitat protection in other ways than just with Hudson Canyon. So one thing that Queens residents might be surprised to learn is that you don't have to go to someplace tropical or subtropical to find corals. There are cold water coral species found in New York waters typically in deeper waters but they're found here as well. They're related to the tropical corals that you would see in the Caribbean or off of Australia, things like places like that in Hawaii. But they don't have that same symbiotic relationship that warm water corals do where they have, they don't have basically algae that depend on sunlight, that supply sugars and carbohydrates for the corals to survive.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=591.0,678.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/22","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: They live in deeper waters, which are maybe don't have sunlight or don't have as much sunlight. And so they're incredibly slow growing, they're fragile, they provide really important habitats. And so the aquarium worked with a lot of other partners, and including commercial fishing representatives and community organizations to help balance sustainable fisheries and protecting deep sea corals. So back in, I guess it was like 2015, I believe, maybe 20 15, 20, Yeah. Early 2016, we worked to help raise awareness about the fact that there are deep sea corals here and how they need help, they need protections. And we enlisted the support of visitors so visitors to the Queens Zoo, to the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn were sent preparing drawings, were writing letters. And this culminated after that common period in an effort to protect deep sea corals across the mid-Atlantic region. So beyond just New York and New Jersey waters all the way down to Virginia. And it was really the first time in US history that this kind of protection had been established. So it was really exciting to play a small role to help support a broader effort and especially to find ways that families, and students and community partners could really help get engaged with that local conservation effort.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=678.0,781.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/23","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yes, absolutely. I had no idea about cold coral reefs. So public awareness, I'm sure was huge, and spreading awareness about them and making sure that we as in citizens, do everything we can to protect them. That's really interesting. I realized I skipped a question. You mentioned how \u003claugh\u003e long you worked there, you worked at WCS. How did you come to join WCS?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=781.0,809.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/24","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: So I remember going to the New York Aquarium or the zoos as a little kid coming to visit family. And like you I didn't really know about the broader conservation work that the Wildlife Conservation Society was doing But my interest in ocean conservation sort of grew especially after college. I had the opportunity to do environmental advocacy work up in Boston. And then just before coming to New York, I worked for a member of Congress on ocean issues for his office \u003caffirmative\u003e. And when at that time I was working for a member that represented the central coast of California which as you may know, maybe you've been there, includes Monterey and Santa Cruz. And so one of the biggest ocean conservation organizations in that congressman's district was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. And seeing how the aquarium and other cultural institutions and community organizations sort of work together to build support for federal legislation or funding for ocean science and conservation, a wide range of issues.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=809.0,895.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/25","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: And so I came to work here in New York as one I, as I said, I always wanted to be able to work on ocean issues and live in New York City, always wanted to work for an aquarium and live in New York City. So it was a real dream to be able to do so. And I think as I came to learn more about WCS, the work that the Wildlife Conservation Society does to advance conservation globally is really important. But I think what's really exciting about what we're trying to do here in New York City is also build an ocean ethic and an environmental ethic with our visitors and the school groups that we reach and the community partners that we work with, and elevate community-led conservation efforts to find solutions that balance sustainable use of the ocean and conservation. And so I was really excited to have this opportunity and the sort of dynamic kinds of work we're doing is really, really continues to be fun and challenging. So","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=895.0,965.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/26","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: That's great. Yeah, it's one thing to go to the zoos and the aquariums and see the animals, but then to think about the broader issues of conservation and protecting these waters, I think that's wonderful too.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=965.0,980.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/27","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Yeah, I, yeah, exactly. And I think one of the things we're trying to think about is what are ways that individuals that come maybe with their family, maybe with their school for a fun afternoon, what are things they can do to support conservation, not just while they're at the aquarium or at the zoo, but when they go home or when they're talking to family over dinner, things like that. So what is the role of the aquarium and the zoos to support efforts that they're already engaged in and help bring more attention to conservation issues that are important to them and to their communities but also how to provide share opportunities that maybe they didn't know about that they might be interested in.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=980.0,1035.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/28","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Right, exactly. Take it beyond their visit that day. Yeah,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1035.0,1039.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/29","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Exactly.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1039.0,1041.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/30","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Cool. Talking more about your work and what you do specifically I wanted to know how you engage in conservation and policy advocacy efforts, \u003caffirmative\u003e and why is conservation and policy important\u003caffirmative\u003e?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1041.0,1057.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/31","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Well, so I think one, maybe sort of take the skills that I use or the day to day activities. I think one of the things that I need to, I'm always trying to do, and it's always something to continue to hone in myself as a skill, is listening. Hearing what people are saying, what concerns them, what are are they trying to address? So much of the work around environmental issues is about solving interconnected, interdisciplinary issues, challenges you know, can't just protect deep sea corals without thinking about the impact to the fishing industry. Or as you protect a deep sea canyon, you have to think about, well, how do you get funding for that? And where are ways to bridge support from local, state, federal, tribal, tribal governments? And so there's a lot of different kinds of challenges, but I think it all boils down to taking the time to listen, to build trust with a wide range of partners and to go, hopefully that involves going out on the water once in a while, not just sitting in front of a screen or sitting in an office but involves building relationships with people and finding common solutions that can work for everybody.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1057.0,1150.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/32","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: And I think the approach that the organization takes with large as well as that, the approach we're taking here for the conservation work in New York, New York City, you don't need, don't me, and the audience doesn't need me to tell you that this is a really busy place. There are a lot of people doing a lot of things that people have a focus on hundreds of different other things than say, deep sea corals or a deep sea canyon. So how can we make the connection to the daily life, to the personal goals and meaning that people have here in the city to show that helping protect the ocean is gonna help them advance those things that they want in their lives. And so that's a challenge but I think that's what makes it really exciting too, is cuz there's always finding the sort of connections between different topics and issues when it comes to working on environmental issues. Does that answer your question? I think there was a second part that I may be leaving.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1150.0,1217.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/33","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yes. So you talked about this a little, I think you touched on this, but the second question was why is conservation policy important?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1217.0,1226.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/34","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: So I mean, we all need to breathe clean air, drink clean water the environmental impacts of different legacy industrial uses or the challenge of climate change. It faces everybody, but it also, it's a social justice issue as well. The burdens placed on especially lower income or communities of color are borne disproportionately to wealthier communities or especially white communities. And so as we think about this in New York City's context, I think one of the things that makes engaging this kind of work at the aquarium and the zoos is that we get to see families and kids and visitors from all backgrounds \u003caffirmative\u003e, that as a sort of purpose for having an aquarium in a zoo is to help connect New Yorkers of all stripes and backgrounds to the environmental issues and finding ways that resonate with a wide range of perspectives. And so environmental conservation is, it's not just, at least in my personal perspective, it's not just about protecting an individual species. You have to think holistically about how does human health and environmental health relate, How do we depend on a healthy ocean or depend on addressing climate change in a way that's equitable but also helps protect species that use our waters. And so the of kinds of challenges we face are directly related to civil rights and human rights as well as conservation issues. And I think weaving them together in that way is really important. And I'm proud to work for an organization that thinks along those lines.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1226.0,1364.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/35","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yes, absolutely. Yes. As you said earlier, everything's interconnected, so you have to think about the different issues at hand. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, shifting a little bit to talking generally about the environment I wanted to know how you think the environment in Queens and generally in New York City has changed over the years?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1364.0,1389.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/36","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: \u003caffirmative\u003e. So my team members before I started did this project analyzing, and I'll focus primarily on the marine environment but we did, this team did this project looking at what they call the 400 year retrospective. So people have been living in what is now Queens and in what is now the broader New York City, New York metropolitan area for thousands and thousands of years. The Lenape, the Kenar, other tribes and indigenous communities have been here for a long time because there has always been an incredible diversity and abundance of wildlife. And we can see that in the waters of New York. So what was really remarkable is, so when you think about terrestrial wildlife in New York, what usually comes to mind are pigeons. Yeah, rats, maybe raccoons. Yeah. No, I mean, we all of have this sort of jaded perspective that if you live in New York City, like nature and wildlife is something else somewhere else.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1389.0,1466.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/37","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: It's not a part of our neighborhood. It's not a part of the sort of fabric of living in New York City \u003caffirmative\u003e. And I think there's a lot of work that's been done, and I have a colleague, Eric Sanderson at WCS who's been really focused on urban ecology. And there's a lot of ways to think that that sort of mindset is not actually correct. One way to break that sort of assumption about New York City to break that down is to think about local marine biodiversity. So the local species that are found in the ocean and in the harbor. And so my colleagues on the conservation program at the aquarium did this 400 year retrospective project looking at old fisheries, landing data, looking at old historic accounts, dating back to the colonial period, written accounts, which as I say, it sort of biases you towards certain sources.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1466.0,1529.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/38","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: So there's ways to broaden and think creatively about new other sources of environmental history and ecological knowledge. But just using some of those sort of resources from the Queens Public Library from, And we did, we went to the libraries in each borough, went to the library within the CUNY system and SUNY system to look up these historic records. And then from that, documenting what species have been accounted for in the historic record versus what species are known to be present in New York Harbor off of New York and New Jersey today. And so, like I said, if you had transported yourself to Queens in the 1650s, let's say \u003caffirmative\u003e, there probably would've been a wider array of terrestrial wildlife than are currently present, bears and wolves and other species. But if you had looked in underwater the array of species that would've been found in the 1600's are more or less still in here, the species composition.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1529.0,1614.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/39","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: So the sort of range of species is still intact. Now, that's not to say that the abundance, so the number of individuals, the amount of what's called biomass, the sort of amount of species is here, but the size of the population of those species has dramatically decreased. So what that means to me is there's an opportunity, there's hope, there's a way for residents to join together. And they're doing this all over the city, including in Queens, in Flushing Bay, and in Coney Island Creek near the aquarium to say the sort of sixth borough as it were. The waterways around New York City are an incredible resource for all New Yorkers. They're an open space, they're a natural space. They're obviously lots of human uses, whether shipping and other activities. But we also have whales in the harbor. We have sharks and fishes in the harbor and offshore, we have just oysters and invertebrates.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1614.0,1690.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/40","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: The Billion Oyster Project here in New York City has done so much great work to spur community engagement and the restoration of oyster reefs. And so the fact that we still have that, the wide array of species that historically have always been present in New York waters, means that if we do more to help reduce pollution or protect habitat or work collectively at the neighborhood or city and state scale we can help create a way to balance the busy waters of New York, the human uses, as well as the busy waters that are the marine species that use our ocean backyard as well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1690.0,1737.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/41","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yeah, that's really helpful to hear \u003claugh\u003e about the marine species. I'm a huge fan of history, so I think that's really interesting that as a part of this project, you guys went back to the historical record. I mean, if you're gonna look at change over time, you wanna go back and see what was recorded then. So that's really cool. Yeah. My next question I wanted to ask you was in your work with WCS is there an intersection or effects from climate change? And if so, what are they?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1737.0,1771.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/42","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Yeah, so we're seeing a array of different issues tied to climate change. And maybe this is a good chance to pivot a little towards the work we're doing around Hudson Canyon and sort of offshore ocean issues. There's sort of two topics I wanna sort start to raise with this question. One is that sort of habitat protection and understanding how there's a need to better understand the impacts climate change, whether that's changes in temperature, changes in the pH, so that the acidity of the water is getting changing. So thinking about what the impacts of climate change is going to be or has already been on local waterways and the species that are found here but then also how to support ocean-based and nature-based solutions to climate change. There's an array of different opportunities, whether that's harnessing the power of wind to get renewable energy, but also looking at how to think about ways to protect coastal habitats that sequester carbon and not just create nursery grounds for small fishes or for habitat for oysters, but that also help reduce the amount of carbon in our atmosphere of taking carbon out and reducing, reducing, hopefully at a really important scale, reducing the threat of climate change.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1771.0,1875.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/43","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: So the ocean and climate change are totally connected the ocean. So the ocean is a huge driver in not just the weather, but the climate system. And so the ocean also bears the brunt of a lot of different climate impacts. And so finding a sort of ways to address climate change, you have to think about ocean conservation and nature-based ocean solutions for these challenges. So it's definitely an important part of the work we're doing at the aquarium. In fact just this past summer, we opened a new exhibit called Sea Change which really tells the story of the impact of climate change on habitats and species from pole to pole, so from the North Pole to the South Pole. And it also includes some of the experiences that not just wildlife in New York, but also people in New York City, the impacts that climate change is having on people in New York City whether that's the risks related to heat waves the risks related to sea level rise and flooding and storm damage, things like that. So there's these connections and we try to talk about that openly with visitors at the aquarium as well as through the conservation work that we do.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1875.0,1975.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/44","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yeah great. Yeah, I think that's important to think about those different effects and the connection between climate change and the oceans, which some people maybe don't always think about. They think about its effect on us and us on land. Yeah. My next question I wanted to ask you was what do you think is the most pressing environmental concern facing Queens and New York City at large?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=1975.0,2008.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/45","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: So I think part of it is what you were describing the climate, challenge of climate change and the intersection with the impacts to human health, the threat of sea level rise and things like that. But I think to step back, I think the way to solve a lot of these issues is to think holistically and the connection between, like I was saying, sort of nature-based solutions and in a sense how to prepare New Yorkers for the careers and the sort of workforce needed to solve these environmental issues and build of sustainable solutions. So some of the work we're engaged in at the aquarium is obviously we do career programming for students and lots of STEM programming for young people. We're starting to think about ways and engage with community partners and offshore wind developers and scientists to think about what are the jobs needed to monitor and maintain ocean health especially as offshore wind really picks up as an industry off of our shores. So we'll be able to support the renewable energy that will reduce our reliance on greenhouse gases, But offshore wind will have impacts too and bring habitat. So we have to make sure it's done in an environmentally responsible way. And so finding solutions that require new training and job opportunities for New Yorkers and building career workforce programs with government partners, with academic and industry partners, with community groups that have already really been leading on this work for so long. I think there's a really exciting and hopeful opportunity for New Yorkers as well to sort of build for a future that we all want with less pollution, less of an impact from climate change and healthier populations of wildlife, different species of wildlife off of our shores.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2008.0,2152.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/46","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: So yeah that's interesting about the job training that WCS is looking to do. Do you see a lot of interest from students and young people in WCS and environmental efforts?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2152.0,2170.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/47","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Absolutely. So one of the really special things about WCS is just the number, the thousands of students that we reach every year, both through the school programming, through summer camp at the zoo, the Queens zoo or the aquarium. And I think when people realize that you don't have to think of living in the city and then having nature somewhere else that it can be a part of your day to day life. It can be a part of your work not just your personal passion, but a way to have a well paying job in New York City. It's a really exciting opportunity, I think. And so been really, I think there's just a lot of interest in this and I think there's a need for it because these careers, we have to be a workforce, so we have to have young people that are excited about it and ready to fill these jobs, like protected species observers.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2170.0,2236.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/48","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: So if you go out on a boat and watch for whales as the shipping lane near the shipping lanes or near an offshore wind project, things like jobs like that, or back at your computer, if you maybe like me, you get seasick \u003claugh\u003e too easily. Yeah, my husband likes to tease me. I'm more of an indoor environmentalist cause I get sick really easily But reviewing scientific data and doing spatial mapping there's so many incredible new technological tools to gather information about the ocean, map it spatially, and then present it to the community or to decision makers. So there are all these kinds of roles that are needed to support for new jobs that are coming down the pike here in New York. And we think there's a really exciting opportunity for workforce development to make sure that those jobs are accessible to maybe not just New Yorkers of all backgrounds, but especially to historically underserved and underrepresented communities that haven't been in these types of roles in the past.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2236.0,2310.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/49","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Right, exactly. Yeah, I think that's really amazing to create these positions and open these pathways up to students and so they know about them and see if they're interested. And it's interesting to hear about, what you're saying all the different technologies and tools that there are now it's so many different ways to work in environmental efforts. Use those tools.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2310.0,2337.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/50","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: You don't have to just be a scientist at a research bench. You can be an exhibit designer, you can be a communications expert, you can be somebody who does, makes maps. I mean, there's so many different kinds of roles. Or you can be a nerdy policy advocate like myself, \u003claugh\u003e. There's just so much to do. It's really about finding, if this is your passion, how do you apply your passion to different types of skills and jobs. So there's, Right, there's a role for everybody, I think.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2337.0,2371.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/51","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Right, Exactly. Yes. Awesome. So my next question, we, you've touched on this a little bit so this could be a opportunity for you to talk about an initiative that WCS does that we haven't talked about yet. But this question is how do WCS's services contribute to the natural environment \u003caffirmative\u003e?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2371.0,2396.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/52","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Yeah. So I think one way of thinking about the aquarium and the Queens Zoo and the Bronx Zoo is like we help provide a window for people to see places far away, especially at the Bronx Zoo or Central Park Zoo. I know the Queens Zoo really focuses more on North American habitats and mammals but some that are not found in New York City. So part of the goal is to inspire New Yorkers to say, Oh, this is really cool. This is something that's important to me. How can I be engaged? And when it comes to our local marine conservation work, I really love that piece of the work, how to find, how to communicate the science and conservation issues in a way that will resonate with school kids and visitors and community partners. And it's a constantly evolving challenge but we try to provide opportunities to work with collaboratively on the conservation we work, we do, or really ultimately, to build some of the conservation goals collaboratively with partners so that the platform that we have, which across all the zoos in the aquarium, we see somewhere on the order of 4 million people a year.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2396.0,2492.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/53","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Year. I know. Wow. It's shocking. \u003claugh\u003e. Yeah. I mean, not all of those are New Yorkers right? Many folks come from around the country or around the world to go to some of the zoos in the aquarium. But having the chance, even if it's a challenge with 30 seconds or a couple minutes to say, to talk to those 4 million visitors there's a lot of power in working collectively. If we can get each of those visitors to sign a petition or to s prepare a drawing that we can deliver to an elected official, or they could all decide to stop using a type of single use plastic straw, something like that, where they're really, maybe at an individual scale, it doesn't seem like a lot but effectively, if we all did one thing together collectively, they would have a huge impact. And so thinking about that sort of public civic and even individual actions that people can take to support conservation is something that I've really enjoyed working on because I've been able to see how that impact really does play out. So that's something I think that the aquarium and the zoos are really at the forefront of doing, is figuring out how to take advantage of this experience that we're sharing with people and say, How can we actually translate that to action for conservation?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2492.0,2599.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/54","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Right, Exactly. And it's a huge opportunity with 4 million people coming through. Yes. It's a great opportunity to try and get so many people involved in many ways, like you said. Yeah. Yeah. My next question I wanted to ask about COVID and how you see that it's affected environmental efforts, whether positively or negatively in the past few years.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2599.0,2630.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/55","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: So I think one thing that's been really, if there's a silver lining to COVID, obviously it's been an incredibly challenging time for so many individuals, so many families, so many people have not only had just severe health issues, but many people have lost a lot. You don't need me to tell you just such hard experiences and permanent changes to our society.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2630.0,2665.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/56","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yes,","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2665.0,2666.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/57","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: \u003caffirmative\u003e. But I think one thing that it's also done has helped people reframe what is really important to you? What is important to you as an individual? What's important to you about your community? Why? What is motivating you? Not to make it too sappy, but we've all had to live a much more constrained existence. And even those that were going out at the height of 2020, we weren't able to interact as we used to. And so I think one of the things that COVID has shown is just how valuable, both at a personal level, but on so many levels, how valuable community is. And what I've taken away, and I think other colleagues that I work with and that I interact with, have taken away from an environmental perspective, is that environmental issues, it has to be community-based. It has to work in a way that's a lot working collaboratively with a wide array of people and the challenges of getting together face to face these last couple years.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2666.0,2753.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/58","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: And that's a little easier now in some ways, the aquarium is still not really doing our large convenings or hosting events like we used to before the pandemic. So we're still facing those constraints. But the ability to have conversations like with you, Daniela on online, or to think about the ways that people can still take action in their own apartment or on their street corner. And so in a way that's collaborative with others in their neighborhood or across the city, I think it's really challenged us to think about what are ways to still build community if we can't always be face to face in person and how to harness that power and importance of community to support conservation efforts. So everybody had a very different experience, but it's been challenging for so many of us in different ways that we'll all be living with this for the rest of our lives, in a sense, the memory, if not the memory of those individuals that are no longer with us. And I think the opportunity from a conservation perspective is to think about that sort of central focus and importance of community as a way to work collaboratively for conservation outcomes.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2753.0,2854.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/59","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yeah. I think we saw the importance of that, of community pulling together in so many ways. And like you're saying, I think silver lining was, I think that people's worlds opened community wise and beyond that virtually, and just attending different things and rallying behind different causes. Yeah. Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2854.0,2877.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/60","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: I think so. I'm sure your colleagues at the library have really been thinking about that piece, especially I think one of the things that I was really drawn to for this opportunity was, I think in part it seems like a big portion of the work you're doing is to build support for community projects, but also to document in, inspire people to get engaged in conservation issues. And I think this type of oral history project and the of ways of telling stories to advance conservation is a really important tool as well. And I think the experience with COVID has also shown how important individual stories are and how there's commonality across so many different people with different stories that they, as they experience during COVID, for example. So","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2877.0,2941.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/61","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yes, absolutely. Yeah. I think Queens Memory is twofold with the library is you're saying it's all community based, hearing individual stories and people's different experiences even though we're all Queens residents, we all lead very different lives, \u003caffirmative\u003e. And so highlighting those different stories and then specifically with these environmental interviews, absolutely hearing from environmental community leaders and experts like you and spreading all this public knowledge and making people aware of what you guys are doing and what people can do to help the environment too.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2941.0,2976.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/62","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Yeah, No, that's really important. Thank you for doing that.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2976.0,2980.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/63","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Oh, of course. Thank you for speaking with me. On a related note, my next question was what are some things that people can do now to create a better environment in their communities?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2980.0,2993.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/64","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: So there's lots of different ways to be engaged. I think one of the things- we just had the 10 year anniversary of Super Storm Sandy, and that it feels much closer and much, it's a weird 10 years feel. It feels much closer than that. And also, in some ways, our lives have moved on and \u003claugh\u003e with the pandemic. It's so many other challenges that we're thinking about. But one of the sort- lessons learned, I think, from Sandy is social cohesion. And this is really what the library is at your core is how to build a communal space with so many stories, the connections between individuals in your own building and on your own block in your neighborhood. That was of a predictor in a sense of your community's health. Oceans was, in a sense, civic health was a sense of predictor of how people were able to bounce back from Sandy. And I think the same is true for environmental issues. And so thinking about if you don't know your neighbor down the hall \u003claugh\u003e, yeah, you're like, go up and introduce yourself to him or her or get engaged and attend a community board meeting just to learn about what's happening at the hyperlocal level. \u003caffirmative\u003e. That's one way I think, to start to participate and get engaged in these sort of issues and conservation issues. But other social issues as well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=2993.0,3114.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/65","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: There's lots of ways to support conservation efforts. Like I said, there's many different organizations at the local level that are working on these issues. I referenced the Billion Oyster Project, and there's the Guardians of Flushing Bay. There's community-based organizations that are working to connect neighbors and residents to the local waterways and support local conservation efforts. And that's a fun way to get to know people, to volunteer in your community and also to support conservation. For the work that we're doing at the aquarium, we're trying to support those efforts. We're also trying to incorporate civic engagement. So writing a letter to your editor or to enter your local newspaper or calling your congressperson, weighing in with, Oh, is it going out? Oh, there we go. Okay. So being engaged civically voting in your local elections those are all really important ways to participate civically and help support the sort of civic health for Queens and for New York City at large. So the other actions, use reusable bags, those kinds of things. And thinking about where are there ways to reduce your individual environmental footprint take the subway or the bus, ride a bike instead of taking a car, Things like that. And so the day to day personal choices are also really important as well.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3114.0,3233.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/66","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Right. Absolutely. Well, you did just mention some, which is great, but I was gonna ask what are some organizations that you recommend learning about that create positive environmental efforts?","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3233.0,3250.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/67","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Yeah, so I mentioned The Guardians of Flushing Bay and the Billion Oyster Project. Definitely recommend checking them out. We also work with, let's see, I mean, even I've had an opportunity to work with Girl Scout troops that are engaged in local conservation efforts. So many different organizations now are very active. And I know that there's some active Girl Scout troops in Queens that have been doing lots of climate justice or environmental advocacy work that that's really, really inspiring.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3250.0,3291.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/68","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: That's great.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3291.0,3293.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/69","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: You know, can come to the aquarium and the zoos. You can support local cultural institutions. I think there's such a healthy and vibrant community of cultural institutions that are thinking now creatively about conservation and the arts and science and sort the intersections between these issues. So whether that's the trust over, the Trust for Governors Island or along Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens has done incredible programming around environmental and social justice issues. So those are just a smattering. There's so many I'm sure that we could come up with.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3293.0,3341.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/70","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yeah, that's great though. It's a great array in terms of ages of geographic location and different issues, so that's wonderful. Yeah. Well, my last question for you is what are your hopes for the future regarding our environment? So it's a large question, \u003claugh\u003e. Yeah.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3341.0,3363.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/71","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: So I guess one of my big hopes is that the federal government does establish this national marine sanctuary off of New York, that we would have the first multi-use of marine protected area in New York waters as a way to connect New Yorkers to the incredible species, the important human uses, and the sort of understanding of how climate and oceans are connected. And to have this type of marine protected area off of New York would be the first of its kind here. There's similar areas off of Massachusetts or down in the Chesapeake. And so I think this is the Hudson Canyon is an important deep sea canyon, it really special place that most New Yorkers don't know about. So I'd love to see that protected. And then as a way for all residents in Queens and across New York and New Jersey to be able to learn more and participate in that work.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3363.0,3432.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/72","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: And then I think that that sort of broader vision is how young kids especially, but young kids and their families can find something that's meaningful to them related to ocean health or conservation, and participate and help drive the movement for solutions. There's so much we can do day to day and we can get swept up in the stress of work or school or whatever the challenges that we might face, but building community around these important solutions to support conservation and address climate change can be a meaningful way to connect with our community and then support to support conservation. I'm really hopeful that that kind of approach is becoming more prevalent and that it's so inspiring to see people of all ages doing this work together. And I'm grateful that I get to play a very small part in that work, at least when it comes to ocean issues here in New York.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3432.0,3509.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/73","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yeah. Well, that's great. I think those are some wonderful hopes and goals for all of us to work towards. Noah, thank you so much for talking with me today and sharing all this information. It's been amazing.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3509.0,3524.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/74","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Noah Chesnin: Yeah, thank you, Daniela, and thank you to the Queens Library. It's been a real pleasure.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3524.0,3528.0"},{"id":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501/transcript/40819/annotation/75","type":"Annotation","motivation":"transcribing","body":{"type":"TextualBody","value":"Daniela Trapani: Yes. Okay. All right. I will end with the recording. If you could just stay on for a few more minutes, but I will end it now.","format":"text/plain"},"target":"https://queenslibrary.aviaryplatform.com/collections/2074/collection_resources/83989/file/172501#t=3528.0,3538.045"}]}]}]}