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PRESIDENT'S LETTER WCNY
In “Bloom: The Toxic Threat to the Finger Lakes,” WCNY Senior Producer Kevin Miller takes us beneath the waves into a world where the survival of one of our region’s most precious natural resources is being assaulted by a powerful force of nature.
“Bloom” is about the 11 Finger Lakes which have all experienced recent outbreaks of cyanobacteria—also known as toxic algae or harmful algal bloom. These blooms threaten drinking water, as well as a multi-billion-dollar tourism economy across Central New York.
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In this film, Miller provides a primer on toxic algae. He digs into the causes of this terrifying scourge from Conesus Lake to Keuka Lake, Canandaigua to Otisco, and reports on what is occurring and what can be done to confront the spread.
“Bloom,” which debuts on WCNY on May 11 at 8 p.m., explores how residential housing, agricultural runoff, and management of roadside ditches, as well as climate change, rising water temperatures, and intense rainstorms contribute to this problem.
“Whether coming from the state, local entities, or residents of our beloved Finger Lakes, the heart of “Bloom” keeps coming back to the notion that no matter how difficult, it is human nature to continue to seek solutions to this mounting dilemma,” Miller said when reflecting on the many months he spent researching, writing, filming, and editing this special report.
The project was catalyzed when WCNY Leadership Society member Jan Suwinski pointed out the work that the Finger Lakes Land Trust is doing to address this danger. Mr. Suwinski and his wife, Sue, live on a farm in Ithaca not far from the lakes, and have dedicated time and attention to help with their preservation.
The film looks at conservation efforts that the State of New York and the Finger Lakes Land Trust are contributing to protect the lakes, while also exploring the studies aimed to help the lakes become more resilient. These studies are under way at institutions such as Hobart and Williams Smith College, Cornell University, and SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
This report would not have been possible without the generosity of Jan and Sue Suwinski and the support of all our WCNY members. We are glad to be able to bring this coverage to our viewers. “Bloom” is in part a celebration of the wonders that surround us, and a reminder that we will need to be vigilant if they are going to last.
Sincerely,