Where can you get a free hot dog, meet local organizations, and access energy resources all in the same place? At the Lansing Community Sustainability Picnic!

For the past two summers, Lansing community members have gathered at Myers Park for an afternoon of fun themed around local sustainability initiatives. Participating community organizations have set up under the pavilion and offered a range of activities, resources, and incentives all geared towards Lansing residents. People have learned about the history of Salt Point, talked to contractors about weatherizing their home, toured an energy efficient tiny home, taken home milkweed seeds, and more! The lake provides the perfect backdrop for this community mingling, all while everyone enjoys a burger or hot dog made on an induction stovetop.

The event is hosted by CCE Tompkins in collaboration with many community partners, which has included the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, Friends of Salt Point, Friends of Lansing Center Trial, the Climate Reality Project, Tompkins County Environmental Management Council, Halco, and others. Partners are carefully selected for their relevance to the Lansing community, with the event aiming to uplift organizations that are locally involved and sustainability oriented. The hope is that people leave the event with a better understanding of the resources in the Lansing community and how to access and participate in those initiatives.

The now annual tradition is part of a larger effort to strengthen community ties in municipalities across the county. Building more resilient and well-connected communities is an essential tool in the fight against climate change—we need neighbors who are able to support each other in adapting and recovering from climate-induced events. CCE aims to create spaces that bring people together and facilitate those connections, and the Lansing Community Sustainability Picnic is one step in that direction.