A randomly recruited gathering of people from York County came together June 27, 2023 at the York Daily Record to talk about their experiences with climate change. The listening session was put on by Climate Solutions, a collaboration focused on helping central Pennsylvanians take on climate-related challenges. Scott Fisher, Central Pennsylvania Region News Director at the YDR, moderated the session.
Scott Blanchard / WITF
Scott Blanchard / WITF
A randomly recruited gathering of people from York County came together June 27, 2023 at the York Daily Record to talk about their experiences with climate change. The listening session was put on by Climate Solutions, a collaboration focused on helping central Pennsylvanians take on climate-related challenges. Scott Fisher, Central Pennsylvania Region News Director at the YDR, moderated the session.
The listening session June 27 was put on by Climate Solutions, a collaboration focused on community engagement and solutions-based reporting to help Central Pennsylvania move toward climate literacy, resilience and adaptation. StateImpact Pennsylvania is a Climate Solutions partner. Other partners are WITF, La Voz Latina, Q’Hubo News, Sankofa African American Theatre Company, Shippensburg University, the Franklin & Marshall Center for Opinion Research, the York Daily Record, and Solutions Journalism Network.
They came from various backgrounds, differing age groups and unique lifestyles, but each of the seven participants in a recent listening session held at the York Daily Record shared a personal experience with climate change.
The York County participants in the discussion included Andrew Smith, Emily Arndt, Mickey Knaper, Craig Zumbrun, Philip Drayden, Tabitha Clark and Gwendolyn Babcock.
York Daily Record Editor Scott Fisher moderated the session, and WITF recorded the conversation for the Local Voices Network. The recording and full transcript is available here.
Almost immediately, they noticed similar experiences and observations.
Scott Blanchard / WITF
Mickey Naper speaks at a Climate Solutions listening session June 27, 2023 at the York Daily Record.
Most pointed to unpredictable weather patterns, rising temperatures, and increasingly severe weather events. Knaper said stronger storms have damaged the awnings at his downtown York business, Gift Horse Brewing Co.
Zumbrun said he and his wife became Penn State Master Gardeners, where they learned to understand the relationship of insects to gardening and farming. The couple was excited to grow native plants but quickly realized there were no pollinators. He blamed the changing weather patterns for disrupting the life cycles of helpful insects and birds.
Scott Blanchard / WITF
Craig Zumbrun speaks at a Climate Solutions listening session June 27, 2023 at the York Daily Record.
Zumbrun suggested planting trees as a small way to make a big difference. “One oak tree can sponsor over 283 different insects,” he said.
Comparing grass to a desert, he stressed how important it is for people to realize that grass doesn’t host the same beneficial insects as trees. Zumbrun added that planting trees along city streets wouldn’t just foster pollinators but provide cooling refuge during intense heat waves.
“It’s so important, I think, to just improve the quality of the air, improve the temperature, improve the little life that makes the big life. And so, I would say plant trees and do whatever you can to reduce grass,” said Zumbrun.
Smith stressed the importance of keeping an open mind about alternative options for yards that would be more conducive to supporting life. He pointed out that societal expectations might make people hesitant to change their mindset about grass yards but said they are mowed and “put to no use.”
