Louise Buck, pictured with her two granddaughters, has been enjoying more time to visit family as she approaches retirement. Following recent travels to Norfolk, Boulder and Oakland, she turned to the Finger Lakes Climate Fund (FLCF) to offset the carbon footprint of her journeys.

Louise has dedicated her career at Cornell’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment and EcoAgriculture Partners to promoting sustainability, which often required international travel. She particularly values the FLCF for connecting carbon offset payments to verifiable local benefits. Louise admires the collaborative leadership that Sustainable Finger Lakes demonstrates in designing and operating the FLCF to help meet these goals to promote energy efficiency, foster a green economy, and achieve ambitious climate goals for the region and beyond.

“It’s not simple to coordinate the many elements of a successful offset program, from calculating emissions to raising funds and administering grants across numerous sectors and partners in transparent, credible ways.” Louise shares, “Many organizations have not been successful at it. Undoubtedly, the FLCF’s focus on helping local people contributes to its success, in addition to its collective vision and diverse and dedicated expertise”.

These qualities: transparency, credibility, and a strong focus on the local community fuel Louise’s enthusiasm for participating in the program. She is glad that staying connected to her grandchildren in far-away California also gives her the opportunity to participate in and promote the FLCF.