We are a research group based out of Cornell University’s Community and Regional Development Institute (CaRDI). Working in partnership with the Hudson River Estuary Program and the NYS Water Research Institute, we are exploring increased flood risk and responses in New York State. The current focus of our project is on the city of Troy. […]
Audacity is a free digital audio editor and recording application that runs on almost any Mac or PC. Learn how to use it to make radio! Audio editing is an invaluable skill for creating podcasts, music, or film. Get your start at the Sanctuary!
An introduction to modern digital cartography. Map your neighborhood! Own your data, untether from Google Maps. Share your map with friends using mesh networks.
Help support our garden by growing your own. We have been maniacally planting seeds and dividing perennials in hopes to spread the bounty of Collard City Growers into your yards and gardens. We welcome barters (annual for annual or perennial for perennial) if you have plants to trade. Also, we welcome any plant contributions, if […]
Join us outdoors in closing out our Spring 2018 season with the sixth annual Freedom Festival! The festival will take place at Freedom Square, on 101st Street where 5th and 6th Avenues meet. Rain location: The Sanctuary for Independent Media. Things to expect: Big thank you to our generous co-sponsors: Unity House, Troy Bike Rescue, Denison Farms, Collard City […]
Join us outdoors in Freedom Square for our sixth annual Freedom Festival! There’ll be a bike giveaway, free music, free food, free art activities and all kinds of fun! Rain location: The Sanctuary for Independent Media...
The Sanctuary for Independent Media is gearing up to revamp a long-abandoned building into the NATURE Lab Environmental Education Center! We are embarking on a community-led design process to ensure that the new center's design and programming reflects the needs of the North Troy community. Let your ideas be heard at our Community Design Think […]
Join us for the final celebration of the 2018 Uptown Summer youth employment program and see what we’ve been working on! At 1pm, architect Cameron Toler will be presenting the NATURE Lab prototypes generated from last week’s community design think tank. Then, we’ll watch a few short films about the Uptown Summer program and hear […]
A deep roots trio made up of guitarist and vocalist Pascal Danae, Rafgee on sousaphone and drummer Baptiste Brondy, blending French Caribbean and New Orleans’ musical styles for a contemporary Creole blues sound with an African flair. Named for Officer Louis Delgrès, the band pays tribute to the forgotten hero, a biracial man who spent […]
The eighth consecutive year of this community celebration, with free music, food and arts activities outdoors at Freedom Square. Just as farmers reap the harvest, providing sustenance for all, it is time to celebrate all our harvests--the results of seeds sown through art, education, agriculture, tolerance, and everything we do to build strong, healthy, tolerant […]
Exhibition Opening Wednesday, Sept. 26, 6-7pm, with photographer Catherine Rafferty! During her internship at The Sanctuary for Independent Media, Catherine Rafferty photographed the images in this exhibition during the Uptown Summer 2018 program. Born in Albany, she is working toward a BFA in Photojournalism at Rochester Institute of Technology. She is currently the photography editor […]
Join us on Tuesday October 2nd, as we kick off the Fall 2018 NATURE Lab Open Hours season with an awesome workshop about what science is, who gets to do it, and how knowledge is created. Expect fun activities, lively discussion, and more! Open to all ages. This event takes place at 3334 6th Avenue, […]
Help us produce an hour a day of local news and public affairs content for the Capital Region. There are many ways to get involved (regardless of your interests, skill level and time available). We’ll show you how!
Something is in the water! Learn how and what life’s like under the water surface. Includes hands on manipulations and live critters to explore. Hope you like getting your hands dirty! Open to all ages. About the NATURE Lab: North Troy Art, Technology, and Urban Research in Ecology (NATURE) Lab is a volunteer-led urban ecology […]
Working with simple DIY tools and protocols, participants will learn to extract and identify estrogenic compounds in liquids ranging from waterways to common foods. We will construct our own scientific tools using readily available components that we will use to collect estrogenic compounds from the water and liquids around us. Through this workshop, participants will […]
Four women, virtuosic musicians, and educators–Lara Klaus, Daniela Serna, Mafer Bandola and Sara Lucas – each from a different country and culture of the Americas, sisters in song, rhythm and spirit. A multinational ensemble of women building community through sound. With powerful vocals, often accompanied by Pat Swoboda on the bass, LADAMA delivers an utterly […]
In this workshop, we will take a piece of plant and multiply it in vitro. Learn how to multiply plants, including Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). We'll also learn a lot about what Genetically Modified (GM) plants are, the rules around multiplying them, and how they interact with us and our environment (or not). Open to […]
The art of creating powerful radio, podcast and video productions requires skillful sound editing. The tools are more accessible than ever; learn the techniques!
At 5pm, join us for a community potluck. Then, at 6pm, there will be a screening of the groundbreaking documentary Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope, a film examining the emerging science around toxic stress and how it negatively alters the brains and bodies of children if left untreated. Following the screening, Urban Grief […]
Learn about the value of bugs in farming and their potential as “microlivestock.” We promise they don't bite! Includes experiments for kids. Open to all ages. About the NATURE Lab: North Troy Art, Technology, and Urban Research in Ecology (NATURE) Lab is a volunteer-led urban ecology education initiative. Artist/scientist teams work to empower the community […]
We use art and participatory action to promote social and environmental justice and freedom of creative expression.
Learn More
