Dozens of people came to the Bridge Street parking lot to meet local EV owners, see EVs from dealerships and talk to ConEdison about their SmartCharge program. Curry Chevrolet offered a $250 certificate to anyone who buys a Bolt from their dealership.
Between Hastings and Irvington, we had about 15 EVs (Teslas, Volkswagen, Rivian, Nissans, Polestar, Audi, and a new Chevrolet Bolt from the Curry dealership in Scarsdale. Con Ed sent a whole team to tell us all about their money saving Smart Charge program, and we had a wonderful crew out representing many of Hastings amazing eco-programs, such as the Conservation Commission, the Climate Smart Communities Task Force, the Vine Squad, Pollinator Pathways, Zero Waste, the Litter League, the Clean Air Collective and more!
Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus. Co-Counsel, Land Use Law Center, Pace University. Tarrytown resident. Supervises student research and publications regarding land use, sustainable development, climate change, housing insecurity, racial inequity, and the coronavirus pandemic. He is Co-counsel to the Law School's Land Use Law Center, which he founded in 1993. He served as Adjunct Professor of land use law and policy at the Yale School of the Environment from 2001-2016. Before he joined the law school faculty, he founded and directed the Housing Action Counsel to foster the development of affordable housing.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) produces comprehensive climate reports.[1] Formed in 1988, it consists of 195 national governments and is assisted by hundreds of scientists and other experts.[2] These advisors review thousands of climate science research reports contributed by the global scientific community. The IPCC’s research and solutions at the global, national, and local levels enjoy significant respect. If there is a single entity whose escalating warnings about the climate catastrophes ahead and formulation of solutions that can be trusted, it is the IPCC.
In February of 2022, the IPCC promulgated Climate Resilient Development (CRD) as a principal strategy for managing climate change.[3] CRD, it states, combines adaptation and mitigation strategies to achieve sustainable development for all. A careful reading of its recent report reveals that local governments, wielding their land use regulatory authority, have been delegated a major role in managing climate change. The IPCC identified local land use strategies as effective tools for implementing CRD.[4] The effects of climate change are intrinsically local; planning and action at the ground level are required.
Local governments can adopt, enforce, and incentivize CRD strategies to control and shape land use through regulation, capital spending, and policy. CRD components can be found in comprehensive land use planning. CRD is implemented by strategies that ensure low carbon building, reduce car dependency through decarbonized transportation, and foster green infrastructure and carbon sequestration. Additionally, cities provide increased job and housing availability through in-fill and adaptive reuse, taking pressure off greenfields for future development. Climate-related disasters can be anticipated and managed by hazard mitigation planning and execution. Strategies that incorporate resilient adaptation to sea level rise and inland flooding can minimize the impacts of climate hazards. To achieve sustainable development for all, local governments can incorporate equity and justice in these strategies.
Watch a 50 minute video presentation on the role of local governments in furthering Climate Resilient Development by Professor Nolon's students.
Learn more about the Pace Land Use Center here.
NYSDEC GUIDANCE/DOCUMENTS RE: CLIMATE CHANGE, GHGS :
1https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/ccnys2021.pdf
https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/cp492022.pdf
https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/eisghgpolicy.pdf
16 High school student volunteers made and facilitated the Waste Warrior challenge game - a magnetic board with items to be diverted from the "trash." For example:
Plastic bottle? Regular recyling
A greasy pizza box? Garbage, or for extra points, tear off the clean lid and put that in the paper recylcing and tear up the soiled cardboard and put it in the compost.
Plastic utensils? Garbage.
An old refrigerator or AC? Call the village for special collection. They ensure the refrigerants are recycled and not leaked into potent greenhouse gasses.
A broken lamp? Bring it to the Repair Cafe
Old toys: Give it back to the community through Buy Nothing or TILI.
And many more - each affording an educational conversation.
EV Club and prospective owners gathered tfo dine, swap stories, and ask and answer questions about electric vehicles and plugin-hybrid electric vehicles, Wednesday September 19, 2023 7pm at Chutney Masala
The first EV Club took place in the rain - but that didn't stop people from standing around for an hour happily chatting! Learn more about EV advantages on our EV page here.
See the Rivertowns Enterprise articles about us on our News page here.
Dr. Warwick Norton has been the director of meteorology and climate research to work on the Cumulus Weather and Cumulus Energy funds. Previously Norton was at the University of Reading's Department of Meteorology, a world-leading center of excellence in the atmospheric sciences, having previously conducted research at both Oxford and Cambridge universities as well as at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.
Dr. Warwick Norton grew up in New Zealand and currently lives in Irvington. He moved to England to do a PhD in Applied Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. Then for several years he did research in weather and climate at the Universities of Oxford and Reading. In 2007 he took a career change when he started working for a London hedge fund providing weather analysis for commodity trading. This was followed by working for a much larger US hedge fund. In 2015 he moved with his family from England to Irvington. He is a keen plant grower and lover of nature. For part of this summer he could be found in the Hermits Wetland of Irvington Woods battling invasive Phragmites.
Every day we see more headlines about heat waves, forest fires, and flooding. What is going on and what should we be worried about in Irvington? The fundamental physics of climate change are well understood but some of the details are not. The talk will start off discussing what is happening at the global scale, discuss some of the weather this summer, and then look at the impacts of climate change on Irvington.
Subject: The increased presence of the invasive Spotted Lanternfly, its negative impact on the local ecosystem and ways to tackle the issue
Location: The Irvington Public Library
Participants: Charlotte Binns, Jasena Sareil, Anne-Jaffee Holmes, CJ Reilly, Rosemarie Gatzek, Joan Nenimmo, Maria Ralescu, Jeannie Elder, Laurie Friedman, Kathleen Baca, Lauren Glattly, Adrian Price=Whelan, Renee Shamosh, Melanie Solomon, Bill Estes, Sachin Hardas, Lori Fettner, Damian Chadwick
The meeting was held to discuss the increased presence of the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) in Irvington and to educate residents on the SLF’s negative impact and effective ways to remove them without the use of chemicals.
Jasena Sareil explained that the GPTF has been receiving numerous reports on the sighting of Spotted Lanternfly nymphs. SFL is an invasive pest from Asia that primarily feeds on Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) but can also feed on a wide variety of plants such as grapevines, hops, red and silver maple, walnut, sycamore, birch, Tulip tree, fruit trees and others. This insect negatively impacts New York's forests as well as the agricultural and tourism industries. SLF's feeding (sucking on sap) damage stresses plants which can decrease their health and in some cases cause death. As SLF feeds, the insect excretes honeydew (a sugary substance) which can attract bees, wasps, and other insects. The honeydew also builds up and promotes the growth for sooty mold (fungi), which can cover the plant, forest understories, patio furniture, cars, and anything else found below SLF feeding.
NYS is asking its residents to kill the nymphs, adults, and egg masses when spotted.
In Irvington, we have mostly noticed them on the invasive non-native Tree-of-heaven and Porcelain berry, however, they can be also found on Black walnut, Silver maple, Sycamore, rose bushes etc.
Residents were encouraged to help remove SLFs without the use of chemicals as follows:
1. Squish them by clapping your hands together (gardening gloves help). Approach them from the back if possible. They get tired after about 3 jumps and pause for about 2 seconds so are easier to catch.
2. Step on them.
3. On thorny plants such as rose bushes, hose them down with a strong water pressure and squish / stomp them after they wash off.
4. Use a vacuum, just disconnect the plastic part for carpet/floor so that you can suck them in. If it is a larger trunk of a tree, they will start hiding on the other side so you will need to squish those with your hands. Once done, please put the vacuum bag in a zip lock bag and place it in the trash. Jasena Sareil brought a special vacuum that was provided to the GPTF by the Lower Hudson PRISM.
5. Plat milkweed, which is a crucial plant for the survival of monarch butterflies, but SLF die after digesting its sap.
6. Trap them – Traps can be purchased or made at home. Please also avoid using glue traps as they also kill beneficial insects as well as birds.
What we do not recommend: Unlike some other resources, we DO NOT RECOMMEND the use of any chemicals even a dish soap or vinegar solution as they negatively impact other wildlife. Birds / spiders are learning to eat SLFs and if they ingest them with these solutions on, they will die or get sick.
There is no need to panic. We will get a chance to remove Spotted lanternfly egg masses after they are laid in the late summer and into the early winter, with the majority of egg mass deposition occurring in October. These egg masses survive winter and hatch into SLF nymphs in the spring. These egg masses are the only stationary stage of the SLF, making them an easy target for removal. We will provide educational materials on how to remove egg masses once we start noticing them.
The need for professional removal of Trees-of-heaven was discussed as one of the major ways to address this issue with a special focus on the Old Croton Aqueduct where there is major infestation of TOH as well as Spotted lanternflies.]
At the end, there was a video played of a young student who created an effective homemade trap for SLFs on her beloved maple trees.
Residents were asked to report the sighting of the SLF to the Village of Irvington through this form so that the Village can gather data on this invasive species.
CJ Reilly brought alive SLFs in special tubes to show residents their current size and spoke about the number of TOHs removed from the Irvington Woods. CJ also spoke about other species that are negatively affecting the health of local native trees.
In summary, let’s all get to work with gardening gloves, our hands, feet, and vacuums. Each female can lay up to 100 eggs during its life cycle so every removal counts. We will get an opportunity to remove their egg masses when they start appearing and share educational materials on how to do so.
Helpful Resources:
DEC NYS: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/113303.html
PennState Extension Management Resources: https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-management-resources
Circle trap: https://extension.psu.edu/how-to-build-a-spotted-lanternfly-circle-trap
Teen’s successful trap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjOKIOOw1ZA
Management of Tree-of-heaven: https://extension.psu.edu/tree-of-heaven
Village of Irvington SLF Report: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyvVDtJ4PhPYgOYwTuZ2KkaXB6iQkDNvVrn-9NIxoAjbWDVQ/viewform?pli=1
Small handheld and affordable vacuum for capturing SLF on Amazon here.
Date: Saturday June 10th
Time: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
EVERYONE WELCOME – for all or part of the time
Meeting at: Irvington municipal parking lot off Main Street in Irvington, NY
Work area: On the Old Croton Aqueduct in Irvington. There will be two groups – one working south of Main Street and one north of Main Street.
Help create a cleaner OCA, protect biodiversity by removing non-native invasive plants; free trees from invasive vines so that they can breathe and keep doing the critical work of capturing carbon dioxide.
Organized by the Irvington Green Policy Task Force in collaboration with the Village of Irvington, the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Pollinator Pathways Project, and The Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct. Contact us with questions by e-mail at gptf@irvingtonny.gov
Please register here: https://forms.gle/u6viWBQpd4FpZF6K6
Bring: Reusable gloves, loppers, or clippers if possible. We recommend wearing long pants and a long-sleeve shirt.
Date: Monday June 5th 7pm at Village Hall.
Jennie is the founder of PlasticBagLaws.org, led the Surfrider Foundation’s Plastic Policy and is now the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention at US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). She has written an adult and children's book about recycling.
Saturday June 3rd at 4:00pm at the Library
June 7, 2023
How big is the impact of recycling and composting?
How is waste management changing in Westchester?
How can we solve waste problems in Irvington?
Come and learn from our guest speaker: Vincent Nicolosi of the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities and join us in discussion about the County’s food scrap recycling efforts; including, the County’s Residential Food Scrap Recycling and Transportation Program (RFSTAD) as well as the growing CompostED Program. The presentation will describe each program, it’s current status and future goals.
Irvington woods 10 year anniversary was family fun event with high schoolers leading a tour of the “changing forest” program, Girl Scouts leading tours of the new trails as well as cider making, maple syrup tasting, sing alongs and s’mores. True VIP program helped with everything and Geordanes contributed food. The kids had a blast and the parents were well impressed! Great job CJ Reilly and Irving it recreation and parks!
Help support the Irvington Woods Park and O’Hara Nature Center
Donate any amount using the QR code or link below. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=2RCZ9LSRBNLZC
The Irvington Recreation and Parks Department & The Irvington Woods Committee cordially invite you to:
The 10-Year Anniversary Celebration of the O'Hara Nature Center. Light Seasonal Fare
Where: O'Hara Nature Center 170 Mountain Road, Irvington, NY When: Saturday, May 13 1-3 PM
There will be light fare, music and activities for both children and adults, including trail hikes, a tour of the educational gardens, the basics of maple sugaring led by the Irvington Girl Scouts, tours of the long-term management research forest plots in the Irvington Woods Park, and more!
For more information, please contact:
CJ Reilly cjreilly@irvingtonny.gov
Greenburgh Nature Center: Natural Connection
When: April, Saturdays (1, 15, 22, 29) - 10AM - 12 PM
Where: 99 Dromore Rd. Scarsdale, NY 10583
Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council Meet the Arborist and learn about local trees
When: April 1 9AM - 11AM
Where: Lakes parking lot - Tarrytown
When: April 2 · 10:30 - 11:30am
Where: Cola Community Center
When: April 8 10AM - 12PM
Where: Lakes parking lot Neperan RD
Tarrytown Glenville Woods trail Blaze
When: April 8 1:30PM - 3:30PM
Where: lower lakes pump house
Clearwater symposium: Swimmable, Fishable, Drinkable
When: April 14, 2023 9:00AM - 1:00PM
Where: Kaplan Hall, SUNY Orange, Grand St., Newburgh, NY 12550
When: April 15 10AM - 2PM
Where: Neighborhood house,43 Wildey street Tarrytown
When: April 15 1PM - 3PM
Where: Community Studio 284 Katonah avenue, katonah, NY 10536
Town of Mamaroneck Spring cleanup
When: April 15 2023 10AM
Where: Hommocks Conservation Area (use 510 Hommocks Road, Larchmont address for GPS). Small parking lot across the street from this address.
When: April 16 10AM - 2PM
Where: Lakes parking lot Neperan Rd
Green Ossining 13th Annual Earth Day Festival
When: April 19 2023
Where: Ossining
When: April 20 7PM
Where: St Matthew's Church, 382 Cantitoe Street, Bedford NY 10506
Sustainable Dobbs: Woodland Walking tours
When: April 21 - Riverview Manor Walking School Bus Tour
April 23 - The Children’s Nature Walk
May 1 - Chauncey Park, Dobbs Ferry
May 1 - South County Trail (north end)
May 7 - South County Trail (south end)
Where: Dobbs ferry
When: April 22 8:30AM - 10AM
Where: Lakes parking lot Neperan Rd
Pitch in for Parks 2023 at Blue Mountain Reservation
When: April 22 2023 10AM
Where: Blue Mountain Reservation 240 Welcher Avenue Peekskill, NY 10566
Earth Day Birding with Doug Bloom
When: April 22 2023 8:30AM
Where: Sheldrake Environmental Center, 685 Weaver St, Larchmont, NY 10538
When: April 22 10PM
Where: Rockefeller State Park Preserve
Great saw mill river cleanup 2023
When: April 22 10AM - 1PM
Where: Groundwork Hudson Valley
Tarrytown Village wide clean up
When: April 22 10AM - 12PM
Where: Patriots park
Tarrytown Pollinator garden clean up
When: April 22 10AM - 12PM
Where: Parking lot next to the sleepy hollow high school field
Tarrytown Village Wide clean up
When: April 22 1PM - 3PM
Where: The crest - TBD
Ossining 13th Annual Earth Day Festival
When: April 22 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Where: Louis Engel Waterfront Park Ossining, NY 10562
Briarcliff Manor Earth Day 2023
When: April 22 10:00AM
Where: Law Park Pavilion, 1031 Pleasantville Road, Briarcliff Manor, NY10510
Larchmont-Mamaroneck Earth Day Celebration in Constitution Park, Larchmont
When: April 22 1:00:00 PM
Where: Constitution Park, Larchmont
Earth Day Celebration - Larchmont
When: April 22 2023
Where: Larchmont
Earth Day Everyday Festival Pound Ridge
When:April 22 2023 11AM - 3AM
Where: Pound ridge
Irvington Earth Day Celebrations
When: April 23
Where: Farmers Market, Main Street
When: April 23
Where: Warburton Avenue, Hastings
When: April 23 2023 12PM - 4PM
Where: Mount Kisco
When: April 23 1PM - 3PM
Where: Lakes parking lot
Tarrytown Film screening: the story of plastic
When: April 23 4PM - 5:30PM
Where: Neighborhood house,43 Wildey street Tarrytown
Mind the Planet: A Nature-Self Earth Day Retreat
When: April 23 2023 10AM
Where: Sheldrake Environmental Center, 685 Weaver St, Larchmont, NY 10538
Sustainability in our schools celebration
When: April 25 2023 6:30PM
Where: John Jay High School
Bedford 2030 Greenlight Award™ finalists
When: April 29 9AM - 12PM
Where: Katonah village library
Tarrytown Kids day, healthy kids YMCA
When: April 29 11AM - 3PM
Where: Patriots park
Tarrytown Community garden spring prep
When: April 30 9AM - 12PM
Where: Community garden, John Pauding school, on the corner of Broadway and cobb lane
Tarrytown Clothing and housewares swap
When: April 30 10AM - 2PM
Where: The Neighborhood House, 43 Wildey St - Park on South circle in Patriots Park
When: May 06 9AM - 12PM
Where: Kayak Launch Tarrytown, Lot G
Untermyer gardens president’s tour with Stephen F. Byrns
When: May 7 11:00AM to 12:30PM
Where: Untermyer Gardens Conservancy 945 North Broadway Yonkers, NY 10701
Bedford 2030 + Healthy Yards Earth Day Festival
When: May 07 12PM
Where: Bedford Hills Train Station
Bedford 203 Earth day festival
When: May 07 12PM - 3PM
Where: Bedford Hills train station
Sustainable Dobbs: Kiss the Ground documentary screening
When: May 11
6:30PM Reception & light refreshments
7:00PM Film screening
Where: Dobbs ferry Public library
Sleepy Hollow Environmental Advisory Committee Earth Day Volunteer Celebration
When: May 22 12PM
Where: Barnhart Park, Sleepy Hollow, NY
Sleepy Hollow Environmental Advisory Committee Annual Earth Day Litter Cleanup event
When: May 22 10AM
Where: Reverend Sykes Park (the corner of Valley St. and Wildey St.)
to discuss concerns and opportunities relating to: Climate, Energy, Safe Streets, Biodiversity and Waste. We will divide into working groups, so peruse the topics of interest to you via the menu headings above.
Social Bike Ride & Picnic Party Meeting Friday evening, April 28, on the Aquaduct.
Let's have some fun and figure out how to make Broadway for Everybody a reality. We'll casually ride the Old Croton Aqueduct from Sleepy Hollow to Irvington, pick up more friends there, and return to Sleepy Hollow. When we get back, it's time for a picnic party! Duncan's Abbey is providing their (quite delicious) "Tarwe Town" wheat beer. Bring a blanket and whatever else you want to consume. Then we'll have a quick presentation/discussion about Route 9. In June, the Dept. of Transportation's consultant will begin preliminary engineering work for making Route 9 a "complete street." We need to make sure they do a GREAT job.
Let us know if you plan on coming. info at route9active.org 7:00 pm Gather on the OCA, north side of Bedford Rd (Route 448) 8:00 pm Pickup friends in Irvington (Main St at the OCA) 8:50 pm Pickup latecomers in Sleepy Hollow (at same starting spot), then take short ride to the picnic party spot, where we'll hang out for an hour or so.
Make sure your headlight batteries are charged. Help Pay for Insurance For this ride to happen, we need to renew our yearly insurance policy. To get insurance, we need money. To get money, we need you to give it: https://biketarrytown.org/donate.php Trustee Meetings At the party meeting, above, we'll be encouraging you to attend Board of Trustee meetings in your village. Mark your calendars now for 7:00 pm for the relevant dates: Sleepy Hollow: 4/25, 5/9 Tarrytown: 5/1, 5/15 Irvington: 5/1, 5/15
Earth Day in Irvington was a success -with students giving away compost and totes, Girl Scouts sharing Maple Syrup tapped from the Irvington Woods, and HS and MS students demonstrating their work with the Harvard Changing Forest program. Thanks @Irvington_GPTF for organizing and sharing resources. Thank you Art XO Studio for the up-cycled bulldog art project. We loved the resulting cyborg collage pup and look forward to seeing the Bulldog Walking Gallery this summer!
Irvington Celebrates Earth Day this Sunday at the Farmer's Market
Come and meet kids from the Harvard Changing Forest program working with C.J. Reilly at the O'Hara nature center and see how they are measuring and coring trees to learn about past and potential tree health. See how the Girl Scouts have tapped trees in the Irvington Woods to create Maple syrup - and sample the product! Meet the high school students with a new plan to get the village composting -on campus and off. Learn from the high school environmental club about a new pollinator garden on campus.
Kids can participate in a Bulldog up-cycle art project by Art XO with a nod to the up-coming Bulldog Walking Gallery project for Main Street. Bring your weird shaped broken odds and ends and we’ll glue it together to make something anew!
We are launching the new Resilient Rivertowns Sustainable Living Map, created in partnership with the other municipal environmental committees, with layers for restaurants, shopping, waste, nature and public transport. Be one of the first to take home a free printed copy - while supplies last at the farmer’s market.
As always,the Green Policy Task Force will be present to talk to you about sustainability in the village and opportunities to have an impact (and some ways saving money).
Celebrate a new trail system in the Irvington Woods Saturday. Created by kids in the community, the new trail markers and map will make your experience of the woods even more enjoyable. Enjoy hot chocolate and s'mores and take a tour
Japanese barberry removal events - Oct - Dec 2022
There will be donuts, hot chocolate, and coffee in the morning, and pizza for lunch at the Nature Center for volunteers.
To register for the "Nature Programs: Fall 2022— Invasive Volunteer Removal Programs," you can use the registration link here: Register.capturepoint.com/villageofirvington.
Please dress appropriately for potential ticky conditions: long pants, long shirts, boots, or old sneakers and hats. We will have organic essential oil-based tick repellent and sunblock for volunteers at the ONC.
Invasives Webinar Part 1 Oct 18, 9am-12:30pm. Sponsored by the Westchester County Soil & Water Conservation District. Use this link to register: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUtf-yppjksEtQ7cqTrVmx8cLe5ijC17AaU
--This Saturday! October 15th
11am-3pm
at James V. Harmon Community Center
44 Main Street Hastings-on-Hudson
HOSTED BY HASTINGS REPAIR CAFE
and the Irvington Repair Cafe
Co-sponsored by Hastings Conservation Commission and Irvington Green Policy Task Force with the support of the Village of Hastings
THERE WILL BE REPAIR COACHES FOR:
Electrical • Small Appliances • Lamps • Stringed Instruments (i.e. guitar, ukulele, mandolin) by Sawmill Guitars • Mechanical Items • Epoxy Bonding • Clothing/textile Mending • after 1:30 Jewelry Repairs (no stone settings or soldering)
Meet your neighbors of repairers fixers restorers + menders
Share Skills • Reduce Waste • Make Friends
Volunteer-Run • Free • All Welcome • In-person
Questions: HastingsRepairCafe@gmail.com
https://www.instagram.com/rivertowns_repair_cafe
https://www.facebook.com/hastingsrepaircafe
Date: this Sunday, October 16, 2 p.m.
Distance: 5K or 3K
Meeting & Finish Point: East Field at Irvington High School
Route: through the beautiful Irvington Woods
Please come support this student-led initiative!
Raised funds will be used to benefit the Irvington school district, the Green Policy Task Force, and the Irvington Woods Committee's efforts to remove invasive plants and plant new native ones.
Registration: Register.capturepoint.com/villageofirvington
1. Click on "Click Here to Register"
2. Nature Programs
3. Scroll all the way down to Fun Run for a More Sustainable Irvington
4. Click on "Add to Cart"
If you are unable to attend but would like to contribute, please use the Paypal QR code available on the flyer. Please specify “Fun Run for a More Sustainable Irvington” in the memo. Thank you!
Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions.
OCA Pollinator Garden Aqueduct Ln, Irvington, NY 10533, USA
Community Garden. Open 10am-1pm. Free parking is available on Main Street and the cross streets are Main Street and South Aqueduct Lane.
A true community effort involving 30 volunteers and several community organizations. About 20 different species of native pollinator plants are maintained in this garden on the Old Croton Aqueduct by community members and high school students.
Learn more about the tour here: https://www.healthyyards.org/tour/
Date: Saturday, April 23, 2022
Time: 1:00 – 3:30 pm
EVERYONE WELCOME – to the Old Croton Aquaduct Trail
Participate in the creation of a pollinator garden and learn from an expert on how to build one at home. Remove non-native invasive plants (lop, pull & dig them up) and clean up litter.
Contact us with questions by e-mail at irvingtongptf@gmail.com.
Meeting location: Ventilator tower on the Old Croton Aqueduct near the municipal parking lot just south of Main Street in Irvington, NY
Parking: MSS parking lot and on Main Street
Work area: On the trail between the ventilator tower and West Clinton Ave.
Perks: Helping protect biodiversity by building a pollinator garden and by removing non-native invasive plants; freeing trees of invasive vines so that they can breathe and keep doing the critical work of capturing carbon dioxide; getting some fresh air!
Bring: Reusable gloves, shovels, loppers, or clippers if possible (a limited amount will be available if you cannot bring). Wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt.
The Village of Irvington and the Irvington Woods Committee are running a deer impact survey and would like your input.
Please complete this short survey by February 5th.
Thank you for participating.
Presented in partnership with the O'Hara Nature Center and the Irvington Recreation and Parks Department, EarthIrvington is a two-day environmental festival featuring musical performances, film screenings and forums, sustainable eats, and outdoor activities for the whole family. This celebration of nature asks our community to think globally and act locally in order to protect the environment.
The fun begins on Friday, October 1 with locavore fare from nearby eateries and an open-air screening of Wasted! The Story of Food Waste (2017) from Executive Producer Anthony Bourdain (who also narrates) following a Q&A with the documentary’s director, Nari Kye, alongside a panel of leaders from Westchester County organizations whose missions reflect a commitment to sustainability.
The festivities continue on Saturday, October 2 with guided tours of the Nature Center’s 400+ acres of forested trails, “Ask the Expert” tables, hands-on workshops, and a righteously irreverent performance from Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir, a storied group of self-identified urban activists who use theater of protest, spectacle, and song to fight for climate justice. Explore the full lineup below!
This festival will be held outdoors at the O’Hara Nature Center in Irvington on October 1 and 2. Rain date is October 3. On-site parking is available, and carpooling is encouraged. Questions about accessibility at this event? Email boxoffice@irvingtonny.gov.
Monday, January 13, 2021
7 p.m., the Irvington Library
This talk was organized by the Pollinator Pathway Project in collaboration with the GPTF. It focused on invasive plants and their impact on our environment.
Dr. Linda Rohleder spoke about invasive plants and how, if left unchecked, they can aggressively undermine biodiversity and the health of our community. She talked about why certain plants are deemed “invasive”, why non-native plants, specifically invasive non-native plants, are so harmful to pollinators that depend on native plants, why invasive plants can grow so aggressively and what can be done to stop and eradicate them. Dr. Rohleder has long been an important voice in addressing how invasive species negatively impact our environment: “Plants are the basis of the food web. Most insects are adapted to eat three or fewer species of plants, and when you change those species, suddenly there are fewer insects and less food for birds and butterflies. Invading species have a ripple effect on the whole environment. If we let them run their course, it would still be green, but there would be a lot less species.”
Dr. Rohleder is the Director of Land Stewardship of the New York – New Jersey Trail Conference and the Coordinator of the Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (“PRISM”). The Lower Hudson PRISM partners with a wide range of organizations and conservation groups who are actively involved in education and outreach about invasive species, management of invasive species, surveying and mapping of invasive species, and/or researching invasive species. Dr. Rohleder received her PhD in Ecology from Rutgers University, where she studied the effects of deer on forest understories. She speaks widely about the threat of invasive species and their impact on our environment.
The first part of the meeting included a presentation called "Broadway for All: The Route 9 Active Transportation Conceptual Plan". We learned about a collaborative five-village consortium of Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Sleepy Hollow, and Tarrytown that is working to create a modern and green corridor with bike lanes, safer crossings and expanded sidewalks. Bike paths can be used by people of all ages. The plan represents and opportunity to improve student safety for school journey and reduce school drop off traffic. Seniors and handicapped people would benefit from safer and easier pathways while monitor vehicles move efficiently and safely too. Conceptual design can be viewed at route9active.org (see the final report). We are happy to report that the Irvington Board of Trustees approved a resolution to continue to move forward on the Route 9 Corridor initiative with the surrounding Rivertowns.
The GPTF Invasives Removal Squad keeps monitoring and performing non-native invasives removals to support the health of our local ecosystem. We also organize clean-up campaigns. If you love the outdoors and want to protect it, please contact us!
January 10, 2021
The GPTF members worked with the Hastings Vine Removal Squad on the removal of non-native invasive vines such as Oriental bittersweet, English ivy and Porcelain-berry in Hillside Woods. The group also planted the northern red oak (Quercus rubra) and named it “Wisahkakw” after the Lenape People.
Green Policy Task Force : 2024 Review and 2025 Goals
Douglas spoke about the four principals of sustainabilty: 1- 2- 3-resocialize 4- cultivate awe
