News & Events
Upcoming Events
Climate Talks: Bringing it Home
Join our conversation, local guest speakers, light food and action plans.
We gather on the 1st Wednesday of the month to discuss local environmental issues and opportunities to have an impact. Since the fall, we host a climate speaker series to discuss global issues, understand potential impacts on our village, and explore strategic responses. Our guest speakers are Westchester residents with far reaching influence who can bring the discussion home.
Past Events: To see past speakers, scroll down. Topics have included an overview of local meteorological predictions, the potential impact of local law, bucking the status quo, and the history of and lessons from how we have failed to address climate change so far.
Special Date:
January 17
January 17
7pm at the Irvington Public Library
Irvington Climate Action Plan Workshop
Irvingon is creating a Municial Climate Action Plan, which has, so far, involved collecting and analyzing data for a Municipal Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory which can be seen here. Our next step has been to meet with Department Heads for feedback and model potential mitigation strategies in Clearpath, a platform of the ICLEI. The next step is get feedback from the community.
We will review the findings so far and workshop what we would like to see prioritized for the Irvington Municipal Climate Action Plan.
We can also touch on a Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report which is currently being researched.
Cynthia Scharf
Cynthia Scharf is a Tarrytown resident. Since 2017, she has served as the Senior Strategy Director at the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G) and is a recognized international specialist on climate geoengineering policy.
Scharf previously served as the head of strategic communications and chief speechwriter on climate change for the United Nations Secretary-General from 2009-2016. As a senior member of the Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team, she played a key role in organizing the Secretary-General’s two global climate change summits (2014 and 2009) and closely supportedthe Secretary-General during the UNFCCC negotiations, including the landmark Paris climate change agreement in 2015.
Prior to her work on climate change, Scharf worked on global humanitarian and public health emergencies at the UN and with international non-governmental organizations in the Balkans, Africa, the UK, and Russia. She also has private sector experience working in the social impact investing field. Scharf began her career as a journalist in Moscow in the early 1990s covering the collapse of the communist system in the former USSR and Eastern Europe.
Scharf’s articles on politics, the economy, and the environment have been published in The International Herald Tribune, The Wall Street Journal Europe, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Moscow Times, Globe and Mail, and elsewhere. She received her MA from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and speaks Russian.
Cynthia Rosenzweig
Cynthia Rosenzweig is a Senior Research Scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, where she heads the Climate Impacts Group. She is Co-Chair of the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC), a body of experts convened by the mayor to advise the city on adaptation for its critical infrastructure. She co-led the Metropolitan East Coast Regional Assessment of the U.S. National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change, sponsored by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. She was a Coordinating Lead Author of Working Group II for the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). She is Co-Director of the Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN), Co-Editor of the First and Second UCCRN Assessment Reports on Climate Change and Cities (ARC3), and Co-Chair of the Urban Thematic Group for the United Nations UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Campaign for an Urban Sustainability Development Goal (SDG). She serves as Chair of the Board of the New York City Climate Museum. She was named as one of “Nature’s 10: Ten People Who Mattered in 2012” by the journal Nature, for her work preparing New York City for climate extremes and change. A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, she joins impact models with climate models to project future outcomes of both land-based and urban systems under altered climate conditions. She was awarded the 2022 World Food Prize for her pioneering work in modeling the impact of climate change on food production worldwide. She is a Professor at Barnard College and a Senior Research Scientist at The Earth Institute at Columbia University.
Amy Larkin
Amy Larkin lived in Tarrytown before moving to Cortland Manor. She is an award-winning entrepreneur, activist, and producer who has been at the forefront of the environmental movement for decades. Her 2013 book, Environmental Debt: The Hidden Costs of a Changing Global Economy revealed the links between our environmental and financial crises - both causes and solutions. From 2014-16, she served as Vice Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Climate Change.
In 2019, Amy co-founded PR3, a public-private partnership forging systemic solutions that dramatically reduce plastic production and consumption. When globally deployed, the move away from single use packaging can reduce the manufacturing of plastic packaging by 90% and cut associated emissions by 80%. (Packaging uses ~40% of all plastic production). Reuse is a solution commensurate with the gravity of both the plastic and climate crises.
While Greenpeace Solutions Director, Amy led the collaboration with the Consumer Goods Forum, a consortium of 400 multinationals to eliminate HFCs. The industry’s commitment directly led to HFCs’ inclusion in the Montreal Protocol in 2016, anticipated to save .5°C degree of global warming. This work won the prestigious 2011 Roy Award from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Amy has spoken around the world on Climate Change and its relationship to Money, Culture, and Spirituality, including at the 92nd St. Y’s 2019 Yom Kippur Kol Nidre service. She wrote regularly for The Guardian from 2012-2015.
Topic: Climate Solutions: It takes a village...and a lot of courage.
There is no replacement for courage...Right now, we are looking on with a mix of disbelief and ennui as extreme weather engulfs us. In some cases, we are trying to take what appear to be reasonable steps, mostly in order to protect our precarious perch in the world's economy. The trouble is, the time for "reasonable" has passed. We have somehow forgotten that if there is no nature, there is no business. We are in a global environmental emergency, but we are behaving as if incremental improvements to "business as usual" will do.
This courage must be expressed with and within our local villages and our global village.
I'll share my current work with PR3 drafting standards to create reusable packaging systems, a significant plastic and climate solution. We are working with multinationals, entrepreneurs, packaging producers, environmental justice activists, scientists, urban planners, and numerous government departments in cities, nations, and the Global Plastic Treaty currently being negotiated. This diverse village of brave souls and institutions is going to lead the world away from single-use packaging to serve people, planet and profit.
Past Events
December 6: Eugene Linden
Topic: How It All Went Wrong on Climate Change
Eugene Linden writes about the environment, nature, animal behavior, finance and social issues. He has been writing about climate change since 1988, in articles, essays and op-eds, for Time, The New York Times, and many other publications. His previous book on climate, The Winds of Change: Climate, Weather, and the Destruction of Civilizations, was awarded the Grantham Prize Special Award of Merit. He has published ten other books, which have appeared in 13 foreign language editions.
Highlights from the talk:
Known as Professional Killjoy, Linden has been writing about the climate since 1988 and says, like COVID, people will "deny it to their death." In addition to the greenhouse effect, we have the "Whitehouse Effect," or the "Lobbyist Effect" starting with H.W. Bush who had a conference on climate change where participants couldn't mention global warming. Now we are perilously close to pushing the system into an unstoppable feedback loop. Linden conveys the story of climate through four clocks: reality, science, the public and business and finance. Perverse business and finance incentives have rendered us blind. If we do not wean ourselves from fossil fuels, the climate may wean us from our food supply. But when we set ourselves we can create a vaccine in 9 months instead of 7 years. Ending on a positive note, Linden touted the potential of deep geothermal provide the most economic source of power on our planet, and be retrofit to coal plants. See his article in New Scientist here.
EV Fair Nov 5th - click to expand original flyer
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.
Scroll through for photos
Climate Talks - expand to view original flyer
November 1
Seth Godin is a long-time resident of Hastings on Hudson, and can often be found paddling his handmade canoe off the coast of Yonkers.
Godin is the author of 21 bestsellers, the creator of one of the most popular blogs in the world, and a lifelong entrepreneur and teacher. In 2021, he helped lead 300 other volunteers in 40 countries to create The Carbon Almanac, a bestselling, award-winning book about what's really happening to our climate.
In this talk and conversation (mostly conversation), he'll help us see some of the widely-held myths about our crisis, and explain how the foundational effort his co-authors created can be a metaphor for the systems change we need to create. It's not too late, but we need to begin.
Photo by Brian Bloom
Guest Speaker - Seth Godin
Highlights from the Talk
Are two greatest problem are
Status, or “I am just doing my job” mentality and
Convenience trumping all.
Solutions?
Organize at the local level -with persistence. Organizing for change does not require a majority. A small group can effect great change.
Charge an accurate price for carbon – including the costs of carbon cost of shipping.
Seth described how oil companies created the concept of a carbon footprint – that each individual must get to zero footprint before they can take on anything else, which is an impossibility in the current oil-based economy that stops too many of us from taking action. So don't get hung up on being perfect. It is more important to focus on organizing and building the movement for systems change. See our Instagram for a video clip.
EV Fair Oct 14th - expand to view original flyer
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!
Scroll through for photos
Climate Talks flyer - expand to view
October 4
Guest Speaker - John Nolon
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.
Topic: Climate Change and the Mysterious Power of Local Land Use Law
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.
Resources from the Event
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
Rocktoberfest Waste Warrior Challenge
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.
Irvington Goes Electric EV event (postponed)- expand to see flyer
EV Club meetup
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.
Climate Talks flyer - expand to view
Guest Speaker: Warwick Norton
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.
Topic: Climate Change from Global Scales to Irvington Village
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.
Irvington Green Monthly Meetup: July 19
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
Click to expand for minutes from the meeting
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.
Greenburgh Nature Center Compost Giveback Day
June 24th-25th 10--2pm
June 24th-25th 10--2pm
Click to expand for original event flyer
Rivertowns Repair Cafe
Sunday June 25th 1-4pm at the Irvington Public Library
Sunday June 25th 1-4pm at the Irvington Public Library
Click to expand for original event flyer
Old Croton Aquaduct Clean Up & Invasives Removal
Clean up, help with the pollinator garden, remove invasives and learn about the ecosystem.
Click to expand for original event flyer
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.
Village Public Meeting with the Board of Trustees about the Gas Powered Leaf Blower Ban.
Date: Monday June 5th 7pm at Village Hall.
Book Reading with Author Jennie Romer
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
Irvington Green Monthly Meetup: WASTE
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.
Photos from the event
O'Hara Nature Center 10-Year Anniversary May 13th
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!
Click to expand for original event flyer
O'Hara Nature Center 10-Year Anniversary May 13th
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
Regional Earth Month Events
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.)
Irvington Green launches monthly gathering
Join us at the library May 3rd at 7pm and every first Wednesday of the month
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.
Broadway For All Bike Ride on the Aquaduct Friday April 28th - Expand for details
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
Irvington Green Earth Day
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!
April 23rd 9:30AM - 1PM
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).
Invasives Removal Cleanup at
O'Hara Nature Center April 15 and April 22
O'Hara Nature Center new trail opening - postponed
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
PLEASE COME HELP IN THE IRVINGTON WOODS
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.
What's Bugging Our Forests?
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
REPAIR CAFE
--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
FUN RUN FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE IRVINGTON
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.
The Pollinator Tour Comes to Irvington
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.
Deer Survey
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.
An eco-festival of local solutions!
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.
April 24 2021: Great Saw Mill River Cleanup
Cleanups provide another great opportunity to protect local wildlife and to beautify local common areas.
We held an educational session on the Route 9 Active Transportation Conceptual Plan.