Earth Day Activities Abound In Port Chester Region

PORT CHESTER, NY – A number of events are taking place throughout Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and the Mid-Hudson Valley to commemorate Earth Day. The annual April 22 celebration of our planet and environmental stewardship will bring with it a slew of local opportunities to prep and beautify our region for springtime. Here’s a sampling of festivities from around the area.

Beacon

Scenic Hudson will host an Earth Day Cleanup at Long Dock Park where volunteers will help clean the Hudson River shoreline and remove invasive plants. Seining and art programs will be offered for kids. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 22.

Brewster

Putnam County Department of Health staff will be volunteering to clean roadside litter on Route 312 near the department office at lunchtime on Friday, April 21. The department also offers several tools and events for community members to get involved with local environmental improvement initiatives, like roadside cleanup kits, plastic film recycling campaigns, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days (the next of which will take place Saturday, May 6 at Fahnestock State Park), and more. Visit the department’s website for more information.

Cross River

Explore the vernal pools of Ward Pound Ridge Reservation with dip nets to get a closer look at the creatures that live beneath the surface. Meet at the Trailside Nature Museum at routes 35 and 121 south. 1 p.m. Saturday, April 22.

Croton-on-Hudson

Enjoy a pot luck supper and a presentation on how nuclear energy can mitigate climate change by scientist James Hansen at Croton Point Park on Croton Point Avenue. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, April 21.

Also at Croton Point Park this weekend, come identify and record birds for the Project Bird Feeder Watch with members of the Saw Mill River Audubon. 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23, as well as the following Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30.

The Lower Hudson chapter of the New York State Archaeological Society will give a presentation on local prehistoric and historic archaeology, also at Croton Point Park, from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 23.

And again at Croton Point Park, members of the Saw Mill River Audubon will host a hike for its Fourth Monday Bird Walk in this zone designated by the National Audubon as an “important bird area.” 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 24.

Greenburgh

Grab some tools and gloves and help get the Greenburgh Public Library’s garden ready for springtime. Sign up on the event website. 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22.

Haverstraw

Catholic Charities Community Services of Rockland will be unveiling its new greenhouse and hosting a ribbon cutting for a new inspiration garden at its annual “Blessing of the Soil” event to celebrate Earth Day and benefit the organization’s food pantry. In addition to a blessing ceremony, there will be a master garden demo, a garden yoga demo, kids’ crafts, face painting, balloon art and more. Register online. Noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 22.

Larchmont

The Parish of St. Augustine and Sheldrake Environmental Center have teamed up to make Sheldrake’s Earth Day celebration its first zero-waste event. Featuring a compost bin for food scraps and compostable flatware, the event “diverts waste that would otherwise be incinerated in Westchester County, thereby adding to air pollution,” said Sheldrake’s Board of Directors Co-President Katy Romita said in a prepared statement. At Sheldrake Environmental Center. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 22.

Monroe

Join the Monroe Clean Sweep and help to pick up litter along Route 17M and ancillary roads throughout the villages of Monroe and Harriman. 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 22.

New Paltz

The annual Earth Day Fair at New Paltz Reformed Church will feature talks with local ecofriendly groups and individuals, children’s activities, healthy food, music, and entertainment. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 22.

New Rochelle

The City of New Rochelle Parks and Recreation Department will team with Volunteer New York! to offer a day of service to beautify Huguenot Park. Up to 150 volunteers will serve one of two afternoon shifts picking up trash, planting, painting, and performing other duties to help prepare this popular park for spring. Register online. 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 23.

Nyack

Head down to Veterans Memorial Park at Cedar and Main streets for live music, food, crafts, kid’s activities like face painting and art projects, and lots of Earth Day-centered offerings like recycling and gardening how-to sessions, a used battery drop-off station, and more. Free admission. Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 22.

Ossining

The theme for Green Ossining’s seventh annual Earth Day Festival is food sustainability. The event will feature demonstrations focusing on cooking, food preservation, edible gardens, food waste and more; e-waste drop-off and textile recycling stations; craft beer and local food vendors including vegan and vegetarian fare; plus live music and children’s activities. Find more information online. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 22.

Poughkeepsie

A two-day-long Earth Day celebration will be held at various locations throughout the City of Poughkeepsie, with kick-off festivities outside Poughkeepsie City Hall from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 21 featuring live music, food trucks and more. From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 22, there will be cleanups in all eight wards of the city, as well as the Hudson Valley March for Science assembling at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Mural Square.

Rockland County (throughout)

Keep Rockland Beautiful will be hosting several different community cleanup events at various locations throughout the county. Meet up with volunteers to clean up Hillburn, Congers, Stony Point, Nyack, Central Nyack, Sloatsburg, Airmont, Blauvelt, Suffern, West Haverstraw, Monsey and Spring Valley.

Rye

A Springtime Scavenger Hunt will be held at the Marshlands Conservancy on Route 1/Boston Post Road. Geared toward kids, participants will explore the sanctuary looking for clues. 3 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 23.

Somers

Learn all about birds of prey from James Erying on the front lawn of Muscoot Farm on Route 100. 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 22.

Discover which insects can be good for your garden and how to encourage these helpful bugs to stick around with a presentation at Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial on Route 35. 2 to 3 p.m. Pre-register by calling 914-864-7264. Sunday, April 23.

Valhalla

The Westchester County Earth Day Celebration will take place at Kensico Dam Plaza. Celebrate the planet with entertainment, ecofriendly vendors, informational booths, activities and more. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 13.

Yonkers, Ardsley, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Elmsford

The eighth annual Great Saw Mill River Cleanup, hosted by Groundwork Hudson Valley, will bring more than 300 volunteers to eight sites along the Saw Mill River to pick up trash and cut invasive vines. Visit the event website for details on cleanup site locations. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 22.

Westchester County (throughout)

The Westchester Parks Foundation and Westchester County Parks Department invite the public to volunteer in various locations throughout the county to paint, clear trails, remove invasive vines, rake, plant flower beds, and other ways to get ready for spring. Register for the park where you plan on volunteering on the event website. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 23.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons by TheOriginalSoni