EARTH DAY…2012

Reduce, reuse, recycle!

This coming Sunday, April 22, 2012, is Earth Day.  Earth Day is a day to commemorate the commitment of the human race to preserve our beloved planet.  It is a day to remind us to take green actions…however small…to reduce our “footprint” by re-using, recycling, upcycling and reducing the amount of garbage and pollutants we produce.  The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, and since then over 1 billion people celebrate Earth Day.  It is actually the world’s largest civic and collective observance!

Westchester County will hold various Earth Day celebrations, within various municipalities.  There are also things we can do individually to commemorate the day.  The county celebration will be held in one of the most central and beautiful outdoor locations, at the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla.  You can head to the Dam anytime between 10am and 3pm, for fun activities and educational experiences for all age groups.  There will be live music and entertainment, including Annie and the Natural Wonder Band, and the Solar Punch Band.  There will be exhibits and educational information on everything from how to make your home more environmentally sound, to how to run a green and eco-friendly business!  There will be a farmer’s market featuring fresh and local produce and products.  There will also be the presentation of the county’s Sustainability/Recycling Awards…for environmental achievement and community programs.  Parking and admission for the day are free of charge.

In Northern Westchester, there will be a running of the “Leatherman’s Loop”, a 10 K trail race at the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River.  The run begins at 9am.  The Katonah Lewisboro Schools will host a Sustainability and Wellness Fair at the John Jay High School from 10am to 2pm.  Admission is free.  Head to Briarcliff on Saturday, the 21st, for the Earth Day Celebration at Mrs. Green’s Market…featuring product vendors, demonstrations and sample giveaways.   For more information, you can visit www.mrsgreens.com. Celebrations will also be happening at other Mrs. Green’s locations throughout the county.

On the RIVER, head to Tarrytown, for the Clearwater Earth Day Benefit Concert.  This will be at the Tarrytown Music Hall, and will feature the music of such artists as Tom Chapin, Tom Paxton and Cheryl Wheeler just to name a few.  Visit www.tarrytownmusichall.org for ticket information.  Go up a bit further to Ossining on April 21, 2012, where  you can participate in the Earth Day Quest…from 10am to 4pm, its a part hike, part treasure hunt, and tickets are only $5.00 per person, or $20.00 per family.  It will be held at the Teatown Lake Reservation, so visit www.teatown.org for more information.

Our county seat, White Plains, will be holding its big Earth Day Celebration with a street fair on Saturday, April 21, 2012, from noon to 4pm.  The fair runs on Mamaroneck Avenue, between Martine and Main.

Heading to the Sound Shore, New Rochelle will be hosting the Earth Day Game Show on Tuesday, April 24, 2012!  From 12:30 to 2pm, join the Environmental Studies Program from The College of New Rochelle on the main campus at the Mooney Center, located at 29 Castle Place, New Ro…in the Romita Auditorium.  You can also check out the outrageously beautiful Wildcliff Mansion as Jen’s Community at Wildcliff will be hosting its Earth Day 2012 “Plant and Picnic”  Wildcliff sits right on the shore of the Long Island Sound…and JCW asks you to “re-discover Wildcliff”, a site that sits empty, but promises to become one of Westchester’s first sustainable pre-school locations.  Admission is free, so bring a picnic lunch, and come help the folks of JCW plant a new garden.  For more info, check out www.jenscommunityatwildcliff.org.

The views at Wildcliff

In Central Westchester, you can join in at the Earth Day Celebration, from 1-3:30 pm at the Greenburgh Nature Center.  Admission is free, and you can see all the activities for the afternoon at www.greenburghnaturecenter.org!

All these events occur on Sunday, April 22, 2012, unless otherwise noted.  And remember, every day should be Earth Day…simply by taking some very small steps to decrease our impact on the planet.  Recycle waste, use re-usable containers whenever possible.  In my house, one small step we have taken is to use cloth instead of paper in the kitchen.  Cloth dish towels, and “un-paper” paper towels (do an Etsy search…there are tons!), and cloth napkins.  Each small step represents our commitment to preserve and protect our planet for our future generations!