Please join us April 14th at the Jay Heritage Center for this Earth Month discussion on native restorations. Start the day with networking and tours of the award-winning Jay Estate Gardens followed by lunch and a keynote talk by best-selling author and entomologist Doug Tallamy. Funding generously provided by Con Edison. More information and registration here.

Why do native trees matter? How can we create a homegrown national park in our own backyards or local municipalities? What are other organizations doing to increase biodiversity on their campuses?

Doug Tallamy is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has authored 112 research publications and has taught insect related courses for 43 years. Chief among his research goals is to better understand the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His books include Bringing Nature Home, The Living Landscape, co-authored with Rick Darke, Nature’s Best Hope, a New York Times Best Seller, The Nature of Oaks, winner of the American Horticultural Society’s 2022 book award.    In 2021 he cofounded Homegrown National Park with Michelle Alfandari (HomegrownNationalPark.org). His awards include recognition from The Garden Writer’s Association, Audubon, The National Wildlife Federation, Allegheny College, Ecoforesters, The Garden Club of America and The American Horticultural Association.

Reuse Edutainer Alex Eaves and Tiny House Expert Derek “Deek” Diedricksen have transformed a 17-foot box truck into a 98-Square Foot tiny house and mobile reuse education center; combining their knowledge of reuse and building tiny houses. Alex and Deek have reused every step of the way: from the truck to the materials to screws. They show people how, with a little more thought and creativity, reuse is everywhere and it's not only beneficial to our planet, but it benefits people and their wallets too.

In addition, the two DIY forces have come together with director Jason Kimball to produce the feature length documentary, "The Box Truck Film: Building a Reuseful Home.” Showcasing both their joys and frustrations, the film delivers the entire process of the box truck metamorphosis; from its initial design phase to Alex’s three years of living and traveling through the U.S. The reuse and tiny house movements continue to grow each year and this film provides a clear and entertaining means for people of all ages to see the practical benefits of reusing to reduce waste in their own lives.

Net Zero Cities Clean Energy Fair - Please join us at our first Net Zero Cities: Westchester County - Clean Energy Fair at Rye Middle School on Saturday, May 13 from 10am - 3pm. Come learn about Net-Zero Homes and how electrification can drive cost savings for you and your family. There will be an Electric Car Show, an Easy Steps to a Climate Friendly Yard panel, vendor exhibits, live music and food trucks. All students are encouraged to enter the Carbon Footprint Poster Contest. For full details about this free event and student poster contest go to: www.westchester.climatenowevents.com

Rye Country Day’s 10th Annual Green Screen promises to be a thought-provoking and inspiring event that will explore the theme of sustainable fashion with a screening of the documentary Slowing Down Fast Fashion. The event will feature a zero-waste reception, a film screening, a guest speaker, and a student fashion show.

The guest speaker, Stephanie Benedetto, is the founder of Queen of Raw, a company that uses technology to tackle excess inventory that ends up in landfills. She will share how her company connects buyers and sellers of unused fabrics, and how they are developing an app that can measure the impact of purchases on water, chemicals, carbon emissions, and dollars.