Playland Parkway Native Restoration Project - March 2024

Rye Sustainability working with a group of volunteers and Westchester grounds crews concluded its Winter/Spring 2024 efforts on Saturday, March 16th with the planting of over 1,500 perennials that were graciously donated by a local resident.

Volunteers in the fall rid the area of invasive plants

Spearheaded by the committee’s our own Chris Cohan we previously, we held successful volunteer invasive plant removals this past fall. The County ground crew joined us then as well. These efforts continued with another volunteer day in February. Together, we removed truckloads of invasive plants and vines. We opened up a stream area; saved various native trees and shrubs from strangling invasive vines; and removed loads of plastics and other debris.

The perennials included Eutrochium fistulosum (Joe-Pye-weed), Iris versicolor (Blue Flag Iris), Senecio aureus (Golden Ragwort) and other deer-resistant, native plants selected for the soil and climate of that area.

National Drive Electric Week - 2022

September ‘22

National Drive Electric Week,a nationwide celebration to raise awareness of the many benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, trucks, and motorcycles was held on Sep 23, 2022. The celebration included events such as

• EV Showcase at the Chappaqua Famers Market

• Clean, Ride & Drive in Bedford

• Electric Mobility: Nordic Countries set an example

(November’23)

Have you noticed vines choking, pulling down, and eventually killing trees? In what has become an annual event sponsored by the Rye Sustainable Committee and others, members of the community took action! By clearing out the vines and other invasive plants, they give native plants and the pollinators and wildlife that depend on them a chance to thrive!! Volunteers all ages, joined our fearless leader Chris Cohan in cleaning up the street.

If you would like to get involved in future projects, please reach out to the Rye Sustainability Committee .

City Council Moves Climate Smart Communities Intiative Forward

(September’23) Climate Smart Communities is a New York State program that supports local governments in leading their communities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change. The benefits of participating include leadership recognition, free technical assistance and access to grants. 

The City of Rye registered for the program in 2015 and we have completed many of the recommended initiatives, including a Greenhouse Gas Inventory, LED Street Lighting Installations and a Residential Waste Program. With the Task Force and Coordinator in place, we are on track to apply for Bronze Certification in the new year. 
CSC Task Force: Assistant City Manager, Brian Shea, RSC Members: James Ward (Chair), Donna Providenti (Vice Chair) and Hilary Garland who will also serve as the program Coordinator.

Proposed Landscaper & Leaf Blower Regulations in Rye

On Wednesday, November 3rd, the City Council will hear public comments regarding a new law, “Landscapers and Leaf Blower Regulations.” The meeting begins at 7 pm. 

Proposed regulations include:
1. All landscapers to be annually permitted.
2. Only electric blowers are allowed starting 2023.
3. Leaf blower, employer, or property owner may be fined. 

The legislation is important to our community because gas-powered leaf blowers negatively impact our health, quality of life and environment. They are excessively loud, spew toxic emissions and particulate matter, and expose landscape crew and residents to the risk of hearing loss and illness.

Please support this legislation by sending an email to the mayor and city council and attending the meeting on November 3rd.
https://zoom.us/j/95414909757?pwd=d01TUUNPclovV2NLRjFsd2VzK1NOZz09

Mayor Cohn jcohn@ryeny.gov
Sara Goddard sgoddard@ryeny.gov
Ben Stacks bstacks@ryeny.gov
Rich Mecca rmecca@ryeny.gov
Julie Souza jsouza@ryeny.gov
Carolina Johnson cjohnson@ryeny.gov

Below please find a detailed list of the health and environmental hazards associated with gas-powered leaf blowers, along with a list of resources.

To view the agenda item and proposed law, visit
https://www.ryeny.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/13914

HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS 

Health Hazards of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers [GPLB]

Damaging Noise

• The level at which permanent hearing damage occurs from extended exposure is 85 decibels. A study of seven popular models of GPLBs showed the blowers run at up to 83 decibels at 50 feet. This is close to 85 decibels, the level for damage. In the study, the equipment runs at 100 decibels at the source, which is far into the damaging range. Crews run the blowers for hours a day at this range. Some men wear protective equipment; some do not. Protective equipment does not always completely block the noise.

• GPLBs have a low-frequency component which creates a different quality of sound. Low frequency sound travels over greater distances, transmits more easily through windows and doors, and is more audible inside a home. Over time, this kind of loud and penetrating noise damages hearing. One GPLB could affect 90 to 100 homes in a densely populated area.

• A Harvard Medical School Special Report noted, “The noise that causes sensory-neural hearing loss is usually not one deafening bang but decades’ worth of exposure to the high-decibel accessories of daily life.”  Leaf blowers were the first example the study mentioned.

• Loud and penetrating noise also cause adverse health effects. These include heart disease, hypertension, and immune system suppression. Environmental noise has become “the new second-hand smoke.” 

• Major health organizations have spoken out against the noise produced by GPLBs, including The World Health Organization, The Environmental Protection Agency, The Centers for Disease Control, The National Institutes of Health, The National Academy of Engineering/Science, and our own State Medical Society of New York.     

Toxic Emissions

• Up to 12% of all U.S. emissions are from lawn care equipment

• Gas-powered leaf blower two-stroke engines, unlike increasingly cleaner car engines, burn an oil-gas mixture inefficiently. In the process, they produce large amounts of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides (which are toxic) and hydrocarbons (which are toxic and carcinogenic).

• Direct emissions include benzene, 1,3 butadiene, acetaldehyde, toluene, and formaldehyde. These are among the top-ranking carcinogens.

• They also produce ozone-forming chemicals which contribute to smog.

Harmful Particulates

• GPLBs produce fine particulates as part of their emissions.

• Both GPLBs and electric leaf blowers send airborne particulates from the ground they are clearing. These particulates can include topsoil, mold spores, pollen, and animal feces, as well as dangerous contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides, and lead. Once airborne, they may float and take hours to settle. Even if crews shut off their blowers when people pass on foot, on bikes, on boards, while pushing babies in strollers, most likely the particulates are still in the air. 

Environmental Justice

• Landscape crews operate the equipment regularly and in very close proximity. 

• Catherine Plume, Board Member of the Sierra Club, speaking at a hearing in Washington DC, said, “For the Sierra Club, the use of gas-powered leaf blowers is as much an environmental justice issue as it is an environmental issue. Landscaping is an entry-level job in this area, and many of the workers struggle with English. Even assuming they understand the dangers that they're exposing themselves to by performing their jobs using gas leaf blowers, most lack the employment security to be able to ask their employers to provide safer equipment.”

• According to the EPA, emissions of smog-producing substances from mowers and blowers and other small off-road engines last year were 81% as high as the amount from standard sedans. That puts everyone nearby – from employees and their supervisors to bystanders – in harm’s way, almost as surely as if they were standing beside a highway, with no way to escape.

• A white paper by Quiet Communities states: “People especially affected by GLB noise include people working from home, children schooling at home, night workers (including first responders and health care workers), those affected with autism and sensory processing disorders, and veterans and others with post-traumatic stress disorder,”

• Valerie Seilings Jacobs, Columbia University professor, also is concerned for the workers wearing gas engines on their backs. She said, “These guys are being exposed to toxic chemicals eight hours a day, six days a week. Our lawns are pristine but at what price?”

Environmental Damage

• Gas-powered leaf blowers emit greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change.

•  A 2011 study by Edmunds found that a two-stroke gasoline-powered leaf blower spewed out more pollution than a 6,200-pound Ford F-150 SVT Raptor pickup truck. Jason Kavanagh, the engineering editor at Edmunds at the time, noted that “hydrocarbon emissions from a half-hour of yard work with the two-stroke leaf blower are about the same as a 3,900-mile drive from Texas to Alaska in a Raptor.”

• Frequent spills occur when users refill GPLBs with oil and gas that pollute the soil and groundwater.

RESOURCES

Resources:

Quiet Communities: What to do About Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

CDC: Too Loud! For Too Long! Loud noises damage hearing

American Lung Association: 10 Tips to Protect Yourself from Unhealthy Air

Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Environmental Noise and Cardiovascular Health

The Lancet: Auditory and Non-Auditory Effects of Noise on Health

Medical Society of the State of New York: Report of the Reference Committee on Public Health & Education 

Edmunds: Emissions Test: Car vs. Truck vs. Leaf Blower

Assessment of Occupational Noise Exposure among Groundskeepers in North Carolina Public Universities

New York Times Opinion:  Leaf Blowers Destroy the Environment

Washington University in St. Louis: Electric or Gas Leaf Blowers...Neither?

EPA: National Emissions from Lawn and Garden Equipment

National Audubon Society: Why Cities are Taking Action to Limit Loud and Polluting Lawn Care

Larchmont Environmental Committee: 5/18/2020 Leaf Blower Presentation

Pleasantville Conservation Advisory Council: Promoting Alternative to Leaf Blowers

Rye Students Get Scrappy!

With Earth Day 2021 approaching on April 22, some Rye High School students asked themselves, What simple daily action can local residents take to reduce Rye’s greenhouse gas emissions -- and how could students help make that happen?

The answer: Residents should recycle their food scraps -- and students should get in there and make sure they do!

And that led to the Food Scraps Recycling (FSR) Campaign, a collaboration this month between Rye Sustainability Committee and Rye High School’s Environmental Club.

The Campaign draws attention to the urgent need to divert Rye’s food waste from regular trash. Regular trash gets incinerated, resulting in carbon, toxic gases, and residual ash that further pollutes landfills. And right now, one third of Rye's trash is food waste.

What a waste!

When Rye residents commit to collecting their food scraps and register for the FSR program, they have just reduced their household’s garbage by one third. Even better, those scraps will be used to make compost instead of that burnt mess. Compost replenishes the soil with nutrients vital to healthy crops -- and a full circle of sustainability has been achieved.

Any Rye student can tell you that separating food waste is simple. They do it all the time at their school cafeteria. Who could be better ambassadors for the FSR program?

With all that in mind, Environmental Club members Hannah Adler and Charlie Levine created a video that provides relevant facts and simple instructions on how to register for the FSR program. Doing their part for the FSR Awareness Campaign, RMS and RHS teachers are sharing the video with students and discussing the merits of composting.

Students in turn are educating their family members, and encouraging parents to register for the FSR program. With parental approval, students can even spread the word in the community.

As part of the Campaign, a fun challenge has been proposed to Rye High and Middle School students: Who can gather the greatest number of registrations by April 28?

To sweeten the stakes, Jerry’s Post Road Market, Piazza Pizzeria and Milton Point Provisions have generously donated gift cards for each of the three RMS and RHS students who gain the most registrations.

Rye Sustainability Committee is extremely grateful to those donors and also to the RHS Environmental Club for their enthusiastic support and efforts on behalf of Rye’s Food Scraps Recycling Program.

Clean Energy Campaigns

The City of Rye, and the Towns of Rye and Rye Brook launched an Earth Month Challenge & Community Energy Campaign to promote two renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. Residents (renters and homeowners) and eligible organizations and businesses can lower energy costs and earn cash back, reduce their carbon footprint, and reduce the community’s reliance on fossil fuel-based energy.

This Earth Month Challenge & Community Energy Campaign, in partnership with the Rye Sustainability Committee, promotes two community energy programs through Sustainable Westchester – Community Solar and GridRewards.

Community Solar and GridRewards Workshop Dates: (CLICK THE DATE TO REGISTER)

Thursday, April 8th at 6:00 pm, Thursday, April 15th at 5:30 pm, Wednesday, April 21st at 6:00 pm

Community Solar Workshop Dates:

Wednesdays, May 5th at 12 pm and May 25th at 6:30 pm

The GridRewards and Community Solar programs are free to join and allow residents to save money and reduce their carbon footprint. Both programs are available to residents - renters and homeowners - and eligible organizations and businesses. The programs are voluntary, have no cost to join or cancel and they include the flexibility to use your current electricity supplier (e.g. ConEd or Westchester Power), all while saving money.

How Does Community Solar Work?

Community Solar enables people to subscribe to a large solar installation located in their utility service territory. The energy produced by the solar farm is delivered to the electric grid and subscribers receive a credit on their electricity bill, representing the value of their share of the energy produced. Subscribers then pay the owner of the solar farm a discounted amount for that solar credit resulting in savings of up to 10% off the entire electricity bill.

Community Solar is compatible with Sustainable Westchester’s Westchester Power (CCA) program, other ESCOs, and ConEdison, or a subscriber’s current utility. Community Solar allows interested residents to double their support for renewable energy as they can participate in both programs while benefiting from community solar savings. Residents who already have solar on their property, however, are not eligible for Community Solar.

The New York State Public Service Commission regulates community solar to ensure consumer protection and the approach is integral to achieving the state’s ambitious climate goals, including more than doubling renewable energy production by 2030. Community Solar is an important component of the NY State’s environmental and climate justice mandates and a core offering from Sustainable Westchester.

Con Edison customers can learn more and enroll at SustainableWestchester.org/Solar. The sign-up process takes minutes and requires submitting the 2nd page of a recent ConEd bill and setting up automated payments for the solar credits with a preferred credit card or bank account. Most Westchester residents are unable to benefit from solar installations on their homes, and community solar expands access to the benefits of solar energy to almost everyone - with no investment and no solar installation required.

How Does GridRewards Work?

GridRewards empowers eligible energy users in Westchester County to receive cash rewards from participating in Con Edison’s demand response programs, while also educating participants through the GridRewards app on how to reduce their monthly energy bill and make an overall positive environmental impact by reducing their energy usage and carbon footprint. Signing up involves downloading the GridRewards app at SustainableWestchester.org/GridRewards (available to download through Google Play or the App Store).

GridRewards provides a powerful incentive for energy saving actions by sharing demand response revenues with the energy users who performed them. When a household’s energy saving action earns revenue, it is logged through SmartKit AI and paid out in the form of a check to the participant. Cash is distributed to participants before the end of the calendar year. While each participant is encouraged to reduce as much energy as possible during demand response events, there are no penalties for opting out of an event.

The ubiquity of smart thermostats makes performance easier than ever – raising cooling setpoints by four degrees for a handful of 1-6 hour periods in the summer can earn participants significant money — a payout of up to 15% of the total annual Con Edison electricity bill.

Beyond raising temperatures, additional activities could include dimming lights, avoiding electric hot water heating and shifting dishwashing and laundry activities to a later time of day. With zero investment in hardware or equipment of any sort, customers can easily take these actions and watch their energy usage drop on the app, translating these behaviors into savings and payouts with real-time transparency.

About Sustainable Westchester

Sustainable Westchester is a nonprofit consortium of Westchester County local municipalities facilitating effective collaboration resulting in sustainability initiatives and cutting-edge innovation.  Their goal is to bring socially responsible, environmentally sound, and economically viable solutions that create resilient, healthy, vibrant, sustainable communities. For more information, contact Maria Genovesi, Director of Marketing, Communications & Outreach at (914) 242-4725 x104 or maria@SustainableWestchester.org or visit www.SustainableWestchester.org for general information.

Invasive Vines No Match for Rye Volunteers

Over fifty volunteers met at the Playland Parkway pathway on Saturday, March 20 with a mission to save the trees. The landscape between Midland and Milton Avenue had been overtaken by the invasive species Asiatic Bittersweet, Multiflora Rose, and Porcelain Berry. The vines put up a good fight but were no match for the determined volunteers, who fought back with gloves and masks on and tools in hand.

Instruction by Bob DelTorto, an invasive species removal expert from the Bronx River Parkway Reservation Conservancy vine pulling made a complex task much simpler. He advised to only pull one tree vine at a time with a quick, snapping motion and to leave the brown hairy vines intact, as they are poison ivy.

Our event sponsor, Rye City Lions Club, generously donated tasty sandwiches from Jerry's Post Road Market for the hardworking volunteers and Playland ground crew.

A big thank you to all the volunteers who signed up and showed up -- including students from Rye High School and Blind Brook High School, Rye City Lions Club members and Rye Sustainability Committee fans. Thank you to the Westchester County Department of Parks for providing a crew to cart away the mounds of debris.

RSC is already planning to host another event this fall to remove even more invasives. Anyone who wishes to join the fight is welcome. Sign up to receive our emails to be the first to hear.

2020 Environmental Leadership Awards Recipients

As part of its mission to implement the Rye Sustainability Plan, the Rye Sustainability Committee created a Rye Sustainability Committee Leadership Award in 2017. Due to the pandemic, the fourth annual award presentation took place outside of City Hall. The award honors individuals, organizations or members of the business community that have made significant environmental achievements and demonstrated excellence in leadership for the health of our community and planet.

This year three awards were given out in the categories of individual, youth and nonprofit organization.

A big congratulations to all 2020 award recipients who are as follows:

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2020 Rye Sustainability Leadership Award recipient, Bill Lawyer accepting his award from City Councilperson and Rye Sustainability Committee liaison, Sara Goddard.

Individual Category

Bill Lawyer

Bill Lawyer developed an interest in sustainability as a young child while spending summers on his grandparents' farms in Iowa and Pennsylvania learning about the importance of sustainable agriculture. He got involved with clean water issues in high school; sustainable forestry and forest management in college; and as a member of the Peace Corps, he researched land use management and politics in graduate school.

As a teacher at Rye Country Day School, he established an ecology club on the first-ever Earth Day and helped students organize school recycling efforts. Bill spent ten years as a board member of the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, with two terms as Vice President and two as President, during which time he helped found and plan the popular FCWC Conservation Cafe workshops and the 'To Build or Not to Build' programs. He helped found the Environmental Advocacy Group of Rye (EAGR) -- a group of concerned citizens advocating for environmental action. He was Executive Director of the Greenburgh Nature Center for thirty years.

Bill currently serves on the City of Rye Conservation Commission/Advisory Council and is working with Rye Country Day School science teachers to determine the health of the Rye Town Park pond's diverse flora & fauna. Currently, he is the Assistant Director for Community Relations at Rye Town Park and a freelance writer on Nature and Environment for the Rye Record.

His latest project is establishing a pollinator garden at Rye Town Park.

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Non-Profit Category

Manursing Island Club accepted by John Krall

John Krall, Executive Chef, accepting on behalf of Manursing Island Club the 2020 RSC Leadership award in the nonprofit category from Rye Sustainability Vice-Chair Gretchen Kaye-Crowley.

For over five years, The Manursing Island Club, under the leadership of Tom Cherniavsky and John Krall, has established and integrated sustainable practices into their daily operations. They were often the first organization in Rye to institute sustainable changes and set an example for other clubs.

And whenever the Rye Sustainability Committee met with them, to propose a new initiative, Tom and John were open and responsive. Among the many sustainable initiatives Manursing has made – are selecting environmentally friendly or recyclable paper and plastic products. Some take out- and service containers are 100% compostable. Glass and plastics that are cleared from the tables are recycled. Manursing collects, saves and recycles all their corks, and has substituted paper straws for plastic ones. Food scraps, are also saved to be composted into soil, this has greatly reduced the overall amount of garbage in their dumpsters.

The club no longer uses pesticides anywhere on the property and is a Rye Healthy Yard member. Plants and flowers are selected for the ability to attract insects and birds – and each year additional plant materials are added, to enhance the pollinator habitat. In an effort to cultivate good sustainable practices with the next generation, campers are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles to camp.

With a membership of approximately 1,200 Manursing’s choices impact a large number of people and age groups, who often start instituting these habits at home. For their comprehensive commitment to making the Manursing Island Club and its membership a more sustainable establishment, the Rye Sustainability Committee is pleased to recognize their ongoing efforts, with the Rye Sustainability Committee’s 2020 Leadership Award.

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Youth Category

Kajol Khatri

Former Rye Sustainability Committee Chair Melissa Grieco presenting the 2020 Rye Sustainability Committee Leadership award in the youth category to Kajol Khatri.

Kajol Khatri is a Junior student at Rye High School who has pitched in to help out with Rye Sustainability Committee projects over the past two years. Kajol has helped RSC with the Sound Shore Last Straw initiative, Food Scrap Recycling program, and beach cleanups.

She is the Vice President of the Rye High School Environmental Club where she is currently working on making her school a more sustainable place. In addition, she also participated in the 2019 Youth Climate Strike.

Kajol is currently working on a project, called “Eco Chester” -- an environmental/sustainability campaign to educate citizens on how to live a more sustainable and eco-friendly life. One of the main projects is a marker drive to encourage children to donate their old markers so they can be recycled into new items rather than tossing them into the waste stream. Currently,

Planting Hope: From Acorn To Oak Update

Rye Sustainability Committee’s initiative Planting Hope: from Acorn to Oak was successfully launched this spring, despite Covid-19 preventing the project taking place in Rye’s nursery schools. Instead, Rye’s children were able to collect acorns, soil and containers from the Knapp House during the lockdown, providing them an opportunity to participate. Directions for planting to ensure successful germination were outlined and posted.

Many acorns were collected and hopefully planted. We expect there are many Rye children nurturing their planted acorns and eagerly awaiting the development of a red oak seedling. The first sign will be a reddish stalk pushing up through the soil. As it shoots up, leaves will form and enlarge almost daily. Under the soil, a long taproot is developing. It is important not to let the taproot grow out of the bottom of the container as the root may break.

When the seedling has large green leaves it is ready to be planted. However, first, it must be acclimated to the outdoors. This may be done after the last frost, by exposing the seedling to the outdoors over a series of days, gradually building the time spent there.

When it is time to plant, select a location where the tree will be able to grow and spread. Dig a hole twice as wide and deep as the carton the seedling is growing in. Cut the base of the milk carton away carefully, so as not to disturb the root. Place the seedling in the hole so that it is at the same height as it was in the container and fill it with soil. Water thoroughly and cover with some type of cage to protect the tender stem and leaves from deer and other pests as it grows.

Seedlings will ideally be planted in Rye this May and should grow to become giant red oak trees similar to the one the acorns were gathered from. These oak trees will help mitigate flooding in Rye and additionally absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, improving Rye’s air quality. Planting Hope: from Acorn to Oak is the start of a tree planting program which the Rye Sustainability Committee hopes to expand in the upcoming years to help combat Climate Change.

Fireman's Circle to #SaveThePollinators

A new public pollinator garden is in the works!

Not just walkers and drivers will benefit from the newly-repaved Daniel Balls Circle, also known as Fireman’s Circle. Soon butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees will enjoy some native and pollinator-friendly trees, shrubs and flowering plants at the heart of Rye's Pollinator Pathway Initiative. Pollinators, those creatures that fertilize the plants in our yards and parks as well as our farms and orchards have suffered a sharp population decline due to pesticide use and loss of habitat. 

The City of Rye, local garden clubs and landscape designers, have developed a beautiful pollinator-friendly plan, some already planted this spring, the rest will go in the ground this fall.  

Recognizing pollinators as essential to a healthy ecosystem, the Rye Healthy Yards Program joined a network of conservation groups working together to establish pollinator-friendly habitats along a series of connected corridors.  We are connected to 85 towns in NY and CT.

Gardens radiating out from Fireman’s Circle will be connected to important large natural areas like Rye Nature Center, Jay Heritage Center, Marshlands Conservancy, Edith Read Sanctuary and beyond, providing within flying distance pollinator friendly habitat and food sources for many native species of insects and wildlife.  

To Join the Rye Pollinator Pathway

http://www.ryesustainability.com/rye-pollinator-pathway

Garden Design

Need some ideas to boost your garden with native plants? Try this guide:

https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/native-pollinator-plants

Victory Gardens 2020: What to Plant In Your Backyard Right Now

With supermarket access limited and local CSAs not fully operational, many have turned to seed catalogs and garden centers to satisfy their craving for fresh food. Although growing your meals is not as convenient as a delivery app, it does provide a few benefits in these challenging times. First of all, if you're lucky enough to have the space, edible gardens can get the whole family outside and away from Netflix. You can commandeer the younger ones to do simple tasks and barter with your teens to do the heavy lifting. Even without kids or big yards, you can probably grow at least a few container crops so almost everyone, even beginners, can have a kitchen garden. If you start now, in just a few weeks or months, you can begin to supplement your pantry and take-out with tasty, nutritious veggies, straight from the backyard, no smartphone required!

TO EVERYTHING A SEASON

There are farms with year-round growing even on the East Coast but for our purposes it's easier to think in terms of two seasons—cool weather (spring and fall) and hot weather (summer) crops. We're already halfway through the first cool weather period so let's focus on what you can do late April through June. 

There are two main ways to grow veggies—seeds or seedlings. The list below will show which method I prefer for which plant. Generally speaking, the larger the seed the easier it is to go directly into the soil (e.g. peas, beans, corn). Some plants will want more fertilization and require lots of space (cabbage family).  Some may wilt or bolt in the summer sun (lettuce, arugula). If you're starting from seed, the seed packets will usually provide instructions about soil temperature, amount of sunlight, distance between plants, and planting depth. Seedlings may have an information tag or you can contact the nursery where they've been grown for more details. At minimum, these guidelines should tell you something about the amount of sun the plants require and any unusual requirements. Also, if you have the space, practice "succession planting" through the season: plant a portion of the crop each week so that you can have several weeks of harvest, not everything all at once which may be harder to manage. 

Consider all these factors when choosing what, when and where to grow. Again, the seed packet instructions are your best guide but you can also search for information online about the particular variety you are growing.

Baby Lettuce

QUICK GROWERS

Radish (seed)-- Very easy to grow. Good succession crop. Thin seedlings to get good size. Try refrigerator pickling them if you have too many.

Lettuce (seeds or seedling)-- Seeds are easy but you may want a tray or two of seedlings for an earlier harvest. Most leaf lettuces will tolerate the plucking of a few leaves at a time ("cut and come again") so you don't have to wait for the plant to come to full size before using.

Chives (seedling)-- Hardy perennial that cheers up the early spring garden by greening first, often the first usable crop. The flowers are edible and make a delicious garnish or vinegar.

READY SOON

Spinach (seedling)-- You can also plant seeds but seedlings will get you a crop sooner. Look for hardy varieties that extend across seasons. Young spinach leaves sweeter than long-growing types.

Peas (seeds or seedling)-- Their flowers really say spring but get ready for that harvest! Will keep flowering and producing pods until the end of the season. If you succession plant the seeds, you can stay on top of the output a little better. You will want some kind of trellis or cage to support the vines.

Pea Blossom

START NOW, HARVEST IN SUMMER

Cole crops—kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages (seedling)--These vegetables really need more fertilizer and space than most deck planters can provide. I use straw bales or composted raised beds for anything in the cabbage family. A crop cover to control moths is also useful.

Onions (seedlings)-- Need good soil but can be grown in planters. Seedlings will be easier to grow.

Carrots (seeds)-- Another veggie that you could grow in succession. Choose a variety that is appropriate for where you are planting-- shorter for deck planters, e.g. The shorter varieties will also be ready for harvest faster.

Beets (seeds or seedlings)-- Thin the seedlings to avoid overcrowding. Beets take longer to grow but you can harvest a few sooner and let others get bigger.

Swiss chard (seeds or seedlings)-- Beautiful plant that likes good soil for maximum growing potential.

START INSIDE, PLANT LATE SPRING/SUMMER

Tomatoes and Peppers (start seeds in pots or trays) or just wait for seedlings to be available at garden stores. The smaller the seedling the better; preferably one that has not started flowering as you want the root system to develop in its home soil. If you find a bargain with older, leggier plants, you can pinch off extra growth and restart the plant that way. Organic fertilizer is a good idea as well as a cage or trellis. Some varieties more appropriate than others for deck planters.

SMALL SPACE

Herbs (seedlings)-- keep mint or rosemary in separate pots as they will overrun the beds or planter. Parsley, tarragon, sage, savory, etc. are more manageable.

Potatoes in bags-- easy to grow if you get good seed potatoes (see Where to Buy below). One bag with 5 seeds can provide several pounds of potatoes. They will need regular water for best results. Trellises are useful to support the vines. 

Tomatoes and Peppers (see above)

WHERE TO BUY

McArdle's in Greenwich offers free delivery and contactless shopping. Call other local garden supply stories in advance to find out what they have in stock and their shopping protocols. Online you can order seeds from Hudson Valley Seed Company and seed potatoes from Wood Prairie Farm in Maine. Johnny's Selected Seeds sells agriculture-rated crop covers. Supplies are limited and shipping slower than usual for all of these outlets. 

OTHER RESOURCES

The Backyard Homestead, edited by Carleen Madigan, Storey Publishing, 2009.

The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times, Carol Deppe, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009.

Lori Fontanes is a former member of Rye Sustainability and serves on the Conservation Commission/Advisory Council. All photos are from Lori’s garden.

The Winners of the 2019 Environmental Leadership Awards

As part of its mission to implement the Rye Sustainability Plan, the Rye Sustainability Committee created a Rye Sustainability Committee Leadership Award. This award was first given out in 2017 so this year marks the third annual “bestowing”. The award honors individuals, organizations or members of the business community that have made significant environmental achievements and demonstrated excellence in leadership for the health of our community and planet.

For this year’s award, the committee expanded the award criteria to include five different categories. This was, in part, driven by the fact that there were too many well-deserving people and organizations to choose from. Rye Sustainability went ahead to create distinct award categories to make the selection process easier! These five categories are 1) business 2) individual 3) municipal 4) non-profit and 5) youth.

A big congratulations to all 2019 award recipients who are as follows:

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Business Category

Rosemary & Vine

Winners of the Business Category Award - Rosemary and Vine

Berj Yeretzian and Tania Rahal relocated to Rye after living in the Mediterranean for a number of years. The husband and wife team co-founded Rosemary and Vine in 2015 to bring a comfortable, casual place to enjoy savory vegetarian fare with a nice glass of wine or beer to the downtown area. The restaurant was a model of sustainable operating during the years of its operation. A standard-bearer for food scrap recycling in the Rye business community, the Rosemary and Vine kitchen composted all of its food scraps. As a vegetarian establishment using many locally sourced and organic ingredients, the menu offerings constituted a lower carbon footprint than typical restaurant fare. Rosemary and Vine was one of the first establishments to sign Rye Sustainability Committee's 'Sound Shore Last Shore' pledge to only provide straws upon specific customer request in order to reduce the amount of single-use, disposable plastic entering the waste stream. Over the years, Tania and Berj supported Rye Sustainability through their generous donations of delicious food and beverages to numerous Rye Sustainability events. Rosemary and Vine will be sorely missed!

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Individual Category

Carolyn Cunningham

Winner of the Individual Category Award - Carolyn Cunningham

Carolyn Cunningham has been a lifelong advocate and crusader for environmental causes. After graduating with a law degree from Pace University in 1988, she practiced environmental law for the National Resources Defense Council, a national environmental group headquartered in New York City. She has been an environmental consultant and was Executive Director of Federated Conservationists of Westchester County for five years where she continues to volunteer as a board member. Cunningham has served on the City of Rye Planning Commission, the Conservation Committee/Advisory Council and served two terms after being elected to the Rye City Council. She recently stepped down as Chair of the CC/AC and is a staunch advocate of Rye Sustainability and its efforts.

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Municipal Category

Ryan Coyne, PE, City of Rye Engineer

As City Engineer, Ryan Coyne directs the City of Rye Department of Public Works which is responsible for maintaining the city's physical infrastructure, refuse collection, recycling, and vehicle maintenance. Under his leadership, the DPW has deployed a number of environmental initiatives that have helped boost and promote sustainability efforts city-wide as well as those led by the Rye Sustainability Committee. In 2018, Coyne oversaw the acquisition of a new fleet of Electric Vehicles (four Chevy Bolts) to be used by City staff, as well as the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at the DPW. He also facilitated Energy Code Enforcement Training to train compliance officers in energy code best practices (three employees from Rye attended in April 2018). These actions to promote the use of clean energy by the city led to the designation of the City of Rye as a Clean Energy Community by NYSERDA which rewarded the city with a $5,000 grant. Coyne has also been instrumental in advancing the purchasing and planting of a greater number of native perennials, shrubs and trees throughout city-owned property. Furthermore, Coyne was a key stakeholder in bringing a municipal food scrap recycling pilot program to Rye that included a curbside pickup component. He and his staff have worked ceaselessly to successfully implement the six-month long City of Rye Food Scrap Recycling Pilot Program that is currently underway.

Winners of the Municipal Category Award - Ryan Coyne, PE, City of Rye Engineer and City of Rye Department of Public Works

City of Rye Department of Public Works

Staff members of the City of Rye Department of Public Works have worked tirelessly to help execute numerous City of Rye environmental initiatives. Staff have planned for, purchased, planted and pruned (all the Tree P’s!) a number of native street trees whose acquisition was made possible by the Rye Sustainability Committee ‘Branching out for Rye’ Tree Fund. These native street trees not only beautify the community, but also provide critical shelter, habitat and food sources for the city’s native wildlife and insect populations. Furthermore, without the hard work and unflagging support of the DPW staff, the City of Rye Food Scrap Recycling Pilot Program would not be possible. Members of the Rye Sustainability Committee have greatly enjoyed their volunteer time at the DPW main office while helping roll out the pilot.

Winners of the Municipal Category Award - Michelle Sterling and Ronald Schulhof, Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council

Michelle Sterling & Ron Schulhof, Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council

Over the last five years Michelle and Ron have been instrumental in launching sustainability initiatives throughout Scarsdale and Westchester County. Together they have helped all seven Scarsdale Schools, a number of Scarsdale Houses of Worship and Scarsdale Village launch food scrap recycling and zero waste programs. Their efforts have made a tremendous impact within the Scarsdale community as well as throughout Westchester as other municipalities, schools and organizations have come to Scarsdale to learn and launch their own zero waste programs. In addition to zero waste programs, Michelle and Ron have worked on a number of other successful sustainability initiatives in Scarsdale such as the LED Streetlight conversion project, furniture donation, take it or leave it shed, textile recycling, recycling education and expansion, and updating Scarsdale’s tree code.

Michelle serves as co-chair of the Scarsdale Forum Sustainability Committee, a member of the Conservation Advisory Council, member of the Food Scrap Recycling Committee, member of the LED Streetlight Committee, and chair of the Scarsdale Middle School PTA Sustainability Committee. Michelle has also previously served as PT Council Sustainability Chair and as chair of the Greenacres PTA Sustainability Committee.

Ron serves as Chair of the Conservation Advisory Council, a member of the Food Scrap Recycling Committee, a member of the LED Streetlight Committee, a member of the Forum Sustainability Committee, chair of PT Council Sustainability, Quaker Ridge PTA Sustainability Committee and a member of the School District Sustainability Committee.

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Non-Profit Category

Suzanne Clary, President, Board of Trustees, Jay Heritage Center

Winner of the Non-Profit Category Award - Suzanne Clary, President, Board of Trustees, Jay Heritage Center

As President of the Jay Heritage Center (JHC), Suzanne spearheaded a landmark public-private partnership agreement with New York State Parks and Westchester County to ensure continued preservation of, and public access to, the historic buildings and landscape of the 23-acre Jay Estate. She expanded the breadth of community programming, particularly in the areas of sustainability, native habitat management and environmental stewardship. She oversaw the installation of a geothermal heating and cooling system in the 1838 Jay Mansion and is currently leading the rehabilitation of over four acres of sunken gardens and open meadows for use as outdoor classrooms.

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Youth Category

Rye Girl Scout Troop 2196

Winners of the Youth Category Award - Rye Girl Scout Troop 2196

Rye Girl Scout Troop 2196 has been indispensable in helping get the City of Rye Food Scrap Recycling Pilot Program up and running. The troop’s journey towards getting involved started when Troop Leader, Marilyn Jackson, saw a social media post about bringing municipal composting to Rye. The troop seized upon the opportunity to pursue their Girl Scout Silver Award through helping to make the Food Scrap Recycling pilot a reality.

The troop’s contributions to date have included attending city council meetings to show support of the proposed pilot and speaking out in support of it at these meetings; spreading awareness about the initiative through the Rye Girl Scout’s Instagram page; helping with Food Scrap Recycling kit assembly after school; and attending the pilot launch ribbon cutting ceremony.

The troop is committed to helping grow and market the program and to encourage the city to adopt Food Scrap Recycling as a permanent program after the six-month pilot ends. After all, the one of the goals of the Girl Scouts is to leave the world a place better than you found it, and there is no time to waste in helping our environment.

Easy Ways to Celebrate Earth Day Every Day

Join your neighbors and participate in Rye’s Food Scrap Recycling program!

Get Outside

Ditch the device and get outside. Explore one of the many area parks or organizations (such as Rye Nature Center and Jay Heritage) with beautiful outdoor spaces.

For more ideas, check out these local Earth Week events.

Watch a Movie

The next Green Screen will be this Thursday, April 25, 6pm at Rye Country Day School.

This year’s screening will be The Clean Bin Project, a film about whether it’s possible to live completely waste free. Special guest speaker: Chef, writer, and media host extraordinaire, Erica Wides.

As always, the film, speaker and refreshments are free thanks to the generosity of Rye Sustainability’s Green Screen partner, Rye Country Day School. Register at Eventbrite.

Volunteer for a cleanup

See here and here for a variety of cleanup activities planned in the area for Earth Day and Week.

And to help keep Rye clean and beautiful, sign up for the RSC newsletter to be notified of upcoming events.

Sign up for Food Scrap Recycling

Sign up for Rye’s Food Scrap Recycling pilot program. Hundreds of residents are taking part and you can too. Register online here (click on the yellow banana).

Information and FAQs about the program can be found on the FSR Program Page.

Say No to single-use plastic

Say “No” today and every day. Bring your own Bag and consider eliminating plastic straws from your life.

Read more about Rye Sustainability's Sound Shore Last Straw initiative here.

Plant a tree!

One of Rye’s street trees funded by the Rye Tree Fund.

You can do it in your own yard or donate to RSC's Tree Fund to help defray costs associated with street tree plantings.

Say No to harmful pesticides

Read how to do it here, then complete the Rye Healthy Yard Pledge and receive your free lawn sign!

Say Yes to pollinators!

It's easy to plant a pollinator garden and the colorful plants that attract pollinators are beautiful. Visit Rye Garden Club's pollinator garden at Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary and then use the pollinator pamphlet to plant your own.

Recycle …

those wine corks at one of RSC's participating Put a Cork in it food establishments.

Be inspired by leaders in sustainability

Read about last year’s winners of the Rye Sustainability Leadership Award and what they've accomplished. This year's winner(s) will be announced on April 24 at Rye City Council’s general meeting.

Need more ideas?

Take a look at RSC's Tips for Homeowners on how to live a sustainable life.

Balloon Busters: What Goes Up Must Come Down!

They’re Just Balloons! What’s All the Fuss?

By Melissa Grieco, Chair, Rye Sustainability Committee

Balloons are generally associated with fun and festivity. However, balloons have a dark side, as they can cause power outages and pose a serious threat to wildlife and the environment. They’re also an eyesore, marring the landscape of our beautiful community. Released balloons ultimately return to the earth as litter, with many ending up permanently clogging and polluting our waterways and oceans. As a coastal community, Rye's ecosystem is particularly sensitive to the effects of released balloons.

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What’s in a Balloon?

Balloons are available in two varieties - latex and Mylar.

Latex: While natural latex qualifies as a biodegradable substance, balloon latex is treated with preservatives and plasticizers to guard against bacterial decomposition. It can take anywhere from six months to four years for a latex balloon to biodegrade.

Due to their bright colors, latex balloons in the ocean are often mistaken for food by marine life such as whales, dolphins, seals and sea turtles, with deadly results. Once ingested, balloons can release toxic chemicals into the blood stream and cause physical damage to wildlife by blocking the digestive tract. In addition, ribbons, tassels and strings attached to released balloons can entangle and ensnare marine animals and terrestrial wildlife.

Mylar balloons are made from mylar nylon, a material developed for use in the U.S. space program. They are not biodegradable and are often coated with a metallic finish. Their durability means that Mylar balloons that land in the ocean remain forever. As they drift, they become part of the ever-accumulating hordes of permanent trash that we find in and around Long Island Sound - and beyond. Their shiny quality also makes them particularly susceptible to being mistaken for food by marine animals.

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Balloons and You

In addition to being a choking hazard in small children, balloons caught in power lines can be a real nuisance and hazard, causing power outages, fires, and possible injuries.

Furthermore, the widespread use of helium to inflate balloons is contributing to the depletion of accessible helium for use in MRI scanners, fiber optics and LCD screens.

Some communities, including East Hampton, NY, have taken action to prevent the proliferation of balloon litter in the environment by banning the intentional release of balloons.

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I Just Want to Have Fun! Are there Alternatives to Baloons?

The good news is that the party (or real estate open house!) can still go on without the balloons! There are a wide variety of fun, colorful and eco-friendly alternatives to balloons including reusable paper streamers, flags, banners and even bubbles.

Community Choice Aggregation in Rye

The City of Rye has signed on to a program called Westchester Power Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) that takes effect in March 2019. As of December 2018, 25 Westchester municipalities have signed up for this program, representing over 100,000 Westchester electric customers and over 40% of the County’s population.

Westchester Power’s CCA program was approved by the NY State Public Service Commission in 2015 and is administered by Sustainable Westchester, a non-profit consortium of municipalities that addresses critical sustainability concerns within Westchester County. The City of Rye, along with virtually every municipality in Westchester, is a member of Sustainable Westchester.

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What Is Westchester Power/CCA?

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Westchester Power’s CCA allows member municipalities to pool their communities’ electricity demand, which builds the clout necessary to negotiate fixed, low rates with private suppliers andallows us to choose cleaner energy.

In late 2018, Westchester Power solicited bids from energy providers to supply electricity to over 100,000 residents and small businesses within the County. Starting in March 2019, Rye residents and small businesses will be automatically enrolled in the program and will receive a two-year fixed price for electricity supply that is lower than the 12-month trailing average price offered by Con Edison.

Even after City residents and small businesses begin receiving their electricity supply through Westchester Power, Con Ed will continue to deliver that electricity, and you will continue to receive a single bill from Con Ed.

In addition, Rye has selected the “Green” 100% renewable energy option, which means that 100% of the electric power purchased is from clean, renewable sources: sun, wind or water. No coal. No gas. No oil. No nuclear.

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What if I Don’t want to Participate?

If you don’t want to participate in the CCA program, you and any other Rye resident can opt out, or even downgrade from “Green” to “Brown” power, at any time, for any reason, and with no charge or penalty. Similarly, if you’d like to opt back in, you can do so, at any time, with no penalty.

Most importantly, because the Westchester Power’s CCA program is run by Sustainable Westchester, this is not similar to a profit-making ESCO that can attach penalty fees for exiting, and/or ratchet up the price of your electricity after some period of time. Those types of tactics have absolutely no place in this program and will not happen here.

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Westchester Power representatives explain CCA at a recent Rye forum.

Questions?

To learn more about CCA, please contact Sustainable Westchester's CCA administrator, Westchester Power: 914-242-4725.

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Resources

• Westchester Power Website

• What Is Community Choice Aggregation?

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Presentation to City Council about CCA (Item 9)

• Public Hearing to establish a Rye CCA Program (Item 9)

• Letter from Mayor Cohn about CCA

• Rye TV Coverage of Community Presentation of CCA

• Sustainable Westchester Power Point Presentation

• How to Read Your Electricity Bill as a Westchester Power Customer

Rye Sustainability’s New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time of year again when we face a new year with hope and determination to do better. This year, consider adding a few environmentally friendly resolutions to your New Year’s resolutions list. For some inspiration, Rye Sustainability members share below some of their own ideas and suggestions.

For more ideas and tips, see Local (Green) Leaders’ 2019 resolutions and RSC’s Tips for Homeowners.

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Waste Not Want Not

A metal straw is reusable and looks pretty good too!

• Ditch the disposables. Go plastic free for the month of January. Continue your newly acquired, eco-friendly habit by cutting out one single-use, throwaway plastic from your daily life for the duration of 2019 and beyond. Whether it’s avoiding plastic straws, coffee cups, coffee pods, water bottles, plastic snack bags and/or grocery checkout bags, you can make a world of difference for this planet. For more ideas, see the Resources section of RSC’s Reusable Bag page.

• Make your own fizz. Pass on store (plastic bottle) flavored waters and make them at home, just the way you like them.

• Party less…

  • Consider “no gift” birthday parties and instead have guests bring books for donation to a local charity.

  • For kids parties, use recyclable goody bags with durable, lasting treats. Some ideas can be found here and here. 

• Eat your leftovers! A lot of resources were used to get that food to your plate. Check the shelf-life and how best to store foods at Still Tasty. And almost any food item can be frozen. Visit the USDA page for freezing and food safety guidelines.

• Paperless holiday cards. Next year, consider a digital holiday card. It dramatically reduces paper use (and it’s a lot less work)!

• Remember those Three Rs ... Wash and reuse jars from food products and use them as storage containers. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is so satisfying once you get the hang of it.

• Second time is a charm. Instead of buying new products every time you need something, consider acquiring gently used, pre-owned items instead. From consignments shops, hand-me-downs, pre-owned vehicles, and an array of products made from recycled and post-consumer material, there are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint when you’re out and about shopping.

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Shop Smart

• Reusable is best. When you bring your reusable bag into the grocery store, make sure you include reusable containers for bulk products and protein.

  • Instead of paper or plastic, use glass dishes/containers for fish, meat, cold cuts and cheeses, instead of paper or plastic. It’s an easy way to season or marinate food and then store. When it’s ready, just pop it into the oven.

  • Commit to not using the plastic produce bags at the grocery store.  Use washable mesh bags, paper bags or no bags.  

• Buy local. Consider joining a CSA or supporting your local farmers’ market.

• At the dry cleaners … use a green garment bag (one suggestion, here) and schedule a pickup to recycle your hangers curbside.

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On the Go

• Buy a new electric vehicle and save! New York State offers a number of rebates for EV purchases and incentives for EV owners.

• Take the bus or the train. Next time you’re heading into Manhattan, take Metro North or whatever form of public transportation is available instead of battling those traffic jams and shelling out money for exorbitant parking fees.

• Take the right turn. When doing your errands take a series of right hand turns to create the most efficient route.

• Reusable is best (again). Keep reusable straws and utensils in the car for meals on the go. 

• Borrow local. Rye Free Reading Room is a wonderful haven to sit and take a break to read a book or magazine.

• Bike, when you can.

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At Home

• Save money by saving energy. Try these simple DIY energy saving projects and save some money in the process.

• Try air-dry. Try to air dry more clothes this year, especially this winter to capture humidity. 

• Cool water uses. Use a jug to capture cool water while you’re waiting for your tap to heat up. You can then use that water for house plants, cooking ... anything.

• Reusable is best (again). Save and reuse your gift wrap paper and bows; open carefully (dramatic anticipation) and fold or roll to store it.

  • Store and reuse same boxes for gifts (some of the tops have wrapping paper on them or have holiday designs on them to look like wrapping paper).

• Eat/Drink in. Reduce ordering delivery or take out to once a week (including coffee).

• Cut the meat consumption. Eat less meat and substitute with nutritious, local, organically grown plants including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes.

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In the Yard

• Leaf blowers blow. Retire that smog producing, asthma causing leaf blower and instead mulch, rake or compost your leaves and grass clippings.

• Rye Healthy Yards are best for all! Learn the why and how of a healthy yard here.

Consider taking the Rye Healthy Yard Pledge this year!

New Year's Resolutions from Local (Green) Leaders

With the New Year upon us and the possibility of a fresh start, consider a Green New Year’s resolution or two for 2019. To help you get started, here are a few ideas from some of the area’s local environmental and sustainability leaders.

And if you’re still looking for inspiration, check out Rye Sustainability Committee members’ own New Year’s Resolutions!

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Andrea Alban-Davies

Conservation Chair, Rye Garden Club

A typical lunch for Andrea’s children

• Reuse it. Pack a waste-free lunch for yourself and/or your kids. To include in your (reusable!) lunch bag: reusable water bottle, reusable metal food containers, reusable cloth (or other) sandwich bags, silverware, and a cloth napkin.

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Chris Burdick

Town Supervisor, Bedford & Founding Chair, Sustainable Westchester

Chris with his Electric Vehicle, the Chevy Bolt

• Keep that car. Consider whether you can hang onto your car a bit longer. Maintaining your car as long as you can is the most cost efficient use of your automobile dollars and the fewer cars you buy, the less goes into the waste stream. 

• Staying cool. Consider turning down your air conditioning next summer. Try fans.  

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Liz Garrett

Organic landscape designer & former Chair, RSC Rye Healthy Yard Program

• Leaves. Think of three ways you can use leaves in your own yard to feed the earth; be it the brown in your home composting recipe, shredding them and blowing them into a shrub (or arborvitae) border to blanket the shrubs and beds, or making sure your landscape company mulches the leaves in place on your lawn next fall. January is the time to discuss this with your landscape contractor or find a new one who can. [Need a new landscaper? Visit RSC’s Landscape Directory for suggestions.]

• Pesticides. Remove at least one pesticide from your arsenal. Are you using chemicals to get rid of weeds in the patio or driveway? Hand pull them instead. Does your lawn care service apply some blanket herbicide as weed control? Try mulch-mowing or over-seeding in the fall to combat weeds that thrive in poor soils. Are you quick to grab a fungicide or pesticide if you see disease or an infestation on your prized ornamentals? Try an organic systemic soil additive or biologic control instead. The recent NY Times article on “The Insect Apocalypse” is a sobering read.

• Go native. In that vein, if you are adding to your yard, add natives or other beneficial plants and shrubs that will provide pollen and sustenance for native caterpillars and insects. The birds and larger bugs will appreciate it.

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Anne Jaffe-Holmes

Executive Director, Federated Conservationists of Westchester County

Anne’s 2019 Resolutions:

• Get OUT OF MY CAR!!! I'm good about walking when I can, but I am pushing myself - already in December! - to ride my bike to the store, take the bus to work, and get on the train to meet people in another village or town! It requires being more organized so that I give myself enough time to bike, or to be at the bus stop or train station on time. The extra exercise is a major benefit, and being able to read on the bus or train feels like almost like a chocolate reward! The challenge is the discipline of getting out early on my bike, or being on-time for the bus or train I need to take!

• Do I really NEED to buy this? In the interest of reducing the waste, the clutter, the maintenance that come with owning "things", in 2019 I am excited about slowing down my purchasing. I want to consider more carefully whether I really need to buy something, or whether if I dig through my closet I will find the item I need, or whether I can borrow it from a friend - or maybe even do without it!!! And if I DO decide I need to buy, I am excited about exploring whether I can buy it second-hand!

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Kerry Linderoth

Director of Sustainability & AP Environmental Science Teacher, Rye Country Day School

I will continue striving towards a zero waste lifestyle - both at school and at home! I don't have a trash can in my office, which serves as a conversation starter and educational opportunity about the growing problem with waste in our society. The average American generates 4.4lbs of trash per day, but that number can be greatly reduced by recycling, composting, and reducing unnecessary packaging.

Kerry reports that she also asks her AP Environmental Science students to write out their own green New Year’s resolutions. A good idea to get young minds thinking green!

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Peter McCartt

Director of Energy Conservation and Sustainability, Office of the Westchester County Executive

I, Peter McCartt, resolve to:

Peter has made the Green Westchester Pledge. Have you?

• Complete the update of the Climate Action Plan through the newly established Climate Crisis Task Force;

• Complete the Demand Response Program that eliminates the chance of brown-outs and black-outs and the subsequent need for more expensive infrastructure repairs and upgrades;

• Complete the 2 MW Solar System on the Yonkers Bus Depot and start the solar projects on County properties and facilities totaling 4 MW;

• Further electrify County and municipal fleets and expand EV charging infrastructure, creating a network of stations across the county;

• Plan the construction of our County-wide food scrap recycling program;

• Complete the installation of 30,000 LED bulbs across multiple County properties.

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Nina Orville

Founder, Abundant Energy

Nina’s resolutions for 2019:

• Raise awareness. Talk more directly about the implications of climate change for our future well-being. Our reluctance to discuss it makes it easier for us to carry on as if this unprecedented challenge was not disrupting the miraculous natural processes and systems that sustain us. When we connect what science tells us about future conditions with the implications of those conditions for our children and all that we love, it spurs action and resolve.

• Reduce, reduce, reduce. Reduce use of plastics in all forms and to recycle all plastics that are recyclable (including bringing recyclable bags and plastics film to the grocery store for recycling).

• Convert to LED. I've already done this one but it's timely for many people: Converting your interior and exterior lights to LED. Look for "warm white" designation to replace any incandescent bulbs. LEDs save about 75% in energy usage and will last for many years.

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Ron Schulhoff & Michelle Sterling

Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council

The FSR Dynamic Duo’s resolutions:

• Number 1, by far: Purchase a food scrap recycling kit and start using it!

• Grasscycle. It’s so easy for your landscaper to do, requires no extra equipment, and has a significant environmental impact!

• Mulch mow your leaves

• Switch to an organic landscaping program. Get those little yellow poison signs off your law for good!

• Use a Green Garmento bag for dry cleaning, and always save and return your hangers to the dry cleaner! 

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Christine Siller

Executive Director, Rye Nature Center

• Don’t let the winter cold make you idle! Turn off that engine.

• Once a week, buy nothing.

• Christine suggests taking a look at Rye Nature Center’s Green Tips as well.

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Annie Teillon

Chair, Apawamis Club Green Team

My dream for 2019 is to help foster an understanding that going green is not just for the younger set. Our efforts to protect Mama Earth affect today's environment, economy and our overall health. I am working with members of The Apawamis Club Green Team to pinpoint areas that can easily go green without making a huge lifestyle impact to members. Our initial goals are to reduce the single use plastics such as straws and cups club wide and find alternatives to the coolers full of single use water bottles on the golf course. Waste reduction must span generations so that we can learn from and teach one another. Recycling is integral to regaining a balance of the environmental intricacies of our planet, but not using plastics in the first place beats all!

Tips for a Green Holiday!

The holiday season is here! As you gather with friends and family to celebrate, take some time to plan ahead and make it a Green Holiday. For further tips, see Rye Sustainability’s Thanksgiving Tips post.

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Decorating

Trees. Natural or Artificial? For an excellent analysis of your Christmas tree’s carbon footprint, watch the BBC’s video. The takeaway: The best option is a potted, native tree, but if that’s not possible, consider a locally grown tree. Be mindful, however, of disposal. Ideally, your tree should be composted or incinerated.

For an artificial tree, the biggest impact on the environment comes from production, so the key is to reuse the tree. The BBC analysis estimates, roughly, ten years. But don’t fret: Overall your choice of a tree has a relatively small impact on your carbon footprint.

Lighting. LED lights are the most energy efficient and consume 70% less energy than conventional incandescent lights. Some are even solar powered!

LEDs are also more cost effective: According to the Department of Energy, “it only costs $0.27 to light a 6-foot tree for 12 hours a day for 40 days with LEDs compared to $10 for incandescent lights. On top of that, they are significantly less likely to burn out or break compared to their incandescent forerunners.”

Remember to unplug those lights when not in use. Even better, use a timer to regulate lighting use.

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Entertaining

Food. Remember, when you can, shop local for locally sourced food. Consider buying extra for those in need. A list of area organizations that accept food donations can be found here. Compost unwanted food.

Don’t toss leftovers! Send some home with guests or check the shelf-life and how best to store foods at Still Tasty.

Traveling. If you’re driving, plan ahead and try to carpool. Maybe this is the year to buy an electric vehicle. NY State has announced a series of broad-scale initiatives to benefit electric vehicles, including the expansion of public fast charger networks across the state, lower residential charging rates, and customer rebates for EV purchases.

Worried about all that holiday air travel pumping tons of C02 into the atmosphere? Ideally, you’d keep your air travel to a minimum or travel direct, but one bit of good news is that according to Wired Magazine, by 2021, “airlines that fly internationally will have to offset any extra emissions under a UN agreement (called the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, agreed on in 2018 in Montreal, Canada).”

Cards. Consider e-cards this year or cards made with recycled content.

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Gifts

What's the environmental impact of online shopping?

Plan Ahead - Ordering Gifts the “Eco” Way. According to the Rainforest Alliance, the emissions from one- or two-day shipping options “tend to be extreme in comparison to slower methods.” By contrast, if you opt out for a slower shipping time the shipper can wait to load up and schedule deliveries in a more efficient way.

Shop Responsibly. Plug-ins such as DoneGood, offer a simple way to discover hundreds of socially and environmentally responsible brands.

Shop Local. Support your local businesses by shopping for gifts in your hometown. And don’t forget that restaurants and food purveyors often offer gift certificates.

Gift wrap. Re-purpose wrapping paper or get creative and use what you have around the house: newspaper, magazines, pillow cases, containers… This site has some great ideas.

Green gifts. Consider purchasing environmentally friendly items that are recycled, reusable and durable. Some ideas:

• Reusable shopping, snack, and/or produce bags. There are a tons of styles, but a few options can be found here and here.

• A composting kit (for Rye’s Food Scrap Recycling initiative)!

• A donation to an environmentally organization, or think local, and donate to the Branching Out for Rye Tree Fund.

• Some stocking stuffer ideas: a set of metal/bamboo straws or reusable cutlery in a travel pouch for on-the-go meals.

• A subscription to a CSA.

• Products made from recycled materials. Many Rye food establishments are proud participants of RSC’s Put a Cork In It program. Corks are recycled into a number of products, including footwear and yoga blocks.

Community Composting Comes to Rye!

Thanks to the hundreds of voices that spoke out in support of Rye Sustainability's proposed food scrap recycling program, the City Council voted last night - unanimously - on a resolution to implement a pilot program in 2019!

Now the real work begins: Over the next three months Rye Sustainability members will order supplies, educate participants and set up tracking metrics with City staff members.

You can read the details of the pilot program and the text of the resolution below. Watch coverage of the Council discussion here (Item #8).

We'll be setting up a dedicated program page on the RSC website and updating interested participants of next steps. Stay tuned!

Resolution Text

Resolved, that the City Manager and Head of the Department of Public Works shall organize and execute a six-month test pilot food scrap recycling program to be supported by a $5,000 NYSERDA grant and consisting of the following:

(a)   Once-a-week food scrap curbside pickup from not more than 150 subscribers who have purchased and use appropriate kits and who have paid a subscription fee of $26/household;

(b)  A food scrap recycling drop-off location at the Disbrow recycling center available during hours set by the Head of the Department of Public Works and open to residents who have signed up and purchased and use an appropriate kit;

(c)   Data collection by the Head of the Department of Public works, to include among other things, tonnage recycled, participation rates and cost, and a written report at the end of the six-month program summarizing the quantitative data collected and reporting non-quantitative experiential information - all that would be relevant  to and as may be requested by, the  City Council to assist in consideration of any further food scrap recycling program;

(d)  Publication on the City website of the availability of the drop-off location during the pendency of the six-month program; and

(e)   The City Manager and Head of the Department of Public Works may seek advice on the design and running of the program from members of the Rye Sustainability Committee, other municipalities engaged in similar efforts and such other sources as may be appropriate.

Overview of Rye Pilot

• Source of Funds: $5,000 NYSERDA CEC Grant for community composting and pilot participants’ subscription fee ($26/household).

• Estimated Start Date: February 1, 2019

• Number of Households:  A maximum of 150 households (no apartment complexes) will receive curbside FSR collection. Unlimited households, including apartments, can participate through the drop off location at Disbrow Department of Public Works.

• Duration: 6 months

• Subscription Fee/home: $26/household

• Frequency: Once per week curbside collection by DPW.  The curbside collection will be on a day determined by DPW. Drop off participants may drop off during DPW open hours.

• Drop off Location: at DPW will be open to all residents who sign up and purchase mandatory $20 or $25 starter composting kits.