Pesticides: A Quick and Easy Primer

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Pesticides .... You've heard the term, but do you really know what it means? These handy informational pamphlets from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai will give you the quick and dirty:

Lawn & Garden Pesticides: What You Need to Know, provides an overview of pesticides, health risks and how we can reduce exposure.

Glyphosate-Based Weed Killers examines one of the most widely-used pesticides.

For information about the types of chemicals and ingredients contained in numerous household and garden products, visit the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation's information portal.

Learn more about how you can create a healthy yard by visiting our Rye Healthy Yard and Resources Section.

• Take the RHYP Pledge!

• Should the City of Rye adopt a natural landscaping policy for its public spaces? Let us know what you think by responding to our survey on the RSC Home Page.

Announcing the Rye Tree Fund

The Rye Tree FUnd: Branching Out for Rye

Greenburgh, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Mamaroneck Village, New Rochelle, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Yonkers .... What do all these neighboring communities have in common? They're all members of Tree City USA. Rye, once a proud member of this organization that "celebrates the importance of an urban tree canopy," lost its designation in 2006.

To assist the City of Rye with its tree planning and planting needs while, underscoring the importance of trees as one of Rye's natural treasures, RSC is pleased to announce the launch of a tree fund named Branching Out for Rye.

The fund will help replace lost trees by collecting donations of any amount from Rye residents to defray the costs associated with the City of Rye's planning, purchasing, planting and maintenance of municipal trees. We will work with the City of Rye to identify appropriate locations in public spaces for native or non-invasive species of trees. We will provide periodic updates on how Tree Fund donations are being used.

With your donation, we can help the City plant the right trees in the right places and reinstate its Tree City USA membership.

Visit the Tree Fund page to learn more and please consider making a donation.

Thank you!

Rye Sustainability's Healthy Yard Contest: We Have a Winner!

Grand Prize Winner Liv McNamara's winning design.

The Rye Healthy Yard sign design contest is over and the winners have been announced. The Grand Prize winner is Liv McNamara. Congratulations Liv!

Visit the contest photo gallery to view all entries and watch Rye TV's coverage of the event.

Details about the age category winners can be found below, including more photos from the contest.

Visit the Rye Healthy Yard page to learn how you can make your yard safe and healthy. Then take the RHYP pledge so you can receive a lawn sign with the winning design!

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Thank You!

Thank you to all those who helped make this initiative such a successful one:

Judges: Catherine Parker, Jennifer Sandling, Christine Siller, Tracy Stora, Danielle Tagger-Epstein and Mayor Joe Sack for announcing the winners.

Refreshments: Rosemary & Vine

Awards: Rye Arts Center, Arcade Booksellers and A.I. Friedman

And a special thank you to Rye Arts Center for graciously opening their doors to host this contest!

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Contest Winners

Overall Grand Prize: Liv McNamara

Elementary School Category:
Winner: Mattia Gibbs
Honorable Mention: Julia Zanolin, Clea Rousse and Sofia Rodrigues

Middle School Category:
Winner: Geordy Varino
Runner Up: Rory Cronin
Honorable Mention: Reese Wolfe and Charlotte Lee

High School Category:
Winner: Charlotte Townley

Adult Category:
Winner: Sheri Amsel

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The "design" phase ...

A difficult task for the judges

Thank you to our judges!

From left to right: Jennifer Sandling, Tracy Stora, Christine Siller, Danielle Tagger-Epstein, Catherine Parker

Taking photos of each entry

Thank you to Rosemary & Vine for the delicious refreshments!

Time to hear who has won

Charlotte Lee receives her award

Julia Zanolin receives her award

Mattia Gibbs receives her award

Reese Wolfe receives her award

Grand Prize winner Liv McNamara explains to Mayor Sack how she came up with the winning design.


Contest winners Reese Wolfe, Charlotte Lee, Julia Zanolin, Liv McNamara and Mattia Gibbs, with RSC chair Sara Goddard, Rye Arts Center board member Jen Sandling and Mayor Sack.

Announcing the Rye Healthy Yards Photo Gallery

Have you wondered what it looks like to have an open space that’s free of toxic chemicals? Do you think you have to make a trade-off between beauty and safety? Check out RSC's new photo gallery of Rye families’ healthy yards to see stunning examples of how you can have both beauty AND safety. And maybe you’ll see your neighbor’s yard! Do you have photos to share? Contact us!

Protecting Pollinators: Rye Garden Club's Pollinator Garden

The poles are delivered for the garden fence

All photos, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of Sarah Barringer

Installing the fence perimeter

Ready to install the door!

Constructing the plant beds

A lot of soil and compost was needed to fill the beds

A view of the kiosk before the panels were installed

The intrepid construction team

Time to plant!

The plants are in!

Photo: Kathleen Durkee

A butterfly enjoying the garden

Photo: Kathleen Durkee

Photo: Kathleen Durkee

The garden in bloom

Photo: Kathleen Durkee

A bee!

Photo: Kathleen Durkee

One of the educational signs

Educational panel

The garden at the height of bloom

Sustainability in Our Community:

Rye Garden Club

Did you know that seven species of bees were placed under the protection of the Endangered Species Act for the first time? You may have read about the declining bee population in the U.S., but pollinators as a group are in peril. In the last few decades, bee and butterfly pollinator populations of some species have plummeted. It has been difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the decline, but evidence points to a number of stressors, including loss of natural habitat, diseases, loss of genetic diversity, and exposure to certain pesticides.

The Pollinator Garden welcome sign

In April 2015, the Rye Garden Club, in honor of the Club's centennial anniversary, donated a pollinator garden to Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary. RGC members designed the garden layout, selected appropriate pollinator-friendly native plants and helped construct and install the garden. In addition, RGC created informational panels for the kiosk next to the garden. After touring the garden, visitors can read about why pollinators are so important and learn how to build their own garden.

“The goals of the garden are to provide habitat and food for pollinators and to educate visitors on the importance of pollinators and planting native plants to support pollinators.”

— Rye Garden Club

Rye Sustainability Committee will cover more in future posts about the importance of pollinators, so stay tuned. In the meantime, visit Edith Read and check out the Rye Garden Club Pollinator Garden. Although its past peak season, you'll be able to read the information boards and start planning your own pollinator garden!

Visit RGC's website for more photos, a PDF of the signage, a general list of pollinator-friendly native plants, and a list of all the native plants, including photos, used in the garden.

Visitors enjoying the Pollinator Garden

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Learn more about how you can create a healthy yard by visiting our Rye Healthy Yard and Resources Section. And ...

Take the RHYP Pledge!

It's Fall: A Perfect Time to Switch to Natural Landscaping

Are you thinking about switching from conventional to natural lawn care but don't know how to make the transition? The fall season is a perfect time to make the switch and transform your yard into one that's healthy and beautiful for all.

What Does Healthy Mean?

First, it's important to understand why making the change is so important. It all starts with the definition of "healthy." A healthy - and by extension, beautiful - yard is one that starts with good soil.

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Beyond Pesticides, a non-profit environmental organization committed to ending reliance on pesticides, states it clearly in their Organic Lawn Care 101 sheet: "Healthy soil contains high organic content and is teeming with biological life. Healthy soil supports the development of healthy grass that is naturally resistant to weeds and pests. In a healthy, fertile and well maintained lawn, diseases and pest problems are rare."

In fact, applying damaging and dangerous chemicals is the worst thing homeowners can do if the objective is a beautiful yard filled with vibrant plants, trees and a lush green lawn. As Rye Nature Center's Director of Conservation & Land Stewardship, Taro Ietaka, points out: "synthetic pesticides and herbicides kill beneficial soil micro-organisms that are helping your plants."

““Recognize that your soils are living and that you are the primary caretaker or destroyer of that living environment.””

— Dr. Kris Nichols, chief scientist at the Rodale Institute

In short: soil is living. And during the fall and winter, the diverse mix of organisms contained in soil continue to live. In a recent article on The Nature Conservancy's blog, Dr. Kris Nichols, chief scientist at the Rodale Institute comments: “Even when we think of our soils as frozen and dead, there’s still a living component to that.”

So now that you know why you should make the change, how can you care for your yard with the goal of minimizing pesticide applications? Here are some fall lawn care tips to get you started.

fall landscaping

General Tips

Beyond Pesticides' Organic Lawn Care 101 sheet provides a useful list of general tips, reproduced in part here:

1. Mow High Until the Season Ends – Bad mowing practices cause more problems than any other cultural practice. Mowing with a dull blade makes the turf susceptible to disease and mowing too close invites sunlight in for weeds to take hold. Keep your blades sharp, or ask your service provider to sharpen their blades frequently. For the last and first mowing, mow down to 2 inches to prevent fungal problems. For the rest of the year keep it at 3‐3.5 to shade out weeds and foster deep, drought‐resistant roots.

2. Aerate – Compaction is an invitation for weeds. If your lawn is hard, compacted, and full of weeds or bare spots, aerate to help air, water and fertilizer to enter. If you can’t stick a screwdriver easily into your soil, it is too compacted. Get together with your neighbors and rent an aerator. Once you have an established, healthy lawn, worms and birds pecking at your soil will aerate it for free!

3. Fertilize, but go easy and go organic! – Fertilizing in early fall ensures good growth and root development for your grass. Nitrogen, the most abundant nutrient in lawn fertilizers promotes color and growth. Adding too much nitrogen, or quick release synthetic fertilizers, will result in quicker growth and the need for more mowing. Too much nitrogen can also weaken the grass, alter the pH, and promote disease, insect, and thatch build‐up. If applied too late, nutrients can leach directly into nearby surface waters. Be aware of local phosphorus or nitrogen loading concerns. Your soil test results will ensure that you apply only what you need.

4. Overseed With the Right Grass Seed – Once again, fall is the best time to seed your lawn. Grass varieties differ enormously in their resistance to certain pests, tolerance to climatic conditions, growth habit and appearance. Endophytic grass seed provides natural protection against some insects and fungal diseases ‐ major benefits for managing a lawn organically. Talk to your local nursery about the best seed for your area. Check to see the weed content of the grass seed and that there are no pesticide coatings.

Leaf Mulching

What is leaf mulching? According to Leave Leaves Alone:

"Leaf mulching is the practice of chopping leaves into small pieces. Mulching can be done with a lawn mower or a leaf shredder. Mulched leaves can be left on your lawn (they fall between the grass blades) or piled 3" or 4"  deep on garden beds and around shrubs where they act as a protective layer in the winter and, in the growing season, prevent weed growth and help conserve water. Leaf mulch decomposes over time, adding important nutrients and structure to the soil."

To learn more about how you can mulch leaves in your yard this fall, visit the Leave Leaves Alone or Love 'Em and Leave 'Em sites.

Soil Testing

The benefits of soil testing cannot be overstated. It's simple to do and homeowners will be provided with a comprehensive profile of their soil upon which to build the foundation of their natural lawn. For a modest fee, Rye residents can have their soil tested and analyzed through the Westchester Cornell Cooperative Extension.

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For more information on healthy soil and landscaping practices, watch RSC's What's Under Your Lawn presentation.

Visit our Rye Healthy Yard and Resources Section to learn more. And ...

Take the RHYP Pledge!

East Hampton's Healthy Lawn Policy: A Model for Rye?

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Perfect Earth Project's "Leif" Sign in front of East Hampton Village Hall

Just across Long Island Sound, there is a community where residents, pets and visitors enjoy the outdoors, safe in the knowledge that the public open spaces where they walk, play and rest are healthy and free of harmful pesticides.

The Village of East Hampton adopted a policy in 2002 requiring organic maintenance of public parks, greens, and lawns. Specifically, the official policy states that the "use of pesticides/herbicides are prohibited on village owned property." According to a Village statement, the rationale behind the policy is simple: "We believe this helps to protect public health and reduces potential impacts on ground and surface waters."

A recent conversation with Edwina von Gal of The Perfect Earth Project in East Hampton highlights how the success of the Village policy is dependent on community support that includes residents, landscapers and policy makers. PEP promotes toxin-free landscaping on municipal and residential property, but von Gal stresses that they are not activists. Instead they strive to "change attitudes."

Indeed, PEP's goal is to "raise consciousness about the dangers of synthetic, toxic, lawn and garden chemicals to humans and the environment, and educate homeowners and professionals in nature-based techniques that provide beautiful, safe results."

Hook Pond Windmill

Ultimately, the objective is to create "a future when it can be taken for granted that land is managed without toxins and is safe for people, pets and the environment ... "

In East Hampton, the Village is taking the lead in setting a positive example. Recently, PEP's "Leif" signs have popped up next to Village Hall, indicating a sign of support and commitment by the Village for pesticide-free land management.

PEP provided us with some visual examples of how beautiful a naturally maintained landscape can be and they are reproduced here.

Should the City of Rye adopt a similar policy? Read the East Hampton policy and let us know what you think by responding to our survey on the RSC Home Page.

South End Cemetery

Water, Water Everywhere: How Do You Know It's Clean?

Bottle filling stations are popping up in schools and businesses. They aren't just cool to look at; they also reduce waste and their filtration mechanisms ensure a clean drink for all. In light of heightened concern about lead in drinking water (read Rye's water report here), people are searching for alternatives to tap water. Bottled water? It's expensive and wasteful. Two recent articles address why bottled water is bad for you, the environment, and water. You can read them here and here.

Bottle filling stations could be one easy, inexpensive and waste-reducing solution. Read RSC contributing writer Sonja Bartlett's in-depth piece here and decide for yourself.  Wouldn't it be terrific if we had more bottle filling stations in our public spaces?

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water, Water Everywhere: HOW DO YOU KNOW IT's CLean?

By Sonja Bartlett

Turns out what’s good for the earth is also good for our health. Did you know that those water bottle filling stations that are popping up in our area schools don’t just save on plastic water bottle use but they also FILTER OUT LEAD?

“The filtered bottle fillers are a terrific addition to the District. They encourage students to drink water, rather than sodas or other sugary drinks and they drastically reduce the number of plastic bottles heading to our landfills. At one filling station ... alone, we’ve saved 28,286 disposable plastic water bottles.”

— Sam Carder, Director of Facilities, Rye City School District

Once a novelty found mostly in high-end gyms, water bottle filling stations are on the rise in Rye area schools. The Rye City School District boasts 24, with plans for 15 more. Independent schools in our area including Eagle Hill, Hackley, Rippowam Cisqua, and Rye Country Day have recently installed them as well. Not only do they make life easy for kids and adults with water bottles in tow, but unlike the older plumbing fixtures and traditional drinking fountains, they actually filter out lead.

This generation is growing up not thinking twice about refilling water bottles at school because of the Elkay EZH2O, the market leader on this product, which seems to have little competition. It might look like a traditional drinking fountain from a distance but in the back it has a simple spigot made specifically for filling up water bottles. A digital counter lets users know how many plastic bottles have been spared because of this simple act.  The instant positive feedback for the user cannot be discounted.

It is made by a Chicago-based, family owned business called Elkay, which makes a variety of plumbing supplies. But the EZ-H2O rapid water filling station is what has gotten this company a lot of buzz lately as more and more schools realize the double benefit –health and sustainability- it delivers for their students and all the adults who work in their buildings. 

"I have to bring my water bottle to school every day. It is the rule. So we love refilling them and seeing the number of plastic bottles we have saved." (Meredith Bartlett, 3rd Grader at Rippowam Cisqua School)

The price tag for the EZH2O ranges from $400 to $1000, depending on the model. You can even find them on Amazon. But getting them installed incurs plumbing costs that will vary from building to building, often putting some schools in a tough spot financially.

Elkay was fielding so many requests from schools across the country for donations of these filling stations that they knew they had to do something. Linda Carlisle, a company spokesperson says they had to come up with a creative response to all the demand.

“Budgets aside, we knew all this demand was a good problem to have. We decided that instead of giving away a set number of the EZH2O filling stations each year, we would find a way to help the schools raise the funds they needed to purchase them at a special school-discounted price, and offering a fundraising solution to help them raise that amount. It’s a win-win.”

— Linda Carlisle, Elkay Spokesperson

Elkay partnered with EcoVessel, a reusable water bottle maker, to launch a student-led fundraising program to help the schools get filling stations at a special price. The students apply online and EcoVessel provides stainless steel water bottles with the school logo on them to sell in a student-led fundraiser. The funds raised are used to buy the EZH2O at a discounted price. It’s clearly a teachable moment for the kids, a hands-on community service opportunity, and a way for the school population to use fewer disposable plastic bottles.

The water bottle station at Row America Rye.

We all know it ‘s not always easy to do the right thing by the environment. Filling up water bottles on the go used to be messy and awkward at best. Who could not be forgiven for grabbing that case of plastic water bottles at Costco and leaving them in the trunk? Did anyone see?  Just for emergencies, right?!

However it does seem a new horizon is in front of us. The water bottle filling stations are now at every turn, offering fresh, cold, lead-free water…. A simple change in how we live our daily lives that will clearly have an enormous impact on our planet now that an entire generation seems to see this as a normal part of their day.

Healthier for us, healthier for our planet.  Wouldn’t it be a wonderful next step for our public buildings to start installing water bottle filling stations as well?

How Much Do You Know About Rye Town Park?

Who owns Rye Town Park? If you answered, Rye, you would be half right ... What is the Rye Town Park Commission? What is FRTP? Stumped, or do you have the answers at your fingertips?

Test your knowledge below (quiz reproduced, thanks to Rye Town Alliance). Understanding the ins and outs of RTP - its mission, ownership structure and financial health - is critical for its continued survival as a natural open space that functions for public enjoyment.

You can see a PDF version of the quiz here.

For more information, visit the RTP.

To see the different ways that you can get involved in the preservation of this treasured space, visit FRTP.

Who owns Rye Town Park?

A.    Rye Town

B.    Rye City and Rye Town Jointly

C.    Seaside Johnnies

Answer: B. The establishing legislation said the park should “be known as Rye Park.”

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What are Rye’s financial obligations to RTP?

A.    It’s a 50-50 split with Rye City and Rye Town

B.    It’s a 60-40 split with Rye City and Rye Town

Answer: The answer is A and B.  Under the agreement between Rye Town and City, Rye City is responsible for 46.654% of the operating costs, 39.278% of capital expenditures and is also responsible for policing the park.  [Source: 2014 Audited Financial Statements]

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Can Rye Town Park operate revenue generating business activities to defray the costs of operating and maintaining the park?

A.   Yes

B.    No

C.    It depends

Answer: C.  It Depends.  Under the New York law “public trust” doctrine, this may be permissible if the purpose is to enhance the experience of the public when using the park as a public park.  So charging for beach access, offering restaurant facilities and providing reasonable parking is generally permissible to enhance public use of a park as a public park.  However, if the real purpose is not to enhance the park experience but primarily to raise revenue to defray costs, that is not a sufficient justification.

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How many cars parked in RTP in 2012 and 2013, respectively?

A.      8,000 and 10,000

B.    12,000 and 13,000

C.    56,724 and 53,622

Answer: C

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Of the million-dollar RTP annual running costs, where does most of the money come from and where does it go?

A.    From taxpayers, to park maintenance

B.    From park users, to employees

Answer: B. For its financial year 2014, Rye Town Park revenues were $892,000 of which cash receipts from parking and beach were approximately $618,000 (or about 70% of total revenue).  Of total operating expenses of $892,934, approximately $522,000 (59%) was spent on staff salaries and benefits. [Source:  2014 Audited Financial Statements]  The figures for receipts do not include approximately $116,000 for permit sales (presumably charged online or by credit card) and $95,000 from concessions (e.g., Seaside Johnnies).

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Who runs the Park?

A.   The Rye Town Park Commission, made up of officials from Rye City, Rye Town, Port Chester and Rye Brook.  Rye’s representatives are Mayor Joe Sack and Councilmember Julie Killian.

B.    RTP Staff

C.    Seaside Johnnies

Answer: A

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Does RTP financially “break even” every year?

A. Yes

B. No

Answer: As a public good, a park should NOT be expected to break even. Yet even with a largely cash-based system, the park was even in 2013, lost approx. $50,000 in 2014 and was up in 2015 (unofficial). The park posted a deficit of $500,000 the year before reforms were implemented and differential pricing for non-residents was put into place.

It's Quiz Time ...

The kids are back at school, but that doesn't mean you can't take a quiz ... this one about groundwater. The U.S. Geological Survey's quiz on groundwater is challenging, but you'll be an expert after reading the detailed explanations of what you got wrong.

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Here's a visual aid...

This RSC member didn't do too well. Try it out yourself and see how you did! As an incentive, the USGS claims that if you take the quiz "you'll find that you can amaze your friends with little-known facts at the next party."

Part III: Should the City of Rye Adopt a Healthy Lawn Policy?

The Rye City Review's Josh Stabile provides a clear and comprehensive overview of one of Rye Sustainability's latest initiatives: whether the City of Rye should adopt a healthy lawn policy for its public spaces. You can read his article online at The Rye City Review. It is also reproduced below.

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Sustainability Committee considers lawn policy proposal

By Joshua Stabile

The Rye Sustainability Committee is asking residents whether or not the city should adopt a healthy lawn policy.

At a Rye City Council meeting on Aug. 3, Councilwoman Danielle Tagger-Epstein, a Democrat, announced that the committee had released an online survey for residents to give their opinion on whether or not Rye should adopt a healthy lawn policy. The survey can be found on RyeSustainability.com.

Tagger-Epstein said the survey, which consists of only one question, would “literally take under a minute” to complete. She even encouraged attendees at the meeting to take the survey on their phones as she made the announcement.

Sara Goddard, chairwoman of the city Sustainability Committee, said the group wants to work with the City Council on a policy that would require the city to use organic, pesticide-free landscaping in all public spaces.

The committee hopes to garner enough positive feedback from residents—in the form of at least a few hundred survey votes—before proposing a policy to the City Council. Although there is no timetable for when the survey will conclude, the committee is doing its homework and gathering as much information about changing over to pesticide-free landscaping as possible.

Homeowners in Rye have been encouraged to use pesticide-free landscaping for years, and this year, the committee announced a communitywide lawn sign design contest to create a logo for the official Rye Healthy Yard Program.

Goddard said she thought a policy of chemical-free landscaping in public spaces had been implemented a while ago, but found out that no policy seems to exist. If there is indeed an old policy that has not been in use, Goddard said it’s time to “dust it off” and update it with help from the City Council to come up with a policy that can satisfy everyone. If no policy ever existed, Goddard said one needs to be written.

Tagger-Epstein said it’s hard to deny the science that proves the danger of pesticides in public landscaping, and would like to see the healthy lawn policy move forward. “I’m a big proponent of [the policy],” she said. “I’m behind the committee one-hundred percent.”

Towns such as Greenwich, Connecticut, and Yorktown have already established policies regarding organic and chemical-free landscaping in their public spaces, so Goddard said it shouldn’t be difficult for Rye to follow their lead. In fact, a news article about Greenwich’s healthy lawn policy, Safe Lawns, is exactly what caused the Rye Sustainability Committee to post its survey and gather residents’ opinions.

Residents who want to see what else the committee is working on can visit its website or visit and like its Facebook page, Friends of Rye Sustainability Committee.

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For more information and background, read our posts on the subject and please take the very short survey on our Home page. We want your input!

The Beauty of a Healthy Yard II

Geoff Tischman Photography

Geoff Tischman Photography

Geoff Tischman Photography

Rye resident Caroline Walker, has lived in her beautiful home for eight years with her husband, adorable twin boys and rescue dogs, Chipper and Trixie.

On a recent summer day, Chipper and Trixie took advantage of the Walkers' gorgeous yard to run, play and roll, ignorant of the knowledge that their beautiful play area is a healthy and safe space, free of toxic or synthetic chemicals. Landscape designer Peggy Pierce Peters, helped plan and design a completely natural outdoor living area for the Walker family.

What better gift for your family and friends - and pets! - than to create a natural sanctuary for all to enjoy?

Thanks to Geoff Tischman Photography for the three spectacular close-up photos of the dogs in the yard!

Visit our Rye Healthy Yard and Resources Section to learn more. And ...

Take the RHYP Pledge!

How Valuable Are Your Trees?

We all know that trees provide a beautiful natural setting for suburban and urban communities, but did you know that they can also add an economic benefit? The Tree Benefit Calculator attempts to quantify these benefits.

The Tree Benefit Calculator allows anyone to make a simple estimation of the benefits individual street-side trees provide. This tool is based on i-Tree’s street tree assessment tool called STREETS. With inputs of location, species and tree size, users will get an understanding of the environmental and economic value trees provide on an annual basis.

Simply enter information about a street-side tree and learn about the benefits it provides. Street-side trees are typically located in front yards, medians, parkways, planting strips or other common planting areas adjacent to streets.

Take the City of Rye Healthy Lawn Survey!

Take the Survey: Should the City of Rye adopt a healthy lawn policy for its public spaces?

Learn more below:

Part II: Should the City of Rye Adopt a Healthy Lawn Policy for its Public Spaces?

Continuing the discussion about whether the City of Rye should adopt a healthy lawn policy for its public spaces, we took a look at New Jersey's municipalities to see if any have adopted a chemical-free policy. The Sustainable Jersey organization provides an excellent summary of those communities that have integrated healthy landscaping practices into their municipal operations. We reproduce their summaries below.

What do you think the City of Rye should do? Take the survey here!

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Bernards Township: Integrated Pest Management Policy

In 2008, Bernards Township, NJ adopted an Integrated Pest Management Policy covering all township owned property. The policy utilizes organic lawn care practices allowing for the elimination of synthetic pesticides and synthetic fertilizer on all sports fields and key lawn areas, and it designates all parks as Pesticide Free Zones. The Board of Health supported the policy by passing Resolution BH 10:09 and the Board of Education followed with their own decision declaring that school lawns and sports fields shall be managed without lawn care pesticides. The Mayor, the Township Committee, the Board of Health, the Green Team, the Board of Education, and the Environmental Commission encourage all citizens to participate in this endeavor on their own property.

The township also provides extensive information for the public on their website. This site also has links to their brochure and to videos, training resources, news updates and resources for locating an organic lawn care specialist.

Additional information about the Integrated Pest Management Policy can be found on Sustainable Jersey's site here.

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Bernards Township: Green Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance

Bernards Township has taken several actions to implement green landscaping and grounds maintenance. A mowing policy has reduced the mowing area of municipal lands by mulching, planting wildflowers, or allowing meadow growth instead of lawn. These areas contribute to a healthier ecosystem, and reduced mowing leads to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from lawnmowers. Efforts have also been made to restore native vegetation to the landscape, encouraging biodiversity and resulting in lower maintenance needs. Stormwater is also managed by 150 detention basins, many on private property, that filter pollutants and recharge groundwater. (See http://www.bernards.org/boards_commissions/green_team/default.aspx).

Bernards Township has taken several actions to implement green landscaping and grounds maintenance. A mowing policy has reduced the mowing area of municipal lands by mulching, planting wildflowers, or allowing meadow growth instead of lawn. These areas contribute to a healthier ecosystem, and reduced mowing leads to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from lawnmowers. Efforts have also been made to restore native vegetation to the landscape, encouraging biodiversity and resulting in lower maintenance needs. Stormwater is also managed by 150 detention basins, many on private property, that filter pollutants and recharge groundwater.

Additional information about Efficient Landscape Design practices can be found on Sustainable Jersey's site here.

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Linwood

Linwood has adopted and implemented a Green Grounds and Maintenance Policy which was reviewed by the Director of Public Works, City Engineer, City Council members, and the City Clerk. The policy incorporates water saving techniques and procedures, native plantings usage, recycled products and materials usage, and natural and non-chemical applications among others.

Linwood's Green Grounds and Maintenance Policy can be seen here.

Additional information about the Green Grounds and Maintenance Policy can be found on Sustainable Jersey's site here.

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greenwich Update

And if you missed the earlier post about the Town of Greenwich's healthy lawn practices, please take a look here. As an update, we attach the the Town's 2016 Safe Lawn Proclamation here. 

Should the City of Rye Adopt a Healthy Lawn Policy for its Public Spaces?

Did you know that the Town of Greenwich has used organic lawn care since 2008? It’s a safe and, in many ways, inexpensive alternative to treating lawns and yards with chemicals. Read more about the Town of Greenwich's healthy landscaping practices in this recent Greenwich Times article and let us know if you think the City of Rye should do the same!

Visit our Rye Healthy Yard and Resources Section to learn more. And ...

Take the RHYP Pledge!

Invasive Species Awareness Week: July 10 - 16

A Call to Action for all New Yorkers to Learn about and Help Stop the Spread of Invasive Species

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 07/11/2016 , which is reproduced here.

New York's third annual Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW) will be held Sunday, July 10 - Saturday, July 16, 2016, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos and state Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced today. In observance of ISAW, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued a proclamation urging all New Yorkers to exercise environmental stewardship to protect lands and waters from infestations that can be devastating to habitats, agriculture, tourism and human health.

"Invasive Species Awareness Week is an opportunity to highlight the environmental and economic threats invasive species can pose and raises awareness of the many ways that all New Yorkers can help protect against unwelcome species in their communities," said Commissioner Seggos.

"Prevention is the most cost effective strategy and through the Environmental Protection Fund and other funding sources, New York is making significant investments in the fight to addresses their spread. In the height of the outdoor summer season - whether you are camping or boating or hiking or fishing - everyone can help keep invasive species from spreading."

State Agriculture Commissioner Ball said, "Invasive species can have a costly impact on agriculture, the environment, and our economy. It's important that we all do our part to keep invasive species out of our communities and away from our natural resources. During Invasive Species Awareness Week, I encourage all New Yorkers to learn what they can do to help eradicate these pests and prevent them from spreading."

Invasive species cause harm because of their ability to reproduce quickly, outcompete native species, and adapt to new environments. Because invasive species did not evolve with the other species in their new location, they often do not have natural predators and diseases that would normally control their population within their native habitat. Economists estimate that invasive species cost the United States more than $120 billion in damages every year.

During ISAW, the Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISMs), iMap Invasives, Cornell Cooperative Extension, DEC, and additional state and local partners will host activities to inform citizens how to identify, survey, map, report or manage invasive species. Those attending will be able to help remove invasive species from public lands, join experts on the trails or on the water to see invasive species firsthand, attend presentations to learn more about what can be done to help fight these threats, and more.

In addition, all citizens are asked to consider how their everyday activities may affect the spread of invasive species and use the following best management practices: clean, drain and dry watercraft and gear after boating and fishing; use non-invasive plants in gardens and landscaping; use local firewood; and learn about, look for and report invasive species.

New York is working persistently to fight invasives such as emerald ash borer, which has spread across the state on wood packaging and firewood, threatening to kill millions of ash and cause a negative impact on the timber industry in the millions of dollars. This includes baseball bat manufacturers and bats used in Major League Baseball. Hemlock wooly adelgid is another threat, killing thousands of acres of hemlock in the lower Hudson Valley and Catskills. Shade provided by hemlock is important for maintaining cool water temperatures for New York's many trout streams.

Oak wilt, first discovered in 2008, has cost NYS approximately $500,000 to control. Some midwest states spend over $1 million a year to control it but NY has kept costs down by aggressively surveying and eradicating infestations quickly while they are small. Oak is an important species because of the wildlife (deer and turkey among others, big for hunting) that depend on the acorns.

NY Invasive Species Awareness Week is one component of a larger invasive species education campaign "Stop the Invasion: Protect NY from Invasive Species" coordinated by the Invasive Species Council, Invasive Species Advisory Committee and PRISMs. The goal of the campaign is to inform citizens about the threats of invasive species and to enlist their assistance in helping to stop their spread. Some invasive species, such as Eurasian watermilfoil, purple loosestrife and Japanese beetles have been present in NY for decades, while others are more recent arrivals, such as emerald ash borer, hydrilla and plum pox virus. New or old, all invasive species have serious impacts on recreation, environmental quality and the economy.

The Invasive Species Prevention Act was signed into law in 2012 to prohibit or limit the sale and transport of known invasive plants and animals that threaten our communities and natural areas and last year the Governor signed a law to prevent the spread of disease-carrying, aggressive Eurasian boar to protect our farms and fields. The DEC is also implementing important regulations that restrict the movement of untreated firewood, as well as emerald ash borer quarantines, which prevent the spread of potentially infested materials, and new regulations for controlling the spread of aquatic invasive species at DEC-owned boat launches, fishing access sites, and waterbodies.

Additional information and a complete list of events are available on the NY Invasive Species Awareness Week website.

As part of Invasive Species Week, DEC and State Parks will co-host a film screening titled "The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: A Film About the Loss of an Ecosystem." The event will take place at the Madison Theater in Albany on Thursday, July 14, beginning at 6:00 p.m. with exhibits from local conservation organizations in the lobby. The film starts at 7 p.m. with an opening message from filmmaker Chris Foito.

NY Invasive Species Advisory Committee, Chair: Meredith Taylor, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Invasive Species Biologist, metaylor@dep.nyc.gov, (845) 340-7856

2016 ISAW Planning Committee Chair: Megan Phillips, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, megan.phillips@dec.ny.gov, (518) 402-8871

Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM), Coordinators:

• Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, Brenden Quirion, bquirion@tnc.org, (518) 576-2082
• Capital Mohawk, Laurel Gailor, lrg6@cornell.edu, (518) 885-8995
• Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership, John Thompson, jthompson@catskillcenter.org, (845) 586-2611
• Finger Lakes, Hilary Mosher, mosher@hws.edu, (315) 781-4385
• Long Island Invasive Species Management Area, Steve Young, steve.young@dec.ny.gov (518) 402-8951
• Lower Hudson, Linda Rohleder, lrohleder@nynjtc.org, (201) 512-9348
• St. Lawrence and Eastern Lake Ontario, Robert Williams, rwilliams@tnc.org, (315) 387-3600
• Western New York, Andrea Locke, lockeas@buffalostate.edu, (716) 878-4708

To view the New York State's Invasive Species Awareness Week proclamation (PDF, 639 KB), visit the Governor's website.

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How Sound is Long Island Sound?

Heading to the beach this summer? Or would you simply like more information about the water quality of Long Island Sound?

You can find answers to these questions and more by visiting the Sound Health Explorer. A new site created by Save the Sound, the Sound Health Explorer lets you review the health of any beach on Long Island Sound. The default view shows five years of beach testing data and you can change that time-frame to any scale you like.

There is other water quality-related information to explore including land use, location of sewage treatment plants, subwatershed boundaries, and more!

It's valuable resource for those of us living along and enjoying the waters of Long Island Sound.

Five Healthy Yard Lessons by Taro Ietaka of Rye Nature Center

Taro Ietaka, Director of Conservation & Land Stewardship at Rye Nature Center, shares insights and tips about maintaining a healthy yard.

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Five Lessons from an Organic Farmer and a Naturalist

By Taro Ietaka

Friends of Rye Nature Center teamed up with the Rye Sustainability Committee’s Healthy Yards Project (RHYP) this spring to help spread the word on home landscaping without chemical herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. The kickoff event, “What’s Under Your Lawn: The Secret to Healthy Soil” featured Max Apton, former field manager at Stone Barns and now owner of the Farmer’s Garden. During our discussions leading up to the Healthy Yards event, it became apparent that Max and I had arrived at many of the same conclusions when it comes to what makes a yard healthy.

Lessons from the forest and organic farm for a healthy yard:

Let this be your pesticide! (Photo of ladybug by charlesjsharp on commons.wikimedia.org)

• Nature provides for its own. A big goal of the RHYP is to wean properties off of chemical-dependence. Synthetic pesticides and herbicides kill beneficial soil micro-organisms that are helping your plants.The trees and shrubs in our forest grow just fine without the addition of any fertilizer other than decomposing plants and what animals leave behind. Be like nature: amend your soil with compost and manure, and leave shredded leaves and grass clippings in place to decompose.

• Bare ground is bad. Aristotle may have said it first: “Nature abhors a vacuum.” In our case, that “vacuum” is bare, exposed soil which quickly dries out and gets washed away with a heavy rain, or gets colonized by weeds. So remember to mulch between your plants or, even better, plant close together to cover the ground in green.

• Diversity is desirable. Our Eastern forests have been hit by chestnut blight, Dutch elm disease, and many other pathogens over the years, and yet, they have survived. Forests are resilient because of their diversity: if the chestnuts go down, the maples step up. A monoculture, such as a tree plantation or a lawn of Kentucky bluegrass, has no backup plan and is an easier target for marauding insects or fungal invasion.

• Insects are good (for the most part). Pesticides are poison. They are designed to kill insects and they don’t discriminate between unwanted potato bugs and desirable honeybees. A healthy, diverse ecosystem (see above) will have checks and balances that keep insect infestations under control: let birds, spiders and beneficial bugs be your natural pesticides.

• Go native. – Don’t give in to the temptation to plant that new beautiful Asian shrub that just arrived at your nursery! We have many examples of gardeners who inadvertently started an invasion after succumbing to the tempting flowers of Chinese wisteria, fruit of wineberry, or one of the many other plants that have run amok in our region. An extra benefit of using native plants is the increase in birds and butterflies you’ll see. Our wildlife generally prefers local cuisine over the exotic.

Did you miss the Wainwright House kickoff event? You can watch Max and Taro's presentation on Rye TV.

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