By the Bronxville Green Committee

April 12, 2023: Looking for ways to take action this Earth Day, but don’t know how to make an impact?

We’ve got you covered! Below are a few ways to make a difference that benefits our homes, families, and surrounding landscapes. Whether you only have a few minutes or are looking to spend the day enjoying our natural world, there are oodles of choices!

Have one minute? 

• Follow us on Instagram @bxvgreencommittee to stay up to date on our programs.

Have 15 minutes?

• Stop by Bronxville’s Annual Compost Give-Back Day, Behind Village Hall Saturday, April 22, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to pick up FREE compost for your garden or container plants. Bring your own receptacle. Stay for a few moments and learn about Bronxville’s residential Food Scrap Recycling Program. Village Hall provides a kit residents can purchase that includes everything needed for an easy kitchen collection of food scraps and drop off for commercial composting!

Have an hour?

• Get a FREE Home Energy Consultation: Our neighbors at Bedford2030 are offering a free energy consultation with an energy coach to discuss your home’s specific needs. Learn how to save money on energy bills, make your home more comfortable and reduce polluting greenhouse gas emissions.

Looking for family fun and education?

Earth Day Storytelling Event, Sarah Lawrence College for the Urban River at Beczak, Yonkers, from 1-3 p.m.  Bring a story to share about your experience with the natural world, or simply sit and listen.  Children will have an opportunity to create their own play experiences using cardboard boxes, wood, tires, fabric, and other recycled materials collected from the community. 

Amazing Butterflies, Lasdon Park & Arboretum, Katonah, now through May 7, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.  Learn about caterpillars, butterflies, and their natural surroundings. Together, families explore this interactive experience and learn about the surprising challenges butterflies face every day.

Green Ossining’s 13^th Annual Earth Day Festival, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Louis Engel Waterfront Park.

This free event offers many educational opportunities and gorgeous views of the Hudson River.

Want to get your hands dirty?

Westchester Parks Foundation’s Pitch in for Parks, from April 17-22: The WPF relies on volunteers to care for Westchester’s 50 county parks. On their biggest volunteer day of the year, April 22, you can choose to help from several locations. Depending on the site, volunteers will paint, rake, prepare and plant flower beds, remove invasive vines, and restore habitat for wildlife. 

Every day in April, Earth Day-related activities in Tarrytown, sponsored by Tarrytown’s Environmental Advisory Council.  Learn about trees, prepare a community garden for planting, go on a bird-watching walk, remove invasive vines, and on April 22 join a community-wide clean-up.

The best antidote to “climate despair” is to ACT!

The Bronxville Green Committee offers many opportunities to volunteer for specific projects that will make a big difference.  Do you enjoy teaching students of all ages about the joys of vegetable gardening? Are you eager to encourage businesses to reduce waste and save money by adopting sustainable practices?  Do you enjoy talking up the benefits of retrofitting homes to clean energy technologies? Do you love trees and want to learn enough about them to become a local tree expert? Check out our website and contact us to join our efforts! 

The Bronxville Green Committee is a volunteer organization that is part of the Village of Bronxville. We work to propose and implement environmentally sustainable programs in our community.

Photo: Pexels