WHITE PLAINS, NY — County Executive Robert P. Astorino invites all to Westchester County’s annual Earth Day celebration, tomorrow, Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kensico Dam Plaza.
There will be live music and entertainment, environmental exhibits, a local farmers’ market, compost bin and rain barrel sales, giveaways, and more. The Earth Day Award ceremony will also take place, recognizing local governments, individuals, schools, businesses, and organizations for their environmental initiatives and accomplishments in solid waste reduction, recycling, and conservation.
“Our annual Earth Day celebrations remind us that there are things all of us can do each day to protect and preserve our environment,” said Astorino. “A special thanks to our Parks and Environmental Facilities departments and our partners at the Westchester Green Business Challenge.”
This year’s Earth Day Award recipients are listed below:
Municipal Excellence:
Westchester County’s top five municipalities with the highest curbside recycling rates out of total solid waste generated in 2015 are: City of Rye: 30%, New Castle: 29%, North Castle: 29%, Hastings: 28%, Scarsdale: 28%.
Notable Community and School-Based Initiatives:
Westchester Community Foundation: Provided grants, totaling $3,118,274, to support environmental efforts in energy efficiency, renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, and protecting public health and biodiversity since 1998.
Arc of Westchester: Partnering with DEF on their newest food-waste reduction and composting project on the grounds of the H-MRF in Valhalla.
Hendrick Hudson Free Library: The first library to be certified as a Westchester Green Business.
Trader Joe’s: Three stores carry a zero-waste policy, which includes food donations to local churches and organizations, such as the Food Bank for Westchester and County Harvest.
Sarah Lawrence College Center: Conducted water quality research and monitoring in the Saw Mill River watershed, planned “green infrastructure” for the City of Yonkers, and monitored migrating glass eels in the campus’ tidal marsh. The center also mentored more than 100 volunteers and served over 5,000 youths in climate initiatives.
Sarah Lawrence College Environmental Awareness Organization: The group organized a variety of events including a recycled fashion show.
Bedford Central School District: Participated in the Northern Westchester Local Food Project, chasing locally-grown produce for its schools.
Lincoln High School: Created an “EcoPark” garden in the school’s courtyard, maintained by students and teachers in the Horticulture Special Education program
Westchester Schools That Have Implemented On-site Food Waste Composting:
Anne Hutchinson Elementary School, Eastchester
Hommocks Middle School, Mamaroneck
Rippowam Cisqua, Mt. Kisco
SUNY Purchase College
Thank you to our Earth Day sponsors: GHD, Inc., D&B Engineers & Architects, Arcadis, Wheelabrator, Technologies, City Carting of Westchester, Woodard & Curran and Clean Harbors.
Kensico Dam Plaza is located at 1 Bronx River Parkway in Valhalla, NY. Admission and parking are free and the event will take place rain or shine. The county’s Mobile Shredder will be present at the event, weather permitting, and residents can bring up to 4 file size boxes of confidential papers per household for shredding. For more information about the Mobile Shredder, visit environment.westchestergov.com/mobile-shredder.