Celebrate Earth Month With Us!

Sign up for the below events on SignUp Genius

April 9

• Visit us at the TaSH to pick up clover seeds and healthy landscaping tips! (9:30-12:30) Rec Center Lot

• Changing Landscapes Nature Walk - Peabody Preserve Walk (9-11am)

April 10

• Household and Clothing Swap at the Hastings Flea (10-4pm) 

April 14

• Free Movie - “The True Cost” Warner Library @ 7pm 

April 16

• Village Wide Clean Up at Patriots Park (10am - 12pm)

April 22 - EARTH DAY!

• Cacao Gratitude Circle - location will be sent upon sign up 

April 23

• Lakes General Clean Up (10am - 2pm) Earth Day 4/23 Lakes Cleanup

In celebration and honor of Earth Day, Hackley LakeKeepers will partner with TEAC to clean up around the Tarrytown Lakes Parkland from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. We will meet at the parking lot of Neperan and Sunnyside Avenue.

Please invite your family and friends and consider volunteering your time to keep the surrounding areas around our lakes beautiful and clean.

Please park on Sunnyside Lane. Gloves and bags will be provided. Bring water, hand sanz, a hat and wear long sleeves/pants and sturdy shoes.

• Vines Clean Up, Wilson Park - Lake park along Wilson Park Dr and meet at the entrance of Beach Lane and Wilson Park Drive (10am-2pm) 

• Bird Walk hosted by The Rewilding School (8-10am) 

• Neperan Park Spring Clean up (10-12pm)

April 24 

• Clothing/Housewares Swap - Patriots Park (10-4pm) rain date: May 1

• Energy Smart Homes info at Patriots Park (10-4pm)

April 30

• Join us at the Duck Derby at Patriots Park and stop by our table to make an upcycled bird feeder and other kids crafts  (11am-3pm); we’ll also have an informal kids Earth Day parade at 2:30. We’ll have materials to make posters throughout the day!

• Rivertowns Repair Cafefrom 11-3pm at Irvington Public Library at IrvingtonRepairCafe@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/events/1031025627839288/?ref=newsfeed
  
  
  Bird watch, Earth Day 2019

By Kevin Lustyik, Tarrytown Harbormaster

Kayaking the Hudson River near Greenport. 

For those of us that spend a great amount of time on the Hudson, tides and currents are part of river life. 

Our area experiences two highs and two lows every day with flood and ebb currents that affect surface movement of water between the highs and lows. Those of us that have kayaked or swam in any tidal estuary know the effects of such currents.

So what affects tide heights and current speeds? The moon is the chief player on how high a tide will be and how fast a current will flow. The closer it is to the full or new moon, the higher and lower the tides will be. If one reads a basic tide table from NOAA, it will be seen that the time of high tide at Tarrytown occurs 1 hr and 49 minutes after the Battery time. 

All kayakers, swimmers, and boaters should know that the times of peak current speed are not occurring when most people would think, in that the maximum flood (northbound) speed occurs about 15 minutes before the high tide and will continue to decelerate down to a crawl just before slack water, which occurs more than 2.5 hrs later. The slack usually lasts about 35 minutes in the Hudson.

People often ask how it can be that the tide doesn’t reverse right after high tide. The way it works: when that flood current enters the Hudson, the first northbound water is occurring at the bottom of the river some forty feet down, at this precise moment the current at the surface is still ebbing. 

Conversely, you may sit on your kayak out by the bridge and feel the final hour of an ebb current pulling you south while watching the watermark on the bridge piers on the rise, that’s right, surface current still going south and water rising! Tides and currents work with sinusoidal curves and when current speeds are given, they reflect surface current speeds. The important thing to know is the times of surface floods and ebbs, which will help when planning kayaking or prolonged swims.


Canoe trip on the Hudson River.

The key to safety is, don’t underestimate the power of the river and do not overestimate your abilities. Long kayak trips should not be attempted by novices and certainly never to be attempted alone.                                                  

NOAA has all data retrievable on your cell phone, and if you boat, it is a must. Most data is accurate except after heavy rains which will prolong the ebb times while the uplands are draining. Other things that can change times and heights of tides would be seismic activity, even if it’s thousands of miles away. During the hours of current direction reversal, one can witness two different surface current directions, even if only for a short time! Just north of the lighthouse there is a jetty that is just south of a sandy shoreline where boaters will purposely go aground for an afternoon of swimming. During the surface current reversal, it is not unusual to see the current northeast of the jetty running one way and southwest of the jetty going the other way.

The longer we spend on our beautiful river, the more its hidden treasures are revealed.

Have a question for the Harbor Master? Email harbormaster01@yahoo.com.  Or if you think it worth sharing, send it to us and we will publish your question and his answer in our next newsletter!

By Ron Tedesco, Tarrytown Tree Commission




These tips, when put into practice, will ensure your property is working to keep the soil, air, water and wildlife of our community healthy.

• Reduce or eliminate the “Green Desert” (your lawn or turf). It is an ecological wasteland.

• Increase the health of your soil. Everything starts with the soil. Healthy soil makes for healthy plants.

• Avoid synthetic pesticides. Rachel Carson warned about them 50 years ago in “Silent Spring”.

• Limit the use of organic pesticides. Use only when necessary, and then sparingly and carefully.

• Support beneficial insects, nature’s pest control, by planting a diversity of native plants to support them.

• Allow some messiness in your landscape to support wildlife. Fallen logs, tree snags, and brush piles are homes for many creatures.

• Tolerate some plant damage in your landscape. Valuable insects have to eat, too, and they don’t eat very much.

• Leave perennials standing throughout the winter. They can provide food and cover for birds and insects.

• Plant more native plants to support your local ecosystem. Native plants have co-evolved with each other and with the wildlife around them.

• Think “plant communities” when selecting plants. Native plants don’t grow in isolation. Learn which plants grow together naturally and plant them together. Advice from a local nursery can be a big help in this process.

• Eradicate or remove the invasive plants on your landscape. Always try organic, mechanical means first.

• When invasive plants are removed, replace them with regional native plants.

• Encourage biodiversity by planting diversely. Bio-diverse ecosystems are more resilient to pests, diseases, and climate change.

• Provide a water source for wildlife and insects. This is crucial, but often forgotten in many landscapes.

By Mai Mai Margules and Kerstin Erdbrink, TEAC Landscaping Committee 
 

At the March meeting of the Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow Chamber of Commerce  TEAC rolled out a new green landscaping initiative approved by our Village’s Board of Trustees for local businesses: Green Landscaping Champion (GLC).

This program invites area businesses to take a lead role in promoting sustainable landscaping practices by planting indigenious plants, forgoing pesticides and leaving some leaves on their properties. 

These three simple steps can make a tremendous difference in preserving our area’s biodiversity and helping  pollinators and birds thrive. We also strongly promote mulch mowing rather than leaf blowing, it’s far more eco friendly practice and mulched leaves are great free natural fertilizer.

For those without lawn space a planter filled with indigenous plants can provide crucial habitat for beneficial insects and birds, all the while adding natural beauty to a property. Planters can be highly effective links in creating a pollinator pathway in areas lacking other green space. 

Planting design for pollinator garden at Warner Library.


Several local businesses are taking the lead and will be planting for pollinators this spring. Key Bank, JCC, Kendall, Horsefeathers, Rey Insurance and Corcoran Realty will be landscaping with native American wildflowers to support our threatened butterflies, bees and birds. Marymount Convent has created a stunning garden for wildlife on their campus. 

As word gets out, we expect many more within our community to join them. In signing on, our business leaders are showing that they are working to ensure a sustainable future. Let’s join them this Earth Month and plant gardens and engage in sustainable landscaping practices that will have a lasting impact. 

TEAC is offering complimentary site consultations for businesses and residents alike throughout the month of April and will provide information and plant lists for various site conditions. We will be giving out free packets of clover at the TEAC table at The TASH market on Saturday, April 9th to help get lawns off to a healthy start this Spring!

Businesses can get information on the GLC program and sign up for a site consultation at: Tarrytownenviro.org/GLC. Residents can sign up for a complimentary site consult at: https://tarrytownenvironmental.org/tarrytown-pollinator-gardens/

If you have a wildlife garden or native plantings please contact us so that we can add your address to the Tarrytown Pollinator Pathway map.

By Catherine Ruhland
 

Note: JOIN US in cleaning the vines out of Wilson Park as one of this month's Earth Month projects. We're meeting at the entrance of Beach Land and Wilson Park Drive at 10am on April 23. Gloves and bags will be provided.


Porcelainberry. Photo: Fishers Island Conservancy

In February, as part of their current film series, TEAC featured a film called “Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species” (it can be watched at any time on YouTube). The film talks about how invasive species get a foothold in our region and the damage they do. It talks about how to prevent the spread of these flora and fauna and some of the methods used to physically get rid of them. 

Many people ask how they can help with this effort. You can have a very positive impact if you learn to identify and remove invasive plants from your own garden and property. By pulling them out of the ground before they go to seed and securely disposing of them in plastic trash bags, you have—depending on the plant--prevented the seeds from spreading. Seeds fall to the ground and create new plants with more seeds or they are eaten by birds who excrete them in another location, starting a new invasion. Right now, during spring, many of the invasives are starting to pop out of the ground and can be more easily removed than when they grow large and unwieldy.

Right now, during spring, many of the invasives are starting to pop out of the ground and can be more easily removed than when they grow large and unwieldy.

Among the worst offending invasive plants in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow are Porcelain Berry and Bittersweet. Porcelain Berry is in the grape family and has leaves and vines that look like that of the grape plant. It produces hundreds of berries per plant, identifiable by their toxic blue, green, turquoise and purple colors.

Bittersweet has round leaves and hundreds of small berries which in the fall turn orange, with a yellow outer shell.

Bittersweet. Photo Catherine Ruhland

Both plants invade hedges and climb into trees. When they climb to the highest branches of trees, after just one or two years, they are so heavy with their leaves, berries and vines that their weight actually topples the trees.

If you walk in the Tarrytown Lakes area, look up. You will also see many toppled trees lying on the ground. This is a common sight.

Another commonplace invasive plant is Burning Bush (Euonymus Alatus). This woody shrub comes from Southeast Asia but was brought to North America in the 1800s to be used in ornamental landscaping and has been determined to be an invasive species in 21 states. The gorgeous red leaves in the Fall are quite appealing, but you would be well advised to find a native alternative, such as The Eastern Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus), shown below.



Eastern Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus). Photo: King Nursery

Our region also has three thorny invasives: the Multiflora Rose, which blossoms in early May with its beautiful rose fragrance, the Japanese Barberry bush whose leaves turn bright orange red in the fall and the Japanese Wineberry, whose crimson raspberry-like fruit ripen in mid-July and are absolutely delicious. The Multiflora Rose has thin vine-like branches that can invade both hedges and climb into trees. The Japanese Barberry and the Japanese Wineberry are commonly found in people’s yards intermingled with other bushes or hedges. They are spread by their berries which are eaten and then excreted by birds. All of these plants should be pulled out of the ground with all their roots, if possible, using leather gloves.

A more easily eliminated, very common invasive is the Wild Garlic plant. It spreads very rapidly, the first year with low growing round leaved clumps and in the second year with tall stems bearing many small white flowers that blossom in the spring. When one crushes the leaves between one's fingers they give off a garlic smell. This plant can be found under trees in shady areas and even in hedges throughout Tarrytown.

One last invasive that has gotten a toe-hold in this area is Japanese Knotweed. This plant spreads underground with tubers. It has very large heart-shaped leaves and grows very tall (up to 7-8 feet tall). At the moment the infant plants are emerging from the ground with their green tinged with red leaves. Eradication requires digging out the tubers that spread the plant underground.

For good substitutes for attractive invasive plants and shrubs, see this resource guide.

JOIN US in cleaning the vines out of Wilson Park as one of this month's Earth Month projects. We're meeting at the entrance of Beach Land and Wilson Park Drive at 10am on April 23. Gloves and bags will be provided.
 

By Annie Kravet, TEAC Volunteer

Spring always feels like a good time for a refresh! If for you that means doing some Spring cleaning, you might end up with a pile of things in good condition, to get rid of. Or maybe, if you’re like me, you have a pile in your home right now of things you don’t want to throw away, but aren’t sure what to do with. If so, here are some ways you can sustainably part with your things: 

Participate in a SWAP event: From the Future Vintage has two local SWAP events planned for this month, one in Hastings on April 10th and the second at Patriot’s Park on April 24th. This is a give-and-take event: simply bring clothing or homewares that are still in good condition and find some new-to-you items to take home! For more information visit: https://www.fromthefuturevintage.com/swap-events 

Join a “Buy Nothing” Group on Facebook: Find your local group, request to join, and then post items you would like to give away. Members of the group comment on items they are interested in, and the gifter chooses someone to give their item to. Learn more about the Buy Nothing movement here: https://buynothingproject.org/about 

Ask a friend!: Sometimes I forget to check in with family and friends to see if they might be on the hunt for something I’m ready to part with. A simple text with a picture of something you are looking to give away can be an easy way to give a used item a little more love…and sometimes it’s nice to know your old things are in good hands! 

Donate: You can donate your used clothing to “Big Brothers Big Sisters” of Westchester. They also accept linens, accessories, backpacks/duffle bags, and footwear. These donations help BBBS support their youth mentoring program. They will resell the clothing at thrift stores, donate to local families, or send it to be used as rag filler if the clothing is not in usable condition. You can schedule a free pick up here: https://www.bigswestchester.org/donate-clothing

GO WILD THIS SPRING!
 

Nature Stories & Activities at Warner Library

Join educators from the Rewilding School for storytime on Friday, April 8, 22 and 29 at 10:30am on the library lawn. Each session will include a story, songs and simple activity, designed for ages 2–4 years. 

You may be seeing ads and event tables for companies wanting to sell you their “green electricity” plan as an alternative Energy Service Company (ESCO).

One that’s been promoting themselves in the area for years is Green Mountain Energy. There are others that are using robocalls to sell their plans. One called CleanChoice markets itself in multiple states, often through direct-mail ads that are made to look like they’re from the local utility company, according to reliable reports.

So, what’s the problem? Don’t we need to switch to renewable energy to slow down climate change?

Yes, that is true, but if you are reading this in Westchester County, odds are high that you already are getting your electricity through Westchester Power, which supplies power from sources that either buy directly from NY State wind and solar farms, or through RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) from out-of-state sources of non-carbon-fueled energy. 

Whether their residents were aware or not, the municipal governments in 29 Westchester communities negotiated over the past few years through Sustainable Westchester for low, 2-year fixed rates, applied to the default electricity supply delivered by ConEd or NYSEG. (See last month’s TEAC Newsletter for details on the rate you should be getting, through the Westchester Power non-commercial ESCO called Constellation New Energy.) Assuming you are already getting the low Westchester Power rates, you can safely ignore any offers you get from other ESCOs.

 

So, why are other “green” ESCOs trying to get your business, and what if they do?

The short answer is that ESCOs are largely profiteering on subscribers’ misunderstanding of their motivation: it’s purely profit, not promoting renewables. And, by signing up new customers to a low introductory rate for 6 months or even a year, they are then free to silently raise rates to whatever they like - in some cases even doubling or tripling it. Only after a customer notices it and questions the ESCO, will they offer another fixed rate period.

The open energy supply market in NY allows customers to “shop” for low rates, but there is no requirement for ESCOs to state their prices in a uniform way that makes for easy comparison. The process of an ESCO over-selling their service to gain a new customer is called “slamming”, and notoriously leads to many consumers ultimately overpaying.

This problem has been addressed in a bill in the NY Senate (S6453) that would end the open supply market and designate the NY Power Authority (NYPA) as a public utility to regulate the price of electricity for residents without the profiteering that has become rampant. The bill would “Implement the "New York State Build Public Renewables Act" requiring the New York power authority to provide only renewable energy and power to customers; requires such authority to be the sole provider of energy to all state owned and municipal properties.”

EnergySmart Homes News

TEAC is pleased to announce that Tarrytown has qualified for a NY State grant through NYSERDA’s Clean Heating and Cooling action in the Clean Energy Communities program. As a result of having enough Tarrytown residents contracting for upgrades from our EnergySmart Homes Rivertowns partnership with Sustainable Westchester, the Village will receive a $5,000 grant that will be used to fund local action to further New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection (CLCPA) goals.

We thank those who have participated, and encourage everyone else to visit https://sustainablewestchester.org/rivertowns/ to learn how you can save money and help the environment by making your home more efficient and electrified!

Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council resumes its film series on Thursday, April 14, with a showing of "True Cost", the story of the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry has on our world. 

The Warner Library is once again hosting the event on the third floor. Afterwards, join TEAC for a lively discussion about the film.

You can sign up on Eventbrite at https://www.tarrytownenvironmental.org, or just come to the library!

Other films in the series will be shown at the Warner Library monthly, into June. All film events run from 7-9pm.

By Cari Newton 
 

Earth Month is here and this is my favorite time of the year!

The only thing better than seeing folks come together to put in effort to clean up our environment is seeing folks taking steps to prevent environmental damage in the first place!

As you have probably heard many times, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  One of the biggest impacts you can make for preventing environmental damage is switching to a plant-based diet. If completely giving up all animal products sounds daunting to you, don’t worry! You can start slowly by participating in Meatless Mondays or eating a vegan diet on weekdays is a great way to start out. 

This month’s vegan recipe is from the book Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin. I will be highlighting the Caesar Salad Dressing recipe that goes with his Blackened Tofu Caesar Salad Dressing. I have been making this dressing for almost 10 years now and after all this time, I have never taken the extra step to make the blackened tofu! The dressing is so good, you might want to have it on everything. Just since making a batch this weekend, my family has used it as a dipping sauce for pizza, roasted potatoes, soft pretzel, on a sandwich, and as intended as dressing for a simple Caesar Salad.  

p.s. Earth Day is EVERYDAY! <3

Caesar Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

Juice of 2 lemons

3 garlic cloves

4 tbsp capers

Dash of caper brine from the jar

4 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1.5 cup vegan mayo (I used Veganaise, but Hellman’s Vegan Mayo is good if you can’t find it)

1 tbsp ground pepper

3 oz extra-virgin olive oil

Puree all ingredients in a blender.  

Serve with chopped romaine lettuce and croutons of your choice. 

Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container. 

By Catherine Ruhland

As our landfills are closing down one by one, and trash is being shipped farther and farther away (requiring more fuel for the shipping), efforts made on the part of consumers are ever more vital.

To this end, the Farmer’s Market at Patriot’s Park has required vendors to serve their food and beverages in containers that can be industrially composted. Since Tarrytown is participating in an industrial composting program (collection bins available to the public are located on the west side of the train next to computer parking lot F), all the compostable waste from the Farmer’s Market is going back into the earth.

To help educate the market patrons, TEAC’s Zero Waste Sub-committee has established a volunteer group called the Waste Warriors.

These volunteers stand at three waste receptacle locations in Tarrytown’s Patriot’s Park and explain the various waste options and their respective channels. They explain composting and how it works and its benefits. They also educate the public on what the containers are made of and how the materials are processed in the waste stream.

As part of Earth Month, the Waste Warriors will be helping at the Healthy Kids/Duck Derby on April 30, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Why not sign up for a one hour time slot and see if you like this activity?

To be a Healthy Kids/Duck Derby Waste Warrior, click on the following link to sign up via Sign-Up Genius. Together we can make a difference for our Mother Earth!!

By Cari Newton

This month, there are two Clothing and Housewares SWAPS on the calendar. 

These events offer a great opportunity to give away items that you no longer need and get something new to you. In honor of Earth Month, we are also doing textile recycling collections at both SWAPS. So, bag up your “Unswappable” clothing, linens, shoes, belts, and purses separately from the good stuff to make for easy sorting the day of the event.  
 

Give and Take: Bring your clean, good-condition, quality items to swap for something new! 

Sunday, April 10, 2022 10am-4pm located outdoors at the Hastings Flea at the Metro North Commuter Lot, 131 Southside Ave, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706

AND

Sunday, April 24, 2022 10am-4pm at Patriots Park

FAQ
1. How does the SWAP work?

When you arrive, you will drop off your items that you no longer want at the check in table. Then your items will be sorted, organized, and placed on the tables in the browsing area where folks can “shop” for free. Once you drop off your items, you can go directly to the “shopping area” to browse all the goodies that were brought in before you.

2. What kinds of items can I bring?

We are looking for CLEAN items in good condition that someone else would really love! For Clothing, nothing too faded, no rips, tears, holes, or stains. No underwear or lingerie please. **We are doing a textile recycling collection so feel free to bring those "unswappable" clothing, shoes, and linen items in a SEPARATE bag for quick sorting at the event** For housewares, bring only clean working items in good condition. Nothing in need of repair please. Look out for a local repair café for those items.  We really cannot stress enough that your items be CLEAN and GOOD CONDITION. (Except for items meant for textile recycling of course)

3. What are some examples of items I could bring?

For clothing: shirts, pants, shorts, skirts, dresses, jackets, shoes, jewelry, belts, purses, hats, bags. Housewares: small appliances, small furniture, kitchenware, dishes, utensils, books, dvds, home décor, organizing bins, games, current electronics, linens, curtains, towels, plants, clocks, lamps, toys, tools, etc… PLEASE, only items that are in good condition!

4. If I show up at the beginning of the event, will there be anything to “shop” for?

Yes! We are collecting items the day before from some folks to ensure there is a selection of items available for the first appointments to “shop” from.

5. How many items may I bring/take?

For this event, we did not set a limit on how many items you can bring/take. We are just asking everyone to be respectful and not bring or take a carload. Take only what you know that you really can use. 
 

Visit fromthefuturevintage.com for more information & links to sign up to volunteer. 

 We are looking forward to seeing you at the SWAP! Please feel free email any additional questions to ftfvintage@hotmail.com 

Tarrytown is committed to sustainable and efficient practices for our residents. In partnership with Sustainable Westchester, we are excited to promote the GridRewards app. 

GridRewards is open to most anyone with a Con Ed utility bill. Homeowners, renters, apartment dwellers, condo-owners, and small businesses can use GridRewards to reduce electricity and earn cash back. Plus, use your referral code to give $10 and get $10 with each friend that signs up and participates. Download the app and link it to your ConEd account today! 

There are a few times during the seasons when you can earn cash back by taking simple actions like raising your AC set points for a couple of hours. We will notify you when these “GridRewards” events occur. 

How to get started: Learn more at https://sustainablewestchester.org/gridrewards/ and download GridRewards at https://getgridrewards.com/ and begin your carbon reduction journey!
 

Questions? Contact Lauren at 914-302-7300 x112 or email EnergySmartHomes@SustainableWestchester.org 

Did you know: Switching from plastic bags to reusable bags is only 1 percent as effective as giving up meat for one year. (source: Journal of Environmental Resource Letters)