Earth Day 2013

Earth Day 2013

Monday April 22 is Earth Day and Friday April 26 is National Arbor Day.  Celebrate our planet Earth with some free and fun activities!

Winged Beauties! Just in time for Earth Day, on Thursday, April 18 at 7:00 pm the Beacon Institute kicks off its 2013 Third Thursday lecture series with Bald Eagles: Rising From the Brink of Extinction, with Pete Nye, a top eagle biologist.  Held at the Center for Environmental Innovation and Education, 199 Dennings Avenue, Beacon.  845-838-1600.  Register online at www.bire.org/events. 

Earth Nite!  Friday, April 19 from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Albert Wisner Public Library in Warwick.  Family friendly Earth celebration activities include music, food tasting, recycling ideas and gardening projects.  The first 50 visitors will receive a free seedling tree.  Free, but registration required.  www.albertwisnerlibrary.org, 845-986-1047 x3.

Earth Day Celebration!  Saturday, April 20 from 10:30 to 3:00, the Bear Mountain Trailside Museums and Zoo will be holding a special Earth Day celebration.  Visitors can make treats for the bears at 10:30 and then watch them be fed at 11:00; there will also be nature related displays, activities and games.  The first 100 visitors will receive a free seedling tree to take home (limit one per household).  Bear Mountain State Park, www.trailsidezoo.org.  845-786-2701 x293.  For more information about Trailside, see blog post of 4/9.

Into the Woods Earth Day Celebration!  Saturday April 20 from 10:00 to 3:00 at the Clearpool campus in Carmel.  Activities include kids crafts and games, the opportunity to build a bat house, guided hikes and tree identification lessons, a portable sawmill demonstration and live music.  Event is free, but registration is required.  www.clearpool.org, 845-225-8226 x605, or email chendershot@greenchimneys.org. 33 Clearpool Road, Carmel, NY 10512

Earth Day Shoreline Clean Up!  Saturday April 20, from 1:00 to 3:00pm, sponsored by Scenic Hudson.  For those who want to celebrate by service.  Clean up will take place at Long Dock Park, Newburgh.  Wear old clothes, bring work gloves, boots, etc.  www.scenichudson.org, 845-473-4440 x273. Email aconeski@scenichudson.org.

Be a Green Teen!  Sunday, April 21 from 2:00 to 3:00, for teens at the West Nyack Library. Strawtown Road, West Nyack. Space is limited, registration is required. www.westnyacklib.org, 845-358-6081.

Earth Day Craft and Story Time!  Monday April 22, from 4:00 to 5:00, for kids 5-9 at the Nyack Library, 59 S. Broadway, Nyack.  Space is limited, registration is required.  www.nyacklibrary.org, 845-358-3370 x228

Arbor Day Tree Giveaway!  Friday, April 26 at the New City Library, teen volunteers will be giving away small bare-root spruce trees from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.  220 N. Main Street, New City, NY  10956  www.newcitylibrary.org

Trees for Wildlife!  Sunday, April 28 from 12:30 to 2:30 at the Nature Center in Rockland Lake State Park, learn about native trees and gardening for wildlife, walk the Nature Center circle trail.  Free native tree seedlings (donated by the National Wildlife Federation) will be distributed by the Girl Scouts of Congers and Nature Center volunteers. Information about how to become a volunteer will also be available. 299 Rockland Lake Road, Valley Cottage, NY  10989 (845) 786-2701 www.trailsidezoo.org., or email elaine.brown @ parks.ny.gov.   For more about the Nature Center and Rockland Lake State Park, see my post of April 4. 

Ten Free Shade Trees!  Join the National Arbor Day Foundation by April 30, 2013 and receive 10 free shade trees to celebrate Arbor Day.  It’s a $10.00 donation, so though technically not free, it’s still a great deal and supports both the environment and the Foundation.  The trees are guaranteed and will be replaced at no charge if dead or damaged.  Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE  68410.  www.arborday.org.

And finally, a Giant Earth Day Flea Market will be held by the Palisades Flea Market on April 20 and 21 at the Palisades Community Center, 675 Oak Tree Road, Palisades.  It’s not exactly free because you’ll probably end up buying something, but it’s still a lot of fun.  Reduce, reuse, recycle!