Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Beacon Sloop Club Environmental Series Discussion - May 20

Friday., May 20, 2011 

IBM's Smarter Water Initiative: Technological Solutions for a Greener Planet, with Perry Hartswick, IBM World Wide Chief Architect for Smarter Water, 

7 PM at the Beacon Sloop Club, Beacon Train Station. For more information call: 845-463-4660, or 914-879-1082.

DCRRA Disposal Day - June 4

Get rid of your household hazardous waste, electronics and unused medications on Saturday, April 2, 2011. The Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency will be collecting these materials at their facility at 96 Sand Dock Road in Poughkeepise.

Household hazardous waste includes: photo chemicals, pool chemicals, non-latex driveway sealer, metal polish, stains, varnishes, button cell batteries, and much more.

Some of the electronic equipment accepted: computer monitors, CPU's, modems, laptops, keyboards, printers, TV's, DVD players, answering machines and more.

Safe Medications Disposal: any prescription or over-the-counter pill, ointments, lotions and liquids in the original packaging. Pet medications are accepted.

There is a $5 fee for household hazardous waste and electronics disposal. Pre-registration, pre-payment and an appointment are required. There is no fee for medication disposal, but an appointment is required. Call 845-463-6020 to register. For the registration form and a complete list of acceptable items, check www.dcrra.org.

Medication Disposal Day - June 4, 2011

The next day to dispose of unused or expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medication is June 4, 2011, at the Dutchess County Resource Recovery Agency, 96 Sand Dock Road, Poughkeepsie. Unused or expired prescriptions, over-the-counter medication, pills, ointments, lotions, and liquids are accepted in their original packaging. Pet medication is also accepted. There is no fee for this event, however, registration is required for a time slot. For specific instructions, call 845-463-6020.

Medication Disposal Brochure

May CAC Meeting

The next meeting of the Beacon Conservation Advisory Committee is Tuesday, May 24th, 2011. We will meet at 7pm, in the police training room at 1 Municipal Plaza. 

Bicycling in New York State

May is National Bike Month! As bicycles are tuned up for the warmer months, here are a few reminders for bicyclists in New York State.
  • Bicyclists must obey all traffic lights and signs, and must signal when turning.
  • The law requires that bicyclists drive with traffic.
  • All bicyclists age one through 13 are required to wear approved bike helmets when operating a bicycle or as a passenger. Child passengers aged one through four must also ride in child safety seats.
  • Only pre-teenage children are allowed to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk.
For tips for motorists and more bicycling specifics, see the NYS Department of Transportation.

Reasons to Ride Your Bike to Work

It's Bike to Work Week!

Here are four reasons to ride your bike from The Poughkeepsie Journal:

1. Biking broadens your options.
2. The world is getting more bike friendly.
3. A bike ride is more fun than the elliptical.
4. It's a low maintenance habit.

Click here for the entire column.

Garden Party and Raw Co-op Kitchen Grand Opening This Sunday

Please join us to celebrate local, healthy food and community!

Garden Party at Common Fire Beacon-Newburgh's new CoHousing Collective and Tours of the Fabulous new Beacon Co-op Kitchen!

67 & 68 Verplanck Avenue!
Sunday May 22, 2-4:30pm

Schedule of Events:

67 Verplanck
2:30-3pm Community Yoga for all ages offered by our Newburgh partners, Bent on Change
3-4pm Music, mandala garden tour, face painting and arts projects for kids
Music by Adrian Sicam and special guests from the Bay Area Common Fire Community: Milk and Honey

68 Verplanck
3:30-4:30 Delicious samples and tours of the Beacon Co-op Kitchen
4-4:30pm Toast in celebration of Beacon Co-op Kitchen Grand Opening


In the spring of 2008, a group of people from Beacon, Newburgh, and New York City began working with Common Fire to create a community in the Hudson Valley that could be in service to these three cities. Their goal is to create a truly accessible and diverse community committed to ongoing personal growth and interpersonal dialogue, means-to-ends consistency, and active service with our larger community, region, and world. The Beacon CoHousing Collective is our first step in this journey.

Come celebrate our community garden AND the GRAND OPENING of the Beacon Co-op Kitchen, home to Sweet Mama's and Marla's Kale Kitchen, two women-owned businesses committed to making raw delicacies with love.  From raw cheescakes to savory kale chips, these women are un-cooking it in their own backyard!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

15th Annual Iris Show and Exhibition

Presented by the Hudson Valley Iris & Daylily Society. Come see the "best of the best" from local gardens! May 21st, 1-5 PM, Center Court, Poughkeepsie Galleria, 2001 South Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. 
Fee: FREE  

VANDERBILT PLANT SALE

Mark your calendars for the annual VANDERBILT PLANT SALE Memorial Day Weekend, May 
28, 29 & 30, 9-4 daily, 9-5, rain or shine , Route 9, Hyde Park. Huge inventory will include 
perennials for shade and sun dug from the Vanderbilt Formal Garden and volunteer gardens, 
waterlilies, annuals, vegetables and herb gardens.  All proceeds go towards the continued 
maintenance and rehabilitation of the Vanderbilt Formal Garden. 

PRE-SALE, Friday, May 27, 4-5:30. Want to have first pick of the plants? Away for the Holiday 
Weekend? Don’t like Crowds?  Our Pre-Sale is your answer.  You must Pre-Register to 
participate.  Send $10, your name, address, phone & email to:  F. W. Vanderbilt Garden 
Association, P. O. Box 239, Hyde Park, NY  12538.  We will confirm your registration and 
provide more details.  For more information, contact us at 229-6432 or FWVGA@marist.edu. 

Hudson Highlands Nature Museum comes to Cold Spring

The Hudson Highlands Nature Museum is
bringing its live animals and environmental
expertise to the east side of the Hudson!
Year of the Turtle!
Sunday, May 22 from 2:00pm - 3:30pm
  • On Sunday, May 22 from 2:00pm-3:30pm the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum will be hosting: Year of the Turtle at Hubbard Lodge, 2880 Route 9 in Cold Spring. Hubbard Lodge is part of Fahnestock State Park and the sign for the entrance is on the east side of Route 9 just north of Route 301. 
  • Families are invited to join Environmental Educator Carl Heitmuller to learn all about turtles. These fascinating and ancient reptiles are facing many challenges to their existence. After a short presentation, meet some live turtles from the museum's collection and learn about their remarkable adapations as well as the current state of their populations in New York. If time allows take a walk in search of turtles.
  • This program is recommended for adults and children ages 5 and older. Pre-registration is recommended due to limited space. Walk-ins will be admitted if space allows. Admission fees will help care for the museum's animals at the Wildlife Education Center in Cornwall. 
  • Cost:$5 per person. Museum Members:$3.
  • For information and registration please call 845-534-5506, ext. 204.
  • Other programs at Hubbard Lodge include:
    Sunday, June 12 from 2:00pm-3:30pm  All About Frogs.
    Sunday, July 10 from 2:00pm-3:30pm Beautiful Butterflies

BOSCOBEL’S 50th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Sunday, May 22, 1-4pm 
 Boscobel’s founders & staff commemorated its grand opening in a big way, and we are celebrating Boscobel’s 50th Birthday in a similar fashion…
Please join us under the tent on the east lawn for fabulous food, soft drinks, music & entertainment.
Join the party for FREE and experience Boscobel House at a specially reduced rate.
Help us celebrate 50 years of creating historic memories in the Hudson Valley:
Free Admission to grounds and birthday celebration!
1961 Admission Fees for House Tours: $1 for adults and 60 cents for children!
Friends of Boscobel: Free 


Tree ID Program at Stony Kill

Calling all youngsters in Grades 2 to 5 and their parents.  Join us on Sunday, May 22, from 2 to 4 p.m. for a program entitled Can You ID a Tree?  Enjoy a walk around Stony Kill and learn about all the different kind of trees at Stony Kill and how to ID them.  Come see our tree cookie and learn how to tell how old a tree is.  Dress appropriately, wear sunscreen and bring a water bottle.  Reservations are required by calling us 831-1617 or emailing us at foundation@stonykill.org 

Dig-In with the Green Teens

Come watch, participate, and learn on May 21st at 1pm as the Beacon Green Teens and Common Ground Farm turn one Beaconite's lawn into a vegetable garden. 101 Union Street, 1 to 3pm

The "Dig-In with the Green Teens" is a collaborative effort between the farm and the teen program to show the public how easy and enjoyable a backyard garden can be. The workshop will teach how to plan the garden, how to get the lawn garden-ready, what tools to use, how to plant vegetables, how to tend to the garden, and how to enjoy the bountiful harvest from your own backyard.

The gathering is free to the public. Raindate will be Sunday May 22nd, from 1:00 to 3:00. For more information please contact Sam Wildfong, at (248)941-1001.

Teaching and Learning in the School Garden: Theory into Practice



·      June 27, 2011 to August 26, 2011
·      Cost: $250
·      Enrollment limited to 15 students.
 
This course focuses on the foundations and teaching strategies of garden-based learning (GBL), and provides the tools and resources that classroom teachers and extension educators need to develop school gardening programs that are easily integrated into their school curriculum or youth program. By the end of this course, you will become a more confident and knowledgeable garden-based learning educator and program planner, and you will connect with and learn from others with the same purpose.
 
Course Timetable at a Glance
·         June 27: Course begins
·         June 27-July 1: Course Introductions
·         July 5- 15: Educational Theory and the Benefits of Garden-Based Learning
·         July 18- 29: Program Planning and Starting and Sustaining a School Garden
·         August 1- 12: Project-Based Learning and Curriculum Integration
·         August 15- 26: Authentic Assessment of Garden Based Learning
·         August 26: Final feedback provided, course closes
 

Stony Kill Needs Garden Volunteers

The Stony Kill Foundation is looking for volunteers to help maintain the Verplanck Memorial Perennial Garden at Stony Kill on Route 9D.  The plantings in the Garden were chosen to attract butterflies and birds (it is the main attraction at the annual Butterfly Festival, being held on August 13 this year).  Simple regular maintenance is required.  You can work in the Garden whenever it is convenient for you.  The Garden is open seven days a week from dawn to dusk. 

In 1997, three descendents, Elizabeth, Suzanna and Wilhelmina Andrews, who were sisters, provided funds for the creation of the Garden.  The Andrews sisters spend their childhood years living in the Manor House at Stony Kill in the early 1900's in the care of their Uncle and Aunt, John Bayard Rodgers Verplanck and his wife Susan Van Wyck Andrews Verplanck. 

Help us keep their legacy going!  Call us or email us if you are willing to help, 845-831-1617 or foundation@stonykill.org.

Zand and Schraper at the CEIE this Thursday

Beacon Institute presents  

Talk with sustainable architecture experts Schaper and Zand 
Third Thursday at CEIE: May 19 at 7 pm 
 
Oliver Schaper, Design Director, Senior Associate and Senior Sustainability Strategist at Gensler global architects, and Lily Zand, architectural designer and founder of School of Jellyfish in Beacon, will share their talk Building Inspiration: Newer "green" thinking from the ground up Thursday, May 19, 7pm, about a new paradigm of thought more intrinsically linked to nature, leading to a new foundation for building practices.

Join these two leaders in the world of sustainable architecture for a fascinating evening of building inspiration at Beacon Institute's Center for Environmental Innovation & Education (CEIE) on Denning's Point on Thursday, May 19 at 7 pm. More information and register online.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Beacon Planting Day

Sargent – Downing Gardens and Nursery

The City of Beacon Recreation department is proud to present a new recreation program for the community in the newly opened NYS Park formally known as The University Settlement Camp. This program focuses on the areas of Gardening, Horticulture and Civic Pride. Our emphasis will be an education program with historical importance for our children. While serving the community at large, this program will also provide the City of Beacon with trees for its parks and Main Street.

The Hudson Valley has a rich history in the early development of American landscape gardening and design. Both Beacon and Newburgh were the homes of two distinguished horticulturists who paved the way for the art form that helped design some of the most beautiful landscapes in America. Henry Winthrop Sargent and Andrew Jackson Downing were great friends, lived across the Hudson from one another, and designed many landscapes in our community.

The goals of this program are to offer a different type of recreation for the City of Beacon and the surrounding communities. It will help educate children in the areas of horticulture, gardening and sustainability. Volunteers of all ages will be invited to participate in educating and maintaining the grounds which will include seed starting, planting, harvesting food, composting, and propagating amongst other activities. The group will begin using, and will gradually improve upon, the existing garden space at the university settlement camp. The Sargent – Downing Gardens and Nursery project will include the following:

Tree Nursery, Organic perennial and shrub gardens, Vegetable gardens, Herbal Gardens, Seminars on
propagation, and Butterfly gardens.

There will be a meeting on May 11th between 6-7pm at the Garden located at 724 Wolcott ave Beacon, NY. Please attend to discuss our Annual Community Planting Day on May 14th.

Picnic with your Family
Music by Miss Vickie and Chris Rue
Food
The Reading of the Lorax for the Children
Artists – Wood Carving / Painting

In order to make this program successful we will need all volunteers to attend these events. Remember this is for the future of our children, community and sustainable values. If you would like to know more about this program, please contact Beacon Recreation Commissioner Justin Riccobono at 845-765-2991.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Champion Trees Registry

New York's Giant Trees
http://www.dec.ny.gov/environmentdec/73705.html - Is your tree a champion? You can nominate your own candidate for the honor of New York's biggest tree of a species.

New Electronic Waste Recycling Program

New Electronic Waste Recycling Program Launched
http://www.dec.ny.gov/environmentdec/73748.html - Most consumers can now recycle electronic waste for free as manufacturers of certain electronic products work with New York State to meet recycling goals and reduce costs to local governments.





For more news from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's public newsletter, read the May 2011 issue online. You can access the main table of contents at DEC's website: http://www.dec.ny.gov/environmentdec/newsletter.html


County Legislature meeting on Solid Waste report

The Dutchess County Legislature will be holding a special Committee of the Whole meeting on Weds. May 18th at 6 pm with a presentation from Mid-Atlantic Solid Waste Consultants with their report on the Resource Recovery Agency's Solid Waste Management Plan.

6th floor of COB at 22 Market St. in Poughkeepsie


Disaster Resources

The following resources may be useful to CCE staff responding to informational inquiries or to storm affected residents.




Please feel free to use this information, and any information you find useful that is linked through these NY EDEN web resources.  Please do not hesitate to call or email me if you need more specific guidance or support from NY EDEN, or with any questions. 

Finally, I encourage us all to make efforts to support those areas and their CCE associations that are experiencing flooding and loss of property or other storm related damage.  Please take this opportunity to consider greater involvement in preparedness training for your community.  NY EDEN stands ready to assist your communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.

Dept. of Natural Resources, Cornell University

Associate Director, Cornell Civic Ecology Lab (CEL)
New York State Extension Disaster Education Network Coordinator
101A Rice Hall
607 254 5479

Fundraisers for Stony Kill

If you know how to machine or hand sew, we need you!  We are making a Farm Quilt to benefit Stony Kill Foundation and are looking for people who are willing to hand or machine sew a 12" by 12" square block that depicts a farm scened to represent Stony Kill.  All the blocks will be sewn together and in July we will quilt it at a traditional Quilting Bee.  The quilt will be raffled/auctioned off at our Fall Day on the Farm event on October 1.  All square blocks have to be handed in by mid-June.  If you are interested in helping, please get in touch with us either by email at foundation@stonykill.org or calling us at 831-1617.

On Thursday, July 14, we will be sponsoring a Hudson River Cruise out of Newburgh (park at Stony Kill and carpool) to benefit the Stony Kill Foundaton so we can continue to offer programs at Stony Kill.  The cost of the ticket is $50/person.  We will have live music, appetizers, a cash bar and live auction.  Email or call us for a ticket today!

Events at Stony Kill

The Stony Kill Foundation, Inc. announces the opening of the 2011 Community Garden Plots at Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center on Route 9D in Wappinger Falls.  Plots are 20' by 20' and are available immediately, for a fee of $30 for the season.  Please call 845-831-1617 for an application or email us at foundation@stonykill.org.

Join us on Sunday, May 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a Family Wilderness Survival Class with instructor Shane Hobel.  This class is made up of many skills and introduces you to the scope of this subject of study and particularly the “Basic 4”: Shelter, Water, Fire & Food.  You will also experience the beginnings of Tracking, Awareness & Movement. Topics are learned through discussion and practice.  Children participating must be in grades 3 and older.  All particpants should bring a bag lunch, snack and drink.  Meet at the barn classroom.  All should dress in layers and bring bug spray.  For further information, visit mt.scoutsurvival@gmail.com.  Reservations are required to attend this program and can be made by emailing foundation@stonykill.org or by calling 845-831-1617.

On Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15, from 11 am to 1 pm, we will have homegrown vegetables for sale in the greenhouse at Stony Kill.  The barn will also be open for tours.  Come see the new calves, piglets and lambs.

WEST POINT FOUNDRY PRESERVE TOURS FOR HERITAGE WEEKEND

Sat, May 14, 2011
10:30 AM - 2:00 PM



Scenic Hudson is proud to be part of New York Heritage Weekend —a celebration with special events at heritage destinations across the Empire State to help kick off the summer tourism season.
Join a guided tour exploring the remains of a 19th-century industrial powerhouse, the West Point Foundry, that made locomotives, steam engines and Parrott guns that helped win the Civil War.
TOUR TIMES: 10:30 a.m. – noon; 12:30 – 2 p.m.
The walks will occur rain or shine, except in the event of torrential rain, when they will be canceled. Please wear sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. Tick precautions, such as tucking pants legs into socks and applying bug repellent to shoes and pants, are highly recommended.
QUESTIONS? Contact Scenic Hudson Events Manager Jody Harris: jharris@scenichudson.org 845-473-4440 x110

EVENT LOCATION

68 Kemble Ave.
Cold Spring, NY 10516

INTERMUNICIPAL WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE JUSTICE

WHEN:      Saturday, May 21, 2011
        
TIME:          9:30 AM - 1:30 PM

WHERE:   Beacon Institute Center for Environmental Innovation and Education
                   Denning's Point, Beacon, N.Y.

COST:       FREE!

Pre-registration is required; 20 seats reserved for each community
Please register here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ClimateJustice
________________________________________________

Clearwater is hosting this workshop designed to provide participants from Peekskill, Beacon, Poughkeepsie, and Kingston valuable information on Climate Change and Environmental Justice. This information can help participants reduce negative impacts of climate change and prepare for those that cannot be avoided.
We'll have amazing speakers on Climate Change and Environmental Justice to be followed by breakout sessions on Energy, Transportation, Water Resources, Green Jobs, and Emergency Preparedness moderated by experts on these fields; and a panel on Current Progress in NYS on Climate Change. 

Speakers include:
           Andrew Revkin, journalist and author of Dot Earth Blog for NY Times
           Sacha Sepector, Director of Conservation Science at Scenic Hudson
           Cecil Mark-Corbin, Deputy Director and Director of Policy Initiative for WEACT
           Mayor Mary Foster, Peekskill Climate Smart Community and NWEAC
           Kristin Marcell,  NYS DEC

Spanish translation will be provided- Traducción al español disponible
Healthy snacks will be served

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE?
             Youth
             Community Members
             Local  Stakeholders
             Municipal Leaders
             Environmental/Conservation committees
          
WHAT IS CLIMATE JUSTICE? Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Climate Justice gives climate change and environmental justice focus.
Contacts at Clearwater for this project:

Beacon and Peekskill-      Karla Raimundí - karla@clearwater.org  845-265-8080 x 7159
Kingston-                      Victor Pierre Melendez victor@clearwater.org  845-265-8080 x 7144
Poughkeepsie-               Ryan Palmer- ryan@clearwater.org  845-265-8080 x 7114
Project Manager-            Manna Jo Greene manna@clearwater.org 845-265-8080 x 7113