The Beauty of a Healthy Yard II

Geoff Tischman Photography

Geoff Tischman Photography

Geoff Tischman Photography

Rye resident Caroline Walker, has lived in her beautiful home for eight years with her husband, adorable twin boys and rescue dogs, Chipper and Trixie.

On a recent summer day, Chipper and Trixie took advantage of the Walkers' gorgeous yard to run, play and roll, ignorant of the knowledge that their beautiful play area is a healthy and safe space, free of toxic or synthetic chemicals. Landscape designer Peggy Pierce Peters, helped plan and design a completely natural outdoor living area for the Walker family.

What better gift for your family and friends - and pets! - than to create a natural sanctuary for all to enjoy?

Thanks to Geoff Tischman Photography for the three spectacular close-up photos of the dogs in the yard!

Visit our Rye Healthy Yard and Resources Section to learn more. And ...

Take the RHYP Pledge!

Reforming the Energy Vision: What Is It and Why Should We Care?

Have you heard about Reforming the Energy Vision (REV)? If you're like many New Yorkers, you may be unaware that New York State is undergoing a revolutionary transformation in its retail electricity markets.  Unveiled by Governor Cuomo in April 2014, REV is a comprehensive energy strategy designed to make electricity more affordable, while transitioning to a cleaner, more energy efficient system. REV's 2030 targets include the following:

• 50% of all New York’s energy will be generated from renewable sources

• 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels

• 23% reduction in energy consumption of buildings from 2012 levels

The ultimate goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050 and create new jobs and economic opportunity throughout New York State.

Why should you care? Assuming all goes as planned, REV will ultimately help lower your electricity bills and create a cleaner environment for all New Yorkers.

To learn more about REV, visit their website and watch the informational video below.

You can also see examples of REV projects near Rye here.

In New York, the energy system of tomorrow is taking shape today. What does the grid look like? Watch this video to learn more about the vision behind New York's plan for a clean, affordable and resilient energy system for all New Yorkers.

How Valuable Are Your Trees?

We all know that trees provide a beautiful natural setting for suburban and urban communities, but did you know that they can also add an economic benefit? The Tree Benefit Calculator attempts to quantify these benefits.

The Tree Benefit Calculator allows anyone to make a simple estimation of the benefits individual street-side trees provide. This tool is based on i-Tree’s street tree assessment tool called STREETS. With inputs of location, species and tree size, users will get an understanding of the environmental and economic value trees provide on an annual basis.

Simply enter information about a street-side tree and learn about the benefits it provides. Street-side trees are typically located in front yards, medians, parkways, planting strips or other common planting areas adjacent to streets.

Take the City of Rye Healthy Lawn Survey!

Take the Survey: Should the City of Rye adopt a healthy lawn policy for its public spaces?

Learn more below:

Take a Ride on the East Coast Greenway ... in Rye!

Leave the car at home and hop on your bike because Rye is part of the East Coast Greenway, an ambitious project to create the longest bike path in the nation.  East Coast Greenway Alliance, the non-profit that conceived the idea of a "long-distance urban trail," estimates that once complete, the ECG will span a distance of 3,000 miles, linking Calais, Maine with Key West, Florida.

The ECG Alliance envisions the Greenway as "a linear park" that will incorporate "waterfront esplanades, park paths, abandoned railroad corridors, canal towpaths, and pathways along highway corridors."

According to the ECG Alliance, there are numerous benefits that will result from the creation of this ambitious project, including:

• Improving public health by empowering active transportation and safe recreation
• Lowering pollution by substituting car trips with bicycling and walking
• Providing greenway construction & maintenance jobs
• Increasing transportation options
• Giving non-drivers, such as children, the elderly, and people without cars, more independence
• Reducing roadway congestion
• Enhancing local economic development
• Connecting people and communities
• Helping to create new and inviting public spaces for everyone to enjoy
• Raising land and home values within the greenway corridor

For more information about the Greenway and news about the New York Section, visit the ECG Alliance website. A map of the NY Section is reproduced below.

Con Ed's Home Energy Report: How is Yours?

Rye resident and FCWC board member Carolyn Cunningham congratulated ConEd on their Home Energy Report pilot program. The post, which can be found in the July 2016 FCWC newsletter is reproduced here.

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Congratulations to ConEd on their Home Energy Report

By Carolyn Cunningham, Board Member, Federated Conservationists of Westchester County

I hope you also received "Your Home Energy Report" as we did in the mail from ConEd a month or so ago.  It told us that our house had used 57% less energy last year than our neighbors and that it saved us about $1,720 for the year.  It also told us that we had used 30% less energy (than our neighbors) last month.  These reports are provided to help us all "make smart energy decisions."  It was gratifying to have them confirm that by not using my clothes dryer, but using the lines in the basement for drying our clothes plus being careful to turn off lights that we were not using it had paid off so handsomely.  I had stopped using the dryer (almost entirely) as something I could do to fight climate change - I knew that would cut the Green House Gas (GHG) production from our personal energy use, but not by how much.

If you have any questions about these reports you are told to contact them at 1-212-460-4738 or at energyreports@conEd.com.   I now suggest it would be a great idea if all FCWC members would contact them (even if you can't find your report any more) because I was told that this is a pilot program of theirs only being carried out in Brooklyn and Westchester.  If the program is well received, they will expand the program.  Congratulate them on the program and it may well reduce New York State's GHG production even more.  FCWC thanks you.

Part II: Should the City of Rye Adopt a Healthy Lawn Policy for its Public Spaces?

Continuing the discussion about whether the City of Rye should adopt a healthy lawn policy for its public spaces, we took a look at New Jersey's municipalities to see if any have adopted a chemical-free policy. The Sustainable Jersey organization provides an excellent summary of those communities that have integrated healthy landscaping practices into their municipal operations. We reproduce their summaries below.

What do you think the City of Rye should do? Take the survey here!

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Bernards Township: Integrated Pest Management Policy

In 2008, Bernards Township, NJ adopted an Integrated Pest Management Policy covering all township owned property. The policy utilizes organic lawn care practices allowing for the elimination of synthetic pesticides and synthetic fertilizer on all sports fields and key lawn areas, and it designates all parks as Pesticide Free Zones. The Board of Health supported the policy by passing Resolution BH 10:09 and the Board of Education followed with their own decision declaring that school lawns and sports fields shall be managed without lawn care pesticides. The Mayor, the Township Committee, the Board of Health, the Green Team, the Board of Education, and the Environmental Commission encourage all citizens to participate in this endeavor on their own property.

The township also provides extensive information for the public on their website. This site also has links to their brochure and to videos, training resources, news updates and resources for locating an organic lawn care specialist.

Additional information about the Integrated Pest Management Policy can be found on Sustainable Jersey's site here.

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Bernards Township: Green Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance

Bernards Township has taken several actions to implement green landscaping and grounds maintenance. A mowing policy has reduced the mowing area of municipal lands by mulching, planting wildflowers, or allowing meadow growth instead of lawn. These areas contribute to a healthier ecosystem, and reduced mowing leads to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from lawnmowers. Efforts have also been made to restore native vegetation to the landscape, encouraging biodiversity and resulting in lower maintenance needs. Stormwater is also managed by 150 detention basins, many on private property, that filter pollutants and recharge groundwater. (See http://www.bernards.org/boards_commissions/green_team/default.aspx).

Bernards Township has taken several actions to implement green landscaping and grounds maintenance. A mowing policy has reduced the mowing area of municipal lands by mulching, planting wildflowers, or allowing meadow growth instead of lawn. These areas contribute to a healthier ecosystem, and reduced mowing leads to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from lawnmowers. Efforts have also been made to restore native vegetation to the landscape, encouraging biodiversity and resulting in lower maintenance needs. Stormwater is also managed by 150 detention basins, many on private property, that filter pollutants and recharge groundwater.

Additional information about Efficient Landscape Design practices can be found on Sustainable Jersey's site here.

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Linwood

Linwood has adopted and implemented a Green Grounds and Maintenance Policy which was reviewed by the Director of Public Works, City Engineer, City Council members, and the City Clerk. The policy incorporates water saving techniques and procedures, native plantings usage, recycled products and materials usage, and natural and non-chemical applications among others.

Linwood's Green Grounds and Maintenance Policy can be seen here.

Additional information about the Green Grounds and Maintenance Policy can be found on Sustainable Jersey's site here.

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greenwich Update

And if you missed the earlier post about the Town of Greenwich's healthy lawn practices, please take a look here. As an update, we attach the the Town's 2016 Safe Lawn Proclamation here. 

A Solar Summary: The Tenth Annual New York Solar Summit

The 10th Annual Solar Summit

On Monday, June 20th - fittingly, the summer solstice, and the longest day of the year - 500 people gathered at John Jay College in New York City to hear about everything solar at The New York Solar Summit.  There were six panel discussions and a keynote speaker; all knowledgeable senior business professionals or representatives from government agencies, who talked about the latest advancements and achievements in solar energy policy, projects and technology in New York State.

To kick off the day with a bang, the exciting news was announced that the NY Solar Map and Portal, developed by the City University of New York (CUNY), was now “live.”  This dynamic, multifaceted website assists individuals and decision-makers in NY State communities by allowing them to see properties and provide estimated costs and savings for solar rooftop installations.  It also provides guidance and information on permitting, financing and connects users with local solar opportunities. Summit attendees were challenged to spread the word about the Map on social media and were offered a $250 donation for the most “likes” and “shares” of nysolarmap.com. Friends of Rye Sustainability Committee was the proud winner of that donation!!

The biggest takeaway from the summit was the importance of New York State as a solar energy leader in our country.  New York is the fastest growing solar market in the U.S., up 575% from 2011to 2014.  Solar jobs and manufacturing are increasing at twelve times the rate of the rest of the job/manufacturing market.  Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s energy policy strategy Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), building clean, resilient and affordable energy solutions for New York is becoming a reality, with solar energy a major focus.  New York's Clean Energy Standard mandate requires 50% of the State’s electricity to be sourced from renewable energy sources by 2030.  To help meet this goal and to stimulate the marketplace, $1 billion in incentives have been made available through New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) NY-Sun programs, including Community Choice Aggregation, Solarize campaigns, and Community Distributed Generation. Visit NYSERDA's NY-Sun page to learn more about NY-Sun and its programs.

 

New York City's Efforts

RSC Member Linda Mackay at the Solar Summit

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio has committed NYC to an 80% reduction of greenhouse gases by 2050 and has invested more money in solar of any city in the country. Currently, NYC has 8.8 MW of solar energy installed, with 35 schools having installed rooftop solar. The ultimate goal is to generate up to 100 MW of solar from city properties by 2025. Many of these solar projects should be eligible for NYSERDA’s NY-Sun Community Distributed Generation initiative status, where renters, businesses, schools, and homeowners become members in a project and share the solar electricity produced, thereby getting credits on their utility bills.

 

A case study in Solar

Besides NYC, an exciting solar project in Western New York is about to break ground. The project is located in the town of Tonawanda, NY, just outside Buffalo. Their town of 75,000 people has limited resources, and with municipal electric bills totaling $4 million per year, Tonawanda welcomed a cost-saving solution. The Town has recently signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with SolarCity, which will build, own and operate an 8500 solar panel array over 10 acres on Tonawanda's capped landfill, at no cost to the Town. Savings are estimated at approximately $4 million over four years. If all goes according to schedule, construction will take place October through December of 2016, and the project will be operational by February 2017. You can read more about the project here.

 

Battery Storage and Microgrids

The importance of advancements in solar technology was also addressed at the Summit, with discussions of battery storage and microgrids.

Storing solar energy in batteries for later use has progressed from “can it be done?” to “when will it be available?” Storage technology is currently where solar was ten years ago but is advancing at a very rapid pace.  Companies such as Tesla, Sunverge, and Sonnen are working with utility companies to integrate solar and storage.  As a pilot project, Con Edison will outfit 300 homes in Brooklyn and Queens with leased high-efficiency solar panels and lithium-ion battery energy storage systems.

Creating microgrids in NY State that use solar or other renewable energy sources, as well as stored conventional electricity, is essential when addressing the need for resiliency, especially in areas where hurricanes and ice storms disrupt electricity.  “A microgrid is a discrete energy system consisting of distributed energy sources (including demand management, storage, and generation) and loads capable of operating in parallel with, or independently from, the main power grid”.  As of April 2016, New York was the first in the nation to administer a microgrid award competition: “Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the next phase of the 40 million NY Prize microgrid competition which seeks to modernize New York State’s electric grid, help communities reduce costs, and promote clean energy. The next round of funding will provide $8 million in awards for engineering designs and business plans for community microgrids to ensure local power networks can operate independently during emergencies or outages.”

The New York Solar Summit was an inspiring day, filled with lively discussions, optimism and pride in the progress New York State has made and continues to make in its commitment to solar energy as a realistic, affordable renewable energy source.

Should the City of Rye Adopt a Healthy Lawn Policy for its Public Spaces?

Did you know that the Town of Greenwich has used organic lawn care since 2008? It’s a safe and, in many ways, inexpensive alternative to treating lawns and yards with chemicals. Read more about the Town of Greenwich's healthy landscaping practices in this recent Greenwich Times article and let us know if you think the City of Rye should do the same!

Visit our Rye Healthy Yard and Resources Section to learn more. And ...

Take the RHYP Pledge!

Invasive Species Awareness Week: July 10 - 16

A Call to Action for all New Yorkers to Learn about and Help Stop the Spread of Invasive Species

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 07/11/2016 , which is reproduced here.

New York's third annual Invasive Species Awareness Week (ISAW) will be held Sunday, July 10 - Saturday, July 16, 2016, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos and state Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced today. In observance of ISAW, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued a proclamation urging all New Yorkers to exercise environmental stewardship to protect lands and waters from infestations that can be devastating to habitats, agriculture, tourism and human health.

"Invasive Species Awareness Week is an opportunity to highlight the environmental and economic threats invasive species can pose and raises awareness of the many ways that all New Yorkers can help protect against unwelcome species in their communities," said Commissioner Seggos.

"Prevention is the most cost effective strategy and through the Environmental Protection Fund and other funding sources, New York is making significant investments in the fight to addresses their spread. In the height of the outdoor summer season - whether you are camping or boating or hiking or fishing - everyone can help keep invasive species from spreading."

State Agriculture Commissioner Ball said, "Invasive species can have a costly impact on agriculture, the environment, and our economy. It's important that we all do our part to keep invasive species out of our communities and away from our natural resources. During Invasive Species Awareness Week, I encourage all New Yorkers to learn what they can do to help eradicate these pests and prevent them from spreading."

Invasive species cause harm because of their ability to reproduce quickly, outcompete native species, and adapt to new environments. Because invasive species did not evolve with the other species in their new location, they often do not have natural predators and diseases that would normally control their population within their native habitat. Economists estimate that invasive species cost the United States more than $120 billion in damages every year.

During ISAW, the Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISMs), iMap Invasives, Cornell Cooperative Extension, DEC, and additional state and local partners will host activities to inform citizens how to identify, survey, map, report or manage invasive species. Those attending will be able to help remove invasive species from public lands, join experts on the trails or on the water to see invasive species firsthand, attend presentations to learn more about what can be done to help fight these threats, and more.

In addition, all citizens are asked to consider how their everyday activities may affect the spread of invasive species and use the following best management practices: clean, drain and dry watercraft and gear after boating and fishing; use non-invasive plants in gardens and landscaping; use local firewood; and learn about, look for and report invasive species.

New York is working persistently to fight invasives such as emerald ash borer, which has spread across the state on wood packaging and firewood, threatening to kill millions of ash and cause a negative impact on the timber industry in the millions of dollars. This includes baseball bat manufacturers and bats used in Major League Baseball. Hemlock wooly adelgid is another threat, killing thousands of acres of hemlock in the lower Hudson Valley and Catskills. Shade provided by hemlock is important for maintaining cool water temperatures for New York's many trout streams.

Oak wilt, first discovered in 2008, has cost NYS approximately $500,000 to control. Some midwest states spend over $1 million a year to control it but NY has kept costs down by aggressively surveying and eradicating infestations quickly while they are small. Oak is an important species because of the wildlife (deer and turkey among others, big for hunting) that depend on the acorns.

NY Invasive Species Awareness Week is one component of a larger invasive species education campaign "Stop the Invasion: Protect NY from Invasive Species" coordinated by the Invasive Species Council, Invasive Species Advisory Committee and PRISMs. The goal of the campaign is to inform citizens about the threats of invasive species and to enlist their assistance in helping to stop their spread. Some invasive species, such as Eurasian watermilfoil, purple loosestrife and Japanese beetles have been present in NY for decades, while others are more recent arrivals, such as emerald ash borer, hydrilla and plum pox virus. New or old, all invasive species have serious impacts on recreation, environmental quality and the economy.

The Invasive Species Prevention Act was signed into law in 2012 to prohibit or limit the sale and transport of known invasive plants and animals that threaten our communities and natural areas and last year the Governor signed a law to prevent the spread of disease-carrying, aggressive Eurasian boar to protect our farms and fields. The DEC is also implementing important regulations that restrict the movement of untreated firewood, as well as emerald ash borer quarantines, which prevent the spread of potentially infested materials, and new regulations for controlling the spread of aquatic invasive species at DEC-owned boat launches, fishing access sites, and waterbodies.

Additional information and a complete list of events are available on the NY Invasive Species Awareness Week website.

As part of Invasive Species Week, DEC and State Parks will co-host a film screening titled "The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: A Film About the Loss of an Ecosystem." The event will take place at the Madison Theater in Albany on Thursday, July 14, beginning at 6:00 p.m. with exhibits from local conservation organizations in the lobby. The film starts at 7 p.m. with an opening message from filmmaker Chris Foito.

NY Invasive Species Advisory Committee, Chair: Meredith Taylor, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Invasive Species Biologist, metaylor@dep.nyc.gov, (845) 340-7856

2016 ISAW Planning Committee Chair: Megan Phillips, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, megan.phillips@dec.ny.gov, (518) 402-8871

Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM), Coordinators:

• Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program, Brenden Quirion, bquirion@tnc.org, (518) 576-2082
• Capital Mohawk, Laurel Gailor, lrg6@cornell.edu, (518) 885-8995
• Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership, John Thompson, jthompson@catskillcenter.org, (845) 586-2611
• Finger Lakes, Hilary Mosher, mosher@hws.edu, (315) 781-4385
• Long Island Invasive Species Management Area, Steve Young, steve.young@dec.ny.gov (518) 402-8951
• Lower Hudson, Linda Rohleder, lrohleder@nynjtc.org, (201) 512-9348
• St. Lawrence and Eastern Lake Ontario, Robert Williams, rwilliams@tnc.org, (315) 387-3600
• Western New York, Andrea Locke, lockeas@buffalostate.edu, (716) 878-4708

To view the New York State's Invasive Species Awareness Week proclamation (PDF, 639 KB), visit the Governor's website.

Visit our Rye Healthy Yard and Resources Section to learn more. And ...

Take the RHYP Pledge!

How Sound is Long Island Sound?

Heading to the beach this summer? Or would you simply like more information about the water quality of Long Island Sound?

You can find answers to these questions and more by visiting the Sound Health Explorer. A new site created by Save the Sound, the Sound Health Explorer lets you review the health of any beach on Long Island Sound. The default view shows five years of beach testing data and you can change that time-frame to any scale you like.

There is other water quality-related information to explore including land use, location of sewage treatment plants, subwatershed boundaries, and more!

It's valuable resource for those of us living along and enjoying the waters of Long Island Sound.

Five Healthy Yard Lessons by Taro Ietaka of Rye Nature Center

Taro Ietaka, Director of Conservation & Land Stewardship at Rye Nature Center, shares insights and tips about maintaining a healthy yard.

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Five Lessons from an Organic Farmer and a Naturalist

By Taro Ietaka

Friends of Rye Nature Center teamed up with the Rye Sustainability Committee’s Healthy Yards Project (RHYP) this spring to help spread the word on home landscaping without chemical herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. The kickoff event, “What’s Under Your Lawn: The Secret to Healthy Soil” featured Max Apton, former field manager at Stone Barns and now owner of the Farmer’s Garden. During our discussions leading up to the Healthy Yards event, it became apparent that Max and I had arrived at many of the same conclusions when it comes to what makes a yard healthy.

Lessons from the forest and organic farm for a healthy yard:

Let this be your pesticide! (Photo of ladybug by charlesjsharp on commons.wikimedia.org)

• Nature provides for its own. A big goal of the RHYP is to wean properties off of chemical-dependence. Synthetic pesticides and herbicides kill beneficial soil micro-organisms that are helping your plants.The trees and shrubs in our forest grow just fine without the addition of any fertilizer other than decomposing plants and what animals leave behind. Be like nature: amend your soil with compost and manure, and leave shredded leaves and grass clippings in place to decompose.

• Bare ground is bad. Aristotle may have said it first: “Nature abhors a vacuum.” In our case, that “vacuum” is bare, exposed soil which quickly dries out and gets washed away with a heavy rain, or gets colonized by weeds. So remember to mulch between your plants or, even better, plant close together to cover the ground in green.

• Diversity is desirable. Our Eastern forests have been hit by chestnut blight, Dutch elm disease, and many other pathogens over the years, and yet, they have survived. Forests are resilient because of their diversity: if the chestnuts go down, the maples step up. A monoculture, such as a tree plantation or a lawn of Kentucky bluegrass, has no backup plan and is an easier target for marauding insects or fungal invasion.

• Insects are good (for the most part). Pesticides are poison. They are designed to kill insects and they don’t discriminate between unwanted potato bugs and desirable honeybees. A healthy, diverse ecosystem (see above) will have checks and balances that keep insect infestations under control: let birds, spiders and beneficial bugs be your natural pesticides.

• Go native. – Don’t give in to the temptation to plant that new beautiful Asian shrub that just arrived at your nursery! We have many examples of gardeners who inadvertently started an invasion after succumbing to the tempting flowers of Chinese wisteria, fruit of wineberry, or one of the many other plants that have run amok in our region. An extra benefit of using native plants is the increase in birds and butterflies you’ll see. Our wildlife generally prefers local cuisine over the exotic.

Did you miss the Wainwright House kickoff event? You can watch Max and Taro's presentation on Rye TV.

Visit our Rye Healthy Yard and Resources Section to learn more. And ...

Take the RHYP Pledge!

Turn the Lights Off and the Savings On!

Here's a simple way for Rye businesses to participate in a global campaign - Daylight Hour - to promote the use of daylight in lieu of electric lighting in office spaces.

Daylight Hour is an annual social media campaign, organized by the Building Energy Exchange. Launched in 2014, this simple and engaging campaign asks participating offices to turn off their lights in day-lit spaces for one hour on the Friday before the summer solstice. Leading up to and during this hour, offices around the world share their involvement on social media, engaging their communities and showcasing their environmental commitment. Last year, 300 offices in more than a dozen countries participated, demonstrating that daylight can light our workspaces, save money, and reduce our environmental impact. 

The Daylight Hour is a simple campaign that enhances the office environment, encourages more sustainable practices, and connects a broad population to the tangible ways our buildings use energy. The 2016 Daylight hour in on June 17, at Noon.

The Daylight Hour is a great way to engage your community and demonstrate your environmental commitment. Small steps, like Daylight Hour, can build awareness about how our buildings use energy.

Participation is easy - it only takes a couple of minutes to sign up, and all you have to do is turn off the lights in your day-lit spaces from Noon to 1pm on June 17. The Daylight Hour provides templates for internal and external communication, as well as social media tools - so make sure to showcase your involvement on your social media channels. The Daylight Hour heavily promotes participants and gives awards in both technical and creative categories. 

Visit www.daylighthour.org for more information. 

To register, sign up here: http://www.daylighthour.org/join

When: Friday, June 17, 2016 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (EDT) 

The Beauty of a Healthy Yard

Sustainability in Our Community

Rye resident Sonja Bartlett has lived with her family in Rye for over sixteen years. A professional photographer who has an eye for capturing the beauty of her surroundings, Sonja is first and foremost a mother who cares deeply about the safety and health of her children and numerous pets. Sonja shares shares her experience with transforming her stunning 4-acre home into a pesticide-free environment. With the help of landscaper, Cosimo Ferraro, the Bartletts discovered not only how effortless the change could be, but how their yard transformed into an even more beautiful outdoor living space.

This is the first of an ongoing series covering Sustainability in Our Community. We hope you enjoy and learn from your fellow Rye residents!

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Making the Switch to a Healthy Yard

By Sonja Bartlett

Relaxing on a healthy, chemical-free lawn

Frogs in Rye!

Ferraro checking pH levels

The beauty of a chemical-free lawn

There's nothing wrong with a few weeds

Everyone can enjoy the family's safe and beautiful yard

Sonja and Cosimo

This is not the yellow we want in our yard!

It started with those little yellow signs that pop up all over town every spring like dandelions. You know the ones that read: “PESTICIDE APPLICATION - DO NOT ENTER” and “DO NOT REMOVE SIGN FOR 24 HOURS.”

As I ran past these tiny, yellow dire warnings all around my neighborhood, it got me thinking. What product is so dangerous that my kids and dogs can’t go on my grass for 24 hours? And where do these toxins actually go after a day? Our air? Our groundwater? Do we really need these chemicals to have a beautiful yard?

Well, this was 2003 and the word “organic” was not exactly part of our daily conversation. So I called my landscaper, Cosimo Ferraro to see what he thought.   Cosimo had been working on our yard since 1975, when he first moved here from Italy.  He said not to worry. Going organic was easy.

“It’s the way we’ve been taking care of the land for centuries back in Italy.”

I would be his very first organic yard customer. Exciting.

Thirteen years later, I decided it would be fun to check in with Cosimo again. He now has 20 clients who want organic landscaping, but it’s still only about 20 percent of his work.

“This is the business that I am in. People tell me they want a green carpet. I tell them, carpets are for inside the house,” jokes Cosimo, shaking his head.

You do have to start with your definition of beautiful.  We have been conditioned to want that proverbial green carpet golf course look, for sure. But let’s reset that definition of beautiful to mean natural looking. In our organic yard we have yellow, purple and white wildflowers, wild raspberries, mushrooms and even tiny scallions, which my kids love to dig up and eat. By skipping pesticides and chemical fertilizers, you get gorgeous, tasty diversity in your grass.

Instead of using herbicides for weeds, you have to aerate the lawn aggressively in spring. My kids say that the bits of soil that are left behind after aerating look like goose poops. Cosimo then seeds aggressively as well, so that new grass will grow in the turned up soil and squeeze out the weeds. Next he checks the Ph balance of the soil and decides if we need to add lime to balance it. Then he uses organic compost as fertilizer.

When it’s time to mow, he never cuts shorter than two inches. Many folks want that very short grass like a golf course. Longer grass uses less water and creates shade for the blades, which keeps weeds down, naturally. The clippings go right back onto the lawn, which works much better when you have longer grass. The clippings are your next natural fertilizer.

My gardner Cosimo is himself in a bind like many of us. As a professional landscaper, his own yard is his calling card. He admits to me that he still uses the occasional chemical in the front for that “perfect look.” But in the back, where his young grandson plays and he grows vegetables, he says there’s no debate. All organic.

Just something to think about the next time you take a walk through your neighborhood. Are you seeing lots of yellow? Let’s hope those bursts of yellow are dandelions and those scary little warning signs begin to disappear.

Visit our Rye Healthy Yard and Resources Section to learn more. And ...

Take the RHYP Pledge!

Natural vs. Conventional Yard Care Systems: Find Out More!

Natural vs. Conventional Yard Care Systems: Did you know that ...

Robust natural systems don’t need synthetic inputs.
 
Organic doesn’t come in a bag because a system doesn’t come in a bag—natural yard care is more than just something you buy instead of a more toxic spray or pellet.  While it’s true that some products, such as fertilizers, can be labeled organic, there’s no "silver bullet" input or even series of inputs that can replace a healthy community of micro-organisms living in your garden’s soil.  In a natural system, it’s these organisms that work together to produce the nutrients that your plants need to grow and thrive as well as protect themselves from disease and insects.

Natural yard care is very different from chemical yard care.

Many conventional landscapers use the same battle plan every season—laying down chemicals to kill unwanted plants and insects, then adding synthetic fertilizers to partially replace nutrients that are lost when good organisms are also destroyed.  Experienced organic or no-chem landscape professionals use a range of strategies to help you grow a healthy, beautiful yard depending on the specific needs of your garden.  For example, rather than using pesticides, they may use their own recipes to attract beneficial insects. Instead of using herbicides and synthetic fertilizers, they may apply corn gluten and compost.  Natural landscapers may also use bagged amendments but if they do, they’re usually certified organic products.
 
Even organic fertilizers and pesticides can have negative environmental impacts.
 
Misuse of even organic inputs can impact soil and watershed and all pesticides, even the least harmful, can still hurt non-target organisms.
 
Natural garden care doesn’t need to cost more.
 
Achieving a successful, affordable natural landscape comes down to the ability of the gardener/landscaper as well as the condition of the property itself, weather, climate and other challenges specific to that yard and that season.  Switching from conventional to natural systems will take some time and initial costs may be higher.  On the other hand, cost is relative.  Conventional care means frequent applications of chemicals (often on a regular schedule whether your property needs it or not) and since the soil under conventional maintenance is generally less healthy, the plants in that soil are more vulnerable to insect and disease which itself may raise maintenance or replacement costs.
 
Education is key.
 
Learn all you can about alternatives to synthetic lawn and garden care.  Ask your landscaper whether he or she can stop using chemicals and still get the results you want.  Let’s redefine what we mean by a beautiful and healthy yard.  The Rye Sustainability Committee is here to help make that happen!

Visit our Rye Healthy Yard and Resources Section to learn more. And ...

Take the RHYP Pledge!

Worms and Dirt Featured at Composting Workshop

Rye Nature Center Presenters

From left to right: Courtney Rothaus, Annette Hein and Taro Ietaka

Taro Ietaka

Taro shows how food waste can be stored in a bin in the freezer until it's transferred outside

Another type of compost bin for the kitchen

Annette Hein

Annette explains the importance of periodic turning to aerate soil

Courtney Rothaus

Courtney reassuring the crowd that worm composting is simple

Rye Nature Center staff fabricated their own vermicomposter, but commercial options are available for purchase

Courtney and Annette answer questions after the presentation

The worms were the stars of the event!

A large group of brave souls ventured out into the rain storm on Friday to learn how to compost from Rye Nature Center experts, Taro Ietaka, Courtney Rothaus and Annette Hein.

The workshop was part informative introduction and part therapy session to ease the fears of those who might be intimidated by the process. Inspired by Midland school's new composting program, Taro said he decided to organize a workshop to share his knowledge of composting with others in Rye.

Taro began by explaining the mechanics of composting - what to include, what not to include, optimum carbon/nitrogen ratios - and how to avoid some of the pitfalls of composting, chief of which is smelly, decomposing waste. He showed us how he stores scraps in the freezer before transporting them outside. He also provided examples of different kitchen compost collectors and bins.

Annette showed us some of the outdoor compost bins, explaining the pros and cons of each. She recommends at least two bins to store waste in different stages of decomposition.

Courtney concluded by presenting an alternative composting option: vermicomposting (or worm composting, in layman's terms). She described how, with minimal fuss and attention, specialty worms (red wigglers) can be employed to decompose home waste, including paper. With vermicomposting, no sifting or turning is necessary. Homeowners can purchase vermicomposters and worms online to begin composting at home.

Rye Nature Center executive director Christine Siller ended the presentation by stressing the important point that as a by-product of composting, we're helping to achieve a critical goal of reducing waste from the general waste stream.

An enormous thank you to the Rye Nature Center, the presenters, and Christine Siller, for organizing this informative event!

Check out our Resources page for more information on composting. Let's all start composting!

Organic Gardening: How to Grow a Healthy Yard

A Presentation by Rye Nature Center and Rye Sustainability Committee

Learn how to grow a beautiful garden with natural strategies that can protect wildlife and reduce your family's exposure to synthetic chemicals. Presented by Taro Ietaka, Director of Conservation & Land Stewardship of the Rye Nature Center and Lori Fontanes, co-head, Rye Healthy Yard Program of the City of Rye Sustainability Committee.

Free and open to the public!

When: Saturday, April 30
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm
Where: Harrison Public Library, 2 Bruce Ave, Harrison, New York 10528

Bios:
Taro Ietaka (Director of Conservation and Land Stewardship, Rye Nature Center) graduated from SUNY Geneseo and has continued his education at the Eagle Hill Institute and New York Botanical Garden. He has worked as an educator for the last thirteen years at various nature centers throughout the County, teaching both children and adults about the natural world. He has managed hundreds of forested acres locally, creating and implementing habitat management plans, including at the Rye Nature Center. He is also a member of the City of Rye Sustainability Committee's Healthy Yard Program.

Lori Fontanes (co-head, Rye Healthy Yard Program, City of Rye Sustainability Committee, writer/photographer/backyard farmer) raises ducks, plants and a daughter at their home in Rye, NY. She grows more than twenty different kinds of fruits, vegetables and cover crops on land previously used for lawn. She writes a column for Backyard Poultry and has also contributed to Countryside and Grit. As a citizen scientist, she's been involved in a long-term case study involving lead contamination in suburban soils with Dr. Joshua Cheng at Brooklyn College. As a community advocate for public health and the environment, she's a member of the Rye Y Cross-District Wellness Committee and is co-head of the Rye Healthy Yard Program for the City of Rye Sustainability Committee.

Learn to Compost!

Everything You Wanted to Know About Compost
(But Didn't Know You Wanted to Ask!)

A workshop presented by Rye Nature Center and Rye Sustainability Committee

Got a composter?  Wonder what to do with it? Drop by the Rye Nature Center and we'll be happy to show you the what, why and how-to of composting.

In partnership with Rye Sustainability Committee's Healthy Yard Program, Rye Nature Center will present a user-friendly introduction to the art and science of residential composting. This family friendly workshop is aimed at those who've been intending to start composting but don't know where to begin or those who may have been unsuccessful in the past. RNC staff will start with the question ‘why’ and then proceed to explain the ‘how’ by showing examples of different kitchen compost collectors and compost bins. The program will analyze the RNC's composting area, including a worm compost bin, and will also show how compost is used in the garden. The event will conclude with a Q&A session. No registration required!

Free and open to the public--children welcome!

When: Friday, May 6th
Time: 9:15 am
Where: Rye Nature Center, 873 Boston Post Road

Further info: taroietaka@ryenaturecenter.org

First Rye Healthy Yard Speaker Series Event at Wainwright House

If you missed the first event in the Rye Sustainability Committee/Rye Nature Center speaker series about the secret of healthy soil, here's the Rye TV coverage of the event.  It was an incredible turnout! Please join us at Rye Nature Center on May 6 for the next event, where we'll be learning how easy it is to compost. More details to follow!

Rye Becomes a Climate Smart Community

On July 8, 2015, the Rye City Council passed a resolution making Rye a Climate Smart Community.

The Climate Smart Communities (CSC) program is a New York State initiative to help local communities reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, prepare for impacts of climate change and save taxpayer dollars. The program is designed to address 10 focus areas outlined in the CSC 10 Pledge Elements.

This CSC profile outlines Rye’s progress through the 10 pledge elements. Detailed information on actions completed, in progress, and identified for future action can be found in the CSC Profile.