sustainable things to do

Oct 31, 2013

Upcoming Weekend Activities: NYC

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We’ve got some spooky and sustainable suggestions for your weekend in the New York area. Check out the list below and let us know in the comments section if we missed something.

Cheer for 26.2 Miles: Pick any place along the NYC Marathon route and make up for last year’s cancellation by cheering even louder this year! Sunday, November 3.

East Harlem Bike Friendly Business Ride: Hop on your bike and join Transportation Alternatives for a ride through East Harlem. Saturday, November 2, 1 p.m.

Fall Foliage Walk: Your admission to Wave Hill Gardens in the Bronx includes a guided walk of the vibrant trees and shrubs throughout the grounds. Saturday, November 2, 2 p.m.

Free Bootcamp: Work off the extra candy calories at Willowbrook Park in Staten Island. Saturday, November 2, 9 p.m.

Hike and Seek: Head out to Montauk Point State Park on Long Island for a family-friendly hiking adventure. Reservations are required. Call 631-668-2554 for reservations and more information. Saturday, November 2, 1 p.m.

Insects in Contemporary Art: Visit this art exhibition at The Arsenal in Central Park to see how contemporary artists demonstrate the importance of insects through a variety of media. Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (until November 13, 2013)

Jack-O-Lantern and Leaf Compost Collection: Bring your pumpkins and leaves to one of the drop-off locations in Manhattan. Saturday, November 2, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Wildlife Weekends: For two weekends, the Queens County Farm Museum is amping up the fun with activities and events centered around wildlife. Saturday and Sunday, November 2-3, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

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Jul 3, 2013

Upcoming Weekend Activities in NYC: Celebrate the 4th Sustainably!

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We’ve got some red, white, blue and green tips for your Independence Day weekend. Check out our list of recommendations and take part in one of these fun and eco-friendly events in the New York area.

Accordions Around the World: Head to Bryant Park to appreciate the live accordionists playing music from all over the world. Musicians will be stationed throughout the park to entertain passers-by. Thursday, July 4, 5- 7 p.m.

Clearwater Deck Tours: Visit Pier 6 at Brooklyn Bridge Park and enjoy a tour of the Clearwater, a historical replica of the shipping sloops that sailed the Hudson River in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Learn about current environmental issues and experience the river from a whole new perspective! Thursday, July 4, 3 – 5 p.m.

Club Fit Yoga: If you need to stretch out after all the hot dogs you ate on the 4th, take one of the weekly yoga classes sponsored by the New York Restoration Project. Saturday, July 6, 10 – 11 a.m.

Governors Island: There is lots to choose from on summer weekends at Governors Island! Check out the free composting exhibit, art installations, and more. Rent a bike or bring your own. Saturday-Sunday, July 6-7, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Laughter in the Park: Need some funny before heading back to work after the long weekend? Get your laughs in Central Park, Sunday, July 7, 2 – 4 p.m.

Plover Appreciation Day: Make your way to Beach 50^th Street and the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk to discover one of NYC’s endangered species – the piping plover. Games, crafts, and giveaways are free for all ages. Saturday, July 6, noon – 3 p.m.

Statue of Liberty: It’s been closed since Superstorm Sandy and reopens July 4! Ferries operate 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Sunset Paddling at Hallets Cove: Just north of the Socrates Sculpture Garden in Long Island City, Queens, the Long Island City Community Boathouse will be offering free kayaking or canoeing. Wednesday, July 3, 6 – 8 p.m.

12×12 Project: Visit a model of a sustainably built, off the grid house at the Queens Botanical Garden. The structure evolves and grows as various artists take up short-term residence. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. through July 31.

May 30, 2013

Upcoming Weekend Activities: NYC

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Have you checked out the new bike share program yet? This weekend could be perfect for riding. If you try it, let us know what you think in the comments section.

Battle of the Boroughs Tennis Challenge: This friendly competition helps support free tennis lessons and activities for children at NYC parks. Come out and support your neighborhood! At various locations. Saturday, June 1, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Bronx Composting Event: Join this weekly workshop to learn how to compost food waste or just drop off your food waste to be composted. Saturday, June 1, 2 – 4 p.m.

Catch and Release Fishing: Free fishing for families and individuals at Harlem Meer. Poles are available for borrowing; just make sure to release what you catch! Friday-Saturday, May 31-June 1, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Housing Works Open Air Street Fair: All day bazaar with thousands of donated books, thrift shopping and entertainment. Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Red Hook Fest: Help support a Brooklyn neighborhood that continues to recover after Sandy. The event features a parade, music, dance, and activities for all ages including kayak rides in New York Harbor. Friday-Saturday, May 31 – June 1.

Strawberry Festival: Head to Queens for the annual Strawberry Festival and celebrate summer with family crafts and games honoring the lovely red berry. Saturday, June 1, noon – 3 p.m.

Street Tree Workshop: Learn how to water and care for the 80,000 new street trees that have been planted around NYC! Register for the MillionTreesNYC workshop and learn about caring for the city’s trees. Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m. – noon.

Wellness Fair: PS 89 in Tribeca is hosting a Wellness fair with booths from GrowNYC, Cafeteria Culture and other green organizations from across the city. Discover how one school’s sustainability efforts can branch out to include an entire community. Sunday, June 2, noon – 4 p.m.

Apr 19, 2013

Sustainable Things to Do in NYC: Earth Day Special

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In honor of Earth Day, we’re offering an extended list of events continuing through April 23 to help you celebrate the environment in our great city!

Earth Day Celebration at Grand Central: The annual event includes three days of interactive exhibits, sustainability talks, live music, and kids’ activities. Saturday, April 20-Monday April 22, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Earth Week at Queens Libraries: From a week-long green film festival to a wide range of eco-friendly crafts, Queens Libraries are getting into the spirit. Various locations and times.

Electronic Waste Recycling Day: The Lower East Side Ecology Center extends there collection of unwanted electronics to the Upper West Side. Drop off your old tech gear on Amsterdam Ave. between West 74-75^th Streets. Sunday, April 21, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Family Volunteer Day: What better way to celebrate Earth Day than by helping to beautify Central Park? Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m. – noon.

Federal Agency Earth Day: Head across the street from EPA’s downtown offices for an afternoon of informational talks and displays from the EPA, FEMA, and Baruch College on topics of sustainability and emergency response. Tuesday, April 23, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

New York City Green Festival: The second annual green festival celebrates a wide variety of solutions to lead people to healthier lives and greener communities. Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 21, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

SAFE Disposal Event: The NYC Department of Sanitation is holding five SAFE Disposal Events this spring to provide a one-stop method to get rid of potentially harmful household products. Bring your hazardous household materials to Yankee Stadium on Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

St. George Day: An Earth Day festival that includes a celebration of dragons?! Head to Staten Island to find out what it’s all about. Saturday, April 20, noon-7 p.m.

Waking Up the Farm: Learn more about urban farming, enjoy a mid-afternoon healthy snack, and help with general farm work at Hattie Carthan Herban Farm in Brooklyn. Monday, April 22, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Worm Festival: South Brooklyn Children’s Garden is holding a worm festival for kids to learn about compost and why worms are beneficial for gardens. Saturday, April 20, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

20^th Annual EarthFest Celebration: Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx hosts environmental exhibits, educational programming and children’s activities for this annual event. Sunday, April 21, noon – 3 p.m.

Apr 4, 2013

Upcoming Weekend Activities: NYC

activities, family-friendly NYC, new york city, sustainability, sustainable things to do 1 Comment

Check out our top ecofriendly weekend recommendations and feel free to share your own in the comments section.

Electronic Waste Recycling: The Lower East Side Ecology Center is helping you clear old and unwanted electronics out of your closets without trashing the environment! Drop off your tech gear in front of Tekserve in Chelsea to have it responsibly recycled. Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Grow to Learn Grant Writing Workshop: Find out how to apply for a Grow to Learn mini grant and get started on designing a school garden. RSVP required. Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Music and Bronx Seaside Trolley: Head to the Bronx for First Fridays – an evening of music and exploration at the Bartow Pell Mansion. Free trolley rides make loops from the 6 train to the mansion. Friday, April 5, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

New York City of Trees Exhibit: Photographic portraits of trees from around the five boroughs bring viewers up close to some of the arboreal residents of the city. Arsenal Gallery of Central Park, Monday to Friday through April 26, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

SAFE Disposal Event: The NYC Department of Sanitation is holding five SAFE Disposal Events this spring to provide a one-stop method to get rid of potentially harmful household products. Bring your hazardous household materials to Prospect Park on Sunday, April 7, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Table Tennis Tournament: New York City Parks sponsors this annual event at the Greenbelt Recreation Center on Staten Island. Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Tartan Day Parade: Take part in the largest Scottish outdoor event in Manhattan. The annual celebration of the historic links between Scotland and the U.S. takes place along 6^th Avenue on Saturday, April 6.

Mar 28, 2013

Eco-friendly New York City Weekend Events

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Finally this weekend we should get a taste of spring! Get out and celebrate with some of our suggestions for sustainable things to do in the NYC area.

The Art of Nesting: Come out to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to learn about animal architects and the ways they make homes from plant materials. Children will have a chance to try their own nest-making skills and can bring home a nesting bag for the birds on their block. Friday, March 29, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Community Environmental Center EcoHouse: Explore this mobile environmental education exhibit at Inwood Hill Park. Friday, March 29, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, March 30, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Early Spring Bird Walk: Hike around the Jamaica Bay ponds and uplands to look for the first birds of spring. See ospreys, oystercatchers, ibis, great egrets, laughing gulls, and phoebes, to name a few. Saturday, March 30, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Exploring Clouds: Discover the different types of clouds and what they can tell us about upcoming weather patterns. Fort Trotten Park Visitor’s Center, Queens. Saturday, March 30, 1 p.m.

Herb Planting: Check out the Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park to see how their herb gardens are coming along. Plant your own pot of herbs to take home using newspaper, soil and seeds. March 29, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

SAFE Disposal Event: The NYC Department of Sanitation is holding five SAFE Disposal Events this spring to provide a one-stop method to get rid of potentially harmful household products. Bring your hazardous household materials to Citi Field on Saturday, March 30, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Spring Egg Hunt: Visit the Queens Botanical Garden for a family friendly spring egg hunt. Other activities include seed planting, face painting and a visit from Flora the Flower. Saturday, March 30, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Volunteer Meadow Shearing: Head uptown to Sherman Creek Park for a unique volunteer opportunity. Learn about preparing flower beds for spring and help cut back grass and wildflowers in the meadow to help the park get ready for the warmer season. Saturday, March 30, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Feb 7, 2013

Sustainable Weekend Activities: NYC

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Check out our top eco-friendly weekend recommendations and feel free to share your own in the comments section.

Canstruction Design Competition: Twenty-five teams of architects, engineers, contractors and the students they mentor will compete to build enormous structures made entirely out of unopened cans of food, which are then on view to the public until they are dismantled and donated to City Harvest for distribution to those in need. Admission is free, but visitors are asked to bring a can of high quality food to the exhibition’s collection station to reach their goal of collecting over 50,000 pounds of non-perishable edibles. Saturday, February 9 and Sunday February 10, 10:00 a.m. –6:00 p.m.

Clothing and Textile Recycling: Textiles can be dropped off weekly at eight select Greenmarkets: 97th Street, Union Square (Monday and Saturday only), Grand Army Plaza, Fort Greene, McCarren Park, Inwood, Tompkins Square and Jackson Heights. Collections accept clean and dry clothing, paired shoes, bedding, linens, hats, handbags, belts, fabric scraps 36″ x 36″ or larger and other textiles. Click here for the full schedule of textile recycling stations.

Free Music Fridays at the American Folk Art Museum: Enjoy live music every Friday from 5:30 –7:30 p.m. Admission is always free.

Health & Race Walking in Central Park— Still looking to turn over a new leaf in 2013? Join other New Yorkers as you get fit and enjoy Central Park’s winter landscapes. Saturday, February 9, 9:30 a.m.—11:00 a.m.

Lunar New Year Firecracker Celebration: Join the Better Chinatown Society for the 14^th Annual New Year firecracker ceremony and cultural festival at Sara Roosevelt Park this Sunday, February 10 at 11:00 a.m.

Rechargeable Battery and Cell Phone Recycling: Here at EPA, eCycling is one of our favorite topics. If you’re interested in diverting e-waste from landfills, check out GrowNYC’s collection boxes for rechargeable batteries and cell phones, stationed at Greenmarkets across Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx. For a complete list of hours and locations, click here.

Volunteer: Find volunteer opportunities in your area as an easy way to shake up your weekend plans (while also lending a hand).

ea as an easy way to shake up your weekend plans (while also lending a hand).

Jan 31, 2013

Eco-friendly Weekend Activities

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Cross Central Park Promenade Tour – You will see many surprises: a hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water. These are just some of the sites on this east-to-west walk through the Park. Sunday, February 3, 2:30 – 3:45 p.m.

Family Art Project at Wave Hill: March Out The Mardi Gras! Join visiting native New Orleans artist and instructor Paul Deo to make a colorful parasol, hat, nature mask or funky bead necklace. Then join an imaginative indoor parade as we create the sights, colors and sounds of the Mardi Gras at the Ecology Building in Wave Hill. Sunday, February 3, 10:00 a.m. –1:00 p.m.

Fix Your Bike Workshop: Come learn how to fix bikes, do simple maintenance and tune-ups at the Time’s Up bike mechanic skill share. Sunday, February 3, 6:00 p.m.

NYC Audubon Winter EcoCruise: Step aboard the New York Water Taxi for a winter adventure in New York Harbor! Look for harbor seals on the rocky shores of Governors Island and the more remote Hoffman and Swinburne Islands. Learn about the surprisingly diverse winter birds of New York City, including ducks, geese, loons, and sandpipers – many of which migrate south from the Arctic Circle. Dress warmly and bring your binoculars because there will be plenty to see! Departs Pier 17, South Street Seaport. Sunday, February 3, 2:00 –4:00 p.m.

The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter – Ready for summer? Stop by the American Museum of Natural History this weekend to frolic with 500 butterfly specimens in a balmy 80 degree vivarium. Saturday-Sunday, February 2-3, 10:00 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.

Jan 24, 2013

Sustainable Weekend Activities to Keep you Warm!

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It may be cold, but there’s no need to hibernate! We’ve got suggestions to help you brave the temps while still staying sustainable and eco-friendly.

Animal Autographs – Head to Staten Island to learn how to identify Greenbelt inhabitants by their footprints. Walk and crafting geared to ages 4-8. Sunday, January 27, 1 p.m.

Eco-Crafting Competition – Teams will compete to create crafts out of discarded materials in this Iron Chef-style competition. Come out and cheer for your favorite up-cyclers! Friday, January 25, 6 p.m.

Family Art Project: Give a Winter Bird a Home – Learn how to make a birdhouse or feeder with recycled materials. Entrance is free at Wave Hill Gardens until noon on Saturday. January 26, 10 a.m.

Light Show at Winter Garden – Check out the opening weekend of the LED-light installation at the World Financial Center Winter Garden. Daily from sunset to 12 a.m.

Winter Jam – It’s time for the annual winter sports festival in Central Park! Get out and explore some of the winter activities such as skiing, snowshoeing, animal tracking and more. This year there is even a doggie snow zone! Saturday, January 26, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Woodlands Discovery in Central Park – Explore the North Woods with a Discovery Kit geared toward kids ages 8-12. Binoculars, a hand lens and flora/fauna guides provided help inspire woodland adventures in the wilds of Central Park. Friday-Sunday, January 25-27, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Jan 17, 2013

NYC Sustainable Weekend Recommendations

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Greening the Apple’s weekend recommendations are back for 2013! Start the year off on a green foot with some of these activities!

Electronic Waste Recycling at Tekserve— The Lower East Side Ecology Center is bringing one of its 10th Annual “After the Holidays” E-waste Events to Tekserve in Chelsea to help you responsibly recycle all of your unwanted or broken gadgets. Spread the word to your friends and neighbors! Saturday, January 19, 10:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.

Emergency Preparedness Training in Prospect Park— Whether you are preparing for an extended journey through the woods or just want to be more prepared for any situation, an emergency preparedness program is perfect for you. Let the Urban Park Rangers help prepare you for the unexpected. Sunday, January 20, 1:00 p.m.

Health & Race Walking in Central Park— Still looking to turn over a new leaf in 2013? Join other New Yorkers as you get fit and enjoy Central Park’s winter landscapes. Saturday, January 19, 9:30 a.m.—11:00 a.m.

Ice Skating in Van Cortland Park— If you haven’t been to the ice rink in Van Cortland Park this winter, what are you waiting for? Saturdays, 12:00 p.m.—10:00 p.m., Sundays, 12:00 p.m.—8:00 p.m.

Tropical Paradise at the NY Botanical Gardens— Want to get out of the cold? Check out the Botanical Garden’s “Tropical Paradise,” featuring orange-yellow crotons, fuchsia bromeliads and more! You’ll feel like you’re on a tropical vacation without having to leave the City! Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00—6:00 p.m.

Winter Constellations and Stargazing— Winter’s long nights provide ample opportunity to stare into the sky and see stars. Learn to recognize the constellations of winter, and then gaze into the night sky on the lawn in front of the Greenbelt Conservancy’s Nature Center to see which constellations you can find. Registration required. Sunday, January 20, 5:30 p.m.

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