Green Living Newsletter

New York Recycles Poster Contest

Do you know any kids or educators that love art and the environment? Are you looking for a meaningful and fun environmental activity for kids? The New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse & Recylings' New York Recycles poster contest is a creative way for students in grades K-12 to celebrate the environment, learn about waste reduction, recycling and composting and show off their creative talents all at the same time! Each year 6,500 NY Recycles calendars are printed and distributed across the State to recycling coordinators, educators, community groups and more and help increase awareness and educate people about the importance of waste reduction, recycling and composting. Winners will be selected for each age group and their posters will appear in the next NY Recycles calendar! The themes for the 2019 NY Recycles poster contest are:

• NY Recycles
• Choose Reuse, Not Single Use
• Worm Your Way into Composting
• Recycle Right
• Your Dream Green School

Don’t wait to check out the theme descriptions and contest rules!

Family Fishing Festival

Want to find a sport the whole family, from toddlers to grandparents, can enjoy? Try fishing. The perfect place to start is at the annual Fall Fishing and Children's Festival, which will be held on Saturday, October 20 at Hempstead Lake State Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 1,000 trout will be stocked prior to this event. 

Participants fish for free-no freshwater fishing license is required. Learn how to fly-fish, cast and identify local fish. Loaner rods are available, along with free bait and fish cleaning. Children's activities will include pumpkin decorating, an inflatable bounce house and face painting. The headline event is a casting contest in which participants can "catch" a pumpkin or "hook" a prize.

For more information about the Fall Fishing Festival, or if you have weather concerns, please call DEC's I FISH NY number, 631-444-0283.

Read more about Family Fishing in the June 2017 Conservationist.

Don't Mow Your Wildflowers Yet!

It’s Monarch Migration time! Each year from late summer through early fall, monarch butterflies fly south to their wintering grounds in Mexico. Some will fly as much as 3,000 miles! You can help fuel their journey south by providing food for migration. Got wildflowers in your yard or field? Consider not mowing them for a few weeks so monarchs can collect nectar from flowers. Visit the Journey North webpage for more information about monarchs, to submit your sightings, and to view migration maps.

Kids can learn more about the important role of pollinators in the Conservationist for Kids Spring 2017 issue.

World Food Day

Join the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in celebrating World Food Day on October 16th. The theme this year is #ZeroHunger. Enough food to feed everyone on this planet is grown every year. However, about 40 percent of the food produced in the United States is wasted while 17.5 million American households were food insecure in 2013. In New York State alone, 2.5 million people struggle with food insecurity. Reducing wasted food is key to keeping good food out of landfills where it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and solving hunger and food insecurity issues.

Here’s some tips on celebrating #WFD2018 and doing your part:

• Love your leftovers: If you have leftovers, you can freeze them for later, or use them as ingredients in another meal. Try freezing extra yogurt before it goes bad to use in smoothies or tossing leftover pasta, chicken or beans into a salad.
• Buy only what you need: Plan your meals, make a shopping list and stick to it, and avoid impulse buys. Not only will you waste less, you’ll save money! The upcoming holiday season is a busy time in our kitchens. Try not to overestimate how much food you’ll need for special gatherings, and try using the Guest-imator tool to plan accordingly.
• Store food wisely: Don’t let your food go to waste. Move older products to the front of your cupboard or fridge and new ones to the back. Use airtight containers to keep food fresh in the fridge and ensure packaged foods are closed to stop insects from getting in.
• Use up your food scraps: Those vegetable cuttings, lemon peels, chicken bones and leftover bread can all be saved from the trash or your compost bin with these creative tips.
• Donate any leftover, delicious and edible food that would otherwise be waste: If you have any untouched leftover pies, extra casseroles, canned foods or drinks, call your local food aid organization and ask if they'd accept them as donations. You can also use the digital tools from the NYS Food Recovery Campaign to connect you with agencies who can provide your surplus food to those in need around you.
• Get your children involved: Watch a video for children about achieving #ZeroHunger with your child and have a conversation about the steps your family can take to reduce your household's food waste.

Use these #WFD2018 tips from the FAO to learn more ways to prevent household food waste and how you can become a #ZeroHunger advocate.