Have a Safe, Fun and Sustainable Memorial Day Weekend

Holiday Weekend Campfire Safety

If you are observing the Memorial Holiday this weekend with a camp fire, DEC reminds campers to use local firewood while enjoying the outdoors. The NYS firewood transportation regulation is still in effect. Untreated firewood may contain invasive pests that kill trees, and to protect New York's forests, untreated firewood should not be moved more than 50 miles from its source of origin. Read more on DEC's website.

If You Care, Leave It There 

The Memorial Day holiday is a great time to get outdoors and recreate during this unofficial start of summer. If you plan on visiting any state parks or lands, DEC is reminding New Yorkers to enjoy wildlife and their young from a safe distance, and resist the urge to touch or pick up newborn fawns and other young wildlife. Human contact with wildlife can carry unintended consequences detrimental to wildlife safety and development. 

Fun Tips for Greening Your Holiday 

Be Creative with Decorations - Skip the Throw-Away Kind 
Make decorations from what you have, and skip spending the extra money on single-use, plastic items. 

Play ‘Tourist’
Instead of taking a long trip, why not take advantage of the great sights around your own town? Pull together some friends, and carpool or hop on a local bus. Better yet, walk or bike to a local park, attraction or historic landmark. Pack a picnic lunch in reusable containers so you can save money and create less waste.

Get Your Hands Dirty
Time to get the flowers (native species and perennial varieties, if possible) and veggie plants into the garden!  Put that compost you’ve been working on to use.

Get Active
Check for local events, or hit the bike or walking trails and enjoy warmer temperatures. Visit a local farmers market. Holidays like Memorial Day are prime times for connecting with local farmers, artisans and bakers. 

Be Green with your Money
Heading out to shop Memorial Day sales? Consider spending your money at stores or on brands that take sustainability seriously, and remember to upcycle, recycle or donate a few items from your home before bringing in new ones.

Plant a Tree
As you make time to remember our fallen heroes, consider marking the day by planting a tree.  It is a natural tribute that adds both shade and beauty to your surroundings.

#RecycleRightNY - Keep your food scraps out!

Food scraps are valuable, but not in your household recycling. Composting organic materials, such as food scraps, reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or combustion facilities. However, food scraps put in household recycling bins can actually ruin valuable recyclables and those equally valuable food scraps are lost as well.

Let's #RecycleRightNY - don't cover your recyclables in food! Your plastics want to become clothing, carpeting, and playground equipment, and your cardboard wants to become the box for your next doorstop delivery. Food, excess food residue, and liquids in your recycling bin can decrease the value of these items and prevent them from being made into new things. Help improve the quality of your recyclables by only putting items in your household recycling bin that your local recycling program accepts.

Join the #RecycleRightNY Movement

#RecycleRightNY is a 12-month education campaign for 2019, focused on supporting efforts to reduce contamination in residential recycling programs across New York State. Learn more on how to receive free downloadable #RecycleRightNY campaign resources for your own social media and digital and print newsletters.

Upcoming Free Fishing Clinics

Free Sport Fishing Events are fishing programs where participants can fish for free; no freshwater fishing license or enrollment in the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry is required. In addition to fishing, participants can learn about fish identification, fishing equipment and techniques, fisheries management, angling ethics and aquatic ecology. Check DEC's website for upcoming free fishing clinics.