Green Living Newsletter

Plastic Bag Ban Starts March 1: #BYOBagNY

Starting this Sunday, March 1, 2020, a new plastic bag waste reduction law will take effect in New York State, and your reusable bag should be in hand when going shopping. Whether you’re going to the grocery store, clothes shopping, or to a home improvement store, make sure to bring your reusable bags. You don’t need to wait until March 1st to take action! Start bringing your reusable bags to the store ahead of the ban to build a new habit. Remember, your reusable bag means conserving natural resources, creating less litter, and keeping New York beautiful for future generations.

Additionally, stores covered under the NYS Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Act will still be required to collect plastic bags and other film plastics from consumers for recycling. Film plastics include items such as bread bags and plastic wraps that come over cases of water, paper towels and other similar items. Consumers can help by continuing to recycle these items at participating retailers.

Questions on the upcoming plastic bag ban? E-mail plasticbags@dec.ny.gov.

Pack It for the Planet on National Pack Your Lunch Day

March 10th is National Pack Your Lunch Day! Packing your own lunch with sustainability in mind is a great way to reduce your waste and conserve natural resources, while making healthy meal decisions. 

When you use a disposable lunch, you will make between 4 - 8 ounces of garbage every day. That's 45-90 pounds of garbage per year! So give a reusable lunch a try! Check out DEC's reusable lunchbox brochure (PDF) for helpful tips on creating lunches that reduce waste. 

For more helpful tips on recycling, email DEC's Bureau of Waste Reduction and Recycling.

Featured Hike: Lemon Creek, Staten Island

Lemon Creek, located in Richmond County, encompasses about 42 acres of diverse tidal wetlands. Connected to Raritan Bay on the South Shore via a municipal park, there are many opportunities for the recreational enthusiast to enjoy family-based activities, such as birdwatching, nature viewing, canoeing during high tide, fishing, and photography. You can enjoy hiking on designated trails from the entrance located on Oswald Place. From the Oswald Place entrance, a short footpath leads to a point overlooking the property and to several other short trails. Additionally, off Bayview Avenue, between two residential houses, is a path that provides access to the creek.

Spring is a Great Time to Visit Reinstein Woods

From learning about birds, nature at night, and going "green," to spring break week programs for kids, there's something for everyone to enjoy at Reinstein Woods, 93 Honorine Dr., Depew, Erie County!

See the Spring 2020 Program Schedule (PDF) for events taking place from March through May. Call 716-683-5959 for more information or to register for programs. See you at Reinstein Woods this spring!

Upcoming Five Rivers Events

Enjoy the grounds as the weather begins to warm at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, 56 Game Farm Road, Delmar, Albany County. The grounds at Five Rivers are open daily from sunrise to sunset. The visitor center is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except state holidays. Programs are free of charge unless otherwise noted. We welcome those who have any type of physical challenge to our programs. Call ahead (518.475.0291) to let us know your needs. We will be happy to learn how we can accommodate you.

Enjoy the Sweeter Side of Five Rivers with Our Maple Open Houses
Every Saturday, March 7, 14, 21, & 28; 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Maple Sugar Open House

Join us for an introduction to maple sugaring, from tap and sap to syrup. You’ll get to twirl a brace and bit, pound a spile, inspect the sap flow, enjoy the aroma of sap boiling in our evaporator, and take the maple syrup taste test challenge. A local maple producer will be on site to answer questions and offer a variety of maple products for sale. 

Talk n' Trek - Spring 2020: 20th Anniversary of Geocaching
Thursdays, March 5, 12, 19, 26 & April 2; 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

Happy Birthday Geocaching! Twenty years ago, outdoor enthusiasts were introduced to a treasure hunt called Geocaching. Using Global Positioning Systems (GPS units), people home in on the location of a treasure or cache and record their “find”. To date, more than 426 million people have “Found It” in over 191 countries on all seven continents. With more than 3 million caches out there to find, it’s time you joined the fun.

Talk n’ Trek participants will learn how to program cache locations using hand held GPS units. Then, we’ll head out to search for over 20 treasures while enjoying a nature walk at Five Rivers. Finally, we’ll report “Found It” to the world and provide hints for the next treasure hunter.

Who: Everyone! No prior experience needed. GPS units provided.
When: Thursdays from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2, 2020
Where: Guided School Program Building (building with the outdoor public restrooms)
Fees: $35 Members $50 Non-Members (Proceeds support Friends’ GSP Scholarship Fund)
Registration: Email Nancy at gsp5rivers@outlook.com by March 2nd to sign-up for this program.

Visit DEC's online calendar to learn more about these and other programs and events.