Seeds of change, sprouting at last. Photo taken in a Catskills garden on April 17 by Julia Reischel.
The official Earth Day, April 22, falls on a Monday this year. Celebrations and events around the region are taking place this weekend, next weekend, and in between. (Properly so: Isn't every day supposed to be Earth Day?)
Here's the Watershed Post's guide to the goings-on.
DELAWARE COUNTY
The little town of Andes is celebrating Earth Day in true no-nonsense Catskills style -- by getting to work. On Saturday, April 20, citizens will convene at 9am at Hogan's for the annual Andes litter pickup. Bring gloves, boots and any trash-grabbing "reacher" tools you may have at hand, and feel free to email annroberti@yahoo.com for more information.
SUNY Delhi invites the community to join them for a look at the future of energy -- and the past. On Saturday, April 20, the college hosts a day-long Energy Symposium in Catskill Hall, featuring sessions on alternative energy and biomass heating. Later in the week, another event, “One Hundred Years of Energy Use: SUNY Delhi and the Future of Energy” takes place on Thursday, April 25, at 12:30 p.m. in the Okun Theatre in the Farrell Student and Community Center. Call (607) 746-4274 to find out more.
GREENE COUNTY
Coxsackie area residents are invited to meet up at the village building on Mansion Street at 9am for a communal spring cleaning fest, to be followed by pizza and live entertainment at the gazebo. Call Jeffrey at (518) 478-5414 for more information.
SCHOHARIE COUNTY
The Blenheim-Gilboa Visitors Center in North Blenheim will be celebrating on April 27 and 28 between 10 and 5. They’re showing two movies: Pixar's enviro-botic "WALL-E" will be shown Saturday, and on Sunday you can catch "Earth," a feature film based on the Planet Earth series. Various stations will offer Earth Day-related activities, including a chance to plant seeds and make your own button, and every visitor gets a free tree sapling. Feel free to bring a picnic and take a hike. For more information, call (800) 724- 0309.
SULLIVAN COUNTY
Morgan Outdoors in Livingston Manor is hosting an ongoing exhibit of nature-themed quilts.You can see the exhibit through May 5, but on Sunday April 21 you can attend a free Earth Day Eve screening of "Do The Math," a 42-minute film premiering on April 21 across the nation and featuring climate change info from 350.org. More information at www.morgan-outdoors.com.
ULSTER COUNTY
Saturday, April 20 is Environmental Awareness and Sustainability Day at SUNY New Paltz. The festivities, taking place from noon till four, include presentations by the New York Times's Dot Earth writer Andrew Revkin and Lynne Cherry, writer and videographer of “Young Voices for the Planet." For more information, see the event's Facebook page.
On April 20 and 21, the Eco-Spirit and Transition MidAtlantic are offering and Inner Transition Earth Day Celebration, a buffet of full-day events at Holy Cross Monastery in West Park. Your choice of four in-depth workshops focused on voice, acting, dream work and reconnection will help you center down and power up while, as the transition folks note, navigating the extreme weather we seem to have as a matter of routine these days. For more information and to register, visit Transition MidAtlantic’s website.
Rural Ulster Preservation Corporation (RUPCO) is taking over the Kingston YMCA from 11am to 3pm on Saturday, April 20 with "Energize Kingston," a smorgasbord of educational fun including educational presentations, a green business expo, bowling, swimming, and free eats. They’ll even keep the kids occupied with green-themed activities while you take it all in. You can find more info on the event's Facebook page.
Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville invites you to join them on Sunday, April 21 for a celebratory Earth Day hike to the High Falls. It’s billed as a moderate two miles with steep hills. The hike is free, but space is limited; call Heather Bowman at 845-985-2291 or email hbowman@frostvalley.org to preregister.
You can spend Monday April 22 at the Sky Lake Contemplative Center in Rosendale, sharing, learning and meditating with leaders representing 15 faith traditions, united in their homage to our Big Mama Earth. Events include speakers, music, and fire ceremonies. The event is part of the Transition Movement and begins at 9:30am. There’s a $15 fee for the farm-to-table luncheon, but the event itself is free.
A full-day symposium at SUNY New Paltz on Wednesday, April 24 will get you up to speed on the majestic waters of the Hudson. Speakers at “State of Hudson River Science” will discuss issues of long-term ecological change, ecosystem restoration, Hudson River fish, sediments, contaminants and historical ecology and archaeology. The first speech starts at 9am; for the full scoop, visit the Hudson River Environmental Society website.
On Saturday, April 27, you can participate in “Designing Resilient Watershed Communities” at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge. The fourth annual Ashokan Watershed Conference is free and begins at 9 AM; visit www.ashokanstreams.org for more information and to register. The following day, April 28, the Ashokan Center will host an Open House with music by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, a tree-planting ceremony to honor former Congressman Maurice Hinchey, and tours of the Center's gorgeous new buildings.
Marbletown Multi-Arts Center (MaMA) in Stone Ridge is hosting a Sacred Circle Ritual Dance with movement and art therapist Nada Khodlova on Saturday, April 20. And at 8pm on April 27, you can be part of “a growing community of ecstatic warriors” gathered for an Ecstatic Dance, Sing and Drum Party, described thusly: “Chant meets funk meets tribal meets samba meets kirtan meets bliss.” For more, visit MaMA’s events page.
On Sunday, April 28, come down to the Rosendale Rec Center on Route 32 anytime between 8 and 12 and savor the sweetness of the seventh annual Wild Earth Pancake Breakfast. Local organic eggs, ham, pancakes and maple syrup will be served; it’s $10 a head, but they offer group rates if you bring the family or the crew. More delectable details at the Wild Earth website.
The Reformed Church of New Paltz is hosting its Tenth Anniversary Earth Day Service and Fair on Sunday, April 28. Their Creation Sunday Service will be celebrated at 10am; from 11:30am to 3pm, there will be music, discussions, activities for the whole family, and healthy local eats. It’s free; visit the church website to find out more.
