NEWS OF THE MONTH FROM THE TARRYTOWN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
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LOVE YOUR VILLAGE
PARTICIPATING IN TEAC IS EASY!
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The Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council (TEAC) relies on volunteers to keep things moving. We're a fun and engaging group of like-minded citizens working to make Tarrytown's air, land, lakes and river healthier and cleaner.
Our monthly meeting will be held in person at the Village Hall. It's TONIGHT Thursday, March 2, at 7pm. We will also have a Zoom option: Click Here!
If any of our committee topics interest you, or if you just want to learn more about what we do, please feel free to join us!
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THREE CHEERS:
AWARDS FOR OUR CO-CHAIRS
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By Suzy Allman
It's no secret among TEAC members, volunteers and the Tarrytown community generally that two of the villages hardest-working volunteers are our TEAC co-chairs, Rachel Tieger and Dean Gallea.
For years, Dean and Rachel have made Tarrytown a cleaner, greener, and more interesting place to live, all while encouraging an infectious spirit of sleeve up-rolling, good fun and hard work.
Along with my TEAC colleagues, I am incredibly proud that TEAC’s co-chairs Rachel Tieger and Dean Gallea were selected by Volunteer New York! (a Westchester-based organization promoting volunteerism) for the “Going Green” award, to be recognized at the “Volunteer Spirit Awards” breakfast event on May 5th.
To learn more about this award, see this article in The Hudson Independent. To buy tickets to the awards fundraising event,or to learn more about Volunteer NY, visit their website.
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Save the Date:
EARTH DAY/EARTH MONTH 2023
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BY JENNY O'CONNOR, TEAC MEMBER
Weekends in April, Join Tarrytown's Earth Month Events
Throughout the month of April, we’re planning some great events which include (our first!) Repair Cafe, Clothing and Housewares Swap, village-wide clean up, bird walk and tree identification, hike, historical lakes walk, trail blazing, vine removal, movie night, native seeds giveaway and so much more!
Mom’s Organic Market from Dobbs Ferry will be providing information and fresh organic fruit for volunteers at some of the events! Please check out our website for more information and for event sign ups.
For our celebration to be a success, we need you or your organization to get involved! If you’d like to spearhead an event, be a neighborhood champion for our village wide clean up, or participate in our planning activities, get in touch with us at info@tarrytownenvironmental.com or come to our next general TEAC meeting, this Thursday, March 2 at 7pm (@ Village Hall or see Zoom login info above).
For the Village wide Clean-up, we’re looking for neighborhood champions to lead clean-ups across the village. If you’re interested, please reach out to us at tarrytownenviro@gmail.com.
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ELBOW GREASE:
INVASIVE STRIKE FORCE: THE VINE SQUAD NEEDS YOU!
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by Suzy Allman, TEAC member
Branching out: TEAC's Vine Squad is growing like crazy! Last month, we had our largest turn-out of 21 volunteers from all corners of the county.
The Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council (TEAC)'s Volunteer Vine Squad is proving equal to the task of protecting native trees and other vegetation from being smothered by invasive vines.
Japanese honeysuckle, porcelain berry, and Oriental bittersweet are a serious threat to native plant species. They grow quickly and aggressively, often choking out other vegetation and disrupting natural ecosystems. They can also damage trees by climbing up their trunks and interfering with their ability to absorb nutrients and water.
To combat this threat, TEAC has rustled up volunteers of all ages who work together to remove invasive vines from trees, shrubs, and other vegetation in the Tarrytown Lakes park and other wooded areas around town. Last month, over two work sessions, volunteer removed strangling vines from trees and shrubs near the Tarrytown Lakes parking lot and along the Red Trail and Lakes Trail.
The project is not only aimed at removing invasive species but also educates the public about the importance of protecting native plants and wildlife. Volunteers are provided with information on how to identify invasive species and are trained on proper removal techniques.
Most of all, though, volunteers have enjoyed warm(ish) weather, good vibes in the woods, credit for volunteer hours and a feeling of accomplishment over a two-hour work session.
Vine removal in lower Westchester will always be a work in progress, and though we may never look around to see the total eradication of invasive vines, TEAC is working toward keeping them at bay and freeing our native trees from their grip.
The Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council is always looking for volunteers to join the Vine Squad (no long-term commitment needed!). Sturdy boots, long sleeves, and gloves are recommended. If you own garden tools for pruning and trimming, bring them along (although we also supply a range of tools). Training will be provided.
Our next date is March 4th and we will be working at the Tarrytown Lakes, meeting at the Lakes Parking Lot on Neperan Road at 10am. Community Service Hours will be awarded. Sign up Here.
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ENERGY NOTES:
ELECTRIFYING NEWS
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By Dean Gallea, TEAC Co-Chair
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