OCTOBER NEWS
About our cover: Last year's fall colors paint a watercolor over the Tarrytown Lakes. The tubes shielding our new trees on the peninsula will remain for at least another year, until they get large enough to discourage the deer from munching them.

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, and water healthier and cleaner and we need concerned, engaged residents like YOU to join our team. Some areas of involvement - Tarrytown Lakes, Vine Squad, Landscaping Committee, Energy Committee, Community Outreach, Zero Waste and more. Contact Tarrytownenviro@gmail.com to learn more and express interest.

OUR MEETING is TUESDAY, Oct 15, 7:30pm this month. Our meetings are usually on the second Monday of the month at 7:30 pm and are open to the public with a Zoom option.

(ECO) FAIR WEATHER!
TARRYTOWN ECO FAIR RECAP
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By Jenny OConnor, TEAC Member


On a beautiful fall day, the annual Eco Fair was buzzing during the Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Farmers’ Market at Patriots Park. Community and environmental organizations came together to engage with the community on zero waste, food scraps recycling and composting, pollinator pathways, healthy lawns, climate resiliency, renewable energy, and more. TEAC gave out over 200 native pollinator seedlings from milkweed to goldenrod to anise hyssop to oak tree saplings, and many other native species. 



The past 2 years were chilly and rainy, so this year’s warm and sunny Eco Fair was a nice change and brought many local community members and market goers through the fair to learn more about what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint and be a better environmental steward. State Senate Majority Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assemblywoman, Mary Jane Shimsky, visited the fair and shared their gratitude for what we are doing for the village and the environment. We’re so thankful to all of the vendors/organizations that participated.
GOT A GREEN THUMB?
COMMUNITY GARDEN 2025 OPEN FOR SIGN-UPS
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Tarrytown's Community Vegetable Garden is between Cobb Lane next to the Paulding School annex. Each fall we solicit applications for gardeners in anticipation of the spring planting season. For more info and to sign up, visit THIS LINK.

KEEPING OUR TRAILS SPARKLING

THANK YOU HACKLEY LAKEKEEPERS! 
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By Rachel Tieger, Co-Chair of TEAC 

A huge thanks to the Hackley Lakekeepers who hosted a successful cleanup of the Lakes trails and surrounding roadways on Saturday October 12th. It was a gorgeous Fall day and they collected over 100 lbs of trash. Thanks to everyone who participated, with a special shoutout to associate TEAC member Mason Lee, and the Tarrytown Police for the police escort.
IT'S A VINE IDEA
Save A Tree, Cut A Vine
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By Kerstin Erdbrink for TEAC

Trees are incredibly beneficial assets. They purify the air we breathe, support diverse wildlife, mitigate climate change, and enhance the value of our properties. Unfortunately, the vitality of our trees (and shrubs) is often under siege from invasive vines. These relentless climbers can choke the life out of trees by obstructing their access to water and nutrients, leading to their eventual demise.
 

When I first came to Westchester, I had porcelain berry growing in my hedge. I found it quite beautiful, with its berries turning from light white to dark purplish-blue. Sure, it grows vigorously, but what harm could it be? I didn't want to cut it down, so I watched it spread. But by the time spring came around, I had learned that porcelain berry is a non-native vine that grows prolifically, outcompetes native plants, and, once fully established, is very difficult to eradicate since birds spread its seeds by feeding on the berries in winter.

It's crucial to remove any invasive vines to safeguard our trees and shrubs, the ecosystem, and the animals that depend on them, and there's no better time to act than now. If you didn't have a chance to grab one of our straightforward "How to..." guides at TEAC's recent eco fair, you can find more detailed information on Tarrytown's pollinator website: https://pollinators.tarrytownenviro.org/invasive-plants . So, with the beautiful fall weather upon us, why not get out there and check if there are any invasive vines growing on your property? You can save a tree now by cutting a vine today.
 
TEAC also runs a Vine Squad in January, February, and March. Everyone is welcome to join and help remove invasive vines from our parks and green spaces. For specific dates, check out TEAC's website.
COUNTY INVASIVES WORKSHOP:

We are thrilled to announce our next workshop on Invasive Species Management at the County Center on November 18th from 10:00-1:00.   This event will focus on how to take action by starting or nurturing a volunteer vine lopping group, and will include:
  •          a NYS DOT Permit Engineer will present on the Adopt-a-Highway process so that groups can cut vines on State-owned roads.
  •          Leaders of established Westchester vine cutting squads will discuss how they formed their groups and overcame obstacles. 
  •          An invasive species specialist from LHPRISM will discuss emerging invasive species that we need to be aware of. 
  •          Finally, and optionally, we will end the day with some hands-on training by cutting vines that are proliferating at the County Center.  Please dress appropriately, bring gloves, and a pair of loppers if you have them.
Please register here: https://arcg.is/14eKKv
 
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
Parking Lot Canopy to Produce Over 4 MW Solar Power
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By Dean Gallea, TEAC Co-Chair



Croton-on-Hudson is building a large solar generation facility in exactly the best location in the Village: On top of the parking lots around their sprawling Metro North train station! Suggested in 2020 by Croton’s Sustainability Committee (TEAC’s counterpart), the idea had a thorough review by the Village staff and Village Board of Trustees. A lease agreement with a private solar developer was approved by the Village Board of Trustees in February 2021. The project then went through numerous reviews, including by the Village Planning Board, Village Zoning Board of Appeals, Village Waterfront Advisory Committee and the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation.

Years later, the project is finishing up, slated to go online in 2025. It will provide over four megawatts (4 million watts) peak output, connected to the Con Ed grid. Through a Community Solar program, it will provide discounted power to nearly 400 residences in Croton and the nearby region, as well as a Columbia University building in NY City. The leasing agreement will provide nearly $500k/yr to the Village of Croton on Hudson.

The beauty of using parking lot canopies is many-fold: Most parking lots have little shading, making them ideal for solar production. Lots have no need for direct sunlight, so the property actually benefits from shielding from the sun and rain. When snow falls on the panels, it quickly melts and the water runs off into drains, simplifying parking-lot snow removal.

The Croton facility will also have 15 megawatt-hours of battery energy storage, which helps the utility even out the daily peaks and dips in demand, and providing output during sunless periods. (It won’t however, provide utility power during a grid power outage, as some home battery backup systems can do.)

We hope to see some movement towards solar canopies in our Rivertowns, including Tarrytown.

Westchester Power: You probably got the letter explaining the new contract negotiated between the Westchester Power Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) and the Village of Tarrytown. (More about that later in this Newsletter.)

It’s important to understand that buying renewable kWh is simply more expensive than the default carbon-fueled mix Con Ed provides. Here’s what’s on the NY Power To Choose site right now, for 24-month, fixed rate 100% renewable energy, offered by only a few other ESCOs, not including Con Ed: 

As you can see, the 13+ cents per kWh for renewable energy from Tarrytown CCA is actually cheaper than anyone else for the same deal. And even Con Ed peaked at 12.25 cents last winter, Q1 2024:

So, TEAC encourages people to stay with the CCA at least at the default 50% renewable level that is the default for this 2-year contract. And, if you really want to help reduce your home’s carbon footprint, you can choose (opt into) Westchester Power’s 100% renewable option, as many of us have done, for less than two cents more per kWh.

LEAN, MEAN HALLOWEEN SCENE

Sustainable Halloween Tips
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By Annie Kravet, TEAC Member

As you start planning for the Halloween festivities, keep the environment in mind! Here are some easy ways to make your Halloween less wasteful: 

Pumpkin Carving

If you plan on carving a pumpkin this year, keep it out of the waste stream! Since food waste is about 70% water, it requires lots of energy to burn and Westchester County uses incineration for waste management. Pumpkins also release the greenhouse gas methane as they rot and break down. Once Halloween is over or your Jack-O-Lantern starts to get soft, break/smash it up as much as possible and bring it down to the compost bins on Green Street on the other side of the train tracks in Tarrytown (or multiple food waste drop-off points in Sleepy Hollow). 



Here are some great ideas for what to do with the pumpkin insides you scoop out before carving: 

  1. Separate out the seeds, salt them, and roast them in the oven. Healthy and delicious!

  2. Save seeds and plant them in the spring 

  3. Save the pulp for cooking (puree it and use for baking, or sauté it with onions and other vegetables like celery and garlic, then add water and let it simmer for around 45 minutes to make a flavorful vegetable broth, etc.) 

Costumes

Skip the one-time use store bought costume. These usually end up in the landfill after one or two uses. Instead consider a DIY costume made with easily recycled materials or things you already have at home. Or search around at local thrift stores for clothes and accessories. Not feeling creative or don’t have time to put something together? Try looking online for a second hand costume. Try going to swap.com and searching “costumes” for second hand costumes. You can also try Facebook Marketplace and Ebay. 

Decorations

If you plan on decorating your house, use what you already have or try to find second-hand decor. You can make ghosts out of old pillow cases, or set out natural decor like pumpkins and gourds that can be composted instead of tossed in the trash. There are tons of eco friendly ideas out there for Halloween decorations - try searching Pinterest for “eco friendly Halloween” if you would like more inspiration. 

LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS
HELP MAINTAIN OUR GARDENS 
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By Mai Mai Margules, TEAC Landscape Committee Chair




Do you love gardening or just want to spend time outside? We could use help maintaining our public pollinator gardens at the Metro North Tarrytown Station, Sarah Michaels Park, Neperan Park, Patriots Park (near the Paulding statue), Warner Library (Wildey St. side) and Gracemere on route 9.
 

Whether you are an experience plant person or a total novice, we would love to hear from you at tarrytownpollinators@gmail.com. 

MORE POWER TO THE PEOPLE
Westchester Power Contract Renewal

 
As part of the Village commitment to combating climate change, Tarrytown participates in the Westchester Power program. Westchester Power is a community choice aggregation (CCA) program run by the local nonprofit organization, Sustainable Westchester. This electricity supply program increases access to renewable energy, caps electricity costs, and expands consumer choice. Tarrytown has taken the biggest single action a municipality can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the clean energy transition by participating in Westchester Power. We encourage community members to participate and help build a healthier, more sustainable future!
 
Rates/Term
 
There is a new Westchester Power contract beginning on November 1, 2024.
  • Supplier: Constellation NewEnergy
  • Rates:
    • 100% Renewable: 13.298 cents/kWh
    • 50% Renewable: 12.178 cents/kWh (Default)
  • Term: November 1, 2024 - November 30, 2025 (13 months)
Enrollment
 
The 50% Renewable supply option is the default in Tarrytown, which means that all eligible residents and small businesses will automatically be enrolled in that supply, unless they choose to change to the 100% Renewable supply (which TEAC recommends) or opt out altogether. If residents have previously opted out of the program, they will not be re-enrolled.
 
There will be a 30-day opt-out period for initial enrollment into these new rates from September 16th to October 16th, where customers can opt out or change supply before the new contract rates go into effect. Existing customers will receive a letter notifying them of this window, where to find additional information, and how to take action. Customers can also opt out or change supply at any point during the contract term, and it is very easy to do so by emailing Sustainable Westchester at westchesterpower@sustainablewestchester.org, calling their phone line at  914-242-4725 ext. 111, or using the online form on their website, linked here. For more information about the program, visit the Westchester Power website. 
 
You can check if you are in the program by reviewing your Con Ed bill. Instructions for where to look can be found here. If you have opted out of Westchester Power in the past, you will not be automatically in the next contract and will not need to opt out again. You will always have the ability to opt in if you would like. 

Quick Links

Recycle Right!


 
Not sure if something is recyclable or where it goes? Items like used aluminum foil and plastic wrap can baffle even the most seasoned recycler. Check our website or download the Recycle Right Westchester App maintained by Sustainable Westchester. When you enter your zip code you will find local recycling guidelines and resources like food scraps and textile drop off locations.

“Climate change is the greatest threat to our existence in our short history on this planet. Nobody’s going to buy their way out of its effects.”

Mark Ruffalo, Actor & Environmentalist
Copyright © 2024

Contact us at Tarrytownenviro@gmail.com

Our mailing address is:
1 Depot Plaza, Tarrytown, NY 10591

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Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council · One Depot Plaza · Tarrytown, NY 10591 · USA

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