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Every day is Earth Day in Tarrytown!
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NEXT MEETING: Monday, April 14, 7:30 pm @ Tarrytown Village Hall
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We need you! The Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council (TEAC) relies on volunteers to keep things moving. We're a fun and engaging group of like-minded folks working to make Tarrytown's air, land, and water healthier and cleaner. Joining is EASY: just come to a meeting or email Tarrytownenviro@gmail.com.
Monthly meetings. Our meetings are open to the public! Join us the second Monday of the month (unless otherwise noted) at 7:30 pm at Village Hall, 1 Depot Plaza, Tarrytown. Or join via Zoom.
- Monday, May 12
- Monday, June 9
- Monday, July 14
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EVENTS
TEAC EARTH MONTH EVENTS
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In collaboration with Sustainable Sleepy Hollow, we’ve planned several free, family-friendly events throughout the month to celebrate our earth! Click on the link for more details about each event:
April 12, 9am-12pm: Compost Giveback Day. Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow residents can take up to two containers of free compost produced by our villages’ Food Scrap Recycling programs; location - Sleepy Hollow High School Admin Building Parking Lot.
April 12, 10am–11am: First monthly RiverWalk Flash Clean Up and Horan’s Landing water quality testing. Help keep plastics and trash out of the Hudson. Horan’s Landing Park, 57 River Street, Sleepy Hollow. Rain or shine.
April 13, 9-12pm: Community Garden Cleanup. Join a clean-up of the Community Vegetable Garden between the Paulding School and Cobb Lane.
April 19, 10am-2pm: Friends of the Riverwalk Workday. Our mission remains the same: Assisting the Parks Department staff in establishing and maintaining plants, infrastructure and amenities. Regular Workday activities have evolved to include: removal of trash and invasives and the pruning of shrubs and small trees with the guidance of Anthony Ross, Parks Superintendent.
April 19, 10:30 am - 5:00 pm, Arts and Crafting Day: Riverkeeper Fish Migration Celebration. Create flags and banners to adorn Riverkeepers’s fish-themed flotilla as it travels up the Hudson River.
“Use our Power, Speak for Our Planet” Earth Day listening sessions:
April 21, 7pm (Tarrytown) & Tuesday April 22, 7pm (Sleepy Hollow)
Join a special session of your village’s Board of Trustees meeting and speak briefly about your environmental priorities.
April 26, 10am-12:00: Neperan Park Earth Month Celebration. Join TEAC and Little Gardens of Tarrytown to celebrate Earth Month and help prepare the Neperan gardens for spring.
April 27, 10am-12pm: Lyndhurst Estate Free Seeding Event and Vine Cutting Demo. Learn about sustainable landscaping work being done in the historic landscape in your backyard.
April 27, 9am: Morning Bird Walk with Yoni Rabino. Learn about local and migratory birds and how to identify them by sound and sight. Park at the Tarrytown Lakes parking lot, and bring binoculars!
April 27, 9am-5pm Village Free Day (Raindate: Sunday, May 4th). Sleepy Hollow & Tarrytown residents, put usable items you no longer want by the curb, and browse your neighborhood for treasures.
April 27, 10am-12 noon: Earth Month Clean-Up. Join Hackley’s Lake Keepers at their Earth Month clean up. Meet at the Tarrytown Lakes parking lot on Neperan Avenue and Sunnyside Avenue.
April 27, 8-11am: Lakes cleanup by kayak, led by David Gutschmit: meet at park-and-ride parking lot on Neperan. Seeking experienced kayakers with their own boats. Please email tarrytownenenviro@gmail.com to sign up.
May 3, 10am-1pm, Riverkeeper Sweep. Meet at either Tarrytown Losee Park Lot G or Sleepy Hollow Horan’s Landing, and sweep plastic and other waste out of the riverfront!
May 4, 10am-2pm: TarryHollow Repair Cafe. Bring small broken or non-working household items and appliances to the Sleepy Hollow Senior Center, where volunteers will get them back in shape for free!
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NEWS
DECICCO AND SONS "LEEDS" THE WAY IN SLEEPY HOLLOW
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By Dean Gallea, Energy and Conservation Committee
The latest and largest food store in the DeCicco chain of family-owned, upscale food stores opened on March 28, just off the Beekman Street entrance to Edge-on-Hudson. As Village residents were led to expect, it’s a full-featured fresh food and upscale grocery emporium, with special emphasis on fresh produce, ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook store-prepared items, cheeses, and one of the best beer and cider selections in the county. The second-floor gallery features a Sleepy Hollow–themed collection of art and movie-worn costumes, a sweeping view of the store aisles below, a pizza shop, food-and-drink bar area, catered event spaces, and an outdoor deck looking southwest toward the bridge.
 
But another second-floor feature of interest to this “energy wonk” is the windowed room housing the machinery that heats and cools the facility and its refrigerated cases. Unlike most other grocery stores, DeCicco designed its heating, cooling, hot water, and refrigeration systems to work together efficiently, using environmentally-friendly, captured CO2 as a refrigerant. Waste heat that would otherwise be vented to the atmosphere is used to preheat water and supply the building with heat. That can reduce up to 37% of the store’s electric usage, especially in cold months, according to a presentation given by DeCicco at one of Sleepy Hollows Climate-Action Plan public meetings last year. Of course, there’s a long-term financial benefit as well.
There are many other energy-saving features designed into the new location as well, giving it pending LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and GreenChill certifications. Given the currently murky political climate in the U.S. regarding energy conservation, it’s especially encouraging to see businesses in New York and other states sticking to principles that will further combat climate change and allow us to meet carbon-reduction goals.
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SUSTAINABLE GARDENING
FOR NATIVE BEAUTY, CHOOSE SPICEBUSH OVER FORSYTHIA
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By Kerstin Erdbrink, TEAC Landscape Committee
When choosing shrubs, perennials, and annuals for our gardens we often select those we are familiar with—plants that we grew up with or that hold special memories. For many of us forsythia is such a plant. When its small, bright yellow flowers burst into bloom, they transform the yard into a cheerful spectacle, signaling warmer days ahead. The striking clusters of vibrant blooms appear before the leaves emerge, creating a beautiful contrast to the still-bare surroundings of early spring.
When I began to explore options for replanting my hedges, I knew I wanted more native plants in my yard to support pollinators, and was surprised to learn that forsythias are actually native to Asia and southeastern Europe. “But I love our forsythias,” my husband said. While I have positive feelings for them as well, I hoped to find a native substitute offering similar emotional value and additional benefits for our ecoregion. That’s when I discovered spicebush (Lindera benzoin). This versatile and valuable shrub is primarily native to the eastern half of the United States. Not only is it known for its adaptability to various growing conditions, but, like forsythia, it produces small, yellow-green flowers that bloom in clusters in early spring before the leaves emerge, providing an early source of pollen for pollinators.
Unlike forsythia, spicebush produces small, red, berry-like fruits in the fall, which are highly nutritious and attract various birds and wildlife. Moreover, spicebush is one of the few host plants for the spicebush swallowtail butterfly. This striking butterfly displays a dark blue to black coloration, with iridescent blue and green markings on its wings. Young caterpillars mimic bird droppings, and some develop distinctive eyespots as they mature.
 
And have I mentioned that the spicebush is deer-resistant?
Many native trees, shrubs, and plants can easily replace non-native varieties in terms of aesthetics, and natives benefit your garden and region by supporting local wildlife and pollinators. This makes them a fantastic choice for gardeners focused on sustainability and biodiversity.
Further information on gardening with native plants can be found at: https://pollinators.tarrytownenviro.org/.
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ENERGY
ENERGY NOTES FOR APRIL
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By Dean Gallea, TEAC Co-Chair
Our Electricity Got Cheaper (?): I just got a notice from Constellation, the ESCO that supplies our electricity through the Westchester Power CCA in which Tarrytown participates. It shows a 0.091-cent per kWh decrease in the cost of our energy (supply, not delivery), due to NY State changes. That translates to about 46 cents/month for a typical household that uses 500 kWh/month, not much to cheer about.
You may have been following the complaints about the supposedly-high cost of 50%-renewable energy Tarrytown residents pay as CCA customers. Be aware that the “default” cost paid in March by customers that opted out of the CCA is now HIGHER than the CCA rate, as we predicted in an earlier issue of this newsletter. And that’s for the default “brown” power source ConEd supplies. Go GREEN! You can also opt IN to the 100% renewable rate if you want to support decarbonization even more.
And Our Gas Will Get More Expensive: ConEd, our energy utility, has proposed a double-digit delivery rate increase to take effect at the start of 2026. Our legislators and citizen groups are resisting the increase, but as usual, ConEd will likely get most of what it asks for. After all, the utility has to pay for the hugely-expensive replacement of the gas mains throughout our communities, as well as the street repaving that’s still ongoing.
But shouldn’t the natural gas supply get cheaper as the current Federal administration pushes back toward fossil-fuel development? Not according to a report by Public Citizen and Friends of the Earth. Most U.S.-produced gas will be shipped out to oil speculation companies based in Saudi Arabia, the U.K., India and even China through a host of new LNG terminals around the country. Rising exports could prompt a sharp increase in domestic natural gas prices, as American consumers compete with buyers around the world.
For EV Drivers - Or Wannabees: Here’s an interesting graphic from the U.S. DoE Alternative Fuels Data Center. State-by-state, it shows the relative effect of the average temperature on EV driving range over a year. It seems that cars in warmer southern states gain a range advantage of as much as 20% (about 50 miles) over those in colder ones. It also shows the EV adoption rate in each state, with California leading the way there:
Looking at EV sales (in 2024), though California leads there as well, Florida and Texas are pretty strong, followed by states like New York and New Jersey that have mandates and good consumer incentives for buying EVs:
Recycling Lithium Batteries: According to Green Car Reports, Chinese researchers claim to have developed a process to recover nearly all of the lithium from used electric vehicle batteries, along with other rare elements. Though the laboratory results have yet to be scaled up to commercial levels, this is good news given the high demand for those materials to make new batteries, particularly for the build-out of utility-scale battery energy storage systems.
My Geothermal Heat Project - April Update: Technically and practically, this project is a GO. Dandelion Energy confirmed that they can keep their pipe trench far enough from my property lines that I should NOT need a zoning variance. And I will probably need only a single deep (500-foot!) borehole for the 6-ton-capacity system; a ton of heating is 12,000 BTU, so 6 tons is 72,000 BTU. Dandelion plans a second “contingency” drilling if they run into a problem with the first, such as a collapse of soft material. They actually prefer to hit rock quickly, as that makes for a cleaner bore. The work will require placement of three pieces of equipment in or next to my backyard: A large air compressor, the drilling rig, and a container to hold the debris from the borehole. I look forward to getting the project permitted by the Village.
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LAKES
FISHING RESPONSIBLY ON OUR LAKES
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By David Gutschmit, TEAC Member
The Tarrytown Lakes not only offer natural beauty year-round, but from April 1 through November 31 they are a productive and accessible recreational fishing spot. Anglers need both a Tarrytown fishing permit and a New York State freshwater fishing license to fish the Tarrytown Lakes. Residents of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow can obtain a permit at Tarrytown Town Hall. Kayak fishermen need an additional town permit.
Largemouth bass is the most sought-after species in the lakes, and black crappie and bluegill are also abundant. A few simple rules can go far toward protecting the fish and the shoreline environment:
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Adhere to regulations: The NYS open season for largemouth bass is June 15 through November 30. Fish should measure a minimum of 12 inches long, and the daily catch limit is five fish. Outside of this period, bass fishing is catch and release only, using artificial lures. (There are separate regulations for black crappie and bluegill.)
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Catch and release all season long: Largemouth bass are edible but not particularly prized as food. They are resilient, and if handled properly and released promptly, can be appreciated for their fighting spirit again and again.
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Handle with care: Use a net when possible, since dangling fish vertically from the line can damage their internal organs. Cradle fish horizontally at the mid-section, and avoid touching the gills. After a vigorous fight, a bass may be in shock and need a short time to recover. When returning a fish to the lake, be prepared to support it in the water until it is ready to swim off.
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Choose single hooks: Avoid treble hooks, which can be difficult to remove and can cause additional damage to gills and eyes. Use pliers to remove the hook quickly, to minimize damage to the mouth and jaw. If the hook is not accessible, cut the line as close to the hook as possible so the fish can purge the hook on its own.
- Carry in, carry out: Used baits, line, and other gear can harm fish and other wildlife if left behind. When lures and lines snag in low-hanging foliage or debris in the water, remove as much as possible. There are several marked receptacles for used fishing line along the shore. Do not leave empty bait, food, or drink containers to spoil the setting for other fisherman and visitors.
Enjoy the 2025 season!
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EVENTS
UNEARTH: A DOCUMENTARY SCREENING AND CONVERSATION
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On Thursday April 10, from 6:30-8:30 pm, the Pocantico Center will screen a documentary about the impact of a proposed copper mine on residents of Alaska’s pristine Bristol Bay area. The Salmon sisters, Native Alaskans, work on the regulatory front, remaining vigilant to political pressures that could push the EPA to block the project. The Strickland brothers, fishermen who know they could be one mine accident away from losing their livelihoods, probe closed-door meetings held by the developer. Following the screening, director Hunter Nolan will lead a panel discussion about the film and the status of the case. Presented in partnership with the RBF’s Sustainable Development program. Learn more about the screening and get tickets here.
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ABOUT TEAC
GET INVOLVED
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Community Outreach
Year-round event planning to engage the community and help our neighbors reduce their carbon footprint. Head: Jenny O'Connor.
Tarrytown Lakes Committee
Trails, water quality, recreation, and plant and animal life of the Tarrytown Lakes Park area, including Wilson Park, plus "Vine Squad" initiative to control invasive vines to preserve native trees in the area. Head: Catherine Ruhland.
TEAC Landscaping Committee
Planting and maintaining public pollinator gardens through the Village to create pollinator habitats, educate the community, and beautify our public spaces. Head: Mai Mai Margules.
Zero Waste Committee
Advises and assists the Village on waste reduction and recycling, including "Waste Warriors" initiative at the TaSH farmer's market, food scraps recycling, swaps, and repair cafes. Heads: Catherine Ruhland, Rachel Tieger.
Energy and Conservation Committee
Advises on best practices to reduce energy use and losses in municipal and residential buildings, including renewable energy and electrification initiatives. Head: Dean Gallea.
Council Members
Rachel Tieger, Co-Chair
Dean Gallea, Co-Chair
Suzy Allman
Jenny O'Connor
Catherine Ruhland
Barbara Goodman Barnett
Mai Mai Margules
Mason Lee (Associate Member)
David Gutschmit
Kerstin Erdbrink
Effie Phillips-Staley, Board Liaison
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NEWS OF THE MONTH FROM THE TARRYTOWN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
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