Roosevelt Island Celebrates EarthLove Day Saturday April 20, You're Invited To A Wide Array Of Sustainable Eco-Friendly Healthy Activities For All Ages - Come Check It Out

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC)

Dear Roosevelt Island Community:

This year’s Earthlove Day celebration is jam packed with a wide array of activities designed to educate and encourage residents to engage in healthy, sustainable, eco-friendly living on Roosevelt Island. 

Check out our list of events below:

Community Tables on Meditation Lawn & Blackwell Plaza

10 AM – 2 PM: RIOC will host a table with a free Earthlove Day community giveaway.

10 AM – 2 PM: Roosevelt Island Historical Society will host a table with free children’s book giveaways and other items.

10 AM – 2 PM: Wildlife Freedom Fund will host a table with free Earthlove Day giveaways.

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: Island OM will host an info table on yoga on Meditation Lawn.

Health and Wellness

10 AM – 10:45 AM: MSTDA will host a free capoeira class on Meditation Lawn.

10 AM – 2 PM: Bike New York is hosting learn to ride bike classes for children and adults (pre-registration required) at the Capobianco Courts.

10 AM – 2 PM: Bike New York is also offering free bike repairs under the Helix.

11 AM – 12 PM: Island OM will host a free yoga class for island residents on Meditation Lawn.

12 PM – 1:30 PM: Roosevelt Island Runners and the Roosevelt Island Plogging Club will host a plogging run highlighting our island’s green spaces that steps off from Meditation Lawn at noon.

Recycling/Thrift/Composting

10 AM – 2 PM: Roosevelt Island thRIft will host a table in Blackwell Plaza where they will be accepting donations of clothes, accessories, and books. Donated items will also be available for sale!

10 AM – 2 PM: The Carter Burden Older Adult Center is co-hosting an electronics recycling drop-off point in conjunction with State Senator Liz Krueger’s office. Electronics can be brought to the senior center garden for recycling.

10 AM – 2 PM: Haki Compost returns to Good Shepherd Plaza in conjunction with the Roosevelt Island Garden Club to collect compostable food items.

10 AM – 2 PM: The Roosevelt Island Public Library is hosting a book swap and accepting book donations in Blackwell Plaza.

Educational Seminars

10 AM – 2 PM: iDig2Learn will host free tours on Roosevelt Island’s new “Manhattan Healing Pocket Forest” in Southpoint Park just north of Strecker Lab. (No pre-registration necessary.)

12 PM – 2 PM: Outdoor tours of Cornell Tech’s sustainability features (20-minute tours at 12:00 pm, 12:30 pm, 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm). Meet outside the entrance to the Emma and Georgina Bloomberg Center, 2 West Loop Road. (No pre-registration necessary.)

Children’s Activities

10 AM – 2 PM: The Roosevelt Island Youth Center is hosting a free recycling themed art table for kids on Meditation Lawn.

10 AM – 2PM: Island Kids is hosting an environmentally themed activity table on Meditation Lawn.

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM: The Youth Center will also host a recycling themed scavengers hunt on Meditation Lawn.

10 AM – 2 PM: RIOC is also sponsoring free kids face-painting and a photo booth on Meditation Lawn.

The current forecast for Saturday is looking good, so we can’t wait to see everyone for this year’s Earthlove Day celebration on Saturday!

-RIOC Communications and Community Affairs

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Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day Celebrates Small Steps To Make A Positive Impact On Earth And Local Community - Learn About Some Of The Volunteer Efforts Being Done By RI Residents

Last Saturday, April 22, was Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day. The activities took place at the Rivercross Lawn, across the street by Blackwell Park Plaza and the Riverwalk Commons.

According to Roosevelt Island resident and iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico

Today is Earth Love Day. We added the word "Love" about five years ago around Earth Day. We want to celebrate All Things to keep our Air, Land, Water and Sky clean which is good for humans of course but it's also good for all that live in the habitat like the birds the bees the butterflies.

You'll find ideas here at Earth's love day that talk about refusing, reducing, reusing. What goes along with that is the protection of the nature we have, protecting planting and the stewardship but also trying not to do too much waste like if you go to take take out food you don't need the forks and knives and spoons you have that in your apartment. There's something called skip the stuff and you just can tell the restaurant no thanks I don't need those. 

So small steps to do better to make a positive imprint on the earth and not a negative one....

Green Roosevelt Island Neighbors (GRIN) Anthony Luongo is concerned about Blackwell Park Trees being cut down by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC). According to Mr Luongo:

We're actually trying to take an inventory of the trees in Blackwell House Plaza. We understand that there's scheduled to be some construction in the future.

 I believe there are 160 kind of substantial trees in the potential construction zone and we'd like to make sure that they know that we care about those trees and that we need these trees. If they need to be taken down or something needs to happen to them, we would hope that there would be a discussion with folks that know about those types of things and a real conversation about that before any of them were taken down ... 

Carter Burden Network Roosevelt Island Older Adult Center Lisa Fernandez reports;

We received from the Office Of Addiction Services and Supports the proper medicine disposal bags. 

You take your medicine, open the bag, take your meds, dump it in, add a little hot tap water, pour it in,  seal it, shake it, put it in the trash. 

Keeps it out of our ecosystem, out of our water system. Simple.

You might not feel like lugging it to Duane Reade or CVS wherever they have the collection sites. 

Easy Peasy

Roosevelt Island Garden Club member Julia Ferguson with a group of volunteers worked on Riverwlk Commons Plantings and adds:

We're very happy to have worked with Matt Kibby, our Horticultural director on Roosevelt Island. We were able to order a lot of perennials shrubs and flowers... ... We've been hoping to work on this area for some time and this is a great opportunity.... it's been a really fun day...

 

 There was also Yoga Mediation with Roosevelt Island resident and Island Om owner Jax Schott on the Rivercross Lawn

And outdoor chess 

with NY Public Library Roosevelt Island branch Manager Carlos Chavez too.

Riverwalk Commons Flower Beds Receive Some Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day Plantings From Roosevelt Island Garden Club And Local Resident Volunteers

Roosevelt Island Garden Club members Julia Ferguson and Jack Burkhalter worked together with a group of community volunteers 

to beautify the long neglected Riverwalk Commons Flower beds 

yesterday during the April 22 Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day. According to Ms Ferguson:

We're very happy to have worked with Matt Kibby, our Horticultural director on Roosevelt Island. We were able to order a lot of perennials shrubs and flowers... ... We've been hoping to work on this area for some time and this is a great opportunity.... it's been a really fun day...

Will have more from Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day tomorrow later this week.

More about the Roosevelt Island Garden Club at their web site. 

UPDATE 4/25 - More on Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day here.

Earth Love Day Saturday April 22 On Roosevelt Island At Meditation Lawn, Blackwell Plaza And Riverwalk Commons - You're Invited To Beautification Planting, Yoga Meditation, Recycling Art Station, Book Swap, Seed Giveaway, Educational Booths, Plogging, Composting & More

Roosevelt Island resident and iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico reports:

Saturday, April 22nd / 11am- 3pm - Earth Love Day event at Meditation Lawn, Blackwell House Plaza and planting with the garden club at the Riverwalk Commons near Granny Annie’s on Roosevelt Island. 

Free resources include the book drop n’ swap & a used battery drop. Activities include the Youth Center art station, Island Kids seed giveaway, Girl Scout Recycle and Crafting station, RIHS children's book giveaway and iDig2Learn & GRIN tree urban forest planting news and Tree Survey plus Haki Compost collective will be on hand to talk about food scraps for the compost program. 

Also, stop by to learn more about the new teen-run Island Plogging Club with Louise. Plus Main Street Theater and Dance performances and OM yoga too. Rain date: Sunday, April 23rd.

The Roosevelt Island Garden Club invites you to help plant flowers in the Riverwalk Commons tomorrow too.

The Greening Of Roosevelt Island, Kick Off April's Earth Month By Joining Haki Compost Collective - Saturday Food Scrap Drop Off Site Spring Move To Good Shepherd Plaza, Earth Month Tips, Green Fun Facts & Local Earth Love Day Events April 22

The Roosevelt Island Haki Compost Collective Volunteers report:

Starting Saturday, April 1st, the Haki Compost Collective will be located at Good Shepherd Plaza next to the picnic tables. 

Please stop by to learn more or write to hakicompost@gmail.com to join our next volunteer orientation on April 8th from 11am to Noon or to express interest in an upcoming orientation. You can also follow us on Instagram @hakicompost

Earth Month tips to try on Roosevelt Island: 

• Did you know that batteries are hazardous waste that cannot go into the trash or be recycled? Thankfully, Islanders can drop all dead batteries at the Public Safety Office on Main Street for proper disposal. 
• Unused medicines can be dropped at Walgreens/Duane Reade in the drop box near the pharmacy.
• Now that Skip The Stuff legislation has passed, restaurants no longer need to spend money on plastic forks and cutlery, which will now only go out when requested, so remember to skip the stuff when ordering take out food.
• Unfortunately, thin film plastic like bread bags and plastic bags are not recyclable in your building’s plastic recycling bins. Sometimes we might wish-cycle items we think should be recycled (place them in the wrong receptacle and “wish for the best”). For plastic, follow signage examples and know that rigid plastic is key to what can be recycled in your building.
• Bring your own - if you have a picnic, bring your own reusable cup, cutlery, and napkins. The carry, in-carry out method reduces single use plastic waste which ends up in landfills.
• Start collecting electronics for an upcoming Electronic Waste Collection, currently scheduled for April 14th 11 am to 3 pm and 15th from 10 am to 3 pm, sponsored by Senator Liz Krueger.
• Leave the leaves - leaves wrap around the butterfly chrysalis until temperatures are consistently 50 degrees for five days or more. Encourage your building management to adopt sustainable gardening practices in your green spaces.

Save the Date: Earth Love Day on April 22nd, 11 am - 2 pm On Roosevelt Island, Earth Love Day will be held at the Meditation Lawn and Blackwell House Plaza, and will include a book swap/drop, clothing drop, used battery drop, and fun activities for all ages. Come meet Haki volunteers, participate in the Tree Tally, and learn more about the many group efforts to restore the land, air, and water.

Hope to see you at the bins at Good Shepherd Plaza soon.

Here's more Greening Of Roosevelt Island info from the Haki Compost Collective volunteers.

In June 2021, a Haki Compost Collective volunteer described Haki's compost activities to a visiting group of Big Reuse Compost Bike Tour riders.

Stop by the Roosevelt Island Food Scrap Bin on Saturday, drop off your food scraps and learn about volunteer opportunities with the good folks at Haki Compost Collective.

Come Join The Roosevelt Island Tree Tally And Celebrate Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day Saturday April 30 At Mediation Lawn And Blackwell Plaza - Plenty Of Activities To Raise Awareness On Ways To Keep Roosevelt Island And Our Planet Green And Clean

Among the activities planned for the 4th Annual 2022 Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day is a Roosevelt Island Tree Tally.

Green Roosevelt Island Neighbors (GRIN) Founder Anthony Longo shares these photos and reports:

Have you seen any Roosevelt Island trees

with small circular metal tag numbers?

Can you think of any trees we have lost? 

Spotted any new ones?

Join us as we begin to find out how many trees we currently have and help us come up with a plan to replace those we have lost. 

1615 Roosevelt Island trees got tagged in 2012. 

We start our Quest on April 30th at 11:00 am on the Rivercross / Mediation lawn. 

Stop by the iDig2learn table at the #EarthLove Day event. Just look for the butterflies and black gold.

iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico adds:

Celebrate kindness to the Earth and each other at the 4th annual #EarthLove Day on Saturday, April 30th, from 11 AM – 2 PM at the Meditation Lawn and Blackwell Plaza (500 Main St.).

Join us for fun and educational activities, where we will be raising awareness on ways we can help Roosevelt Island and our planet stay green and clean! Community organizations and partners will join RIOC in engaging the public with activities including:

• Native plantings and educational activities with the R.I. Garden Club (sign up your group HERE)
• Free Book Swap sponsored by the R.I. Branch NYPL (bring your gently handled books)
• Clothing Drop sponsored by the Carter Burden/R.I. Senior Center (bring your gently worn clothing in sealed bags for donation)
• Plogging with the R.I. Youth Center- a healthy way to jog or walk around the island while picking up litter polluting our beautiful space (bring your reusable bags)
• Bike New York Bike Repair and Learn to Ride classes (sign up details to come)
• Join iDig2Learn to celebrate nature & fly like a Monarch butterfly & learn about the Tree Tally & Compost with GRIN & Haki
• Yoga/Meditation with Island OM.
• Meet Alternew to give your clothes new life with mending & tailoring demos
• Used Battery recycling drop-off
• Educational tables to learn how you can do more!
• Free reusable giveaways!  
  

Please note that the Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day festivities begin at 11 A.M not 10 A.M as shown in the flyer at top.

Roosevelt Island Wildlife Freedom Foundation Volunteers Celebrate Earth Day Last Friday With Trash And Litter Clean Up At Southpoint Park - "I'm Here To Help Heal The Earth" Says Young WFF Volunteer, "I'd Love To Keep My Island Clean" Says Another

Roosevelt Island resident and Wildlife Freedom Foundation (WFF) President Rossana Ceruzzi together with an enthusiastic group of volunteers 

celebrated Earth Day last Friday, April 22, with a clean up of trash and litter left at Southpoint Park. They also gave away reusable bags and biodegradable and compostable dog waste bags.

pic.twitter.com/rOpTSqQ4uR

— Wildlife Freedom Foundation (@wffny) April 22, 2022

Answering the question "why are you here today", the WFF volunteers said:

• I'm here to help heal the earth,
• I live here on this Island and my my original intent with the joining Wildlife Freedom Foundation was helping out all these animals here but Rosanna told me about this clean up project we have here for Earth day and I'd love to keep my Island clean. Keep the Earth clean. Stop all this littering stuff.
• I care about the environment and the animals and we can clearly see that the garbage does harm our animals
• I'm here today to help the ecosystem.

The WFF Roosevelt Island Earth Day celebration was done in cooperation with the NYC Department of Sanitation.

Here's how 2022 Earth Day clean up was celebrated in other parts of NYC.

More info on the Roosevelt Island Wildlife Freedom Foundation at their website, Instagram and Twitter page.

Clean Up Efforts Today By Local Residents Celebrate Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day, Lets Go Plogging - Book Swap With Local Library, Composting, Yoga & More Too

Roosevelt Island celebrated Earth Love Day on this beautiful spring Saturday at the Rivercross Lawn with a Ploggng clean up, book swap, composting and other sustaninable activities. 

Local resident and iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico, together with her young friends, describe their Plogging efforts today.

Island Om's Jax Schott led a Yoga Class on the Rivercross Lawn too.

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And from the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Communications staff.

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A post shared by RI Operating Corp. (RIOC) (@rooseveltislandrioc)

Last Thursday, the Today Show host Al Roker celebrated Earth Day with The Science Guy Bill Nye on Roosevelt Island.

Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day Saturday April 24 At Rivercross Lawn - You're Invited For Eco Friendly Activities And Education, Plogging, Composting, Pollinator Seeds & Gardening Plus Sustainable Giveaways

 Engaged Roosevelt Island reports:

Hello Engaged Roosevelt Island Neighbors,

Happy Earth Day! We wanted to be sure you are aware of RIOC’s #EarthLove Day this Saturday, April 24th from 10 AM – 1 PM. at the Meditation Lawn adjacent to the Meditation Steps (south of Rivercross/501 Main St.) on Roosevelt Island. 

Our own iDig2Learn will be hosting Plogging from 10am to Noon. Plogging originated in Sweden (Plocka och Jogga) and combines fresh air by getting neighbors outdoors to move either by jogging or walking to pick up litter. Limtied supply of reusable bags and gloves so please bring your own if you have them. (Coach Scot has been a terrific partner – and made the pilot program the success that it was. See the attached "thank you" flyer – what a wonderful event!)

There will also be a free book exchange, used battery drop off and the updated Green Map of free eco-friendly resources on Roosevelt Island.

Hope to see everyone there. Take care.

Here's more on Plogging

Happy Earth Day From Roosevelt Island, Watch Today Show Host Al Roker, Science Guy Bill Nye And Local Wildlife Freedom Foundation Clean Up Southpoint Park - Al And Bill Ride A RI Citibike Avoiding Potholes and Return To Manhattan On Empty Tram During Morning Rush Hour

As reported yesterday, the NBC Today Show morning television program broadcast live today from Roosevelt Island's Southpoint Park to celebrate Earth Day.

Celebrating #EarthDay on Roosevelt Island with @TODAYshow @alroker @BillNye at Southpoint Park. https://t.co/drLJiJZpje

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) April 22, 2021

Roosevelt Island's Wildlife Freedom Foundation (WFF) founder Rossana Ceruzzi and WFF volunteers were invited to participate in the Earth Day celebration and joined in to help clean up Southpoint Park.

It’s Earth’s Day!!
WFF Volunteers at work for THE GREAT GLOBAL CLEANUP with NBC Today’s Show & Al Roker @wffny @EarthDay @RestoreOurEarth @alroker @NBCNewYork @RI_Daily @Rooseveltisland @TODAYshow pic.twitter.com/i8Sa4cmE1Z

— Wildlife Freedom Foundation (@wffny) April 22, 2021

Bill Nye, the Science Guy, spoke with Today show host Al Roker about the Earth Day movement from the Roosevelt Island East River promenade.

and then took a Citibike ride at the Tram Plaza - watch out for the cracked street and potholes guys.

Roosevelt Island street potholes noticed by @TODAYshow @alroker @BillNye on their @CitiBikeNYC ride near Tram station. @RIOCny @RiocCeo need to repair many Roosevelt Island broken streets, sidewalks and potholes https://t.co/BC41aSI97m

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) April 22, 2021

A resident noted: 

I was watching how Al and Bill turned 180 degrees just before going under the Ed Koch bridge on the East side. They could not make that choice! Both the sidewalk and the road are in horrible shape at that spot.  It was kind of funny to see these bikers violating our invisible road signs and going against traffic.

Al Roker and Bill Nye then departed for mainland Manhattan on an empty Roosevelt Island Tram during the morning rush hour

.@alroker and @BillNye take a ride on the Roosevelt Island tram in New York City and have a conversation about the importance of clean air. #EarthDay pic.twitter.com/PGOXJrSxoc

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 22, 2021

Happy Earth Day from Roosevelt Island.

All I want for #EarthDay is someone to be as genuinely excited to hang out with me as @alroker is to run around Roosevelt Island talking about climate issues with @BillNye @TODAYshow 🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️🌎

— Stephanie Ann (@StephiAnnPR) April 22, 2021

More celebrating Earh Day on Roosevelt Island this Saturday.

Happening SAT 4/24 10am to 1pm #EarthLove day on @Rooseveltisland Walk on by and join us on the meditation grassy lawn across from the historic Blackwell house. Try Plogging or the book exchange. #EarthDayEveryDay #Earthlove #RooseveltIsland pic.twitter.com/axCGXZ1nQ9

— iDig2Learn (@iDig2Learn) April 22, 2021

Roosevelt Island Celebrates Earth Love Day With Demonstrations Of Available Eco-Friendly Resources By Local Groups Including iDig2Learn, Garden Club, Green RI Neighbors, Circle Of Kindness & More - Food Scraps Are Not Trash

Roosevelt Island celebrated Earth Love Day last Saturday April 27 at the Good Shepherd Plaza Farmers Market. Local residents and visitors showed us available environmentally friendly resources available right here on Roosevelt Island.

Here's what happended.

Roosevelt Island is showing #EarthLove by helping neighbors find eco-friendly resources like the SAT @BigReuse food scrap drop off, clothing bins, electronic waste boxes, battery drops & the new Safe Medication Disposal box too! Thanks @RIOCny @DuaneReade pic.twitter.com/81N7Oms1sS

— iDig2Learn (@iDig2Learn) May 1, 2019

Today #RooseveltIsland #earthloveday 7,000 market plastic bags were replaced w/ compostable bags, #wengerd gave 1000 reusable totes, #rigardenclub and #GRIN showed the value of food scraps w/ plant activities, @BigReuse gave back compost. #EarthLove pic.twitter.com/fNoPQubl7V

— iDig2Learn (@iDig2Learn) April 28, 2019

IDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico explains Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day and how to use food scraps for composting. Ms Delfico says - Food Scraps Are Not Trash!

Tks @whao_org 4 showing artistic #EarthLove on #RooseveltIsland w/ food scrap plant dyes made from blackberries & onion skins which create beautiful nature fabric colors. @RIOCny @iDig2Learn@BigReuse @designNPS@whao_org #earthloveday #compostproject pic.twitter.com/RHBV2CHTVl

— iDig2Learn (@iDig2Learn) April 28, 2019

Sara Qihan Dong from the World Human Accountability Organization shows how to make beautiful dyes from food scraps.

#earthloveday inspired by @servicespace Circle of Kindness comes to #RooseveltIsland delicious chutney sandwiches along w/ Smile Cards were shared 2 introduce pay-it-forward acts of kindness. Kind 2 us & 2 earth. @RIOCny pic.twitter.com/QVA7KgEK73

— iDig2Learn (@iDig2Learn) April 28, 2019

Niti Parikh helps spread a Circle of Kindness around Roosevelt Island.



Green Rooseelt Island Neighbors (GRIN) Anthony Longo makes Superdirt from Roosevelt Island organics that are not food scraps.



Roosevelt Island Garden Club Member Julia Ferguson goes deeper into how to compost with bugs and worms and other good stuff.



More from RIGC on Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day at their web site.

Roosevelt Island Youth Center Member and Girl Scout Dakota describes learning about saving the environment and using food scraps for composting



iDig2Learn's Christina Delfico has more on Roosevelt Island Earth Love Day.

Young people from the RIOC’s Youth Center were on hand to collect used batteries and cheer locals on their green journey with a Roosevelt Island Phase 1 Green Map. The map spotlights free eco-friendly island resources available including free food scrap drop offs, clothing bin drops, electronic waste boxes and the newly added Safe Medication Disposal box at Duane Reade. Many building managers have painted their roofs light colors which reduces energy use, offer free book exchange shelves, planted trees and native pollinator friendly plants, use green cleaning products and peak energy alerts to conserve and reduce waste. RIOC has used battery drops at Sportspark and 591 Main Street for safe disposal. More sustainable resources will be added to the phase two green map as additional buildings, schools and businesses announce their sustainable practices. Islanders are encouraged to share earth-friendly practices they know about or wish to start by tagging #EarthLove and Roosevelt Island on social media.

Read more »

Roosevelt Island Is Celebrating Earth Love Day Saturday April 27 At Good Shepherd Plaza Farmers Market - Compost Food Scraps, Recycle Batteries,, Safe Medication Disposal Info, Sustainable Giveaways Too - Keep Our Neighborhood Clean & Green

Roosevelt Island is celebrating Earth Love Day on Saturday April 27 from 9 AM - 2 PM at the Good Shepherd Plaza Farmers Market.

“Please don’t call me trash,” said food scraps, batteries, plastic and unused Rx prescriptions. Join @BigReuse @RIOCny to find out how Roosevelt Islanders are keeping the neighborhood clean and green. #EarthLove #Earth #compostproject #community #zerowaste pic.twitter.com/sG2fTW7hlB

— iDig2Learn (@iDig2Learn) April 24, 2019

According to Roosevelt Island resident and iDig2Learn founder Christina Delfico

SAT April 27th - 9am - 2pm #EarthLove day event

We are bananas about banana peels! Already dropping off food scraps? Want to learn how? It's easy. Stop by Good Shepherd Plaza SAT April 27th for a free compost giveback, sustainable giveaways and eco-friendly activities. Roosevelt Islanders have diverted 100,000 pounds of food scraps which have been transformed into healthy compost. Find out what islanders are doing to reduce waste and make our island's land, air and waters clean and green. Bring your food scraps and an empty container for compost, drop off used batteries for recycling, enter to win giveaways, learn about plant dyes, Smile Cards, plant plants and more! Join us to celebrate kindness to the Earth and each other! It's free, easy and fun.

Also, as previously reported:

... During the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Meeting Public Session, Ms. Delfico reported on the Saturday April 27 Roosevelt Island Earth event as well as additional Roosevelt Island sustainability, composting, and electronic/clothing recyclying opportunities.



Ms Delfico asked the Common Council Members if they knew how many plastic bags are used each Saturday at the Farmers Market - the answer was .... 7 thousand plastic bags.

In order to reduce the number of plastic bags, 1 thousand re-usable tote bags will be given away at the Saturday April 27 Farmers Market as well as a drawing to give away 10 kitchen countertop compost bins.

For more info check out the iDig2Learn web site, twitter feed or email Ms Delfico.

Let's keep Roosevelt Island Clean and Green!

UPDATE 4/25:

Did you know Roosevelt Island now has a Safe Medication Disposal box @DuaneReade which helps keep our waters clean. Swing by 4/27 to find out more ways to show #EarthLove @RIOCny@iDig2Learn @BigReuse@designNPS @whao_org#RIGardenClub #compostproject pic.twitter.com/6ZsKM4PRKO

— iDig2Learn (@iDig2Learn) April 25, 2019

UPDATE 4/26 - Press release from iDig2Learn:

Led by Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) and community organizations working to create a healthy island environment,​ #EarthLove ​Day arrives with a compost giveback at Good Shepherd Plaza to spotlight ongoing island sustainability efforts and encourage more.

In September 2018, Big Reuse, iDig2Learn, the Roosevelt Island Garden Club and Green Roosevelt Island Neighbors joined the RIOC’s building manager meeting to convey the success of the island’s weekly Food Scrap Drop Off (FSDO) in removing heavy, wet food waste from island buildings to broaden awareness of this free resource to residents. RIOC President and CEO, Susan Rosenthal said, “We don’t talk much about reduction until Earth Day rolls around but efforts such as using LED lighting, painting rooftops light colors to reduce energy costs, and dropping food scraps off every Saturday are year round endeavors which are good for the earth and our AVAC system which can get overloaded as it moves waste from island apartment buildings.”

Giving back compost is a thank you that recognizes resident’s success in having diverted 100,000 pounds of food scraps from landfill since the program began in November 2015. The fact that Big Reuse transforms island organics, like banana peels, into compost just under the Queensboro Bridge and returns it to island landscaping and gardens projects, shows the value created by food scraps, material previously deemed waste.

“The best way to collect and drop food scraps is with a reusable container that can be washed and reused weekly,” says Project Manager, Leah Retherford of NYC Compost Project Hosted by Big Reuse. She added, “Compostable and paper bags can go in too but to make our machine run smoothly it is best to rip any bags open upon dropping your food scraps, and please, no plastic bags.”

"Returning organic matter to the earth just makes sense, we only need to think about it a little differently. Trimmings from Christmas trees and six months worth of coffee grounds have also been returned to the earth in Roosevelt Island’s community garden. Taking a full plastic bag on a long trip to landfill via fossil fuel burning vehicles comes at an enormous cost to our planet but handled locally it saves time, energy and money," said Green Roosevelt Island Neighbor (GRIN), Anthony Longo who will share composting tips and planting activities throughout the day.

“Instead of throwing away all the food scraps, they can also be reused to make beautiful natural dyes for fabric,” said Sara Qihan Dong, the project manager of World Human Accountability Organization (WHAO), who will be offering a colorful interactive plant dye activity in support of sustainability efforts on this earth day.

“Everything is connected. It is great to see Islanders and landscapers planting more native plants and trees, which have evolved to thrive in our area. These important host plants for pollinators provide food and habitat for birds and ultimately support a healthier ecosystem for us all,” said Julia Ferguson of the Roosevelt Island Garden Club. Ferguson will be on hand with the ever-popular worm bin to demonstrate the compost cycle.

“Kindness to the earth includes kindness to each other,” said Niti Parikh, who heads the Maker Lab at Cornell Tech, and was inspired by ​servicespace.org​ to introduce “Circle of Kindness” and Smile Cards to islanders. “When someone does something nice for you just because they want to, you feel so good to receive that gift it makes you want to go out and do something nice for someone else, and a Smile Card, passed to another, encourages kind actions. It is like a positive chain reaction.”

“It is easy to forget our connection to nature and that keeping our land, air and water clean helps keep us healthy too,” said Christina Delfico, Emmy-Nominated Producer and Founder of iDig2Learn, a nonprofit which encourages exploration of science and food through plant life. “Plastic pollution now affects marine life and has entered the fish we consume, so it is wonderful that Wengerd Farms will give away one thousand reusable tote bags to help show #EarthLove as we near the March 2020 New York State plastic bag ban. And the market will be replacing thousands of plastic bags with compostable bags for the day which residents can use over the following week to collect their food scraps in. iDig2Learn will also give away kitchen countertop compost bins every half hour to lucky residents,” Delfico added.

The Roosevelt Island Youth Center invites residents to drop off their used batteries throughout the day and produced a sustainability map of Roosevelt Island to spotlight resources, like free clothing drop bins and E-cycle electronic waste boxes in apartment buildings, Duane Reade’s new Safe Medication Disposal box, and invite residents to share news of other sustainable practices.

Market regulars like Kitchen 36 Inc. (aka “The Soup Lady”), Ibari, Hoboken Farms and Vesco Foods will list ways their businesses show #EarthLove. Whether sourcing organic ingredients, not using plastic bags or supporting local farmers, all agreed on the importance of reducing and reusing.

Happy Earth Day From Roosevelt Island, the International Space Station & NYC March For Science

Sans doute Roosevelt Island pic.twitter.com/fHDQIWV7tF

— Pierre Schneider م (@Pierreschneider) April 15, 2017

View from the fairing during SES-10 mission. #EarthDay pic.twitter.com/zPYQRQ3BkR

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 22, 2017

As far as we know Earth is unique in the universe, so we need to take care of it! #EarthDay pic.twitter.com/TYAFnWP1o8

— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) April 22, 2017

This #EarthDay fire up the biggest screen you have, kick back, and watch our planet in its full 4K glory: https://t.co/Ts0cg2bNd0 pic.twitter.com/ZTsaooPVHx

— Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) April 22, 2017

Click on full screen icon for an incredible view.



More on today's Earth Day March for Science here.

iDig2Learn Hosts Roosevelt Island Earth Day Celebration At Tram Lawn Saturday April 18, Plant Flowers, Art, Food & Volunteer - Also Participatory Budget Vote For Roosevelt Island Green Roof And Hearing Impaired Technology

iDig2Learn is hosting a Roosevelt Island Earth Day celebration Saturday, April 18, at the Roosevelt Island Tram Lawn.

Image From iDig2Learn

Christina Delfico of iDig2Learn reports:

9AM - Volunteers needed for iDig2Learn hosted Earth day event tomorrow on the Tram lawn. Please show up at 9 AM to help with set up and sign in so the children and their families can enjoy all the activities from 10 AM to 1 PM on the Tram lawn.

Our sponsors at Riverwalk, Shops on Main, Manhattan Park, Rivercross Tenants’ Corporation, and Roosevelt Landings support this free event for all ages.

iDig2Learn is hosting an Earth Day event Saturday (April 18), 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the Tram lawn next to the Visitor Kiosk (rain or shine). Children and adults plant flowers and join in activities such as an archaeological dig box to hunt for shark’s teeth, a creative art activity for children with RIVAA gallery artist Connie Tanner, a “Jump-in!” exercise with Island mom Paulina Mansz, healthy food tastings courtesy of Laila Amatullah from the Roosevelt Island Women’s Health Organization, Book reading with Eva Bosbach, Earth-inspired art with Bonnie Goodman, a tree of life activity, and more. Special guests from NYC Parks, TreesCount! 2015, and you can learn more about joining a citywide initiative and tree stewardship.

This event is only possible with collaboration from RIOC, Girl Scouts, 217PTA, RI Youth Program, Beacon, RI Garden Club, RIRA, RIWHO, Roosevelt Island Historical Society, RIVAA Gallery, RI Parents' Network, LI Landscape Gardens, Fantastic Gardens, RI Explorers and countless volunteers.

Ms. Delfico spoke to the April 1 Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council about the Earth Day Celebration.



Ms. Delfico adds:

Participatory Vote Bonus:

Concurrent with the Earth Day event, there will be the 2015 Participatory Voting site at the RI Historical Society Visitors Kiosk near the Tram, from 11AM to 5 PM. If you are a District 5 resident, you are 16 years or older you can support the two island projects that made the ballot, and you don’t need to be US citizen or registered voter.

The two Roosevelt Island Participatory Budget projects you can vote for are the PS/IS 217 Green Roof



and installation of hearing impaired technology at the Roosevelt Island Public Library.

More information on Participatory Budget Voting at this prior post.

Roosevelt Island's NY State Senator Jose Serrano Supports Earth Hour 2015 And Hosts Panel Discussion On Climate Change - Turn Off Lights And Non Essential Electronics For One Hour To Impact Climate Change

 Image From Earth Hour 2015

Roosevelt Island's NY State Senator Jose Serrano reports on his resolution in support of Earth Hour 2015

VIDEO: Today I sponsored a resolution in support of #EarthHour2015. Click link for my remarks on the #NYSenate floor https://t.co/AvoadypQfz
— Sen. Jose M. Serrano (@SenatorSerrano) March 24, 2015

and hosts a panel discussion:

... with Marcia Bystryn, President of New York League of Conservation Voters and Aurash Khawarzad, Policy Coordinator at WE ACT for Environmental Justice to discuss Earth Hour and issues surrounding climate change....

Represent NYC Episode 11: Earth Hour & Climate Change with NYS Senator José Serrano from Manhattan Neighborhood Network on Vimeo.

According to Earth Hour 2015:

The lights-off event

Earth Hour started in 2007 as a lights-off event to raise awareness about climate change. We have grown to engage more than 162 countries and territories worldwide. Earth Hour is on Saturday, 28 March 2015 at 8:30 pm local time.

Watch the lights go out last year.