WestchesterEnvironmentPublished by Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, Inc. Dedicated to environmental

planning and education in Westchester County Vol. 2011 No.1 Winter/Spring 2011Printed on recycled paper

2010 A

nnual Report

An Urgent Request For Your Email Addresses

Like many environmental groups, FCWC will start saving trees and money by moving all our communication and education to email and our website.

We ask you to please provide us with your current email address in one of the following ways:

• Call the office at (914) 422-4053 with your email address and leave your phone number in case we need to confirm,

• Email it to fcwc@fcwc.org or,

• Visit our website and subscribe to our Email list:

Go to http://www.fcwc.org, then select “News&Media” and “Subscribe to FCWC Email List.”

For our Member Organizations:

Please provide emails for your officers or board members along with their names, addresses and phone numbers. We promise not to abuse this electronic communication by overloading you with messages.

A Habanero Grows in…Tarrytown?By Sharon Pickett

Yes indeed. Not only habaneros, but jalapenos, anchos, poblanos and the more common bell pepper. Lots of peppers.

Where is this all happening? At the newly constructed community gar-dens at Tarrytown Hall Care Center, a 120-bed residential care facility. The brainchild of the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council (TEAC), this garden was in the planning stages for several years and came to “fruition” this past summer.

The garden, on a 25’ X 25’ fenced and gated plot, consists of 3 high raised beds and 9 other plots. The high raised beds are wheelchair accessible and suitable for gardeners with limited mobility. Rain barrels collect rainwater for irrigation and a heavy duty bin provides equipment storage.

The raised beds are reserved for residents of the Care Center, while the other beds are available to the community on a first-come first-gardening basis. Carole Griffiths, Chairperson of TEAC says that there is already a waiting list for next year and, if all goes well, the group plans to expand the garden’s footprint. In addition, several student volunteers from Sleepy Hollow High School are interested in helping the physically challenged gardeners tend their plots.

But it’s not only peppers. The garden contains tomatoes (naturally), herbs, Swiss chard, all sorts of melons and squash, eggplant, broccoli and cauliflower, scallions and much more.

This project was funded by a generous grant from the Feldman Fund of the Westchester Community Foundation. http://www.wcf-ny.org

The Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council is a Conservation Advisory Council founded in 1974. TEAC has recently joined FCWC as a member organization. Website: www.tarrytownenvironmental.org.

Upcoming Meeting of FCWC’s Federation of Member Organizations will be announced through our ENEWS and on our website.

Page 2 WESTCHESTER ENVIRONMENT Vol 2011 No 1

Westchester Environment is published byFederated Conservationistsof Westchester County, Inc.

E House ~ 78 North BroadwayWhite Plains, NY 10603

(914) 422-4053fcwc@fcwc.orgwww.fcwc.org

Adiel Gavish – Program Director

Board of DirectorsSteven Levy and Sharon Pickett

– Co-PresidentsJason Klein - Vice PresidentRobert Carroll – SecretaryLaurence O’Connell and

Carolyn Cunningham Co-Treasurers

Jan Blaire, Lisa Copeland, Angele Dixon

Herbert Fox, Robert Funicello, Carole Griffiths, Cesare Manfredi, Maureen Morgan, Oreon Sandler,

Nortrud W. Spero, Frederick W. Turner

WE Newsletter Staff: Carolyn Cunningham

Jeff Green, Production

Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, Inc. is a coalition of environmental organizations and individuals. Represented

in it is a diversity of opinions. The FCWC Board of Directors takes positions on some

environmental issues. Signed articles appearing in Westchester Environment

are the views of the authors and not necessarily those of the FCWC Board.

This report highlights a few of our new and continuing efforts of the past year

towards a greener and more sustainable Westchester.

FCWC initiated its improved website www.fcwc.org, which has many exciting new features; we produced and mailed three quarterly issues of Westchester Environment (Winter, Spring, Summer) to our list of several thousand; also a number of ENEWS issues were emailed to our subscribers with member events, alerts and other news.

Education, Advocacy and Meetings

The Annual Meeting in June was particularly inspiring as the Edith G. Read conservation awards were again presented to students – the awardees from Rye, Yonkers, and Briarcliff.

We co-sponsored:

A series of Green Building meetings: “Building Blocks for an Energy Efficient Home”,

A meeting on the negative implications of individual plastic water bottles, “Bottlemania”,

In September, we sponsored “End of the Petroleum Era: Renovating Existing Buildings” with architect Steve Tilly. We again participated in the Eagle Fest as a collaborator.

FCWC continued its co-sponsorship of all of the Conversations on Conservation programs during 2010, taking the lead on the spring meeting on Hydrofracking of natural gas by helping obtain the speakers and moderating the meeting, and continuing to work with the Croton Watershed Clean Water Coalition's initiative to address the critical negative impacts of hydrofracking.

Advocacy:

We were pleased to meet to discuss environmental issues with the new County Executive Rob Astorino.

Both former President Cesare Manfredi and Steven Levy were selected and are participating in the

City of New Rochelle effort to seek potential options for Davids Island - a longstanding parkland focus of FCWC.

We continued our participation on the Tappan Zee Task Force,

Supported efforts to protect the Jay Property from debris dumping,

Supported with testimony on the New Rochelle Sustainability Plan,

Continue to participate in City of White Plains Sustainabilty and Environmental Enhancement Committee, and,

Advocated a ban on hydrofracking in several venues.

Looking Ahead in 2011

We must not let our poor economic climate result in moving our environmental challenges to the back burner. Major challenges ahead of us include obtaining a ban on hydrofracturing to maintain our irreplaceable watershed system, assuring Playland Park remains a premier county park, helping our coastal communities plan for sea level rise, and pressing for transportat ion infrastructure investment, particularly in rail, even during times of stress.

We must continue to join together in numbers - and with financial support - to make a difference today on these and other arising environmental issues before we lose our region’s stature. Please join us.

FCWC 2010 Annual ReportBy Co-Presidents Sharon Pickett and Steven J. Levy

Page 3 WESTCHESTER ENVIRONMENT Vol 2011 No 1

We gratefully thank our many individual and organizational members and donors for their support. This issue of Westchester Environment will be placed on our website: www.FCWC.org.

Conservationists Circle $2,000 and above

Ruth & Seymour Klein Foundation, Inc.Sharon Pickett & Paul Mazzilli Family FundPocantico Lake Civic Association Ms. Nortrud W. Spero

Preservationists$250 to $500

Mr. Henry ChlupsaMs. Carolyn CunninghamMr. Robert FunicelloMs. Ellen GelboimMs. Patricia KeeseeMr. & Mrs. Steven LevyMs. Judith MartinMs. Maureen M. MorganMr. Richard OttingerMs Miriam Popp & Peter SeeleySylvia & Robert Scher Charitable FoundationMr. & Mrs. Donald Stever Benefactors $100 to $200

Ms. Gail AverillMs. Alison BeallMs. Jan BlaireMr. & Mrs. John CareyMr. Robert CarrollMs. Barbara ClapmanMs. Lisa A. CopelandMs. Lena CrandallMr. J. Michael DivneyMr. Nicholas EverettDr. and Mrs. Herbert FoxMr. & Mrs. Michael GerrardMrs. Katie GinsbergMs. Melissa GreicoDr. Carole GriffithsMr. Richard P. KeliskyMr. Gerald & Honorable Marlene KolbertDr. Fred KoontzMr. & Mrs. Jules KrollMs. Christine LehnerDavid & Frances MageeMr. Cesare ManfrediMr. & Mrs. Charles L. MasseyMs. Sandy MorrisseyMr. Larry O’ConnellMr. Winthrop ParkerMr. & Mrs. Paul Rheingold

Honorable Martin RogowskyMs. Marian H. RoseMs. Polly RothsteinMr. Oreon SandlerHonorable Nancy SeligsonMs. Carol E. ShanesyMs. Barbara SmithMrs. Carolyn SummersMr. Steven Tilly & Ms. Elizabeth MartinMr. & Mrs. Robert G. TritschMr. Frederick W. TurnerDr. James UtterMr. John A. Voulgaris & Ms. Andrea JurgrauHonorable Phyllis Wittner

Friends Under $100

Honorable Thomas J. AbinantiMs. Brooke M. BeebeMr. & Mrs. Paul BenowitzMs. Jacqueline BruskinMr. David BryanMs. Katherine CarskyMr. Garrison Corwin, Jr.Ms. Mary DiBernardoMr. J. Michael DivneyDr. Lee EhrmanMs. Kimberly EiermanMs. Diane ElliottMs. Jan FeinmanHonorable Drew FixellHonorable Sandra R. GalefMs. Heather GersonMs. Suzannah GliddenMs. Celeste Anne GoetheMs. Audrey GoldenbergMs. Jane GrantMs. Janet JaidiMr. & Mrs. Joseph KaidanowMs. Marcia KapilowMr. Erik KiviatMr. & Mrs. Stanley KornreichMr. & Mrs. Anthony LandiMr. William LawyerMr. Eugene LebwohlMs. Rose S. LeonMr. & Mrs. Armand LernerMs. Gloria LewitMs. Cheryl W. LewyMr. & Mrs. Douglas MaassMs. Ann McDuffieHonorable Judith MyersMs. Eda NewhouseMs. Patricia Lynn OlivaHonorable Suzi OppenheimerMr. Drew PankoMr. David ParsonsMs. Jane V. PearlMr. & Mrs. Robert Pearson

Mr. Joseph R. PotenzaMarcia & Richard PresserMr. & Mrs. Warren RossDr. Emma Lou SailorsMs. Kathleen SavoltMs. Paula SchaweckerMs. Christine SillersMs. Marlene SkinnerMr. Robert B. SitarMrs. Elizabeth C. SluderMr. Frank SternMr. Elliott StrongMrs. Edna SussmanMr. Alan R. VianiMs. Nancy VincentMs. Irma K. VolkMs. Margaret WalkerDr. John D. WehrMs. Ellen WeiningerMs. Judith WidmannMs. Jeanette Diane Wolfberg Support from Attendees at 2010 Building Block Meetings - $1400

Member Organizations

Beczak Environmental Education CenterBedford Garden ClubBronx River Parkway Reservation ConservancyBronx River Sound Shore Audubon SocietyCentral Westchester Audubon SocietyChildren’s Environmental Literacy FoundationCitizens for Sound GovernmentCitizens for the Amawalk Reservoir/PeninsulaConcerned Citizens for Open SpaceConcerned Citizens for Responsible DevelopmentCortland WATCHCroton Arboretum & Sanctuary, Inc.Croton Watershed Clean Water CoalitionFriends of Edith G. Read Wildlife SanctuaryFriends of Hilltop Hanover FarmFriends of MarshlandsFriends of Rye Nature CenterGarden Club of IrvingtonGrassroots Environmental EducationGreen Acres Garden ClubGreenburgh Nature CenterHands Across the BorderHudson River Audubon SocietyHudson River Garden ClubHudsonia LimitedJay Heritage CenterLeague of Women Voters of WestchesterLouis Calder Center of Fordham UniversityNative Plant Center

FCWC Thanks Our 2010 Supporters

Continued on Page 4

Inside: Community Gardens - 2010 Annual Report - www.fcwc.org

Published by:Federated Conservationists of Westchester County, Inc.

E House78 North BroadwayWhite Plains, NY 10603

Pho: (914) 422-4053 FAX: (914) 422-4180

WestchesterEnvironment

Vol. 2011 No. 1 Winter/Spring 2011

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDWHITE PLAINS, NY

PERMIT NO. 17

Visit Our Website: www.fcwc.org

FCWC Events CalendarNatural Resources Defense Council

Pace Law Center for Environmental Legal StudiesPeekskill Garden ClubRusticus Garden ClubRye Environmental AdvocatesRye Garden Club Civic FundRye Habitat ProjectSaw Mill River AudubonSheldrake Environmental CenterSustainable HastingsTeatown Lake ReservationThe Garden Club of LarchmontTrout Unlimited, Croton Watershed ChapterWatershed Agricultural CouncilWeinberg Nature CenterWestchester Land TrustWolf Conservation CenterYonkers Committee on Smart DevelopmentYonkers Environmental CoalitionYonkers Land Conservancy

We wish to apologize for any mistakes or omissions we may have made in recognizing our supporters. Please let us know of any corrections.

You may also find our list of supporters on our website: www.FCWC.org.

Individual Membership( ) $20 Student( ) $35 Basic( ) $50 Contributing( ) $100 Sustaining( ) $250 Patron( ) $500 Benefactor

Membership includes our ENEWS

Organizational Membership( ) $50 Not for profit (under 100 members)( ) $100 Not for profit (over 100 members)( ) Other Amount

Become a Member!

Upon request, you may obtain the latest FCWC Annual Report from the

NYS Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10027

or from FCWC

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Please make your Tax Deductible checks payable to FCWC and mail to: Feder-ated Conservationists of Westchester County, Inc. E House, 78 North Broad-way, White Plains, NY 10603

Continued from Page 3

Saturday, February 5 9:00AM-4:00PM. Eagle Fest at Croton Point Park - Teatown Lake Reservation with co-sponsors including FCWC. Call Teatown for more information and to purchase tickets for the Eagle Bus Tours or Birds of Prey shows. (914) 762-2912 x110. Admission to Eagle Fest headquarters is free but a $3 donation is suggested.

thurSday, March 17

8:30AM -12:00. Green Town Conference at Wainwright House in Rye. Grassroots Environmental Educat ion, co-sponsored by FCWC. Speakers will present Green Town so lu t i ons fo r t ransportat ion, l ighting, and procurement, et al. Seating is limited so registration is required. Please call (914) 422-3141.

Friday, March 18

8:30AM to 10:30 AM. Conversation on Conservation Café “Is Your Pond on Life Support?” at Pace Pleasantville. By County Parks Dept, co-sponsored by FCWC and others. For information and to RSVP email Mindy at mqs5@westchestergov.com, or call (914) 864-7326. Beverages will be served, and bring your own mug.

The FCWC Board welcomes their new board member

from New Rochelle, attorney Angele Dixon.

Learn more about her in our next ENEWS.