Electronics Recycling in Cobble Hill

This Sunday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Lower East Side Ecology Center and the Cobble Hill Association will host an electronics recycling day at the P.S. 29 schoolyard, on Baltic Street between Clinton and Henry streets. Recycle unwanted or broken electronics: computers, printers, scanners, fax machines, copiers, network devices, keyboards, mice, cables, hard drives, CD-ROMs, circuit boards, power supplies, TVs, VCRs, DVD players, audio-visual equipment, cell phones, pagers, PDAs, handheld and desktop phones, and answering machines. Home appliances such as microwaves or refrigerators will not be accepted.

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Bed-Stuy Artist Works With Found Styrofoam

I recently interviewed Bed-Stuy artist Chris Spadazzi at his studio at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, who works with styrofoam he collects from the East and Hudson rivers. "For anyone who loves the ocean, or nature for that matter, it's terrible to see how we've irreversibly polluted our environment. The foam pieces are just tangible evidence," he said.


Spadazzi is pictured above with his current project, a piece that is about five feet tall, four-and-a-half feet wide and two feet thick. He says it's the biggest he's worked on thus far.


Read the full story here.


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Free Coffee at Starbucks for Bringing in Reusable Mug

Today (April 15), bring your favorite travel mug into your local Starbucks to get a free brewed coffee. Watch a video of thousands of New Yorkers trading coffee cups for mugs in March here and take the pledge to save forests. Now other countries around the world are joining in.

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James Cameron Coming to Brooklyn Tech

This Saturday, as reported in the New York Times Local blog, James Cameron will be visiting Brooklyn Technical High School to present the first annual "Avatar Award." The student who gives the best two-to-three minute speech on how to best apply the environmental lessons from the blockbuster film will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship. Cameron will also give a presentation on environmental issues and projects he is currently working on, according to the Local.

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Scenes of Spring at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

I had a chance to stop by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden this morning, where Hanami, or the Cherry Blossom viewing season, is in full force. Flowers and plants are blooming all over the garden. It's open Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free guided tours are offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m.

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Free Trees in Clinton Hill

On Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Green Fort Greene & Clinton Hill and the FAB Alliance, in partnership with MillionTreesNYC and the New York Restoration Project, will be giving away 200 free trees at the “Putnam Triangle” in Clinton Hill (Fulton Street and Grand Avenue).

All trees will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. All you need is a place to plant and access to water. The trees will be available to individuals, families and community groups for planting on private property only, and not in containers or on rooftops. Limited quantities are expected for certain species: Eastern Redbud, Dogwood, Cherry, Oak and Sweet Gum

Tools will be available to borrow, help will be available for those who need it to get a tree home, or don’t know how to plant the tree. Horticulture specialists will be on hand to answer questions and provide species selection recommendations. Simple tree planting and care instructions come with each tree.

Volunteers are needed to give out trees, transport trees, help neighbors plant their free trees, publicize the event in surrounding neighborhoods and answer questions about tree planting. To volunteer, contact Marilyn Shaw at volunteer@greenfgch.org

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National Grid Provides Grant to Garden's Project Green Reach

Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) received a $250,000 grant from National Grid for Project Green Reach, which provides hands-on lessons in science and botany for Brooklyn’s Title I schools, many with large numbers of children from low-income families. Project Green Reach annually serves 2,500 students in grades K through 8 and 80 teachers. The grant is part of National Grid’s “Engineering Our Future” initiative to inspire and encourage youth to study science, technology, engineering and math. Shown here, left to right are: Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, National Grid Chief Executive Steve Holliday, BBG Chairman Emeritus Earl Weiner, and BBG Vice President of Development Leslie Findlen.

Photo courtesy National Grid

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