April 2026
Sustainable Warwick Minutes
April 15, 2026
Presentation
Too Good To Toss - Kate introduced Payton Swenson (Board of Directors, Wickham Works) who shared updates on the very popular Too Good To Toss (TGTT) program. Starting this summer, TGTT will be opening a store, on June 27th, at the Warwick Community Center with limited hours. It will be open on Saturdays, from 10am to Noon, through October 10th, and will receive and offer a shorter list of donated items. (Check the website for a list of accepted donations.) Special thanks to the volunteers who helped turn the basement into a store-worthy location. Payton also confirmed that the annual TGTT main event will take place on June 6th (donations) and June 7th (for pick ups) at Stanley-Deming Park from 10am - 4pm on both days. Mini-events are also planned during the year. Payton suggested checking the website for more details, including dates for all events and what will/will not be accepted. Volunteers are needed for each of the events and encouraged to check the website to sign up.
Action Reports
Pollinator Pathway: This committee is launching a native tree and shrub seedling sale. They will have 25 seedlings each of white oak, bur oak, quaking aspen, flowering dogwood, and ninebark. Besides raising funds to support our work with native plants in town parks, simply getting all 125 of these trees and shrubs established in Warwick will be a high impact action.
Orders should be placed in advance online (by end of day Friday, 4/24), then later picked up from Mountain Lake Park on Friday (4/24) from 4 to 7 PM, or Saturday (4/25) from 9 AM to noon.
They are offering "starter kits" that include a root watering ring to help maintain optimal soil moisture and 60" deer protection. You can also order seedlings on their own.These are native tree and shrub seedlings selected for their benefit to local pollinators. (See also the flyer below.) Pollinators@sustainablewarwick.org.
Coolest Recycling: We have already conducted three drop-off events – one each in Chester, Greenwood Lake and Warwick – and currently have received more than 100 units for recycling, as well as 11 air conditioners that can be reused. Efforts so far have possibly prevented the emissions of 100 MT of carbon dioxide equivalent, an outstanding achievement for a volunteer group like ours.
Upcoming events include:
Tuesday 4/21/2026 - 3 PM to 6 PM
by Warwick Transit; 63 Public Works Rd, Warwick, NY 10990Friday 4/24/2026 - 4 PM to 7 PM
SUNY Orange Horton Hall Parking Lot; 22 Grandview Ave, Middletown, NY 10940Saturday 4/25/2026 - 9 AM to 1 PM
by Warwick Transit; 63 Public Works Rd, Warwick, NY 10990
Contact us if you would like to help out and learn about why these drives are so cool! 😎 CleanEnergy@sustainablewarwick.org
Earth Day Celebration: Teresa reminded us about the Earth Day event that was held Saturday (4/18) at the Albert Wisner Public Library. We co-sponsored the event and had lots of opportunities to meet residents and network with other organizations from throughout Warwick.
Waste Not Survey: The survey was promoted at the Earth Day event and will be closing soon. We encourage all to take the survey, if they have not done so already!
Hiking Team: Four hikes are scheduled for this season. Details to follow. Events@sustainablewarwick.org
Green Screen Interviews: This committee will interview school board candidates after their names become available on April 21st. The election date is May 19th. SteeringCommittee@sustainablewarwick.org
Book Club: We read Bill McKibben's latest book “Here Comes the Sun,” a well-written and upbeat book about positive developments in the solar industry. Our next book – “Is a River Alive” by Robert Macfarlane – is available at the front desk of AWPL. BookClub@sustainablewarwick.org
Food Scraps to Compost: Kate provided an update on our seasonal program at the Warwick Valley Farmers' Market. We will begin collecting food scraps on opening day, Sunday, May 10th (Mother's Day). Scheduled hours: 9am - 2pm. The program will run through Sunday, Nov. 27th. We are grateful for our partnership with Dan Doyle (Fence Road Farm Brewery), who continues to receive and process our compostable donations. Our ongoing partnership with Goodmaker Acres also continues year-round. They generously accept food scraps Fridays through Mondays, from 9am - 2pm only. Please do not drop off food scraps at any other time! If you’d like to volunteer at the food scraps booth some Sunday, please sign up here or visit our webpage for additional details! garden@sustainablewarwick.org