March 2026

Sustainable Warwick Minutes 

March 18, 2026

 Presentation

Guest speaker - Teresa Vela-Hayes: Teresa (Youth Services Manager, Albert Wisner Public Library) is spearheading Celebrate Earth Day on April 18th, from 11:00am - 2:00pm, at the library. Sustainable Warwick is a co-sponsor of this event, and SW Steering Committee members Kate Debold and Christina Thomas are event co-chairs. Teresa provided an overview of the events planned, as well as highlights of the organizations and programs that will be hosted on the day. 

The organizations and programs selected for this program are almost entirely included in the Waste Not Survey. A frequent survey response is that people wanted to learn more about the programs they were asked about. The list includes: Repair Cafe (with services provided); Too Good to Go; Too Good to Toss; local Lions Club (receiving used eyeglass donations); Interstate Waste Services; area Refilleries; From Our Home to Yours; Terracycle collection box; and the Library of Things. 

Several Sustainable Warwick programs will also have displays at the Earth Day celebration: Coolest Recycling Drive, Food Scraps to Compost, Helpsy, as well as county/national programs such as Recycle Coach app, Hazardous Waste Drop-off events, and Paintcare.org.

In addition to the above, separate activities are planned for children and families to enjoy as well. More greeters and volunteers are needed! Feel free to reach out to Teresa at tvelahayes@gmail.com. Everyone is welcome to attend the event and enjoy fun giveaways! Please spread the word. 

Action Reports

Waste Not Survey

Kate reported that nearly 300 people have completed the survey to date. (The survey will remain open through early May.) Separately, the survey will be featured at the Earth Day event, allowing visitors to easily complete it onsite. Survey takers commented that they were unaware of the many recycling resources available locally so the list, available online, will also be featured on Earth Day. 

Pollinator Pathway: Sally advised that the committee will be selling tree seedlings (burr oak, white oak, flowering dogwood, and aspen) and shrub seedlings (ninebark), along with protective growing tubes and watering rings. We are still awaiting final word from the DEC nursery in Saratoga as to when the seedlings will be available, but most likely it will be the last week of April or first week of May – an ideal time for planting the seedlings. Keep an eye out for the opportunity to purchase seedlings and tree kits in advance. A number of volunteer sewers have made great progress putting together tree watering rings that are a key part of the tree kits. Pollinators@sustainablewarwick.org.

Book Club: We read “How High Do We Go in the Dark” for the March club meeting; this was not a favorite read. Our title for April is “Here Comes the Sun,” by Bill Mckibben, which talks about encouraging advancements in solar panel deployment. BookClub@sustainablewarwick.org 

Green Screen Interviews: This committee will be compiling insightful questions regarding candidates’ views on sustainability issues for the upcoming School Board elections. Geoff, Bill and Christina will draft the questions. SteeringCommittee@sustainablewarwick.org

Coolest Recycling: This year’s Coolest Recycling Drive will have events in Chester (Saturday, April 11), Greenwood Lake (Sunday, April 12), and Florida (Sunday, April 19) and in Warwick (just north of the Warwick Transit building) on Saturday (4/18), Tuesday (4/21) and Saturday (4/25). There may also be a drop-off event in Middletown on Friday, April 24th. We collect refrigerant-containing appliances, such as air conditioners, dehumidifiers and refrigerators, because recovering the refrigerants from these appliances prevents the emissions of a shocking amount of greenhouse gases. If you have an old appliance lurking in your basement/garage/shed/other hiding place, this is the perfect time to do the right thing with it. We also are seeking volunteers to help at drop-off events, especially people who are comfortable moving around appliances. CleanEnergy@sustainablewarwick.org

Hikes: We are aiming for at least four hikes this year. Current plans are: Wawayanda; Sterling Lake; a “bear hike” proposed by Warwick Recreation Director Samantha Walter (in which we are trained on what to do should we encounter a bear); and a foraging hike. We will make the level and difficulty of the hikes as clear as possible to participants and perhaps will start the hikes in mid-May. Events@sustainablewarwick.org

SW Gatherings: A small group of people will hold a potluck dinner in the next couple weeks to discuss how to develop zero-waste food sourcing opportunities in Warwick. Seats are limited. If you are interested in joining the gathering, please contact us. CleanEnergy@sustainablewarwick.org

NYS Environmental Issues: Governor Kathy Hochul has concluded New York State cannot meet its climate goals and address its current affordability challenges. (Check out this article in the Empire Report.) Environmental groups point out the increasing number of extreme weather events are also unaffordable and renewable energy sources are the cheapest ones to add to the grid. If you would like to discuss this issue, contact the Climate & Energy committee. CleanEnergy@sustainablewarwick.org

Other Items of Interest

Town Parks Survey: If you haven’t done so already, please take the survey about the Town’s Parks.

We The People Story Share: Thursday, April 30th from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM at Fence Road Farm Brewery, 13 Fence Road, Warwick. More information here.


Links Shared at the Meeting

Christy ErferComment