I admit it: I hate heat. I hate hot weather the way many people hate snow. I’d rather throw on an extra layer than sweat through a 90 degree day.

Like it or not, our planet is getting warmer, and that is changing the climate- the general pattern of weather upon which our food and water sources depend.  The thought of it can be overwhelming, enough to make you sweat even in winter.

While we can’t change what’s already happened, we can change our behavior to affect the climate of the future. The most important thing we can do is make our voices heard to those in a position to create policies that will have a positive long term effect. Beyond that, try a few small actions in honor of Earth Day 2016:

Turn it off. Look around right now. How many lights are on that aren’t really being used? What about a TV? Lighting can be more than 10 percent of your electric bill, while the fossil-fueled power plants that provide the electricity are adding to the planet’s warming. Get in the habit of turning lights and other electronics off. Everywhere you go- does that TV really need to be on in the empty waiting room?

Plant a Tree or Native Plant. Trees take one of the main climate change culprits, carbon dioxide, out of the air. So planting one helps. How do native plants help? Come to Lyn Chimera’s talk on May 22 and find out.

Recycle. Do you throw things out at work that you’d put in a recycling bin at home? Could you bring them home? If you aren’t sure what to put in a bin, check out the City of Buffalo’s guide– just type in an item and it will tell you if it’s recyclable. Remember Reinstein Woods  accepts:

• sneakers for reuse,
• used clothing and bedding for reuse or recycling for Hearts for the Homeless
• hair care, skin care, and cosmetic product packaging through Terracycle.

Volunteer. On May 7, volunteers will gather at Reinstein Woods to remove invasive species, plant native plants, and even search for geocaches while picking up trash at Earth Day in May.  If you can’t make it to Reinstein Woods that day, check out the I Love My Park Day website to find a park near you and volunteer.

Get Out. A growing body of evidence suggests that kids who spend time outside are happier, healthier and do better in school than kids that don’t. Bonus: they are far more likely to grow up to support environmental causes, which is good for the future climate. To help a kid experience the outdoors, you can donate to Friends of Reinstein in support of scholarships for the Kids in the Woods Summer Day Camp or the Pat Taeger Field Trip Fund.  For more info, call (716) 683-5959 or email info@reinsteinwoods.org.

And get outside today too- it may not be hot, but you will feel happier and healthier too!

“Our students have been so excited to see all of the materials that they are helping to recycle.  Many teachers and parents have also commented on how great this was.” – Teacher at BPS 33

You may recall from the last newsletter that New York is making a push to keep clothing out of landfills by raising awareness about what to do with old clothing and textiles. To help promote this effort, Friends of Reinstein teamed with the City of Buffalo, DEC and the WNY Coalition for Donated goods to sponsor an “Earth Day Clothing Drive” in Buffalo Public Schools.

Students from eleven Buffalo public and charter schools collected clothing that was removed for recycling or reuse by the WNY Coalition for Donated Goods, a collaboration of nonprofit organizations whose goal is to promote both the community and the environment through the donation of clothing and other goods.

DEC Region 9 Director Abby Snyder and Deputy Mayor Dr. Ellen Grant congratulated students at a ceremony at School 45 (International School). Some of the schools competed to see which class in the school could collect the most clothing. The winning class received a pizza party from Hearts for the Homeless and the City of Buffalo, and the runner-up class received Smencils courtesy of Reinstein Woods. Olmsted School 64 had the highest collection total, saving more than 3,605 pounds of clothes, bedding, and related textile accessories from ending up in a landfill.

Overall, the eleven schools collected 11,244 pounds of clothing. How much is that? It’s equivalent to the weight of:

• 5 polar bears,
• 2.5 minivans, or
• 1 elephant!

Kudos also goes to Grand Island High School and Huth Road Elementary School in Grand Island, who organized an Earth Day clothing drive too and collected an additional 1,704 pounds of clothing that was given to the Coalition for recycling.

Despite a light rain and threatening skies, almost 60 volunteers helped during Reinstein Woods “Earth Day in May” service day. Reinstein Woods’ volunteers, Buffalo AmeriCorps volunteers, and University at Buffalo fraternity Alpha Kappa Chi eagerly helped with service projects at Reinstein Woods. Volunteers removed trash from wetlands, repaired deer exclosures, maintained the trails, and planted trees. Volunteers also wrapped trees to protect them from beaver damage along the newly opened West Pond trail.

Thank you to all the volunteers!

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