Hillsdale Environmental Commission

Natural Resource and Preservation Hillsdale, NJ

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Green Team Garden

March 7, 2016

It may seem early, but students at the Ann Blanche Smith School in Hillsdale have already been hard at work on their 2016 garden. This week the Smith School Green Team was busy preparing seed trays and putting down their first seeds for their spring vegetable garden. The 4th grade Green Team was assisted by Rutgers trained Bergen County Master Gardeners who gave out pointers on starting and caring for the seeds.

Mrs. Angela Iskenderian, Principal of the school, is ecstatic over the work being done. “The 4th grade Green Team members at Ann Blanche Smith Elementary School are committed to building a sustainable school by exploring how their actions impact the environment.” She went on to say, “ They are doing this through a gardening program that has become a community project with the help of parents, school and community.” Continue reading →


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ShredFest for Charity!

All are invited to a Shredding Event through Coldwell Banker

Saturday, April 18th
10am to 1pm
at Coldwell Banker Office Parking Lot, 50 Broadway, Hillsdale (Please enter on Harrington St.)

Please consider bringing food items to support the Helping Hand Food Pantry in Hillsdale.

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Fourth Annual Outdoor Earth Week Green Fair and Market

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Sunday, April 26 from 10 a.m.to 3 p.m.

Host: Hillsdale Environmental Commission in cooperation with The B Hive Organic Salon

The event will include great products such as local honey, handmade candles and body products, henna and glitter tattoos, face painting, balloons and much more for the whole family.

Enjoy kids yoga from the Little Shanti Yoga Studio, gardening and real bees with MEVO, a live Bird show from the Tenafly Nature Preserve and live music by School of Rock in Waldwick. Also featured will be a spring fashion show with Araya Rebirth Spa, Karma Organic Nails, Bella Organici Tanning and Fashions from Born Footwear and Loduvica of Westwood.

The B Hive is Bergen County’s first organic boutique salon specializing in ammonia free hair coloring and styling in an eco-friendly venue that is as healthy as it is beautiful. They have been ranked twice as the best salon in Bergen County as well as this year’s winner of the prestigious Worldwide Eco Salon Contest.

“We continue to spread as much great information as we can to our local community whether it is about beauty products, eco-practices or just being better to our planet,” shares owner and operator Angela Alba. “If you are interested in healthy, innovative, organic hair care products and color performed by certified organic colorists, schedule an appointment today,” she invites. Salon professionals can inquire about certifications and employment opportunities.


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Landscaping for the Watershed: Planting to Benefit Our Pollinators, Wildlife, and Streams

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Tuesday, April 14
7:30pm – 9:30pm
Haworth, New Jersey

 

Each of us living in the region surrounding our reservoirs can play an important role in helping our watershed to function well, so that flooding and water pollution are reduced and pollinators and other wildlife can thrive. Learn how our yards and gardens can be made not only attractive, but beneficial to the environment. Nationally known author and landscape architect Carolyn Summers will share her insights on this topic, and then will be joined by local experts for an in-depth panel discussion.


For more information visit BergenSWAN.org.


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2015 WESTWOOD GREEN SCREEN

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Green_Screen

The 6th Annual Westwood Green Screen 2015 comes to downtown Westwood from March 19th to 25th, bringing new and classic environmental films, conversations with film directors, expert panel discussions and special events for all ages. The weeklong festival will take place at various venues in Westwood including Westwood Cinema, the Westwood Public Library, Rosebud Theater, and HUMC Pascack Valley Hospital.

On Thursday, March 19th, a pre-film opening night reception will be held at Bibiz Restaurant where filmgoers can sample sustainably produced wines and delicious hors d’oeuvres and meet Maxine Trump, director of the award-winning documentary, Musicwood, the festival’s kickoff selection.

Westwood Green Screen 2015 is organized by the Friends of the Westwood Public Library, Pascack Sustainability Group, 350NJ, with the generous support of media sponsor Pascack Valley Community Life and Westwood Cinema. Our generous lead sponsors include HUMC Pascack Valley and the Masters of Sustainability Studies Program at Ramapo College.

For schedule and more information please visit:
http://www.westwoodgreenscreen.org


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Puffin Cosponsors March 7th Rally To Ban Unsafe Oil Trains In Bergen County

Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 2:00 pm
Old Hook Road at Schraalenburgh Road, Closter, NJ 07624

Rally to Ban Unsafe Oil Trains from the Oradell Reservoir and Our Communities
Because of an oil boom in the Bakken region of North Dakota, up to thirty CSX trains carrying toxic and highly volatile crude oil pass through Bergen County every week. These trains – up to 100 cars-long – pass over the Oradell Reservoir, source of drinking water for 750,000 people!

You are in the blast zone if you live within ½ mile of the Freight Train River Line.

(Check www.explosive-crude-by-rail.org) You are at risk, too, if you drink and bathe with clean water in Bergen County. It’s time to tell our leaders: This is unacceptable! Join a rally to demand an immediate ban on unsafe oil trains in our community.

For more information visit:

http://www.puffinfoundation.org/about-us/foundation-news-a-blog/739-puffin-cosponsors-march-7th-rall-to-ban-unsafe-oil-train-in-bergen-county.html

 


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Dr. Kevin Trenberth on Climate Change: Extreme Weather, What’s It About?

Thursday, March 26 at 7:30pm
Ramapo College, Alumni Lounges (SC 136-138), 505 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, NJ 07430

Climate Change is the defining issue of the 21st Century. The 2014, Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) underscores that if the global mean temperatures warm by more than 2° Celsius, risks to ecosystems and livelihoods will surpass tolerable levels.

Dr. Trenberth’s research on the link between extreme weather and climate change, as well as his observations on possible options for adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change, are helping to shape international negotiations and government policy.

Dr. Trenberth is a distinguished senior scientist in the Climate Analysis Section at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. A New Zealander, he has been prominent in most of the United Nations’ IPCC scientific assessments of Climate Change. He has also served the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) in numerous ways, most recently as Chair of the WCRPGlobal Energy and Water Exchanges Project. 

DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 PM. FREE & OPEN TO PUBLIC; $10 DONATION SUGGESTED.
For tickets and more information visit http://www.njppn.org
 

 


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Trust Fund for Beechwood Trails Established

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The Environmental Commission would like to thank our lead partners MEVO, Gary Kuhl, John Stepe, Ed Sneickus, United Methodist Church and the Hillsdale residents who came out on our June workdays to help rebuild the Beechwood Trails. Thank you as well to the Mayor and Council for their support, as well as to our DPW supervisor. The supplies for the project were funded by a generous grant from ANJEC (Association of NJ Environmental Commissions).

The borough has established a trust fund for donations to fund future repair work. To donate please drop off or mail checks made out to the Borough of Hillsdale – Beechwood Trails.

To stay informed of future repair efforts, or other Environmental Commission initiatives, please join our email list at http://www.hillsdaleec.org. We meet at Borough Hall on the 2nd Thursday of the month, and welcome resident collaboration and partnership with local organizations.

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Beechwood Trail Guide.pdf


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Protecting the Ramapo River Watershed

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Image by Martin Cohen

The Sierra Club North Jersey Group presents:
“Protecting the Ramapo River Watershed”

Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 7:00 PM
Mahwah Public Library, 100 Ridge Rd, Mahwah, NJ

Please join us for a slideshow presentation about the history and ecology of one of our prime sources of drinking water, the Ramapo River watershed, by Geoff Welch. Welch will also cover the threats to the watershed by pipelines and the proposed casino project in Sterling Forest.
Free and open to the public. Light refreshments served.
Find more details at http://newjersey.sierraclub.org/nj_calendar.asp