Mission

Our mission is to educate and empower our citizens to make GREEN energy choices in their lives. We also want to influence our elected officials to reduce energy consumption within our municipalities and to select GREEN energy choices. We want to reduce our carbon emissions and serve as an inspiration and an example for other communities to follow our efforts.

Let us know how you want to make a difference. info@pelhamgreen.org

Fall 2009

The change in the season brings such a great new energy. I have been bursting all week to let you know about the different pots Pelham Green is stirring, and urge you to jump on board if something we’re doing strikes a chord. We need help with one-time tasks, occasional recurring tasks, and brainstorming.

For an organization without funds that has only been on the scene for two years, we have done exactly what was originally contemplated: working pretty effectively through other existing organizations in Pelham including PACT, The Pelham School District, Junior League, Girl Scouts, Chamber of Commerce, Village of Pelham, Village of Pelham Manor and the Town of Pelham.

Here is a quick overview of what we have been working on, all this with only about six of us coordinating. Think what could be accomplished with another six, or ten or fifty people!

·         Shepherded a grant from The Junior League to high school students working on fundraising for recycling containers for athletic fields, then turned over the fundraising project to PACT.

·         Formed a tree legislation committee which was almost immediately reconstituted as a committee of the Village of Pelham.

·         Supported the Superintendent of Schools in various efforts including reduction of electricity usage in the schools, providing information to be used in school newsletters, and ongoing dialogue on recycling in the middle school/high school.

·         Provided easy energy saving action items to Senior Citizens Group and arranged for Girl Scouts to help with CFL bulb replacements on request. Free CFL’s were provided by HSBC Bank.

·         Ongoing surveying of the commercial districts of the Village of Pelham, awarding Gold Stars to businesses and apartment buildings that recycle multiple kinds of waste.

·         Mentoring a Girl Scout who is developing a project based on successful European models to try to eliminate plastic bags from Pelham.

·         Assisting the Village of Pelham Tree Committee by recruiting a Girl Scout who will help design the protocol for, and spearhead the inventory all the street trees in the village.

·         Developing a multi-year plan for Pelham Green using the “How Green is Your Town” model provided by Grassroots Environmental Education. Go to www.howgreenismytown.org

·         Contributing materials and ideas to the Junior League Elementary School Green Fairs over the next several years.

·         Emailing communication about topics of interest to the membership and maintaining www.pelhamgreen.org

IMPORTANT EVENTS AHEAD:

Wednesday, October 7 - Half Day workshop at Wainwright House For Community Leaders, “How Green Is Your Town or School?”

Programs, policies and practices of Towns, School Systems and Business Communities in Westchester are being examined by students of Pace University Academy for the Environment along with a panel of experts.

Sunday, October 18 – 12:30-2:00 – PACT Family Time Picnic and Bulb Planting

PACT is joined by Greener by Design, Inc. and The Chamber of Commerce for a celebration of Family Time and Community Service. Families will picnic and then plant 5000 daffodil bulbs in Wolfs Lane Park. Look for more information in the Pelham Weekly as the date approaches.

Let us know how you want to make a difference. info@pelhamgreen.org