Events runs from April 19-23
The Battery Park City Authority today announced its weeklong lineup of free public programming celebrating Earth Day 2022 and its theme of “Invest in Our Planet.” Events include a family workshop, public art, lending library, honey, bees, worms, and more!
“Earth Week occupies a special place on the Battery Park City calendar given our legacy of leading green practices and commitment to building an even more sustainable future,” said BPCA President and Chief Executive Officer B.J. Jones. “We’re pleased to present a fun, educational, and timely lineup of events to celebrate our planet and inspire us all to live and work in environmentally sustainable ways.”
“I applaud the Battery Park City Authority for presenting these wonderful public programs in honor of Earth Day 2022,” said State Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick, who represents Battery Park City. “The climate crisis is our most pressing existential issue and it’s critical that we all take part in conservation and sustainability efforts. BPCA’s programs are a fun way to celebrate Spring while engaging families in activities that teach us how to be good stewards of the planet.”
BPCA’s Earth Day 2022 celebration includes:
Tuesday, April 19
6:30-7:30PM @ 6 River Terrace
TUESDAY TALK – LOCAL HONEY
Join us for a cooking demonstration from the Institute of Culinary Education and accompanying talk on the wonders of locally-sourced honey from the Bee Conservancy. Chef Ann Ziata will offer a small taste and share tips on how to incorporate this natural sweetener into everyday meals. Presented in partnership with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.
“Sustainability and conservation remain top priorities at the Port Authority and we are proud to partner with the Battery Park City Authority on this important event to kick off Earth Week,” said Port Authority World Trade Center Director Aaron Sherburne. “Through our unique partnership with the Bee Conservancy, we get to highlight the importance of the bee population and all the benefits that come with caring for them. Even more wonderful is that we get to sweeten the deal by learning tricks and tips on how to cook with honey.”
Wednesday, April 20
2-4PM @ Children’s Garden, Rockefeller Park
CAN YOU DIG IT?! Pop-Up Afternoon in the Children’s Garden
In celebration of Earth Day, join us in the Children’s Garden for a fun and educational afternoon of activities! Dig for worms, check out our cool microscope station, go on a bird walk, and enjoy this special place in BPC. Spring is a great time to observe what’s happening in the garden!
Thursday, April 21
1:30-2:30PM @ Chambers Street Planters, Rockefeller Park
MEET THE BEEKEEPER
Join us for a demonstration and talk led by Alveole: The Urban Beekeeping Company about our beehive in Rockefeller Park. Learn about the importance or urban beekeeping and its benefits to sustainability efforts in BPC and throughout New York City.
Friday, April 22 – Earth Day
5PM @ NW Corner of South Cove
PUBLIC ART OPENING: Shuli Sadé Bird’s-Eye View
Experience Bird’s-Eye View, an augmented reality artwork by technology innovator and visual artist Shuli Sade. The piece is inspired by relocation and movement along the lower Hudson River through fascinating studies of bird migration and human immigration. Technology guides will be on-site to assist visitors in using their smartphones to view this new temporary public art installation.
Saturday, April 23
11AM @ Rockefeller Park House
SATURDAY FAMILY WORKSHOP: EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
In celebration of Earth Day we take inspiration from the practice of Monttainai in Japan, which encourages all to be thoughtful about waste. Create and share an ochiba art design and enjoy a dynamic live drumming performance by Taiko Masala.
Also This Week…
BPC ADVENTURE JOURNAL
Download the new BPC Adventure Journal and meet “Finn” the Fish, who was chosen by Battery Park City kids to be your special tour guide through our parks and public spaces.
BPC LENDING LIBRARY
Look out for our up-cycled Battery Park City Lending Library at the Rockefeller Park House, where gently-used books can be shared with friends and neighbors!
EARTH WEEK STAFF CHALLENGES
BPCA staff will be participating in a series of “Earth Week Challenges” that raise awareness and encourage sustainable practices, healthy lifestyles, energy conservation, reducing plastic use, recycling and reuse, and more.
Ongoing Programming & Initiatives
BPC CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
Earlier this month, BPCA released its industry-leading Climate Action Plan, a detailed roadmap of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategies in the energy, transportation, and waste sectors. The plan was crafted by calculating current GHG emissions for the neighborhood, as well as projections of how those emissions would change year-by-year through 2050. It comes on the heels of the newest report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change outlining the dire need for swift action to avert the worst effects of climate change, and is the first in a series of deliverables pursuant to Battery Park City’s ten-year Sustainability Plan, released in 2020.
COMPOSTING IN BATTERY PARK CITY
Turn last night’s dinner into compost – BPCA encourages residents and visitors alike to compost in any of our convenient locations: 75 Battery Place in south BPC; and on the lower level of BPC’s North Esplanade at Chambers St. and River Terrace.
And tune in to BPCA’s YouTube Channel to learn about the Do’s and Don’ts of composting in Battery Park City. BPCA’s composting program runs year-round, producing compost from holiday trees as well as raw, fresh, or frozen vegetables, and fruit provided by Battery Park City residents. As a result of these efforts, BPCA diverted more than 70,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill in 2020 alone.
For the dogs – BPCA also administers a dog waste compost program at each of its three community dog runs. The program is aimed at sending less dog waste in its raw form to the landfill, which helps reduce methane gas released into the environment and the number of plastic bags used. With full participation at each run, up to 75 pounds of waste can be collected daily. After launching as a pilot program in 2019, the first fully-tested and cured dog waste compost was applied to BPC’s planted areas earlier this year.
ZERO WASTE
On Earth Day 2019 BPCA launched its Zero Waste initiative at its 75 Battery Place facility, focused on activities encouraging the reduction and rescue of items, and increasing education about recycling. The Authority offered reusable utensil kits to those employees who pledged to adopt BPCA’s Zero Waste Goal, and created a Zero Waste Advisory Committee to engage staff from various departments, conduct monthly waste audits, and modify the longstanding community compost program to include more drop-off locations and increase the amount of compost generated. These actions helped transform the facility’s operations and achieve 90% waste diversion and TRUE Gold certification, as well as a 2021 State Academy for Public Administration Public Service Excellence Award. The Authority aims to build on this leadership in waste diversion by achieving zero waste sent to landfills from all its parks by 2023.
BPC SUSTAINABILITY TOUR
BPCA has a robust environmental legacy. Today, sustainability initiatives permeate the organization’s operations – including in its maintenance, horticulture, programming, capital planning, finance and administrative functions. Join us for a fun and informative virtual tour of this work happening across Battery Park City!
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