Battery Park City to Host Earth Day Festival

"NY's Greenest" celebrates Earth Day's 40th Anniversary from April 17-25

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a collaboration of cultural institutions will present a weeklong festival of events in Battery Park City.

The Big Apple’s greenest community will host the “NY’s Greenest” festival from April 17-25, with more than 20 events that aim to promote awareness and appreciation for the environment. The events are mostly free and include a wide range from a traditional dance social and film screenings to bird watching, poetry readings and educational workshops.

“The weeklong event provides an exceptional opportunity for the public to explore our beautiful neighborhood, discover its rich cultural offerings, and gain a deeper appreciation of our world and how best to protect it,” said William Thompson, Chairman of the Battery Park City Authority.

In 2003, the country’s first “green” residential tower opened in Battery Party City. Now, the neighborhood has 5 million square feet of green development, 35 acres of parkland, 2,200 green homes, and 2.2 million square feet of green office space.

“NY's Greenest will shine a light on Battery Park City’s environmental leadership and how it can serve as a model for the rest of New York City and other urban areas around the nation,” Thompson said.

The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, after U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin announced the idea for a national teach-in day to raise awareness of environmental issues. Since, billions of people around the world have participated in various ways like celebrations or protests.

Here is the full schedule of events for the festival. For more information, visit NY’s Greenest.

April 15-May 12
FOREST
World Financial Center Winter Garden
Created from used clothing, Forest is a landscape, like bonsais, that embodies the beauty and drama of nature on a dwarfed scale. In this installation the viewer is inspired to visually meander, finding peacefulness in the whole and surprises in the details. The fabric patterns create textured foliage including blooming branches and scruffy grass. The multimedia practice of Suzanne and Mathilde Husky explore issues of exploitation of natural resources, landscape use, and globalization. Forest is part of a benefit exhibition for EcoArtSpace entitled What Matters Most?
FREE
 
Saturday, April 17, 2010
DRAWING IN THE PARK
South Cove, Battery Park City
Sketch and paint the river and parks with an artist / educator
FREE
 
Saturday, April 17, 2010 11:00am
GRAND OPENING OF THE CONSTANCE LAIBE HAYS CHILDREN’S ROOM AT POETS HOUSE WITH U.S. CHILDREN’S POET LAUREATE MARY ANN HOBERMAN READING FROM THE TREE THAT THIME BUILT
Poet’s House
Join Poet’s House for a celebration of its new children’s room! Festivities begin at 11:00am with U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman and teacher Linda Winston sharing poems from their anthology, The Tree That Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science, and Imagination. The revelry continues with giveaways, creative writing exercises and other surprises.
FREE

Saturday, April 17, 2010 2:00pm
LANGUAGE AND IDENTITY: THE MIXTECO COMMUNITY IN NEW YORK
National Museum of the American Indian in New York
This panel explores issues of language, culture and identity of the Mixteco community in New York.  This program is a collaboration with Mano a Mano: Mexican Cultures Without Borders.
FREE

Saturday, April 17, 2010 7:00pm - 10:00pm
TRADITIONAL DANCE SOCIAL WITH THE THUNDERBIRD INDIAN DANCERS AND SINGERS

National Museum of the American Indian in New York, Diker Pavilion
The museum will acknowledge Earth Day at its traditional dance social with a special drum song by Heyna Second Sons, directed by Louis Mofsie (Hopi/Winnebago).  The Thunderbird Indian Dancers and Singers invite everyone to join them in an evening of traditional social dancing. Bring your family and enjoy the festivities.
FREE
 
Sunday, April 18, 2010 11:00am – 12:30pm
Thursday, April 22, 2010, 11:00am-12:30pm
BIRD WATCHING
Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park
Join a birder/naturalist to learn about the birds that nest and rest in the parks.  Binoculars and field guides available.  Novice and experienced birders welcome. 
FREE
 
Tuesday, April 20, 2010- Saturday, April 24, 2010
CHALK DRAWING
World Financial Center, Winter Garden, West Wall, 220 Vesey Street
Three street painting artists create original design relating to Earth Day, measuring 15’ x 20’ inside the Winter Garden.
FREE
 
Sunday, April 18 2010 12:00pm – 4:00pm
Sunday, April 25 2010 12:00pm – 4:00pm
EARTH CELEBRATIONS WORKSHOP AND OPEN HOUSE
World Financial Center, Courtyard Gallery
An interactive sculpture workshop using recycled and reused materials
FREE
 
Monday April 19, 2010 4:00pm
EARTH DAY PICTURE BOOK TIME FOR CHILDREN
The Battery Park City Branch of the New York Public Library
Enjoy a special story time featuring books with an Earth Day theme.
 
Monday, April 19, 2010 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Friday, April 23, 2010 3:00pm – 5:00pm
CLIMATE CHANGE WORKSHOP
Action Center to End World Hunger
Participants will learn about the global effects of climate change. Particular attention is placed on issues of desertification, soil erosion, depleting water resources, erratic weather patterns and the relationship between climate change and migration.  Participants will be able to determine real life solutions to combat climate change and to create ways in which they can take action at home to mitigate the effects of climate change.  
FREE
 
Tuesday April 20, 2010 6:00pm – 7:30pm
FILM SCREENING: ADDICTED TO PLASTIC
The Battery Park City Branch of the New York Public Library
Addicted To Plastic is a point-of-view style documentary that encompasses three years of filming in 12 countries on 5 continents, including two trips to the middle of the Pacific Ocean where plastic debris accumulates. The film details plastic's path over the last 100 years and provides a wealth of expert interviews on practical and cutting edge solutions to recycling, toxicity and biodegradability. These solutions - which include plastic made from plants - will provide viewers with a new perspective about our future with plastic.
FREE
 
Wednesday April 21, 2010 3:30pm
FOUND ART: REUSE-REDUCE-RECYCLE ARTS & CRAFTS PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN
The Battery Park City Branch of the New York Public Library
Bring your creativity to a special craft time where children make a craft project using environmentally safe adhesives and "found" art from objects that might have otherwise ended up in a landfill.
FREE
 
Thursday April 22, 2010 3:30pm
RECYCLED ART: MAKE YOUR OWN DREAMCATCHER! ARTS & CRAFTS PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN

The Battery Park City Branch of the New York Public Library
Celebrate Earth Day as children make their own dreamcatchers using recycled plastic container tops, yarn, string, and beads.
FREE
 
Thursday, April 22, 2010 6:30-8:00; Reception 8:00- 9:00 PM
GREEN GIANTS: RETROFITTING THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, THE SEARS TOWER
Lecture at The Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Pl.
Reception at The Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Pl.
 Earth Day 2010 celebrates the intrinsic "greenness" of cities, led by New York and Chicago, as architects and building owners plan for the energy-efficient retrofits and renaissance of 20th century landmarks such as the proud GREEN GIANTS, the Empire State Building and the Sears (now Willis) Tower. Lectures and Panel discussion; reception-gallery viewing.
FREE (Reservation required. Please RSVP by going to www.skyscraper.org)
 
Thursday, April 22, 2010 6:00pm
NATIVE VIEWS ON SUSTAINABLE FOODS WITH WINONA LADUKE
National Museum of the American Indian in New York
Celebrate Earth Day with Native activist Winona LaDuke (Anishinaabe) and Alex Sando (Jemez Pueblo), a representative of the Native American outreach Program of Native Seeds/SEARCH, an organization committed to the promotion of traditional agriculture and seed saving. 
FREE
 
Thursday, April 22, 2010 7:00pm
THE OPENING OF THE FIELD: A CONVERSATION WITH NALINI NADKARNI AND LEONARD SCHWARTZ
Poets House
On Earth Day, leading rainforest ecologist Nalini Nadkarni and poet Leonard Schwartz examine how poetic and scientific understandings of nature might be combined to inspire environmental stewardship.
Conversation and q & a. Book signing and reception to follow program
$10, $7 for students and seniors, Free to Poets House Members
 
Friday, April 23rd, 2010 7:00PM-9:00pm
Saturday, April 24, 2010 2:00PM-5:00pm               
THE OPENING OF THE FIELD: A WORKSHOP WITH NALINI NADKARNI AND LEONARD SCHWARTZ
Poets House
These poetry workshops with tree canopy ecologist Nalini Nadkarni and poet Leonard Schwartz introduce the surprisingly creative language used by scientists to describe ecology and explore commonalities between literary texts and ecosystems.
$200, pre-registration required; space is limited. Call 212-431-7920 or email classes@poetshouse.org
 
Saturday, April 24, 2010 10:30am- 11:30am
FAMILY PROGRAM: GREENING THE CITY
The Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Pl
Kids will work together to create a model green building giving them a hands-on understanding of what makes a building green. Ages 8+
$5 suggested donation
 
Sunday, April 25, 2010 10:00am – 3:00pm
HANDS-ON CRAFT ACTIVITIES AT THE MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE
36 Battery Place
Families are invited to enjoy hands-on craft activities that explore the themes of Earth Day.
FREE with purchase of Museum admission or concert ticket
 
Sunday, April 25, 2010 1:00pm
THE EARTH WORM DISCO WITH SHIRLALA

36 Battery Place
Join kiddie rocker ShirLaLa (a.k.a. Shira Kline) to celebrate Earth Day and the wonders of growing up green. She and her band create a musical playground for all of the little rock n’ rollers and their grown up friends who love to sing and dance, and love our planet, too!
$10, $7 children 12 and under; Museum members: $7, $5 children 12 and under 
 

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