Lois Gibbs to Speak at April 30th Dinner

Annual Dinner with
Lois Gibbs

Friday, April 30th

Dear Supporter,

It's not too late to reserve your tickets for the Clean Air Coalition's Annual Dinner! This important fundraiser helps fund our fight for environmental health and justice.

Already purchased your ticket? Invite your friends to join you!

Click for more information about the event
Ticket sales end Tuesday, April 26th. To purchase your tickets send a check for $30 per person and your contact information to:
1250 Niagara Street
Buffalo, NY 14213
or click here to purchase your tickets online. No tickets are sent in the mail for the event.

Erin Heaney

1250 Niagara Street

Buffalo, New York 14213

ReUse - Community Partners Program

Buffalo ReUse Launches

Community Partners Program

Employees from National Grid
assist ReUse in beautifying
the Cold Spring neighborhood

Buffalo, NY -- On Earth Day, Buffalo ReUse launches its ReACT! Program, an initiative to mobilize volunteers from local corporations and organizations to actively engage in the strengthening of inner-city neighborhoods.

On Thursday, April 22nd, as our community celebrates Earth Day, from 8am until 3pm, 35 National Grid employees will join the Community Programs staff at ReUse to transform vacant lots into community assets by constructing planters for street corners and building perimeter fences to eliminate illegal dumping.

Caesandra Seawell, Director of Community Programs said, “We piloted the ReACT! Program last year as we hosted over 50 volunteers from HSBC. Corporate groups can bring a lot of energy to neighborhoods. They support improvement projects through the purchase of supplies and then they bring an infusion of muscle power to get the job done in a day or less." ReUse is eager to expand this program in 2010 and make dramatic impacts on our Cold Spring neighborhood.

Preparations began almost two months ago. Today will include the construction of a new Rain Garden at the corner of Northampton and Michigan Streets under the direction of horticulturalist, Matthew Dore. The corner will have an impressive new landscape and incorporates details the nearby neighbors will enjoy as well low-maintenance native perennials and edibles. The one-of-a-kind planters are constructed from reclaimed lumber and they will be placed at all the major intersections on Northampton. Finally, a street blitz that will spruce up the neighborhood and clear it of litter. Volunteer Coordinator Rachel Matthews said, “We’re excited by all the volunteers that are expressing interest in getting involved in the neighborhood, together we’re rolling up our sleeves, digging our hands in, and getting the job done.”

Buffalo ReUse encourages corporate groups and organizations interested in community service to get involved. The ReACT! Program offers a unique opportunity for small, medium, and large groups to participate in tangible projects and make a difference in the neighborhood. Projects are being scheduled now for the Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2010.

To see photos of the National Grid project with Buffalo ReUse on Earth DAY, click here.

GREEN EXPO on Saturday, April 17

The Green Expo, sponsored by Senator Antoine Thompson, will be held on Saturday, April 17 at the Walden Galleria Mall from 10AM-6PM.

There will be over 100 exhibits and it promises to be a spectacular event !!

There are many reasons you should come to this FREE event! To find out more about the Green Expo and the Resource Conservation Program KID’S ZONE sponsored by National Fuel, Click Here.

For a printable flyer with more event information and a map, Click Here.

Park and enter near the SEARS store (left end of the map) or at Best Buy, or park anywhere to shop and then enter through the mall. The Green Expo will be held on the 1st floor, as shown in the map below [click image to enlarge].

Volunteers - Spring Shoreline Sweep

Volunteers Still Needed for Spring Shoreline Sweep The Spring Shoreline Sweep is this Saturday, April 17th, from 9am to noon. Volunteers will be cleaning our area parks and waterways at over 30 locations all over Western New York. Large groups, small groups, and individuals of all ages are welcome to participate! More volunteers are especially needed at Houghton Park in Buffalo, North Creek Drive Park in Cheektowaga, the north end of Squaw Island Park in Buffalo, and along Scajaquada Creek in Buffalo (meeting at the American Legion Post 1041 at 533 Amherst Street). For more info or to sign up, contact Adrienne at (716) 852-7483 or akina@bnriverkeeper.org. For a complete list of sites, a map, and to register, Click Here . Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt and after the cleanup, all are invited to a picnic at the American Legion on Amherst Street in Buffalo. Come and enjoy a free meal for a job well done!

Win Grant for Favorite Enviro Group

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OFFERS $1,000 MINI-GRANT PRIZES

FOR WNY RESIDENTS PARTICIPATING IN EARTH DAY

Winners will direct a $1,000 mini-grant to the environmental nonprofit of their choice

April 13, 2010, Buffalo, NY—Individuals participating in local Earth Day festivities now have the opportunity to win a $1,000 mini-grant award for their favorite environmental nonprofit organization from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. The organization announced two opportunities for mini-grant prizes with the goal of increasing the region’s participation in Earth Day and in environmentally friendly activities year-round.

Restoring and preserving the region’s natural environment is a key focus area for the Foundation and last year its donors gave more than $500,000 to support environmental work.

“The Community Foundation is dedicated to supporting efforts that restore and preserve our region’s natural environment, and every single person can do something to help,” said Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, President/CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. “By acting together on Earth Day and every day we can have a positive environmental impact that will be felt by generations to come. We hope that by offering this additional incentive, an increased number of individuals will take part in the many local activities planned to celebrate this 40^th anniversary of Earth Day.”

To be entered for the chance to direct a $1,000 mini-grant:

• Visit Ecology & Environment’s Buffalo Niagara Earth Day web site (www.BuffaloEarthDay.com) before Tuesday, April 20, 2010, and pledge how you will participate in Earth Day activities.

• Stop by the Green Expo at the Walden Galleria Mall on Saturday April 17 to sign up and learn more about how to reduce your carbon footprint.

Winners will be selected at random and announced at the Earth Day Celebration press event on April 22 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Buffalo at 12:00 noon and at the Buffalo Niagara Green Expo at the Walden Galleria Mall at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 17.

The mini-grants can only be awarded to nonprofit 501(c)(3) environmental organizations.

UB Student Groups Host Major Environmental Conference

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Student environmental activists from Western and Central New York are getting ready to teach, learn and discuss New York State's environmental future at Power Shift New York 2010 on the University at Buffalo North Campus on April 16-18.

Hosted by the UB Environmental Network, the event includes three days of tours, lectures, panels, workshops, and a downtown concert. It's part of the "Define Our Decade" campaign affiliated with the Energy Action Coalition, and is expected to be the largest student-organized environmental conference at UB.

Power Shift New York involves student environmental organizations from across the state, including SUNY Geneseo's Geneseo Environmental Organization; SUNY Fredonia's Fredonia Sustainability Committee. Alfred University's Green Alfred and Cornell University's Kyoto Now.

Organizers have confirmed more than 50 speakers for the conference, including NYS Senator Antoine Thompson, Walter Simpson, former director of UB Green, and Lois Gibbs, who is nationally known for her work with the Love Canal crisis in Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Gibbs, renowned author, activist and executive director of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, will be speaking about her experience with environmental struggles and her current campaign to eliminate the toxic plastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from schools.

Before Gibbs' speech at 11 a.m. on April 18 in Room 20, Knox Hall, organizers will set up a 25-foot-tall inflatable duck on Founders Plaza in an effort to raise awareness. "Betty the Be Safe Ducky" has been used across the country to represent the threat that PVC, commonly used in rubber duck bath toys, poses to public health and safety.

Danielle Peters, president of the UB Environmental Network and a lead organizer for the event, believes that Power Shift New York will provide valuable education and "capture the creativity of the things you can do with environmentalism."

"What people need to know is that this conference is not just for students who are active in the environment," Peters said, "but for anyone who wants to learn and improve their breadth of environmental knowledge."

"We want to learn about environmental issues, but we want to do something about the environmental issues that are going on," Peters said.

On Friday night, Power Shift NY ticketholders will have free admission to a concert at Wasteland on Main Street in downtown Buffalo, where Melissa Latimer, Revision and Paul's Grandfather will be performing.

In addition to UB EN, Power Shift NY is sponsored by the UB chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW), a student organization of engineers committed to using technology for environmentally-conscious projects. ESW will hold a session to demonstrate how they built their solar-powered smoothie cart, which they will use to distribute fruity refreshments this Earth Day, April 22.

Other UB sponsors include UB Green, Student Life, the Environmental Studies program, Parking and Transportation Services, the Office of Career Services and Campus Dining and Shops, which will hold a tour of their environmentally-friendly compost system and provide breakfast for attendees on Saturday and Sunday.

Registration will continue through April 18. Tickets for Power Shift NY cost $15, and can be purchased in advance through the SBI Ticket office at the UB Student Union on North Campus or online at www.powershiftny.org Additional information about Power Shift NY 2010 is available at the Web site as well.

Green Expo: Exhibitors, Volunteers, Attendees

Message from Bill Nowak:
The Green Expo, sponsored by Senator Antoine Thompson, is coming up Saturday, April 17th at the Walden Galleria Mall.
It promises to be a spectacular event !!

EXHIBITORS: It's not too late to register as an exhibitor - go to the registration tab at the top of the page at www.bnge.org

VOLUNTEERS: We can use help of course.
Our final organizing meeting for the Green Expo will be Tuesday, April 13th - 5:30 to 7:00 PM at Environmental Education Associates 346 Austin Street near where Grant turns into Military.

We will be setting up for the Expo between 9:30 and 11 PM on Friday evening and between 7:30AM and 10 AM on Saturday, Breakdown will be 5:30-7:00 on Saturday. There will be lots to do during the Expo from 10 to 6 on Saturday. If you can possibly help please come to our session on Tuesday. If you want to help but can't be there Tuesday, please send an email to Janet at janetmg@verizon.net and expect to hear from her after next Tuesday.

ATTENDEES: There are many reasons you should come to this FREE event! To find out more about the Green Expo and the Resource Conservation Program KID’S ZONE sponsored by National Fuel, Click Here.

Park and enter at the SEARS store. The Green Expo will be held nearby on the 1st floor.

Buffalo Niagara Green Expo - April 17

The Buffalo Niagara Green Expo will be held at the Walden Galleria Mall on Saturday, April 17 from 10am to 6pm. The event is FREE and Open to the Community.

For a recent update, see the Nature Watch article by Gerry Rising in The Buffalo News.

Green Expo Planning Meetings continue on Tuesdays from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM until the Expo on the 17th. Next meetings are on April 6th and April 13th and are held at Environmental Education Associates, 346 Austin Street, not far from the Grant St. exit of the 198. For information, e-mail Mary Fisher or phone her at 833-2929, ext. 117.

Volunteers - Clean Air Coalition

To view in a Full Screen and access Web Links, click here.

[click Image to enlarge]

Volunteers - Spring Shoreline Sweep

Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper is seeking citizens to join the Spring Shoreline Sweep, to help clean up the shorelines in Western New York on Saturday, April 17, 9:00am to noon. We encourage all volunteers to participate in the movement to beautify Buffalo and Niagara’s waterways.

Families, community groups, employee groups, service clubs, scouts and individuals can help at 37 sites across Erie and Niagara Counties. Sites in great need of volunteers include: Scajaquada Creek, Broderick Park, Hoyt Lake, Seneca Bluffs, South Park, and more. For a complete list of sites, a map, and to register, Click Here .

For additional information, contact Adrienne Kina at 716.852.RIVER (7483) ext. 19, or akina@bnriverkeeper.org.


Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper cleanups are a part of, and made possible by, the Great American Cleanup, a nation-wide effort to Keep American Beautiful.

Environmental Student Summit at UB

Power Shift New York

Environmental Student Summit

On April 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th, students from around Western, Central, and Upstate New York will be coming to the University at Buffalo for a 3-day conference on a wide variety of environmental topics. This will be the biggest student-organized environmental conference that UB has ever seen.

The summit will consist of speakers, panels, workshops, and environmental action, featuring Lois Gibbs, Senator Antoine Thompson, Walter Simpson, Margaret Wooster, and Dominic Frongillo as headlining speakers. Local environmental organizations, such as Buffalo ReUse, Buffalo Car Share, Massachusetts Avenue Project, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, and PUSH Buffalo, will be featured at the conference as well.

The summit will also highlight students’ environmental work, and give like-minded students the chance to connect with one another. Other schools involved with the summit include SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Geneseo, Cornell University, Alfred University, and many more! The conference will also feature local bands playing great music on the evening of Friday, April 16.

Tickets are $15, and can be purchased at the SBI Ticket Office in Student Union on North Campus, or online at http://powershiftny.org/?page_id=380. Please note that there are 2 steps to our online registration, and to check your email after you register to complete the process.

More information is available at www.powershiftny.org.

Environmental Event: "Buffalo's Waters"

ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB’S

NIAGARA FRONTIER CHAPTER

presents

CONSERVATION CONVERSATION 2010

“BUFFALO’S WATERS”

History, Present, Future of One of Our Planet’s Most Water-Rich Environments

SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
FREE and Open to the Public

SPEAKERS:

• Jerold C. Bestedo of Penn Dixie will highlight the formation of the Great Lakes and Niagara River region.
  

• Rachel Heckl represents Great Lakes United and shall discuss the state of our waters and issues surrounding water conservation and water quality.

• Theresa Hudson works for the US Army Corps of Engineers. She will speak of the Corps extensive field work and enforcing Federal laws to protect our resources.

• Tim Tielman is from Campaign for Greater Buffalo and will enlighten us with stories of Buffalo’s waterfront, its scrappy and glorious history.

Coffee, tea, and goodies will be provided. Get there early and grab a seat! Public is welcome, free of charge.

Where? Gateway Executive Office - near Woodlawn Beach State Park [MAP]

Directions: from North or South, take Route 5 (Lake Shore Drive) to where it intersects with Route 179. Follow signs toward Woodlawn Beach State Park. Look for the Gateway Executive Office. Park in large lot near building.

Sierra Club Dinner, Speaker & Awards

Annual Dinner

Sierra Club - Niagara Group

The Niagara Group Annual Dinner is scheduled for Monday, April 12 at the Eagle House Restaurant, 2nd floor, 5578 Main Street, Williamsville, New York 14221 [MAP]. The function will commence at 5:45 pm.

The guest speaker, Michael Goehle of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, will give a presentation on invasive water and land species. He has been extensively involved with the Great Lakes and the issue of the Asian Carp.

The following awards will also be presented:

• The Blake Reeves award to attorney and ExCom member, Richard Lippes
• The Bruce Kirschner award to author and former Executive Director of Great Lakes United, Margaret Wooster
• A Volunteer Service award to Trailblazer co-editor, Gretchen White

Dinner is Dutch treat and all are invited. If you wish to attend, please call Bob Ciesielski at (716) 895-3367 (office), (716) 839-0180 (home), or send an email to rmciesie@yahoo.com.