Town Announces Home Sustainability Workshops, Rain Barrel Sales

Press release from the Town of North Hempstead:

March 16, 2021

Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the Town Board are pleased to announce that the Town will be offering Home Sustainability Workshops this April, and will be selling rain barrels and composters to Town residents as well. This year’s classes will be held virtually through the Zoom platform. Classes are free for all, including both residents and non-residents, but registration is required.

Upcoming workshops will include:

Sustainable Yard Care: Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 10 a.m.In the Sustainable Yard Care workshop you will learn ways to make your yard more eco-friendly by composting, conserving water, using alternatives to pesticides, and more.

Creating Rain Gardens: Saturday, April 24, 2021 at 10 a.m.Rain gardens are bowl shaped gardens that are positioned near a water run-off source, such as a gutter downspout or driveway, to capture rainwater. In the Town’s rain garden workshop you will discover how these gardens reduce stormwater pollution and flooding, recharge and purify our drinking water, and provide food and habitat for wildlife. Sign up and learn how to create one in your own yard.

Native Plant Gardening: Saturday, April 24, 2021 at 12 p.m.The Native Plant Gardening workshop will teach you how to create native plant gardens which conserve water, reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides, and provide food and habitat for wildlife, such as pollinators.

Composting and using a rain barrel are two great ways to help the environment from your own backyard. Compost provides valuable nutrients for soil and plants, reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or combustion facilities, and lessens the need for synthetic fertilizers. Rain barrels are containers that collect rainwater that can be used for outdoor irrigation and help to conserve water use, allowing users to save money and reduce stormwater pollution.

The Town will also have composters and rain barrels available for purchase at a discounted price of $50 each (1 each per household). These items are only available to Town residents. Those interested must pre-register for a specific pickup date held at Clark Botanic Garden. This can be done online or by calling 311.

For more information on these programs, to register for a workshop, or to purchase a rain barrel and composter visit northhempsteadny.gov/sustainability or call 311.

This press release was produced by the Town of North Hempstead. The views expressed here are the author's own.