Community Awareness & Outreach

Summary: Provide open communication between City Hall and Rye residents through adoption of the Rye Sustainability Plan and with the creation of a dedicated, comprehensive sustainability page on ryeny.gov. Promote a lifestyle that embraces sustainability principles through educational programs sponsored by the Rye Sustainability Committee, municipal commissions/boards, and/or local civic organizations.

The Community Awareness & Outreach (CAO) Sector's Implementation & Tracking Table can be found on page 85 of the Sustainability Plan.

projects & Initiatives

TREE CITY USA

Celebrating the planting of serviceberry trees in Rye’s Milton Cemetery on December 18, 2019.

After a long lapse of eleven years, the City of Rye was reinstated as a Tree City USA in 2017. Managed by the Arbor Day Foundation, the Tree City USA program has been greening up cities and towns across America since 1976. It is a nationwide movement that provides the framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their public trees.

Rye Sustainability Committee’s land use and tree planting efforts were integral in restoring Rye as a Tree City.

joint sound shore no-idling day 2012

In collaboration with the environmental committees of the Village of Larchmont, the Village of Mamaroneck, and the Town of Mamaroneck, RSC organized the first Sound Shore Community No-Idling Awareness Day on 4/23/12. In addition, over ten area schools participated by planning a number of educational activities and events. The goal of the initiative was to raise awareness about the environmental and health hazards of idling and to remind residents that §45-1 of the Rye City Code prohibits idling a vehicle engine longer than three minutes.

Activities and events included:

City Council statement declaring April 23rd “Soundshore Communities’ No-Idling Day”
Rye PD awareness initiatives
New no-idling sign at library parking lot
Educational activities at the schools
Informational material
Media coverage

Applicable CAO Section(s): 1.5

Related Section(s) in Sustainability Plan: Transportation: 1.6, 2.6, 2.9

rye rocks earth day 2013

Under the leadership of the Rye Arts Center, RSC participated in a community-wide celebration to commemorate Earth Day in Rye on April 20, 2013. Local organizations took part in a variety of activities designed to promote awareness of and showcase the natural beauty found in our waterfront community.

RSC provided general information on green landscaping practices while promoting the health and safety benefits of pesticide-free yards, composting and leave leaves alone initiatives.

Applicable CAO Section(s): 1.5

Related Section(s) in Sustainability Plan:

Waste Reduction: 2.6
Water/Land Use: 2.4

Green Screen Series

Green Screen 2011

RSC's first Green Screen presented Bag It, a documentary about film maker Jeb Berrier, who makes a pledge to stop using plastic bags at the grocery store and how this commitment transformed his life.

Green Screen 2013

RSC's 2013 Green Screen presented No Impact Man, a documentary about Colin Beavan, who made the decision to give up virtually all of the comforts of modern living -- electricity, gas-powered transportation, shipped food and public waste disposal -- in a drastic effort to curb his environmental impact.

Green Screen 2016

RSC's 2016 Green Screen presented Idle Threat: Man on Emission, a documentary about film maker George Pakenham's attempts to reduce air pollution and combat climate change by exposing New York City's lax enforcement efforts.

Green Screen 2017

In 2017, Green Screen put on two separate screenings. The first documentary — Minimalism — examines the many levels of minimalism by looking inside the lives of minimalists from various walks of life. The second documentary — Wasted! — addresses the issue of food waste and the fact that every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is thrown away, adding up to one third of all food grown for human consumption. Filmmakers explore the reasons for this waste and look for ways to fix the problem.

Green Screen 2018

The 2018 Green Screen addressed the ubiquitous issue of plastic straws. Actor/Director Tim Robbins narrates a humorous history of straws, and Director Linda Booker interviews marine researchers, artists, citizen activists, and business owners in California, Costa Rica and North Carolina about how it's possible to make a sea of change, one straw at a time.

Green Screen 2019

In 2019, Green Screen again examined the issue of waste and our disposable lifestyles with a presentation of The Clean Bin Project. In this multi-award winning, festival favorite, partners Jen and Grant go head to head in a competition to see who can swear off consumerism and produce the least garbage Their light-hearted competition is set against a darker examination of the problem waste.

See Resources for additional information.

Applicable CAO Section(s): 1.5, 1.8

Related Section(s) in Sustainability Plan: WR: 2.7; Transportation: 1.6, 2.6, 2.9