Are you free Sunday, April 19 and dying for something to do? Or are you the next Al Gore, minus the millions with a big idea that needs some start up money? Then read on, my friend. You have come to the right place.

 

There are a number of great environmental events in the Hudson Valley over the next couple of weeks. One is the Westchester County Earth Day Celebration on April 19 from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. at Kensico Dam. Admission is free, and there will be exhibits, bands, prizes, awards and even a farmer's market!

 

The town of Cortlandt is also putting on its own Earth Day event on May 3 from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. at Muriel H. Morabito Community Center (located at 29 Westbrook Drive.) The theme is "Learn How You Can Go Green."

 

Bedford is having events all April long -- check out their website for more information. The CELF foundation also hosts a fantastic event, one of my personal favorites, called "Students for a Sustainable Future Expo" on April 23 at Pace University.  Students, organizations and corporations will be sharing the best methods for sustainable development.

 

As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, there is a lot of money coming into New York especially for green initiatives - actually $126 million for energy reduction projects and $400 million for transportation projects, to be exact.  For schools, the money is available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for "modernazition, renovation, or repair of public school facilities and institutions of higher education facilities"; applications can be found at their website.  For businesses or organizations, the money is available to green your rides, including operating cleaner fuel vehicles, upgrading to alternative fuel vehicles and advanced vehicles - like bio-fuel vehicles, hybrids and all electric vehicles.  Applications are due by the end of April/early May - contact Christina T. Ficicchia (director@nyclhvcc.org

), the executive director of New York City Lower Hudson Valley Clean Communities, for more information.  Funding is also available to update bus fleets; the grant website can be accessed here.