Clean and Green 2009

 What a huge success!! The details of this event and all of the support we received is listed below. We certainly hope that you were able to join us and that this was a successful endeavor for you as well.
WFJATC
The Westchester Fairfield Joint Apprentice Training Committee (WFJATC) has generously volunteered to assist Clean and Green: White Plains with the manual labor associated with setting up and breaking down this large-scale event. We thank them for their contribution! For more information on the WFJATC, please go to www.wfjatc.com.


Clean and Green Education: Knowing is Half the Battle

“Green” may seem like a lot of hype these days. We’ve all heard of global warming, and to one extent or another, most people understand that pollution is not a good thing, natural resources are not infinite, and human activity has a major impact on the environment. We are still left with the questions: Why should I go green? How do I do it anyway? What’s in it for me?

To help answer these questions, Clean and Green team members were able to share expertise in environmental science, law and policy with the public at the Clean and Green Educational Exhibit Station. We are continuously collecting newly released information on Federal green stimulus initiatives, as well as State and local incentives that help citizens to go green.

The Educational Exhibit Station gave attendees the opportunity to learn about the major environmental issues facing our communities, the behaviors contributing to those problems, the environmentally friendly alternatives to those behaviors, and most importantly, the health, quality of life, and financial benefits associated with eco-friendly lifestyle choices. Team members were able to provide concrete tax break information and direct attendees to programs which exist to help individuals move toward environmentally responsible lifestyles. Clean and Green provided the opportunity to learn why going green is important, relatively easy and even cost-effective.


Clean and Green Vendor Expo: Turning Knowledge Into Action

Facilitating the use of the information Clean and Green provides, the street was lined with representatives from local companies that have made it their business to help individuals go green. The public had the opportunity to speak with local businesses providing home energy audits and insulation services, pesticide-free landscaping, alternative energy sources and other energy-efficient and eco-friendly goods and services.

Environmentally friendly products and services are becoming increasingly popular and competitive, and the green vendor expo gave businesses the opportunity to both educate the public and to promote themselves. Vendors supplied compact, portable goods and had the opportunity to sell directly to the public from their tables. For more information on becoming a Clean and Green vendor, for now or the future, please contact us.


Kids’ Corner: Planting the Seeds of Environmental Sustainability

In accordance with Clean and Green’s eco-collaborative approach to action, we welcomed the public to bring the whole family. It was fun for all! In collaboration with the White Plains Youth Bureau and its Greening Project, Clean and Green provided young people with educational, environmentally-themed games and activities at the centrally located Renaissance Plaza. The City of White Plains showcased its hybrid-electric bucket truck, and Westchester County was able to showcase the Veggie Van, a vehicle which runs on biodiesel fuel created from waste cooking oil. Clean and Green’s mission can only be achieved by including the next generation of environmental leaders!

The White Plains Youth Bureau also facilitated an environmentally-themed art contest, whose participant were White Plains elementary and middle school students. To honor the children's efforts and further engage the local community, ArtsWestchester graciously agreed to showcase the children's art in its gallery on the corner of Mamaroneck Avenue and Martine Avenue.


Arts Westchester ArtsWestchester is your connection to the arts.
Their grants help fund concerts, performances and exhibitions throughout the county, and their own full season of performances and exhibitions showcases the work of our county's exceptional artists. Their school and community arts programs ensure that the arts are available and accessible to all of our county’s residents. Learn about ArtsWestchester at www.artswestchester.org

This spring, ArtsWestchester focuses on the environment, with exhibitions, workshops and school programs that remind us to stop and think about the state of the world we all share. Exhibitions can be viewed in the ground floor galleries at the Arts Exchange, 31 Mamaroneck Avenue. Gallery hours are Tues-Sat 12-5; admission to the gallery is free except during performances and special events.  RUBBISH! Art and the Ecosystem is an exhibition featuring over 70 pieces from 20 Westchester artists who bring new life to found materials, and is on view May 16 through August 29.


Greenburgh Nature Center The Greenburgh Nature Center is a 33-acre woodland preserve with trails, pond, gardens, and outdoor animal exhibits, including a birds-of-prey aviary. Their indoor exhibits include a live animal museum with over 100 specimens, exhibit areas focusing on nature and the environment, a greenhouse with botanical exhibits, and a gift shop. Their mission is to educate and promote conservation, research, and an appreciation of nature, while preserving the natural and historic character of their property.

On May 30, as part of Clean and Green: White Plains, trained volunteers from the Greenburgh Nature Center presented live animals from its collection and provided educational information about those animals at the Kids' Corner at Renaissance Plaza! For further information on GNC, please go to www.greenburghnaturecenter.org.


Entertainment: Let’s Have Some Fun!

Being Clean and Green is also about enjoying a rich quality of life, and a good life requires fun!! Through the entire span of the event, a professional DJ had us all moving to the sounds of classic soul, rock, hip-hop, reggae, R&B, and salsa.
Clean and Green: White Plains featured a live band! Solar Punch is an innovative rock band that uses solar energy exclusively to power its instruments and transmit its environmental message. For more information on Solar Punch, go to www.solarpunch.org.

Additionally, Cache Dance Studios was able to grace us with an exciting, free salsa performance by their talented student performance team - an energetic visual treat for everyone!

Piero Manrique And we hope you did not miss emerging artist Piero Manrique, who was delighting us with his phenomenal artwork. Please visit www.pieromanrique.com for more information on his work.

DJ Option DJ Option

Influenced by all genres of music, DJ Option blends rock, funk, soul, pop, r&b, hip-hop, reggae, jazz, and house from all eras into a musical soundtrack. His style takes you on a journey that creates a universally positive vibe for people from all walks of life. The music becomes a vessel that brings everyone together and allows you to dance to the beat of your own rhythm.


Speaker Panel: Giving Businesses a Boost

Clean and Green provided business owners, developers, and municipal leaders the opportunity to learn from experts in environmental law, smart growth development, and green-oriented environmental consulting as attendees to a speaker panel hosted in the White Plains Performing Arts Theatre. Clean and Green’s speaker panel offered a unique opportunity for businesses to learn from well-respected, knowledgeable professionals about how to take advantage of the incentives and benefits of incorporating sustainable practices and even participating in the green economy directly.
Jump to our speakers' bio page to learn about them.

Clean and Green: The Movie

The Clean and Green eco-collaborative approach to action did not stop on May 30, 2009! Academy Award Nominee, IMAX film director Bayley Silleck, and his partner, filmmaker Nathaniel Smith, have been diligently accumulating footage of the Clean and Green planning process. The filmmakers also covered the day’s events, and are creating a documentary film designed to show that local, concerted, eco-collaborative action is both achievable and effective at educating and facilitating the movement toward a green community.
Jump to our filmmaker's page.

 Jump to Top