This course is the foundational 72 hour Permaculture Design Certification program, endorsed by PINA the Permaculture Institute of North America. Our course offers systemic solutions to the contemporary social justice and ecological issues of our times. ​​ Our certification connects you to an international world of designers, architects, organic farmers, and communities who all recognize a permaculture design certificate as a legitimate passport to another level of knowledge. Begins September 27 & 28; continues October 4 & 5, 11 & 12, 18* & 19*, 25 & 26. Total cost is $721 including the PayPal fee. To apply, visit https://www.permaculturenewyork.com/permaculture-training-nyc more below…

The course includes:

2 full days of field trips to innovative projects and people in the Hudson valley
You can miss and make up sessions outside of class with make up work we assign
152 page handout of excerpts from the top sources on Permaculture Design
Curated video libraries of transformative projects and teachers
Applying Permaculture Design to retrofit the industrial economy to be a healthier and happier place.

Nature journaling is an accessible, approachable, and enjoyable method of connecting with the local environment. Join Cary Institute ecology educator Ashley Alred for a guided trail walk and learn field-based techniques for capturing our outdoor observations with sketching and watercolor. All materials will be provided; however, you are welcome to bring personal supplies like a journal, pencil, and pen.

Space is limited and registration is required for this free program.

Please register at https://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=1129&EventID=567525&PK to receive directions and event details.

Discover how one small homestead in Tillson, NY is turning kitchen scraps and animal waste into clean energy using a simple indoor biogas system. On this unique farm tour, you'll learn how Kathy Puffer powers her stove and fertilizes her garden with outputs from a home-scale biodigester. You'll also explore how biogas fits into a larger homestead ecosystem that includes a food forest, small livestock, and sustainable growing practices. This is a rare chance to see renewable energy in action—right in someone’s backyard. If you’re curious about off-grid living, waste-to-energy solutions, or resilient food systems, this tour will leave you inspired.

Parking is limited, so carpooling is encouraged. Registration is free, and the address will be emailed to you upon sign-up. We ask for the driver's cell phone number in case any parking issues arise.

No dogs on property please, we have livestock that spook. Address will be sent upon registration. RSVP here

Join members of Pleasant Valley Climate Smart and learn about the small things you can do at home to help protect and celebrate Mother Earth. Some you may know but others may surprise you.

We have all become a bit comfortable in our ways even if we care about Mother Earth. Sometimes just gathering with others to discuss how we can reduce, reuse, and recycle can help us navigate those small changes you can do to help our Earth and remain comfortable in your lifestyle. For example, you may have clothes that you are tired of and there is the donation box up the street you usually drop a bag in, but there are other alternatives.
Join us in sharing ideas. Hopefully we will all walk away with a new outlook on life and ready to embrace the little things. There will be light refreshments and takeaways for young and old.

Ghent Community Day. Local event to promote Ghent businesses and happenings, there will be food and games. Ghent Climate Smart table will be there collecting food scraps, promoting our new fast charger at the town hall. Free event.

The next Green Ossining Repair Cafe will be held Saturday, September 27th from 11am - 3pm on the lower level of the Ossining Public Library located at 53 Croton Avenue in Ossining, NY.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact repaircafegreenossining@gmail.com.

Get your beloved but broken items fixed, for free, at the next ColumbiaNE: Chatham Repair Cafe will take place on Saturday, September 27th from 10am - 2pm at the East Chatham firehouse located at 14 Frisbee Street in East Chatham, NY 12060 (just north of the intersection with 295). The cafe will take place both in the firehouse’s community room and an outdoor pavilion.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact columbiaNERepairCafe@gmail.com.

Pick apples, sip cider, and indulge in an evening of inspiration as you witness a showcase of the Hudson Valley’s best sustainable fashion designers on our Organic Runway! Tickets

Are you ready to put your money to work for a better climate future? Whether you’re brand-new to investing, curious about local options, or already a climate-minded investor, join us for a lively morning of matcha (or coffee or tea), pastries, and meaningful connections.

You’ll meet neighbors, local business owners, and climate professionals who share a common question:

How can we align our dollars with our values to build a resilient, thriving Hudson Valley? RSVP here

The Walking School Bus is back-to-school! We’re hosting this walk to school day as part of Hudson Valley Climate Solutions Week.

This is a fun way for our community to support families walking to school. Parents and their students can meet up on a “stop” on the walking school bus route and head to the Lions Mini Park en masse. Bring your own breakfast for a hang at the park. Trustee Ric Lewit will be on hand to give a quick update about the $2mm Safe Routes to School project to install sidewalks and crosswalks. And then we’ll all head off together to Chancellor Livingston School.

More details

Are you concerned about climate change but not sure how to integrate it into your classes? Are you new to sustainability-centered curriculum and looking to increase your repertoire of lessons/activities? Do you want to join a growing community of educators working toward climate solutions?

Earthrise Commons is a new community-centered education project based at SUNY New Paltz. The foundation of this project is a forthcoming Open Access book by sustainability educators and community practitioners, Sustainability Learning for Action & Community Engagement, Eds. Wyman & Korenblat (Palgrave / Springer 2025) that describes ways to take action as a sustainability educator. The Earthrise Commons interactive website complements the book with actionable ideas and projects. This curricular hub provides high-quality Creative Commons teaching and learning material to be implemented in the classroom or in the community.

We believe that educators are the key to moving our society from climate despair to climate repair. We believe the best learning happens when engaged with other people. We believe in connecting teachers and community practitioners across grade levels, subjects, and schools.

Come join this conversation with Sarah Wyman, Associate Professor of English (SUNY New Paltz), Joshua Korenblat, Associate Professor of Graphic Design (SUNY New Paltz), and Samrat Pathania, NY Master Teacher Emeritus, to learn how you can be part of the movement. Participants will explore resources available through Earthrise Commons, which are free for the global community. They will also brainstorm how to become contributors to this project.

Please fill out this registration form to receive Zoom link for meeting: https://forms.gle/kyia2A4EuFAVyrLaA

Join us for an introduction to seed saving and pollinator-friendly gardening methods for the home gardener. We will share the climate benefits of saving seeds and demonstrate how to harvest, clean, and store the seeds of our native plant, flower, and vegetable gardens. We will also share the goals of the Pleasant Valley Seed Library and how you can share your seeds. Julia Schuette, Janice Novet, and members of the Pleasant Valley Community Gardens will facilitate.

Enjoy an early fall evening along the Hudson River, mingling with fellow environmentalists, climate activists, and friends in a lush native plant garden at The Caboose. Seasonal snacks and an open bar will be provided, as well as a chance to connect with your local community. The event is free, but registration is required. RSVP

In-person presentation about the Funding Futures grant initiative being rolled out around the Town of Highlands. Highlands is launching Together We Decide—a community project to shape our future, starting Sept. 20. Residents will be asked five key questions: What do you love about our community? What is special about this place? What are you most concerned about? What do we need to do better? And what is most important for your future here? The responses will be compiled and voted on by the public to inform which priorities the community can undertake. No cost; by donation.

Ask the Home Energy Advisor: Wednesday, September 24th 2025 from 7:00pm-8:30pm Join Sustainable Westchester and the Mid Hudson Regional Clean Energy Hub for a free drop-in session to get help lowering your energy bills with insulation and heat pumps. Residents of all seven counties of the Mid-Hudson Region are welcome to attend, including: Sullivan, Putnam, Ulster, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange and Westchester. Please register for the event here.

Drawing from her book, artist/author Cara B. Hochhalter combines science and art to answer questions about pollinators. Did you know there are beetle larvae that hitchhike, wasps that make mud, and butterflies who wear spangles? Come and hear some fascinating pollinator stories that may be happening in your own yard!

While conversations about the environment can often feel heavy, there is still so much beauty, joy, and abundance to be found in the natural world. Join us for a hopeful and thought-provoking discussion of "The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World" by Robin Wall Kimmerer, in partnership with Wild Ones Mid-Hudson Valley. Free, In person.

Join us for a field expedition of local flora, fauna, and fungi with Laura Wyeth - horticulturist and lecturer of botany at SUNY New Paltz. Her life's mission is to help people connect with and understand plants. Participants will practice close observation of the natural world and experience techniques for engaging the senses in this exploration. 

We will start at the Pine Road parking lot (right off Butterville Road in New Paltz, NY). Parking is limited. Please carpool if possible. Dress to be comfortable in whatever weather emerges- water, sturdy shoes, layers of clothing, bug spray, and sun protection are recommended.

This will be a talk and discussion focused on the ways in which a solar-based energy system will reshape society.

Join us for a guided tour of the compost facility that the Village of Rhinebeck created with a local horse farm!

WHERE: ELLERSLIE STABLES (directions available upon RSVP)

WHEN: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

TIME: 4:30PM - 5:30PM

RSVP HERE

(A precise map to access the composting facility provided upon RSVP).

Calling all composters, gardeners, farmers, area officials, and the compost-curious!

Tour our successful aerated static pile system to see how our food scraps turn into black gold certified for use on organic farms.

Ellerslie Stables owner, Michael DeCola and Rhinebeck Village Trustee, Vanessa Bertozzi, as well as members of the Rhinebeck Compost Committee, will be on hand to explain the process and answer questions.

We are hosting this tour during Climate Solutions Week in hopes that other municipalities and farms will be inspired. We are thrilled to share this model, as it is a win-win!

Get your beloved but broken items fixed, for free, at the next Port Jervis Repair Cafe will be held from 1pm - 4pm on Sunday, September 21st at Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church located at 31 W. Main St. in Port Jervis.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact petmar@gmail.com.

Help us get out environmental voters by writing postcards, and celebrate the SUN and the power of clean energy. Felt a sun on a dryer ball, taste some local popcorn made on an induction stove, convert your bike to an e-bike using a CLIP adapter and more. By Bard Office of Sustainability, Citizens' Climate Lobby. Free.

Climate Smart Town of Poughkeepsie will be at the annual street fair with information on our community sustainability campaigns, participation in a community resilience-building project with SUNY ESF and the Hudson River Foundation, Pollinator Pathway, food scrap and textile recycling programs, and more. Stop by our table to complete a very short survey and be entered to win a drawing for a bicycle!

Get your beloved but broken things fixed, for free, at the next Middletown Repair Cafe will take place on Saturday, September 20th from 10:00am - 1:00pm at the Thrall Public Library located at 11-19 Depot Street in Middletown, NY.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer please contact emirlbacher@hvc.rr.com.

"Bring your beloved but broken items to be fixed, for free, to the next Warwick Repair Cafe on Saturday, September 20th from 10:00am - 2:00pm at the Senior Center located behind the Warwick Town Hall Complex at 132 King’s Highway, Warwick, NY.

For more information, please contact ippi3635@aol.com."

Get your broken but beloved items fixed, for free, at the next Esopus Repair Cafe will take place on Saturday, September 27th from 10:00am-2:00pm at the Ascension Church located at 1585 Rte 9W in West Park, NY.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer please email ellisonme4@gmail.com.

"Bring your beloved but broken items to be fixed, for free, to the next Warwick Repair Cafe on Saturday, September 20th from 10:00am - 2:00pm at the Senior Center located behind the Warwick Town Hall Complex at 132 King’s Highway, Warwick, NY.

For more information, please contact ippi3635@aol.com."

Free Woodbury recycling drop event for items containing coolant. The Climate Smart Community Task Force and the Village of Woodbury are collecting all appliance that contain refrigerant such as, window AC units, refrigerators, dehumidifiers, water coolers, mini-fridges and wine coolers. The event will be held at the Woodbury Highway Department has 3 drop off dates. Visit our website at https://cscwoodbury.com

The built environment is responsible for about 42% of carbon emissions worldwide. How do we change that? Climate change affects all of us, but hits disadvantaged communities hardest. Learn the power you as an architect, engineer, client, builder, or part of the construction industry have to make a difference. Hear from six distinguished speakers how you can change your practice and have an impact. Engage in hands-on roundtable discussions. Network with other architects, design professionals, clients, and builders over coffee, beverages and box lunch included in your registration. Learn about new materials and equipment from our sponsors. Enjoy the beautiful 2,000-acre campus of The Cary Institute and tour its buildings which are a lesson in the evolution of sustainable architecture.

SOON IS NOW is festival of climate change and eco themed live performance and art in Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park, a former industrial site and brownfield transformed into an ecologically sustainable park on the Hudson River in Beacon, NY. The performances are curated throughout the park where audiences experience them on a walking tour.

Based on the belief that art can reach the hearts and minds of audiences on this most urgent and overwhelming challenge of our time, SOON IS NOW invites the public into this space of evocative live performance and art to inspire deeper awareness of climate change and its impacts. Local environmental groups will provide education and outreach. There will be creative activities to engage adults and children. Local artists on the program include Edwin Torres, Elizabeth Castagna, Andrew Brehm, Martin Fowler, Alex Waterman, Lori Merhige, Twinkle Burke and Jojo Gonzalez.