April: A Month Devoted to the Earth

This past month, New Yorkers gathered around the city to celebrate Earth Day. One event that stood out commenced in the heart of Union Square.

The New York City Department of Transportation organized a “Car Free Day” where certain streets in Manhattan were closed from 10 am to 4 pm for pedestrians to walk without inhaling the automobile fumes. 

New Yorkers and tourists alike gathered to help promote the event. Amanda Tackary and Wendell Jeffery both led the Kelp Parade at Car-Free Earth Day. They walked along Broadway holding flags made from upcycled plastic bags.

Tackary and Jeffery were captivated “by kelp and all the good things that it can do for our environment and for our oceans.” Kelp is a type of algae that can be used as an alternative to plastic. “We’re talking about a problem, single use plastic and a solution of kelp,” Tackary said.

The pair decided to use kelp as the inspiration for the flags to “make something that is normally invisible to people, visible” Jeffery said. “Not everything that is important is obvious.”

Angela Montez, a programming assistant at the Union Square Market, emphasized that the market is trying to encourage people to compost by partnering with The LES Ecology Center to have compost bins at the ends of the market. “You can come here, drop your compost off, and it gets turned into composting soil which you pick up, so it's a very closed looped system,” she said. This is accessible for NYU students and faculty since it is located in Union Square, just a few minutes away from Washington Square Park. 

At A Sustainable Village Zero Waste & Refillery Shop, Em Hynes detailed how she started this zero-waste store to help people reduce their personal plastic waste. The store is also accessible for students and faculty as it is located on University Place. “People can come in and bring their bottles to refill on hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioners, toothpaste, and more,” said Hynes. 

Hynes believes that people should be aware of Earth Day “because climate change is real, there is a lot of pollution in this world that is created by humans,” she said. “As an individual, we can help reduce those pollutants by just refilling products instead of buying a new one.” 

When the interviewees were asked about what Earth day means to them, they all collectively agreed that “every day should be Earth Day.”

So the next time April rolls around, think about how you can help the Earth. Perhaps even venture into Union Square, where you’ll get a first-hand experience of community and nature intertwining.