Mayor's Message - March 27, 2026

April is Earth Month, a time to celebrate the natural beauty of Irvington, renew our commitment to stewardship, and come together in service of a healthier, more resilient community. From our woods and parks to our streets, homes, and shared public spaces, Earth Month reminds us that local action matters and that caring for the environment is one of the most meaningful ways we care for one another. All local environmental resources can be found at IrvingtonGreen.org.
This year, Irvington residents can take part in the Rivertowns Earth Month Scavenger Hunt throughout April. This fun, free, family-friendly game invites residents from Hastings-on-Hudson to Sleepy Hollow to complete missions highlighting our beautiful open spaces, festive community events, opportunities to steward the land, and sustainable lifestyle choices, from organic food to refill and secondhand shops and health and wellness offerings.
The Scavenger Hunt is also a friendly competition among participating villages for a $3,000 sponsorship prize. The Irvington Green Team has voted to direct any winnings to the Arts and Culture Committee in support of a butterfly-themed pollinator garden project along Main Street. A community planting day for these beds is planned for April 19th at the Farmer’s Market.

I encourage residents to create a team, attend Earth Month events, and help Irvington earn the most Earth Steward Points to win in support of this creative community collaboration! Gameplay is March 29 - May 4. Register now.

Earth Month brings opportunities to deepen our understanding of the natural systems that sustain us. On Saturday, April 11, the Living Forest Speaker Series will welcome Dr. Bernd Blossey of Cornell University to the O’Hara Nature Center for a talk on “Deer Management: Forest Feedback Loops.” Later in the season, the series will continue with Dr. Elijah Goodwin of Stone Barns, whose talk on “Agriculture as Conservation” is scheduled for late April or early May. These programs help connect local stewardship to the broader science of biodiversity, forest health, and land management.
April offers a chance to experience Irvington’s natural world more directly through hands-on service. Our ongoing Volunteer in the Woods program includes April work dates on April 11 and April 18, offering residents the chance to care for the Irvington Woods in practical and meaningful ways. I encourage anyone who loves our trails, habitats, and open spaces to consider joining.

Following the Village’s recent Dark Sky Week ordinance for April 13-20, Irvington will celebrate our commitment to reducing light pollution with a Stargazing Night on Friday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the O’Hara Nature Center (rain date of Monday, April 20). Registration through Community Pass is required, as space is limited. Guided by Bob Kelly of the Westchester Amateur Astronomers, this gathering is a wonderful opportunity to experience one of Irvington’s darker natural areas.

Earth Month will conclude with programs that connect environmental awareness to civic life, culture, and community resilience. Irvington Green is launching Chaos & Catharsis: Meaning, Movement and Music for Uncertain Times: a new series that invites people to confront this moment of overlapping crises with deepening community connection and coherence. The series brings together authors, scholars, cultural critics, activists, embodiment facilitators and musicians.
As part of the series, on April 17th, Luke Kemp, author of Goliath’s Curse, will be interviewed by Douglas Rushkoff. On April 22nd, Earth Day, there will be a panel discussion on the Evolution of the Environmental Movement with authors Samantha Sweetwater and Daniel Pinchbeck and a special guest. Details will be posted to ChaosandCatharsis.com.

On April 25th, the series will feature a performance by Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir at the Irvington Theater. Part gospel-infused performance, part political spectacle, these events remind us that environmental work is not only about policy and science. It is also about imagination and community spirit.

As part of Earth Day celebrations, all Dows Lane students will join Meg Tubman, the PTSA Garden Coordinator, and parent volunteers, to fill the vegetable garden with seeds. Prep, tending and a bit of luck will lead to a delicious harvest celebration at the end of the school year.

After months of collecting plastic bags, the Irvington Green Team will celebrate the installation of a Trex recycling bench earned for the Bulldogs through this community-wide effort. Main Street School students will highlight the bench in a new recycling education video created in collaboration between the Environmental Club and the Video Production Club, which will be introduced at the Earth Week assembly on April 24. A community ribbon-cutting and public unveiling is also planned for the Irvington Farmers Market (details forthcoming), offering a chance to celebrate the students’ leadership while helping residents learn more about plastic film recycling and the power of collective action. Residents can now take their stretchy plastics directly to larger grocers like Stop & Shop or Wegmans for recycling.

I hope you will join us for the many Earth Month events and help make April a month of learning, service, celebration, and shared purpose in Irvington. Whether you attend a talk, volunteer in the woods, gaze at the stars, or join the scavenger hunt, your participation strengthens the fabric of this village and the future we are building together.

All event information and updates can be found at IrvingtonGreen.org/Events

Sincerely, 
Mayor Arlene Burgos
Village of Irvington