What we plant, how we care for our land, and the choices we make in our own yards have a far-reaching impact on our health and the health of the planet. On Wednesday, November 4, Perfect Earth Project and RiverFest FPS invite the public to Your Land: Your Environment, Your Health, an afternoon to learn more about supporting healthier, happier, biodiverse landscapes.
The event brings together experts in ecology, watershed protection, native plants, and human health for a discussion moderated by Perfect Earth Project founder and landscape designer Edwina von Gal. Speakers include Jen Benson of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Dr. Sarah Evans of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Dr. Amy Karpati of Teatown Lake Reservation, and Ryan MacLean of the Greenwich Audubon Center. A Q&A will follow.
The program also features the premiere of a short film by Ted Weinbaum, highlighting the work of ecologist Elijah Goodman of Stone Barns, educator Patty Butter of the Native Plant Center, and landscape designers Leslie Needham, Dawn Orza, and Kim Eierman. Attendees can also meet local environmental organizations working to make their communities healthier and more resilient including Hilltop Hanover Farm, Native Plant Center, Riverkeeper, Wildr Places, and more. With a performance of “This Land is Your Land” by Linda Richards. A buffet lunch will be presented by RiverMarket Bar & Kitchen. Sponsored by Historic Hudson Valley, Homegrown National Park, and RiverMarket.
Date and Time: Wednesday, November 4 12:30–3 p.m., doors open at 12:00 p.m.
Location: Historic Hudson Valley Headquarters, 639 Bedford Road, Pocantico Hills
Admission: Free; advance registration required. Space is limited
The Experts
Jen Benson is the Director of Advocacy and Communications at Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. She worked at the Hudson River Watershed Alliance where she provided building technical assistance to watershed groups and supported watershed characterization processes. She also spent seven years at Riverkeeper managing the Riverkeeper Sweep and advocacy campaigns activating communities around threats to drinking water, the Hudson River, and its tributaries. She holds an M.S. in Environmental Policy from Bard.
Dr. Sarah Evans is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her research focuses on how early life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals like BPA and phthalates shape the brain and behavior. Through her work with the Mount Sinai Center on Health and Environment Across the LifeSpan (HEALS), Children’s Environmental Health Center (CEHC), Region 2 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU), and the New York State Children’s Environmental Health Centers (NYSCHECK), she is committed to translating research to action to promote safer practices and policies that protect communities from toxic chemicals.
Dr. Amy Karpati is an ecologist and educator. She’s the Senior Science Advisor at Teatown, directing ecological research and monitoring on the preserve and guiding the organization’s approach to biodiversity conservation. She teaches in the Masters in Sustainability Management program through the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University and serves as the chair of her community’s Environmental Advisory Council. She holds a Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolution and a bachelors in Natural Resource Management from Rutgers University, as well as a masters in Adolescent Education from Pace University.
Ryan MacLean is the Senior Education Coordinator of the Greenwich Audubon Center in Greenwich CT, the oldest education center of the National Audubon Society. Ryan conducts public programs, school field trips, workshops, and outreach to promote conservation actions that help protect birds and the places they need. He also coordinates community science efforts at the center and throughout the region including the Quaker Ridge Hawk Watch and the Greenwich-Stamford Christmas Bird Count.
Edwina von Gal is a leading voice in sustainable gardening and landscape design. She founded Perfect Earth Project in 2013 to promote ecological land care. An award-winning designer, Edwina created landscapes with a focus on simplicity, sustainability, and beauty for clients around the world. Her work has been published widely, and her book Fresh Cuts won the Quill and Trowel award. She serves on the board of What Is Missing, Maya Lin’s multifaceted media artwork about the loss of biodiversity, Longue Vue’s National Council, and is a member of the Native Plant Trust’s Council.
Performer Linda Richards is a Hudson Valley songstress who has performed on the deck of the sloop Clearwater and the Bardavon, school auditoriums and parking lots, backyard birthday parties and The Egg. Her vocal skills, humor and connection with her audience make her someone you love to listen to and even sing along with.
