Newark's fleet of 10 MINI E electric vehicles, one of the City's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint

Save Money, Save Energy,  Save the Planet
Download the Energy Brochure and find out how to lower your utility bills and reduce your carbon footprint.

• Download the Save Money, Save Energy, Save the Planet Brochure

Lower your energy bills by up to 30% using the tips recommended in the City of Newark's Save Money, Save Energy, Save the Planet Brochure


Participate in Green Activities

COMMUNITY GARDENING
City of Newark Adopt a Lot Program
For information, call 973 733-3631

Greater Newark Conservancy
Offers assistance to community gardens, contact (973) 642-4646

COMMUNITY GREENING & TREE PLANTING
Greater Newark Conservancy offers discounted flower barrels to residents and local businesses, contact (973) 642-4646
Visit http://citybloom.org for further information

The NJ Tree Foundation responds to residents and schools who want more trees in their neighborhood.  Contact Shannon Buckley at (609) 439-1755 or email her at njtf_sbuckley@yahoo.com

OUTDOOR EDUCATION
Greater Newark Conservancy Educational Center
The Conservancy offers year round workshops for adults, teachers and programs for youth.  The Sensory Garden at 32 Prince Street is always a lovely place to visit.   Contact (973) 642-4646, visit http://citybloom.org for further information

Sky Observatory - Public Viewing Nights
Every Monday and Wednesday evening
NJ Meadowlands Commission
One Dekorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, NJ  07071
(201) 460-1700    www.njmeadowlands.gov
More information about the observatory and the Meadowlands Environment Center’s astronomy programs is posted at: http://www.rst2.edu/meadowlands/observatory/index.shtml

Free Guided Bird Walks
First Sunday and Third Tuesday of Each Month
The Meadowlands Commission and Bergen County Audubon Society are sponsoring free 90-minute nature walks on the first Sunday and third Tuesday of every month. Bring binoculars, bug spray, sunscreen and a sense of wonder.
NJ Meadowlands Commission
One Dekorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, NJ  07071
(201) 460-1700    www.njmeadowlands.gov

BIKING IN NEWARK
Monthly bike rides on the first Friday of each month, meet at Beaver Street and Market Street at 7 pm. 
Repair and Ride:  Learn how to fix your bike at free repair sessions from 2 to 4 pm on the third Sunday of each month in Lincoln Park, and join in a group ride leaving from Lincoln Park at 4:15 on those days. Visit http://www.brickcitybikecollective.org/

NEWARK WATERSHED
The Newark-Pequannock Watershed is a 35,000 acre natural resource owned by the City of Newark. The Newark Watershed supplies the City of Newark with its water and sells water to the surrounding suburbs.The Watershed resource, from a land-use perspective, is managed by the Newark Watershed Conservation and Development Corporation (NWCDC). Part of the Watersheds physical make-up are large reservoirs and streams. More specifically, the Watershed has four reservoirs normally open to recreational boating and fishing.
For information visit http://www.newarkwatershed.com/
For information about Camp Watershed call (973) 697-9018
 
 
ESSEX COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER
621 Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland, NJ 07068
The Essex County Environmental Center is dedicated to creating awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the environment and its relationship to Essex County residents.  The Center is devoted to uniting its twenty-two municipalities through integrated educational programs including hands-on-activities. The Center is a state-of-the-art facility constructed using natural and recycled materials, innovative energy saving technologies, and topped by a “green roof” for the purpose storm-water management, among other things.  

The Center offers workshops year round as well as fishing, boating and birding opportunities, a greenhouse and gardens, and a forested interpretive trail.

For information call (973) 228-8776
For calendar of events visit http://www.essex-countynj.org/p/index.php?section=env/o
 

ENJOY OUR PARKS!
The City of Newark is graced with beautiful parks of all sizes.  Enjoy them, get involved in stewardship. Some useful contacts are:
Branchbrook Park – http://branchbrookpark.org
Weequahic Park – http://www.wpapark.org
Trust For Public Land has a contact list of "Friends of Parks" groups throughout Newark and offers technical assistance – contact Donna Kirkland at (973) 718-7338
 
EXERCISE & OUTDOOR EDUCATION
The City's Recreation Centers offer state of the art facilities and programming for residents of all ages.  Visit the Recreation Center pages for addresses and programs!


Follow These Green Tips

SAVE ENERGY AT WORK AND AT HOME
Did you know that "energy phantoms" -- electronic devices that continue to draw power when left on standby -- account for five percent of the electricity used in the United States, and millions of tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere each year? Did you know that leaving one computer on overnight can burn 1 Kilowatt-hour of electricity?

Goal: Switch off appliances at the end of the day to kill “energy phantoms.”  At home, use power strips to turn off appliances that continue to draw energy even in standby mode, as well as appliance chargers, like cell phone chargers.

Put another way, if just 10 people remember to switch off their computers each night, over the course of one year they will have saved enough energy to power the average residential household for four months.

Be an Energy Star - Take the pledge! Do your part to help conserve energy and demonstrate Newark's green leadership.


RECYCLING
Did you know that recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours, or a TV for 2 hours?

Goal: Recycle plastic, metal and paper products that you use throughout the day. Recycling saves resources. You can consolidate your recyclables in a dedicated bin near your desk to eliminate repetitive trips to different disposal containers.


CUT DOWN ON PAPER WASTE
Did you know that New York City throws out enough waste each day to fill the Empire State Building?

Goal: Use paper wisely -- re-use the back side of single-sided documents for drafts, incoming faxes, phone messages, and other in-house tasks. Reduce the font size on standard form documents, and adjust their margins to "narrow," (.75 or less) so that they are as few pages as possible.


SPREAD A SIMPLE CONSERVATION MESSAGE
Did you know that Americans use enough sheets of paper every year to build a 10-foot-high wall that would stretch from New York to Tokyo and beyond?

Goal: Add a line to your e-mail signatures that reminds the recipient not to print the e-mail unless necessary, such as, "Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail."


THINK REUSABLE, NOT DISPOSABLE, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON YOUR LUNCH BREAK
Did you know that every year Americans toss out enough paper or plastic cups, forks and spoons to circle the Equator 300 times? And that approximately 60 to 100 million barrels of oil are required each year to make the world's plastic bags -- greatly contributing to global warming? Did you know that plastic bags cause more than 100,000 sea turtle and marine animal deaths annually and take more than 400 years to bio-degrade?

Goal: Avoid disposable products whenever you can. Use re-usable plates, cups, mugs, and utensils at the office, and bring a re-usable travel mug with you to the coffee shop.


USE PLANTS TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY AT HOME OR IN THE OFFICE
Did you know a study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) concluded that common houseplants such as bamboo palms and spider plants not only make indoor spaces more attractive but convert carbon dioxide into oxygen? Did you know plants through photosynthesis purify the air by removing harmful elements such as trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde?

Goal: Bring some greenery to your home! An average home or office of less than 2,000 square feet should have at least 15 plants to help improve air quality.