Hudson Valley Workshop: Yard Choices Linked to Health

Perfect Earth Project and RiverFest FPS will host a free public workshop on November 4 that connects daily yard maintenance to human health outcomes. The event, titled Your Land: Your Environment, Your Health, will take place at the Historic Hudson Valley Headquarters in Pocantico Hills. The program is designed to show how specific choices in planting and land care influence the health of residents and the planet.

The initiative stems from the Perfect Earth Project, which Edwina von Gal founded in 2013. Von Gal, a landscape designer and the organization’s founder, has focused on ecological land care for over a decade. Her work aims to promote biodiversity in residential spaces. The group now partners with RiverFest FPS to extend this message to a wider audience through direct education.

The event features a panel of specialists who will discuss the intersection of ecology and medicine. Edwina von Gal will moderate the session. The speakers include Jen Benson, Director of Advocacy and Communications at Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Dr. Sarah Evans, an Associate Professor in Environmental Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, will also present. Dr. Amy Karpati, Senior Science Advisor at Teatown Lake Reservation, and Ryan MacLean, Senior Education Coordinator at the Greenwich Audubon Center, round out the expert panel.

Dr. Evans specializes in how early exposure to chemicals like BPA affects brain development. Her research seeks to translate scientific findings into practical policies that protect communities from toxic substances. Dr. Karpati directs ecological research at Teatown Lake Reservation and teaches in the Masters in Sustainability Management program at Columbia University. Ryan MacLean coordinates community science efforts, including the Greenwich-Stamford Christmas Bird Count, to protect local bird populations.

Jen Benson brings experience from the Hudson River Watershed Alliance and Riverkeeper. She has managed advocacy campaigns focused on drinking water threats and river protection. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy from Bard College. The panel will be followed by a question and answer period for attendees.

The program also includes the premiere of a short film by Ted Weinbaum. The video features ecologist Elijah Goodman of Stone Barns, educator Patty Butter of the Native Plant Center, and landscape designers Leslie Needham, Dawn Orza, and Kim Eierman. Local environmental organizations will have booths at the event. These groups include Hilltop Hanover Farm, the Native Plant Center, Riverkeeper, and Wildr Places.

Linda Richards, a Hudson Valley singer, will perform the song This Land is Your Land. She has performed on the sloop Clearwater and at the Bardavon theater. A buffet lunch will be provided by RiverMarket Bar & Kitchen. The event is sponsored by Historic Hudson Valley, Homegrown National Park, and RiverMarket.

Doors open at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 4. The program runs from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is free, but advance registration is required because space is limited. The venue is located at 639 Bedford Road in Pocantico Hills.