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WNY Earth Day 2023

Welcome to the 2023 WNY Earth Day Challenge beginning March 18th. Challenges and prizes will be updated throughout the months of March and April.

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Easy to Participate

step 1

 

Once you Sign-up you will be placed on our mailing list. You will receive an email from recycle@erie.gov with the link to take you back to your entry form. Use that link to add activities as they are completed.  Please save that email and the link.

step 2

See the list of activities below. We have a lot of different things you can do – most of them are free and flexible as far as timing. Some you can accomplish at home, some online and others you may need to go to a special location. Please check back as more activities may be added during the month.

step 3

 

Each time you complete a Challenge Activity submit it on a submission form that was emailed to you. You will receive 1 point for each Challenge completed. The more Challenges you complete, the better your chances to win a prize.

step 4

 

The activities are designed to help raise awareness of local organizations working to protect our region's ecosystem. We are in this together, so please share this Challenge with your friends and family. By participating in these Challenge activities, you can help to protect our special corner of this amazing planet.

The submission form will allow you to upload a photo, but we encourage you to also post your photos on social media sites using #wnyearthdaychallenge.

Sign-up and join in on the 2023 Earth Day Challenge:

Register today for the 2023 WNY Earth Day Challenge

 

ex. Family, Teen, All
ex. Attend, Learn, Visit, Share
Title Description Cost Audience Location Action/Task Sponsor
Attend any Erie County Community Climate Action presentation or event

Attend any Erie County Community Climate Action presentation or event to learn about what Erie County is doing to respond to the impacts of climate change. Learn more.

Free All As listed

Attending an event makes you eligible for prizes.

Erie County Community Climate Action Planning
Sign the Healthy Lawns Pledge

Learn how to take care of your lawn and sign the Healthy Lawns Pledge

Free All At Home

Your "Pledge" will be be your submission for entry to prizes.

Erie County Environmental Management Council
Watch the Healthy Lawns Video

Before having your lawn sprayed for pesticides please watch this video.

Erie County Healthy Lawns

Free All At Home

What did you think about the video?

Erie County DEP Recycling
Visit a small business

Visit a small local business

Free All Erie County

Visit a small local business and ask what they are doing to “go green” and then take a selfie at the establishment.

Erie County DEP Economic Development
Get involved with Erie County Community Climate Action Planning

Erie County Community Climate Action Planning invites you to choose any/all of three Challenges:

  1. Sign up for our sustainability emails to learn about opportunities to get involved.
  2. Share/email the link to the draft plan to 10 people
  3. Create and share a social media post about the plan tagging @eriecounty_climateaction and/or using #eriecountyclimateaction
  4. Comment on Erie County's draft climate action plan. Click here.
Free All Online

Tell us which action you choose, and any thoughts you have. Your entries on the Climate Action website will act as entries into the Earth Day Challenge.

Erie County Community Climate Action Planning
Participate in GO Buffalo Niagara's "Give Transit a Try!" program

Give Transit a Try! is a program where GO Buffalo Niagara offers significantly discounted monthly NFTA Metro passes at $35, a $40 discount. Participants can register for the program in April, and purchase passes beginning May 1st (passes can be activated for use at any point after purchase). This is a great way to encourage folks to drive less by riding public transit without having to commit to a regular monthly pass. Join the program.

Discounted Rate On the road

Tell us about your travel experience and dates

GO Buffalo Niagara
Take an Earth Day Challenge Quiz

Take an Earth Day Challenge quiz.

One or all four; Learn from your answers.

Discounted Rate Teens and up Online

Did you take all four quizzes?

How many did you get right?

Describe something you learned.

NAACP Buffalo Branch
Take care of your Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) in the month of April

Go to erie.gov/recycling and find out how to properly dispose of any household hazardous waste.

Take your hazardous waste to Hazman or register to attend our next special drop-off event on May 6th.

Free Two options

Did you make an appointment?

Are your poisonous materials properly and safely stored?

Erie County Recycling
Submit a photo of you participating in a Challenge Activity

Take a photo of you participating in one of the Earth Day Challenge Activities and submit the photo on the submissions form.

Free Online

Give it a caption in the description field, By uploading the photo and caption, you are giving us permission to post them on social media.

Erie County DEP
Hike the History Trail at Reinstein Woods

Take a hike on the History Trail at Reinstein Woods that follows the seven Leave No Trace ™ Principles, a framework for minimizing the impact of your visit to nature! Learn about the Leave No Trace ™ Principles

Free Family Friendly Reinstein Woods

Upload a selfie taken one of the trailside signs or share a sentence noting a highlight of your visit

Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve
See how much money you are eligible for from the Inflation Reduction Act

Visit this site to see how much money you are eligible for with the Inflation Reduction Act- this includes low-income residents

Free At Home

Tell us you registered and/or submit a copy/photo of an email confirmation.

ECLIPSE- Erie County Low Income Program for Sustainable Energy
Visit the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens and their Earth Day Celebration on April 22

Take a trip to the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens will be hosting their second annual Earth Day Celebration on April 22 from 10am-3pm. All are welcome to attend.

Admission Charge Family Friendly Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens

Take your picture with Freddie the Gnome at the Freddie and the Bees selfie spot or tell us about your experience. If you like, post it with #wnyearthdaychallenge

Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens
Visit the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens and Bring a Book

Take a trip to the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens and bring a new or gently used nature book to give to the Buffalo Bookmobile to receive an admission pass April 1st-22nd.

Free Family Friendly Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens

Tell us what book you donated.

Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens
Be a tree steward with The Tool Library on April 22

Find more information about this event at The Tool Library's website

Free Family Friendly The Tool Library

Tell us about the event.

The Tool Library
Create a DIY Rain Barrel

Find out more information on how to create a DIY Rain Barrel here

Cost Required Family Friendly

Tell us about your rain barrel building experience or submit a picture.

Western NY Stormwater Coalition
Join in on the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper annual Spring Sweep

Join us for Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper's annual Spring Sweep and collect data on the litter removed from our watershed alongside volunteers in WNY and throughout the entire Great Lakes region! Learn more on the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper website.

Family Friendly Various Locations

Submit a screen shot of your litter pick up data after using the Spring Sweep application, or take a selfie at your site! Learn more on the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper website.

Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper
Participate in the GO Buffalo Niagara - Bike to Work Week Challenge

Bike to work week is a national celebration. Join the GO Buffalo Niagara's Bike to Work Week Challenge on May 15-19 to receive an entry in the WNY Earth Day Challenge. Learn more about the challenge here.

Free Teens and up On the road

Tell us how many days you biked to work.

GO Buffalo Niagara
Participate in Tifft's Earth Day Tree Planting Volunteer Event on Earth Day

Tifft Nature Preserve is hosting an Earth Day Tree Planting Volunteer Event on April 22nd. There is a morning shift from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and an afternoon shift from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Register for the morning shift here or the afternoon shift here.

Free Family Friendly Tifft Nature Preserve

Tell us about your tree planting experience or submit a photo from the event.

Tifft Nature Preserve
Visit the Buffalo Museum of Science Earth Day Weekend

Visit the Buffalo Museum of Science on Earth Day weekend- Friday, April 21 - Sunday, April 23- and mention the WNY Earth Day Challenge to receive $1 off per person admission.

Discounted Rate Family Friendly Buffalo Museum of Science

Tell us about your experience at the Buffalo Museum of Science.

Buffalo Museum of Science
Bike ride 50 miles during the month of April

There are many great bike trails in Western New York. Take some time throughout the month of April to ride your bike and appreciate with mother earth has to offer.

Free Family Friendly Outdoors

Tell us about your biking experience or send a picture of something you saw along the way.

Bert's Bikes & Fitness
Start An At Home Composting Bin

Start a composting bin in your home. Composting at home is a great way to reduce your waste stream. Learn more here.

Free Family Friendly At home

Tell us about your experience or send a picture of your bin.

Modern Disposal Services
Participate in a Bring Your Child to Work Day

Bringing your child to work is a great way to expose them to potential career choices.

Free Family Friendly Your work

Tell us about your experience at your care giver's work or share a picture from your visit.

Erie County DEP