Skraptacular had the honored of being asked to take part in the 2nd annual Urban Wildlife Appreciation Day. What an incredibly high quality, well organized, engaging, and extremely educational event and not to mention, A LOT of fun from all perspectives. Every attendee was given a passport when they entered the event. Each station taught about a different urban wildlife animal. The attendees would travel from table to table observing and learning about each urban animal. After a visit to each table the attendee would receive a stamp and once the stamps were completed the passport was turned in for a prize. - a great way to engage and educate. The live urban wildlife visitors were an inspiration for making urban wildlife sculptures from trash. The Skraptacular mantra for the day was , observe and create. Thanks to Emilio Banda and family, Skraptacular now has a mascot, Skraapy the Squirel inspired by the Day. If you would like to get up close and personal with Skrappy, she's on view at The One Hundred Overlook Towers. Lobby Gallery. Big shout out to Jennifer Hoppa and to all my interns-thanks for making this another Skraptacular event!

Come play with Skraptacular and the owl mamas

Urban Wildlife Appreciation Day

This Saturday, May 7th

in stunning Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights

(A train to 190th St)

We hope to see you there!

Save the Date for the Second Annual Urban Wildlife Appreciation Day in Fort Tryon Park, Cloister Lawn, Manhattan: May 7th, 2011, 12 PM - 3:00 PM

David Weinstone and "Music for Aardvarks" will be performing!

Join us for an opportunity to get up close and personal with NYC's wild residents. Learn about squirrels, raccoons, coyotes, skunks, eagles and more. Find out the best places in NYC and NYS to watch wildlife. Educational speakers, live animals, kids activities, puppet shows, interactive animal art projects with Skraptacular, food and musical performances by Music for Aardvarks! Everyone welcome!

Sponsored by the Urban Park Rangers and the Fort Tryon Park Trust.

http://www.forttryonparktrust.org/

Skraptaculinks across Northern Manhattan

Skraptaculinks, linking a community through sustainability! You too can be a part of it- just start collecting.

Thank you Mid-Orange County Correctional Facility for individually hammering holes in 10,000 bottle caps, we wouldn't be able to do it with out your help. Our Skraptaculinks project is officially underway at PS 178, Muscota New School, PS 187.

Green Party Ideas

Here's an idea that involves your friends and family in the fine art of trash collecting. When you're hosting a party always have clear signage that's fun to look at and helps the environment. It's all about being organized and neatly sorting your trash. These wrappers are yummier than the chocolates. I intend to use them on next year's Easter Bonnet.

Happy Earth Day

Dear Earth Lovers,

Happy Earth Day from Skraptacular! This year we're postponing our Earth Day celebration for a month or so.

Come play with Skraptacular on May 7th in stunning Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights. (A train to 190th St)

We hope to see you there!

Save the Date for the Second Annual Urban Wildlife Appreciation Day in Fort Tryon Park, Cloister Lawn, Manhattan: May 7th, 2011, 12 PM - 3:00 PM

David Weinstone and "Music for Aardvarks" will be performing!

Join us for an opportunity to get up close and personal with NYC's wild residents. Learn about squirrels, raccoons, coyotes, skunks, eagles and more. Find out the best places in NYC and NYS to watch wildlife. Educational speakers, live animals, kids activities, puppet shows, interactive animal art projects with Skraptacular, food and musical performances by Music for Aardvarks! Everyone welcome!

Sponsored by the Urban Park Rangers and the Fort Tryon Park Trust.

http://www.forttryonparktrust.org/

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.” That’s right, they didn’t have the green thing in her day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But they didn’t have the green thing back her day. In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks. But she’s right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day. Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers because they didn’t have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right, they didn’t have the green thing back in her day. Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house – not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a pizza dish, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn’t have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used wadded up newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then. They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty, instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled pens with ink, instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But they didn’t have the green thing back then. Back then, people took the streetcar and kids walked or rode their bikes to school, instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint. But they didn't have the green thing back then! So what are you doing this year for Earth Day?

Join the worldwide GLOBE at Night 2011 campaign: March 22 - April 6

What: The GLOBE at Night 2011 Campaign: Less of Our Light for More Star Light

When: 8pm to 10pm local time, March 22 - April 4 northern hemisphere; March 24 - April 6 southern hemisphere

Where: Everywhere

Who: Everyone

How: See http://www.globeatnight.org