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Explore Earth Day with the Experts

butterfly on a flower
Tiger swallowtail butterfly on swamp milkweed flower, Warinanco Park (credit: County of Union, NJ).

Union County, NJ – April 19, 2022 — Union County residents who are interested in native plants, energy efficiency, climate change and other environmental topics can tune into a series of free webinars offered through the Environmental Stewards program of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.

“The Environmental Stewards do wonderful hands-on work in our communities, and the webinars provide new opportunities to learn from their expert guidance during Earth Month in April and beyond,” said Union County Commissioner Chair Rebecca Williams.

The Environmental Stewards program is supported in part by the Commissioner Board through the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County. The program trains local Environmental Steward volunteers to create environmentally beneficial initiatives and activities in their communities.

The program also offers the “Earth Day, Every Day” webinar series, bringing the latest research and information about sustainability-related topics to a wide audience.

Union County residents can visit envirostewards.rutgers.edu/earth-day-every-day to sign up for any of the hour-long webinars, free of charge.

For the 2022 series, residents can view four archived webinars at their convenience:

Starting a Native Plant Garden: Learn how to plant a hardy, low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly garden habitat.

RU Ready for NJ’s New Plastic Pollution Reduction Law?: How to prepare for New Jersey’s new plastic pollution law, which takes effect on May 4.

What’s an Energy Audit and Do You Need One?: How energy efficiency assessments save money, improve personal comfort, and increase the value of your home.

Food Systems and Climate Change: Hear from Xenia Morin, Associate Professor with the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health to learn how our food systems are connected to climate change, and how you can help.

The spring 2022 series also includes a special presentation on April 25 at 6:30 p.m. by Professor Bob Kopp, a lead author of the 2021 Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Chance.

Titled “The Cost of Climate Change,” the live discussion will focus on the economic effects of climate change in New Jersey and worldwide, and on strategies for managing climate-related risks.

For additional information and insights about environmental topics all year long, members of the public can read the Environmental Stewards Earth Day, Every Day newsletter online or sign up to receive it by email.

Environmental Stewards volunteers undergo a hands-on training course that focuses on the concrete steps needed to plan, organize, and implement a program or activity that benefits the local environment. No previous experience is needed. For more information about the next training series visit envirostewards.rutgers.edu.

For information about all Rutgers Cooperative Extension volunteer programs supported in part by the Commissioner Board, including Master Gardeners, Master Tree Stewards, and 4-H youth clubs, visit ucnj.org/rce.

Quick links to all environmental activities and programs in Union County are available at The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connection.

For information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including free vaccination, free testing, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.

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For all Union County programs and services visit ucnj.org, call the Public Info Line, 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online Contact Form.

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