Shara Perlman, the director of youth, family and camping services for the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood, shows a youngster where herbs and vegetables come from. PHOTO: Gloria Pazmiño

Over 400 million pounds of textiles end up in landfills around the world each year. In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, this year Northern Manhattanites contributed a grain of sand towards making our earth cleaner and greener and they did it in style at the YM&WHA of Washington Heights and Inwood on Sun., April 17.

Gina Constanza is a self described fashionista who headed the clothing and textile recycling program at the event. Participants could swap and exchange clothes for different pieces in an effort to recycle and reuse fashionable items.

“Since fashion is my passion I wanted to put a little green into it, and by doing this we can get creative with our clothes and styles, and keep clothes from going directly to landfills,” said Constanza.

For the kiddies, the Central Park Zoo Wildlife Theatre put on an animated show about the important role insects play in the ecosystem, and taught kids in the audience about the life cycle of monarch butterflies. Along with singing and dancing, the children and a few amused parents learned the characteristics of bugs and why they’re not so yucky after all.

The Central Park Zoo Wildlife Theatre staged an amusing show about insects at the Earth Day celebration at the YM&YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood on Sun., April 17.

For those interested in going green from the inside out, representatives from various energy-efficient organizations were present to provide advice and answer questions about how to green and make homes energy efficient.

Options range from the simple, like using energy efficient light bulbs and unplugging electronics, to the more complex, like getting a full home energy cost audit. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) helps New Yorkers reduce home energy costs by helping owners to correct their home’s energy problems. Renters can also contribute to the conservation of planet earth by unplugging electronics when not in use and lowering cooling costs by keeping air conditioner filters clean.

Local farmers also came out to represent their green initiatives. Starting in June, Washington Heights and Inwood will begin a new Community Sustained Agriculture (CSA) program in which members will have the opportunity to purchase a “share” of the cooperative, giving them access to local-grown produce that will be distributed each week at the YM&YWHA.

In synch with farming, green techniques, and saving the planet, the YM&YWHA unveiled the second season of its rooftop garden, where children learn to plant and care for flowers, herbs, and vegetables through the spring season. So far, only the parsley and tulips have bloomed, but tomatoes, kale, rosemary and more are on their way.