Living the Green Life

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Sustainable Pet Care

Pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life.

James Cromwell

General Pet Sustainability Tips

Adopt, don't shop!
Spay/neuter to prevent overpopulation
Keep cats indoors to reduce mortality of birds and other small animals
Pick up your pet's waste to prevent contaminating soil and water bodies

We all love to spoil our pets with new toys and other gifts. But try these sustainable DIYs to show some love to them and the environment!

DIY Blanket Bed

Select a blanket large enough to fit your pet
Orient the longest side towards you
Begin rolling away from you until you reach at least halfway

long side of gray blanket rolled inwards

Swing one side in

Bottom right corner of the halfway rolled blanket folded in

Swing the other side in
Where the two ends meet, insert one end of the roll tightly into the other

Gray blanket folded into a circle with an opening at the bottom

Adjust/fluff as desired

DIY Sock Toy for Your Cat

Collect some stray socks, preferably with no holes

4 stray socks side by side and scraps of paper below each of them

Crumple up some scrap paper, cardboard, aluminum foil, etc.

3 stray socks side by side and scraps of paper around each of them

Stuff each sock with material(s) of choice, sprinkling catnip in between

Once satisfactorily stuffed, close each sock by either tying tightly with an elastic, or by tying end of sock into a knot

3 filled socks, one tied with a hair tie

Make sure to check out NYSDEC on Instagram and Facebook for an upcoming video on making these sustainable pet items!

**Sustainable Fish Care**
	Instead of	Try this!
Water	Frequent water changes	Less frequent water changes Reuse tank water for watering houseplants, it's rich in nutrients!
Cleaning and filtration		Incorporate live plants (java moss, Anubias) to consume nitrogen and produce oxygen Add snails or shrimp to manage algae growth
Tank accessories	Plastic tanks and decor	Glass tanks, natural decorations (driftwood, rocks, etc.) LED lighting

**Sustainable Cat Care**
	Instead of	Try this!
Cat litter	Clay	Pine needles, corn, walnut shells, etc.
Lint brush	Disposable rolls	Reusable lint brush

**Sustainable Dog Care**
	Instead of	Try this!
Dog bags	Plastic	Compostable bags Recycle food bags (from frozen foods, bread, carrots, etc.)
Beds	Store-bought	It is quick and easy to make your own using a towel/blanket
Toys	Store-bought	Make some out of fabric scraps, old clothing, and other worn-out textiles

**Other Sustainable Pet Care Swaps**
	Instead of	Try this!
Waste	Throwing away vegetable scraps and other waste	Feed the safe scraps to your rabbit Rabbit poop is a great fertilizer - compost the entire contents of the litter box
Bedding	Disposable	Compostable bedding or washable fleece bedding
Toys	Store-bought	Empty paper towel tubes, cardboard boxes. Bring in clean and dried-out pinecones

Did You Know That?

66% of CO2 equivalent emission are produced annually by the global pet food industry, primarily from sourcing meat-based ingredients
28 Million Tons of CO2 equivalent emission are produced annually by the global pet food industry, primarily from sourcing meat-based ingredients
634 million dog toys (40,500 tons of waste) end up in US landfills each year

Be a Friend of the Environment

Join DEC at Fall Festivals on Saturday, September 19, 10 am - 4 pm!

26th Annual Fall Festival at Reinstein Woods (Region 9)
Kick off the fall season by spending the day in the woods. Enjoy hands-on activities, crafts for kids, live animals, food, live music, win a prize with the Kid's Scavenger Hunt, and more! Visit the Reinstein Woods website for more information or call 716-683-5959. No registration required.
44th Annual Fall Festival at Five Rivers (Region 4)
Join us as we celebrate all things Five Rivers! Bring your family and friends to enjoy the interactive exhibits and activities, crafts and games, live music, food trucks, reptiles, and more! Rain or shine! Free parking and admission, but we do encourage carpooling. Coming from the City of Albany? Ride Nature Bus (Rt. 872)! For more details, go to the Friends of Five Rivers' website, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Farm Stand Fresh – Don't forget to bring your own bags when heading out to your local farmers market or stand.

Crisp, Colorful Leaves and Clean Air – Learn what to do with fall leaves - options include creating compost, using as mulch, and more. Remember that burning leaves is illegal in New York State.

Scenic Fall Hikes – Hitting the trails this fall? Bring the 10 Hiking Essentials along with you! Remember to leave your trip plans with your family and friends and update them with any chances to your plans. Need help finding a good spot? Check out these Great Autumn Hikes.

Get There Green! September 20 to 27, and all year long – New York State's annual sustainable transportation event is coming up and here's how you can participate:

Take Your Trip(s) – Simply walk, bike, take transit, carpool, drive an electric vehicle, or use another form of sustainable transportation for at least one trip (and yes, kayaking and unicycling count if you’re replacing a car trip).
Post – While on your trip(s), and in a safe manner, snap a pic and post it to social media and tag @NYSDEC to let everyone know about your awesome green trip!

You can find resources on how to green your trips on the Get There Green! webpage.