By Lou Anne DaRin Color Penfield Green Board Member Leader of Waste Not Committee December 12 th , 2025 You might be wondering why you should mulch your tree rather than just putting it at the curb and letting it be taken to a land fill. After all, won’t it break down in a landfill? It breaks down very differently in a landfill. When organic waste decomposes in the absence of oxygen (anaerobically) methane gas is emitted into the atmosphere. Methane gas is a potent greenhouse

by Lou Anne DaRin I thought I’d say a few more words on composting because it’s such an important issue. Have you heard about the Drawdown List? It is a list some experts have put together on things that could be done to have a positive impact for the Earth. Number three on that list is food waste! I recently learned that 50% of what is in landfills is made up of food waste and yard waste (30% food waste, 20% yard waste). Both of those can be composted and kept out of landfi

by Ruth Marchetti photo by H. Robert Herman Temple Sinai, a Reform Jewish congregation, is just over the Brighton border, but still very much a part of the Penfield community. The building is striking; it seems almost to grow out of the woods that surround it. From inside, the ivy winding up the chapel walls blends with the view through the glass. It’s not surprising that congregants at Temple Sinai have embraced a tradition of stewardship and partnership in the ongoing work