On Sunday, May 3, the Westchester Chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) hosted its annual Earth Day event at Manhattanville University.
A full house gathered at Reid Castle for an afternoon of keynote speeches, panel discussions, award ceremonies and community engagement—cake included.
Among those in attendance were Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Ken Jenkins.
Following opening remarks, keynote speaker Hugh Locke spoke on the importance of regenerative agriculture, a system rooted in “indigenous agriculture practices.” Locke explained how regenerative agriculture can help marginalized farming communities thrive while producing healthier, more organic food compared to many large-scale industrial farming operations. According to the Noble Research Institute, regenerative agriculture is “the process of restoring degraded soils using management practices (e.g., adaptive grazing, no-till planting and limited use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers) based on ecological principles.”
Panelists at UNA-USA Westchester Earth Day May 3 2026 Purchase, NY, U.S (Maya Amir)After the keynote address, panelists Rebecca Snyder of Feeding Westchester, Michelle Hughes of Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming, Michael Carers of Sweet Freedom Farm and Millie Magrow of Planning Westchester discussed their goals for building a more sustainable environmental future at the local level.
Award ceremonies for art, poetry and Model UN competitions were included in the event as well.
People of all ages and backgrounds attended the event, asking thoughtful questions, networking with one another and exploring different perspectives on sustainability and community action.
“Attending my first United Nations event at Manhattanville Castle was an incredible experience,” said Adriana Feng, a sophomore at Stanford Online High School. At just 13 years old, Feng founded United Green Core, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people through hands-on environmental education.
“It gave me hope and motivation to keep working on environmental and community issues,” Feng added. “It reminded me that even small actions can connect to global change.”
Overall, the Earth Day event was an insightful, engaging and community-centered experience that connected Westchester residents through conversations surrounding the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
To access the full recording of the event, please click here.
