Oct 11+12 calling zero waste volunteers for Indigenous Peoples Day on Randalls Island

[gil lopez]

Hello Compost Community,

A group of stewards are organizing to make the 2026 Indigenous Peoples Day events on Randalls Island a zero-waste event. We anticipate needing many volunteers to help facilitate multiple sorting stations throughout the festival grounds on Sunday Oct. 11 and Monday Oct. 12. 

The 2026 IPD Volunteer Form is live and this is an excellent opportunity for some of you who have made attendance an annual tradition, as well as a perfect entry point for others joining Indigenous Peoples Day for the first time. I am recruiting volunteers specifically for the Zero Waste/Sustainability Team, but if you or anyone you know is interested in any other volunteer roles, please sign up!

This annual, family friendly event happens on the 2nd weekend in October (was rained out last year) and attracts Indigenous culture bearers from across Turtle Island and beyond.  There are many visitors and typically over 1000 attendees each year. 

This is a call specifically to help during the two day event (Oct. 11 & 12) by providing guidance for proper sorting at zero-waste stations. Please be sure to check the “Zero Waste/Sustainability Team” box under Task Preference on this form:

Thank you for your consideration. This is the first year to incorporate volunteer supported zero waste, so we are hoping some folks with experience doing this sort of thing, as well as those willing to learn will sign up. 

I will note that we are partnering with both the Randalls Island Urban Farm (RIUF) and the Big Reuse Compost team to accept and process the organic waste after the event. There will be opportunities before and after the festival to visit the RIUF to prepare for and process the scraps we collect with Big Reuse and their Master Compost cohort. More details on those separate events TBA. Until then, please save the date(s) and consider signing up to volunteer and share this link and info with anyone else you think may be interested in joining us!

In SOILidarity,

gil lopez

<Happenings>