Environmental expo offers repairs, composting tips and resources

East End residents can learn practical ways to protect the environment — and keep worn-out household items out of the trash — at Southold’s Environmental Expo and Repair Café on Saturday.

Organized by Southold Town’s Conservation Advisory Council and the North Fork Environmental Council, the event will start at noon and run through 4 p.m. at the Recreation Center on Peconic Lane.

The expo will give residents a chance to learn about the town’s natural resources, connect with local environmental organizations and explore ways to help preserve the North Fork.

At the Repair Café, residents can bring household items, small appliances, clothing, toys and bicycles to be repaired rather than tossing them into the waste stream and buying replacements. The Repair Café typically sees a 70% success rate, sending residents home with sharpened knives, mended sweaters or bikes tuned up and ready for summer, according to a press release from the CAC.

“It’s a great community event with neighbors helping neighbors to make things work again, with the added bonus of keeping these items out of the waste stream,” Margaret deCruz, NFEC chair of the Repair Café, said in the release.

Environmental organizations such as Group for the East End, Peconic Baykeeper, Peconic Estuary Partnership, North Fork Environmental Council, ReWild North Fork and UpSculpt will offer residents information and inspiration on how to preserve the East End’s natural resources — be it in their back yard or neighborhood, or at parks and beaches.