Giving Rye is a feature series highlighting non-profits and community groups in and around the City of Rye. Today meet Sawako Ward of the Rye Sustainability Foundation. The foundation is an outgrowth of the Rye Sustainability Committee.
Your Name: Sawako Ward
Name of your organization: Rye Sustainability Foundation
Your role: Director, Treasurer
MyRye.com: Tell us your organization’s mission
Ward: The Rye Sustainability Foundation promotes sustainability through education, actionable initiatives and strategic partnerships. We empower residents with the tools and knowledge to adopt sustainable practices for their homes, yards and in their daily lives. Our mission is to make Rye a model for sustainable living – one that inspires other communities while driving meaningful change locally.
How long have you operated in or around Rye?
Ward: One year – founded in July 2024
What programming or work is the organization best known for?
Ward: The Rye Sustainability Foundation is in its infancy, but it has already made an impact in at least three areas.
- The Rye Healthy Yard/Pollinator Pathway Program partners with residents to create outdoor spaces that are beautiful, safe and healthy. By taking the Pollinator Pathways Healthy Yard pledge, residents can join an expanding network of properties in Rye that are establishing pollinator-friendly habits while reducing pesticides and fertilizers that harm the environment.
- 250 Acorns to Oaks is a community-driven initiative dedicated to restoring and expanding the native oak population across residential and commercial properties in Rye. The project aims to plant 250 saplings sewn from the acorns from Rye’s oldest oak trees by the spring of 2026 – marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
Rye100 is our newest initiative to decarbonize Residential properties by employing a number of strategies. The first program called “Residential Solarize” partners with Sustainable Westchester to offer residents free consultations and solar assessment as well as access to competitive proposals from pre-qualified installers.
Looking forward to 2026, what will be your top initiatives?
Ward: In terms of initiatives, we are just getting started.
- Our first priority is to establish and expand our initiatives discussed above by building out our social media footprint and outreach platforms.
- Our second priority will be to support the city in a refresh of its Natural Resources Inventory last written in 1979. In October of this year the Foundation was awarded a grant in the form of project management, support and expertise totaling $70,000 for this project.
- Finally, we will support other local initiatives that help make Rye a more sustainable and beautiful place. If you have an idea for a project we would love to hear from you.
Tell us about the population you serve and how they can get involved with your programming and services.
Ward: We serve the residents of Rye. We offer entry points for all volunteers to get involved with making Rye a more sustainable city.
Are you a 501(c)(3) non-profit with tax exempt status?
Ward: Yes.
Looking back across 2025, what were your organization’s top achievements?
Ward:
- In 2025, we delivered more than 150 oak saplings to the residents of Rye. Before doing so, we had to learn how to grow oaks from acorns which meant building air pruning beds, selecting locations and working within the community. We have great partners, who were essential to the project’s success.
- We formed partnerships with the Rye Garden Club, the Little Garden Club of Rye, Rye Nature Center and the Conservation Commission/Advisory Council around our new Healthy Yards program. The merger of the Pollinator Pathway and Healthy Yards initiatives inspired a new logo and sustainable yard sign that align with similar programs across Westchester County. Each municipality features a unique sign color and local pollinators; ours showcases a miner bee on an aqua-green background, representing our coastal community. To date, more than 200 households, schools, and public spaces in Rye have signed the Pollinator Pathway/Healthy Yards Pledge, committing to plant native trees and plants, use electric equipment whenever possible, and avoid pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers.
- We received the $70,000 grant to update our Natural Resource Inventory for the City. This support will allow us to refresh the City of Rye’s Natural Resources Inventory which was originally created in 1979. The new NRI will serve as a baseline for future planning efforts and resilience projects. It will also be incorporated into our Comprehensive Plan that kicks-off in early 2026. Thank you, New York Sea Grant and the Long Island Sound Partnership!
How can local residents support your organization?
Ward: We are always looking for people to get involved. Whether you have a few hours or want to dive into a project, there’s a place for you in our organization. Help with native planting, support zero waste events, assist with outreach and education, or bring your own skills to the table, we’d love to have you on our team. Of course, if you want to donate to the Rye Sustainability Foundation that is wonderful as well. All of our donations go back into our community to help make it a more sustainable place.
What local Rye residents and area businesses have been the longest, steadiest supporters of your organization?
Ward: All of our sustainable communities – members of Rye Sustainability Committee, Rye Nature Center, Rye Garden Club, the Little Garden Club of Rye and all other organizations who engage in the activities of making a difference in our sustainable environment and futures.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?
Ward: Since the inception of the foundation in July 2024, I have been the treasurer and I participate in our projects as a team member.
Is the role full time or part time? Paid or volunteer?
Ward: Part time volunteer.
How would your friends and family describe you in one word?
Ward: Optimist.
Where did you grow up?
Ward: I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan in a small borough on the southside. I came to the US when I was 21 years old to study as an exchange student and ended up meeting my future husband. The rest is history as they say.
What principles guide you when you have to make a difficult decision?
Ward: Give yourself enough time. Obtain as much information as possible. And consult with people who can provide some insight.
Can you share a time when failure taught you more than success ever could?
Ward: Success and failure are subjective to me. What truly matters is the persistence to keep pursuing your goals, because each attempt opens new opportunities. I’ve learned that the process of trying, learning, and adapting teaches far more than any single success ever could.
What excites you most about the future—for yourself or for the world?
Ward: I’m excited about continually stepping outside my comfort zone and trying new things—like when I recently took up sailing and met incredible new people through it. Experiences like that make life richer. I’m also inspired by the rapid pace of technological and sustainable innovation that gives real hope for a better sustainable future.
Where do you live and how many years have you lived there?
Ward: I have lived in the Rye Garden neighborhood for 13 years.
Thanks Sawako!
Learn More:
