Free workshops will be offered at Edenwald Houses in the Bronx and Hope Gardens Houses in Brooklyn!

Click on the flyer below for more info:

These free workshops are made possible by a partnership between MillionTreesNYC, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and the New York City Housing Authority.

What is a bioswale ?

A bioswale is a type of green infrastructure similar to a sidewalk tree pit, that fits into tight spaces within the right of way.  Bioswales are designed to detain stormwater that otherwise would enter the combined sewer system when it rains.  This will improve the quality of New York City’s waterways by reducing the likelihood of combined sewer overflows (CSOs).  CSOs often happen during heavy storms, resulting in a discharge a stormwater and wastewater into the New York Harbor.  

The bioswales are part of the NYC Green Infrastructure Plan, which proposes a total investment of $2.4 billion over the next 20 years in green infrastructure to improve harbor water quality by capturing and retaining stormwater runoff before it enters the sewer system.

Courtesy of Brooklyn Botanic Garden

^{A list of key green conferences &
events happening this spring in NYC} 

32nd Annual Making Brooklyn Bloom

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Saturday, March 9 | 10am – 4pm

Learn how to green your community at this daylong conference featuring workshops and exhibits.  Free and open to the public.

11th Annual NYCHA Grows with its Gardeners Conference

Johnson Houses Community Center, East Harlem
Friday, March 15 | 9:30am – 2pm

The annual event hosted by NYCHA’s Garden & Greening Program! This year, nearly 30 partners will be on hand to offer technical support, seeds and planting materials, garden education literature, and interactive botanical and horticultural workshops!  Free and open to NYCHA resident gardeners only.

Grow our Grassroots

Brooklyn Borough Hall
Saturday, March 16 | 9:30am – 2:30pm 

A summit for New Yorkers who care for street trees, love parks, nurture gardens, compost creatively and make New York greener and greater.  Featuring several workshops, tablers, and remarks by NYC Parks Commissioner Veronica White, DEP Commissioner Carter Strickland, and more!  Free and open to the public.

29th Annual GreenThumb GrowTogether

Hostos Community College, The Bronx
Saturday, March 23 | 8:30am – 4pm

Join thousands of community gardeners and greening professionals from all over New York City for a day of learning, sharing, networking and greening inspiration!  This year’s conference will feature favorite workshops from past years, as well as exciting new topics, including many hands on workshops for youth gardeners.  $3 and open to the public.  

Going Green in Queens 2013 

Al Oerter Recreational Center, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Saturday, March 23 | 10am – 3:30pm

An annual networking, educational and greening conference in Queens.  Stop by and see over 60 tablers/exhibits, attend up to six free workshops, enjoy a short film festival, a tour of the new Pool Building, food, giveaways, and more!  Free and open to the public.

Just Foods Conference

Food & Finance High School, Manhattan
Friday, March 29 | 8am – 7:30pm
Saturday, March 30 |  8am – 6:30pm

This two-day event will provide attendees with opportunities to learn about national farm and food issues, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) trends, and cooking and food preservation techniques, as well as ways to mobilize communities in order to increase access to farm-fresh, locally grown food.  $45 per day, a limited number of scholarships are available.

For more information or to add an event to this list, call 212-306-8485.

February 2013: Baruch Houses Resident Green Committee Holds Environmental Film Screening

In an effort to recruit new members and educate residents about green issues, the Resident Green Committee at Baruch Houses held an environmental movie night and pizza party on Friday, February 15^th  2013 in the Baruch Houses Community Center.  The Baruch RGC, helmed by Baruch residents Sonia Peña and Clarybel Ureña, decided to screen a PBS documentary about climate change called Global Warming: The Signs and the Science.  Dozens of residents from throughout Baruch Houses came out to see the film, which was followed by a pizza dinner and discussion session.

The Baruch RGC has accomplished a lot in the past.  They were the first resident group to set up a working compost project in a NYCHA development, and the group has worked hard to promote NYCHA’s Green Agenda in Baruch Houses since its inception.  While Hurricane Sandy and rodent issues have sidelined the group’s compost initiative for the time being, they remain committed to making a difference in their community.

The Baruch RGC hosted the movie night in an effort to attract new members and revitalize the committee.  Those who attended found the documentary very informative and enjoyed the spirited discussion with NYCHA staff that followed the screening.  Residents discussed, among other things, the challenges to living a “green” lifestyle in NYCHA housing and ways they could make a difference and help fight climate change.  A raffle was held and some lucky residents won eco-kits and house plants courtesy of the RGC.  The Baruch RGC hopes the success of the event will lead to an increase in membership, and invites all Baruch residents to attend their next meeting on March 25^th at 6:30 PM in the community center. 

By Lee Kaplan

This year, nearly 30 community organizations, non-profits, local government agencies, and NYCHA departments will be on hand to offer technical support, seeds and planting materials, garden education literature, and interactive botanical and horticultural workshops!

The Conference will be held on Friday, March 15^th 2013 at the Johnson Houses Community Center in East Harlem, from 9:30am-2:00 pm.  RSVP is mandatory!  Please call 212-306-3511 to RSVP.  Please note that this event is open only to NYCHA residents.   En Español.

Este año, cerca de 30 grupos comunitarios, organizaciones sin fines de lucro, agencias gubernamentales y departamentos de NYCHA estarán a su disposición para ofrecer asistencia técnica, semillas y material de siembra, literatura educativa sobre jardinería, y talleres interactivos sobre la horticultura y botánica!

La Conferencia se llevará a cabo el viernes, 15 de marzo del 2013 en el Centro Comunitario de Johnson Houses, de 9:30 am-2:00 pm.  ¡RSVP es obligatorio! Por favor llame al 212-306-3511 para confirmar su asistencia.  Tenga en cuenta que este evento está abierto únicamente para los residentes de NYCHA.

Today marks three months since Hurricane Sandy made landfall on the shores of New York and New Jersey on October 29, 2012.  

Sandy would become the largest Atlantic Hurricane on record, with winds spanning across 1,100 miles, and costing over $60 billion in damages and business disruption.

Sandy also had a significant impact on NYCHA buildings across the city.  There are 26 Housing developments situated in Zone A, the mandatory evacuation zones.  All of them experienced flooding and other damages during the storm.  

In all, 402 NYCHA buildings were left without electricity, affecting approximately 79,000 residents.  By mid-November, electricity, elevators, heat and hot water was restored in all developments impacted by Hurricane Sandy.  

This feat could not have been accomplished without the resilience and commitment of the NYCHA workforce.  Housing staff from all areas of the city were deployed to support the restoration efforts at developments from Staten Island to Coney Island, from Red Hook to the Rockaways, and from Harlem to the Lower East Side.

It was in the Lower East Side where one resident leader expressed her gratitude to the employees with an appreciation luncheon just in time for the holidays.  Nancy Ortiz, president of the Vladeck Houses Resident Association, was joined by local elected officials and representatives to present the NYCHA staff of Vladeck Houses, Rutgers Houses and Straus Houses with Citations for Hurricane Sandy Efforts.  

Over 50 employees were commended for their exemplary work and dedication before, during, and in the aftermath of the storm.  Among the guests that came to show their appreciation were NYCHA Board Member Victor Gonzalez, Council Member Rosie Mendez, and representatives of Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, Senator Daniel Squadron, Council Member Margaret Chin and the Manhattan BP Office.

Today, efforts persist at NYCHA and throughout the East Coast to repair the damages left behind by Sandy.  As communities continue to recover and rebuild, the need to adapt to the escalating effects of climate change also becomes critical.  

A few weeks after the storm, Governor Cuomo wrote an op-ed in reaction to the destruction that the city faced.  ”Extreme weather is the new normal,” he noted.  ”Recent events demand that we get serious once and for all.  We need to act, not simply react.”

By Fernando Montejo

New York Restoration Project & TD Bank

to plant trees at Hope Gardens Houses!

Event Details

Brooklyn, NY 11237

About Hope Gardens 

City Harvest’s MOBILE MARKETS 

About 600 attendees participate each month, with regular users reporting that they receive 30-50% of their recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables from City Harvest. Community residents volunteer to staff each market. 

Tompkins Houses

Time: 9:00am-11:30am

Time: 9:00am-11:30am

Time: 9:00am-11:30am

Time: 9:00am-11:30am

Help City Harvest distribute produce at a Mobile Market!  To learn about volunteering opportunities, contact City Harvest at 917-351-8700 or stop by a Mobile Market near you and ask for Tony Ortiz or Pedro Urbaez.