As the air started to cool and the leaves began to turn, the Big Reuse Street Tree Care team kept the momentum for neighborhood street tree care events going. From September through October, we worked alongside neighbors, schools, and community groups across New York City to give our street trees some well-deserved attention before winter. These months reminded us how powerful it can be when people come together to care for the environment right where they live.
This fall, we cared for 576 street trees with the help of 566 volunteers, including 169 youth participants. We also teamed up with 23 community partners, each helping us build stronger, greener connections across the city. Together, we cleared litter, loosened soil, and added mulch allowing roots to breathe and trees to thrive. What makes this work so special is that it’s about more than just caring for trees, it is about caring for the community. Every event is a reminder that small acts, when done together, can grow into something meaningful.
Our fall season took us across boroughs, from Bushwick and Flatbush in Brooklyn to Long Island City, Harlem, and the Bronx. One of the biggest highlights was partnering with Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community College, where students learned how simple actions can help trees stay healthy and strong. We also celebrated City of Forest Day with eight events across two days, working with partners new and old - including Adamah, Cobble Hill Association, D39 Tree Team, Socrates Sculpture Park, Rodale Community Garden, Smiling Hogshead Ranch, Lex and 3rd Block Association, Brooklyn Heights Association, and Decatur Block Association - to care for 115 trees with 126 volunteers, including 21 youth and 17 seniors. Each event brought people together: neighbors meeting for the first time, students discovering their role in protecting nature, and communities reconnecting through shared care for the spaces around them.
SEPTEMBER Street Tree Care Events with
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Cobble Hill Association, sponsored by Council Member Shahana Hanif
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31st Avenue Open Streets Fig Fest, sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán
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PS 9 Gives Back, sponsored by Council Member Gale Brewer
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Park Slope Civic Council, sponsored by Council Member Shahana Hanif
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HSVK Block Association, sponsored by Council Member Crystal Hudson
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Adamah, sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán
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FAB Fulton BID + NYU Service Give Where You Live, sponsored by Council Member Crystal Hudson
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Uptown Grand Central / Party on Park, sponsored by Council Member Diana Ayala
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Clean Bushwick Initiative, sponsored by Council Member Sandy Nurse
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The Episcopal Mission in Sunnyside + NYU Service Give Where You Live, sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán
Street Tree Care with Clean Bushwick Initiative, Photo by NYSDERA Fellow Tatiana Guerra
OCTOBER Street Tree Care Events with
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Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community College, sponsored by Council Member Julie Won
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Brooklyn Heights Association and Service Collective, sponsored by Council Member Lincoln Restler
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Smiling Hogshead Ranch, sponsored by Council Member Julie Won
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Socrates Sculpture Park, sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán
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Rodale Community Garden, sponsored by Council Member Diana Ayala
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Big Reuse City of Forest Day (District 38), sponsored by Council Member Alexa Avilés
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Lex & 3rd Block Association + Adamah, sponsored by Council Member Julie Menin
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Adamah + Decatur Block Association, sponsored by Council Member Oswald Feliz
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Church Flatbush Community Alliance, sponsored by Council Member Rita Joseph
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Flatbush Food Co-Op, sponsored by Council Member Rita Joseph
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D39 Tree Team Cobble Hill Association & Urban Meadow, sponsored by Council Member Shahana Hanif
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Brooklyn College - Department of Sustainability, sponsored by Council Member Farah Louis
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Clean Up Sunset Park, sponsored by Council Member Alexa Avilés
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Maple Street Garden and Hands-In NYC, sponsored by Council Member Rita Joseph
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Clean Bushwick Initiative, sponsored by Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez
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Midwood High School, sponsored by Council Member Farah Louis
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Brooklyn Tech High School, sponsored by Council Member Crystal Hudson
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Nurture BK Compost + NYU Service Give Where You Live, sponsored by Council Member Rita Joseph
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D39 Tree Team and Clean Up Kensington, sponsored by Council Member Shahana Hanif
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Mulch NYC, sponsored by Council Member Alexa Avilés
Volunteer Event with Maple Street Garden and Hands-In NYC
Each of these events exemplified what’s possible when people work together with care and intention. Thank you to everyone who joined us this season, including volunteers, partners, and supporters, for helping nurture the trees that nurture us, and a huge thank you to the Council Members who fund our work in their districts.
Join us for an upcoming tree care event! RSVP to all of our events here.