On October 4 New Yorkers came together for the 4th Annual City of Forest Day, hosted by Forest For All NYC in partnership with the Parks and Open Space Partners coalition and NYC Parks! City of Forest Day is dedicated to celebrating and caring for our city’s urban canopy. Across the five boroughs on October 4 & 5, Big Reuse partnered with community groups, council members, and volunteers to tend to 173 trees, each one helping keep New York cooler, greener, and more resilient.
This year, we partnered with local organizations, including the Brooklyn Heights Association, Smiling Hogshead Ranch, Socrates Sculpture Park, Cobble Hill Tree Fund, Rodale Community Garden, and NYU Service, among others. From Brooklyn to the Bronx, each site was alive with the sounds of teamwork as volunteers raked, mulched, watered, and showed care for the trees that keep our city breathing.
At Brooklyn Heights in an event funded by Councilmember Lincoln Restler, 38 volunteers, including seniors, youth, and families, worked together to care for 51 trees. Over in Queens at an event funded by Councilmember Julie Won, Smiling Hogshead Ranch welcomed 9 volunteers who tended to 10 trees. At Socrates Sculpture Park at an event funded by Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, 16 volunteers joined together for an afternoon of care and learning, tending to 8 trees.
In Gowanus, our own Big Reuse Street Tree Care Team partnered with NYU Service in an event funded by Councilmember Alexa Avilés where 8 volunteers, including 3 seniors, cared for 6 trees. Meanwhile at an event funded by Councilmember Shahana Hanif, partnering with the Cobble Hill Tree Fund, rallied 27 volunteers - including seven volunteers under 10 years old - to nurture 28 trees throughout the neighborhood.
Sunday’s events carried the same spirit. The Rodale Community Garden in the Bronx, an event funded by Councilmember Diana Ayala, gathered 15 volunteers to tend to 46 trees. The day also included tree care with Adamah + Lex & 3rd Block Association, Adamah + Decatur Block Association, and others funded by Councilmembers Julie Menin and Oswald Feliz, bringing the weekend’s total to 173 trees cared for across all sites.
This effort would not be possible without the help of our incredible volunteers, partners, and City Councilmembers Restler, Won, Cabán, Avilés, Hanif, Ayala, Menin, and Feliz for their continued support of our street tree care programming.
Each tree cared for this weekend represents more than a number. It serves as a reminder that even in the busiest of cities, small acts of stewardship can grow into something lasting.
Want to Get Involved?
Join a Street Tree Care Event with Big Reuse and help us grow a greener city, block by block. Find upcoming volunteer opportunities → HERE
Support our street tree care work and community programs by donating to Big Reuse → HERE
Blog Post written by NYSERDA Fellow Tatiana Guerra