In 2025, we were able to do some impactful programming with youth in partnership with the Department of Education. The students we met were curious, enthusiastic, and excited to learn about how they can directly impact the environment around them!
We were a partner for the Department of Education’s Climate Action Day in November, the theme of which was “waste”. With funding from MillerKnoll Foundation, our Street Tree Care team led a session with biology teacher Deborah Reich's class at World View High School. Led by our own gil lopez, students cleaned tree beds, aerated soil, and added mulch to trees in the Bronx.
Student Joey reflected: “We learned a lot about our environment here in New York and the importance of preserving nature in the city. Most specifically, taking care of our trees to prevent the pollution of our bodies of water. Never before have I looked at street trees the way I do now, I now know how impactful they are in assisting our city’s older pipe systems and preventing floods. Not only did I gain very valuable information but this experience has further affected my outlook on nature as a whole.”
Another student, Amoy, spoke to the hands-on nature of the workshop: "The experience was very informative, from being in class and learning about how serious tree care is, to going outside and doing very hands-on labor. We got to use many different tools of all sizes and shapes. gil, our instructor, taught us how to use the tools to dig out the weeds and then put mulch on top in order for the trees to soak in more water."
Thank you to MillerKnoll Foundation for allowing us to host workshops geared toward teachers and students to teach them how to care for trees so they can continue to care for their green spaces.
We also worked with students from Bard High School Early College in November to continue our relationship with their Green Team led by teacher Dr. Stephanie Kadison! Thanks to Councilmember Julie Won for funding tree care in District 26.
35 students gave love to trees in the school's parking lot that had been severely compacted. We love that they'll be able to check on the trees as the year goes by! Students learned how the 8 mature trees act as a natural filter for the shuttle buses and trucks around the school parking lot, trapping heavy particulates on the leaves and branches.
Thanks to FY26 funding from City Council for community composting, our Curbside Compost Outreach Team has also been visiting classrooms and providing lessons on compost while giving youngsters a hands-on experience with our worm bins! At a recent event with a class of 4th graders in Glendale, students discussed the importance of sorting food scraps and why it matters before meeting our worms and giving them names like Disco, Flower, 6-7, and Jim Bob Jr. III.
Curbside Compost Outreach Manager Jade Arnold noted that “when we are able to build on an action like composting and build it up with context, the normalization of organic waste disposal across the city will become as mundane as putting a plastic bottle in a blue bin or naming a worm after the most recent TikTok trend.”
Help us continue to share resources and experience with the next generation of New York City land stewards! Donate to our End-of-Year Fundraiser today.