Want to unload your Christmas tree in an environmentally friendly fashion? You've got two options. The easiest is to just leave it on the curb from January 5 to 15th. The Dept. of Sanitation will come pick it up at some point, though exactly when we can't say. Your other option is to take it to the Parks Department annual Mulchfest, which will be on Saturday, January 9, and Sunday, January 10, from 10 am to 2 pm. Drop off points are at the 3rd Street entrance off of Prospect Park West and at Park Circle (Parkside Avenue and Prospect Park Southwest). You can pick up free mulch there, even if you don't bring an Xmas tree. Be sure to bring your own bags, though. Volunteers are needed to help with Mulchfest. You can sign up for that here. 
 A proposed amendment to zoning rules would make it harder for property owners to turn their stoops and front yards into parking spaces. You need to look no farther than Parkside Avenue to see how curb cuts can make a nice block ugly: many front gardens there have been paved over to serve as driveways. The owners paint the curb in front yellow, removing space available for public parking -- sometimes legally, sometimes not. Flatbush Life has more about the proposed changes here. At the next Community Board 9 meeting, reps from the Department of City Planning will be discussing the zoning changes and answering questions about them. Come on down! Tuesday, December 22
7 pm
Middle School 61 Auditorium
400 Empire Boulevard
Brooklyn NY 11225
Remember how the City used to collect leaves in the fall for its Compost Giveback program? Well, that program has been killed (or at least, temporarily disabled). The PLG Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) blog reports on a new campaign to encourage City Council reps to resume the compost program. Our rep, Mathieu Eugene, sits on the Council Environmental Committee, so there's going to be a “Compost to Council Shout-Out” to urge Eugene to help bring back the program. Up until 2008, the NYC Compost Project included the collection of our city’s fall leaves–roughly 20,000 tons per year–which will increase up to three times with the Million Trees Initiative, for the production of
municipal compost. This compost was given back to NYC residents and the Parks Department to revitalize our gardens and open spaces. However, the NYC Compost Project faced a lack of financial and political support for the Fall Leaf Collection and Giveback Days, and they have been cancelled entirely "until further notice."
It costs the city nearly $100 per ton–close to $2 million per year–to dump the leaves in out-of-state landfills. This is a costly burial for a local resource, and a primary human cause of methane–a
destructive greenhouse gas–in the atmosphere. As an efficient, cost-effective (as we already have fully operational municipal composting facilities), and sustainable alternative, composting fall leaves should be the clear choice for our city.
Want to lend your voice to the effort? You can sign the petition organized by East New York Farms right here.
 Last year we wrote about how the green triangle at the intersection of Lincoln, Flatbush, and Washington had been sadly neglected. At the time, I wondered out loud who was responsible for maintaining the space. (The plot is part of the City's Greenstreets program; and such spaces are maintained by local community groups or other residents.) The Lefferts Manor Association? A block association? We never found an answer, but the triangle was brought back to life shortly thereafter. Sadly, the plot is once again looking pretty grim. The plants are still alive, thanks to all the rain we've been having, but weeds have taken over. So we'll ask again: does anyone know who's in charge of this plot? Perhaps if they're unable to maintain it, someone else would be willing to volunteer. After all, it's prime real estate!
A sampling: Lincoln Road between Bedford and Rogers Aves. in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens took home the title for the first time - after 10 years of trying. "This block has been really developing its green thumb for the past two decades," said block association President Tolonda Tolbert. "We finally pulled down the big one."
After years as runners up, the block of Lincoln Road between Bedford and Rogers has won first place in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's annual Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. Apparently, there's been a bit of controversy about the block getting short shrift in previous years. Congrats to the R&B Block Association for getting its due. In previous years, the block has won numerous honorable mentions; in 2005, it tied for third place.
 I noticed the other day that two more street trees on Lincoln Road—on the south side, near Ocean Avenue—have died. If I'm remembering correctly, these trees were healthy last season. I think they were among the batch planted about three years ago, after construction on Lincoln ended. Around the corner, on Ocean Avenue, an older tree is dying and the one next to it seems to be headed toward the same fate. I have no idea what kind of trees these are, but here's a detail of the sick leaves.
Further down Lincoln (around 40 Lincoln), another young tree—which appeared healthy last season—is on its last few limbs. The one next to it died a couple of years ago but was replaced with a new tree this spring, thanks to the Million Trees Project. As someone who asked the City to replace the dead tree (using the handy Million Trees form), I now feel partly responsible to help keep it and the others alive. If anyone has a clue, please say so in the comments, and let us know if anything can be done.
Flatbush Gardener pointed us to this neato event on Saturday, October 18:
1,250 FREE trees will be available for adoption by homeowners and community groups at select locations throughout the five boroughs this October. Trees will be distributed by New York Restoration Project (NYRP). Note – individuals and families are limited to adopting one tree per household; and all tree recipients are required to register their new tree at www.milliontreesnyc.org. Interested community groups that can plant and care for 5-10 trees should contact mcrowley@nyrp.org before October 18th.
For residents who do not have their own yard to plant a tree, information on volunteering, educational programming and contributing to MillionTreesNYC will also be available.
A variety of trees of different sizes, including flowering and medium and large canopy (shade) trees will be available. Our horticultural staff will be present to provide advice on which species tree is best for your home.
Brooklynites can pick up trees at the Sunset Park Green Market on 4th Avenue and 59th/60th Streets. Details and other locations can be found here (pdf).
If any PLG block associations are interested in getting free tree guards for their block, now's a good time: Marty Markowitz has just sent out the applications for Brooklyn's Neighborhood Beautification Fund. Since I couldn't find the form online, I scanned the one they mailed me, which you can download here.
Who can apply for free tree pit guards?
Block associations and other civic and community organizations... We will favor applications which include all of the street trees located on a particular block. Property owners adjacent to a street tree must indicate on attached consent forms whether they wish to participate in the program....
Commercial streets are not eligible to receive tree guards under this Fund...
Projects will be awarded based on the following criteria:
- a demonstrated ability and commitment to provide for long-term maintenance of trees;
- a previous participation in Brooklyn's Greenest Block competition;
- have not received tree guards from the Brooklyn Borough President in the past;
- a commitment to plant and maintain flowers and greenery in tree beds
There's more information on the application. Deadline is by June 6, 2008... and you can only include trees located on residential blocks as of May 15, 2008.
What kind of local blog are we when Brownstoner scoops us on a story in our own backyard? Literally.
Today's Brownstoner Garden of the Day is diagonally across from our own garden. Since the owners weren't named on Brownstoner, we won't name them here without their permission, but we will continue to enjoy our live view of their yard.
|
Search
- brooklynite282 (at) gmail.com
|
Recent Comments