Community Greening Resources

This year’s Gardening in Place: A Virtual Making Brooklyn Bloom Event was intended to amplify the undeniable importance of the outdoors in our everyday lives. Below are some resources to help you further explore urban and community greening, advocacy, and more—throughout the year.

Inspiration

Recommendations from Keynote Speaker Wambui Ippolito

Your Bird Story

A podcast by Local Nature Lab and Washington Square Park Eco Project, Your Bird Story is a broadcast of everyday people’s stories of their encounters and relationships with wild birds in cities. Storytellers’ voices are centered in every episode, and the topic of each episode is a single species or related birds. The podcast is narrated by Georgia Silvera Seamans, who cofounded the Washington Square Park Eco Project.
anchor.fm/yourbirdstory

Plinth et al

This wonderful plant magazine/blog is edited by Eric Hsu, a botanist and horticulturist at Chanticleer Garden, who oversees curatorial duties there. It is a site I refer to often to learn about new plants, nurseries, and practices.
plinthetal.com

Agrochic

This Spanish-language gardening lifestyle and wellness blog is run by Perla Sofía Curbelo-Santiago, a professional communicator, educator, and speaker based in Puerto Rico. She won the American Horticultural Society’s 2021 B.Y. Morrison Communication Award and is also certified in horticulture therapy from the Chicago Botanic Garden.
agrochic.com

Conquer The Soil

Abra Lee’s incredible website details past and ongoing African American contributions in horticulture and landscape architecture and design.
conquerthesoil.com/blog

Additional Reading

We Are Each Other’s Harvest, by Natalie Baszile

Farming While Black, by Leah Penniman

The One Straw Revolution, by Masanobu Fukuoka

The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved, by Sandor Ellix Katz

The New Organic Grower, by Eliot Coleman

Making More Plants, by Ken Druse

Start a Community Food Garden, by LaManda Joy

New York City–Based Greening Programs

Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Community Greening

BBG’s urban gardening education programs include not only Making Brooklyn Bloom, but also the Community Garden Alliance, the Brooklyn Urban Gardener certificate program, the Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest, the Street Tree Stewards initiative, and more.
bbg.org/community

GrowNYC

GrowNYC runs Greenmarkets, food access sites, and food scrap drop-off locations, helps schools divert waste, builds and maintains community gardens, and supports schools with their school garden and outdoor learning projects. They offer virtual workshops and resources on their Distance Learning website.
grownyc.org

Gowanus Canal Conservancy

This environmental stewardship and urban greening organization centered on the Gowanus Canal also runs a nursery and several gardens.
gowanuscanalconservancy.org

City Parks Foundation

Believing that thriving parks mean thriving communities, City Parks Foundation serves New Yorkers of all ages through workshops and training, volunteer and stewardship programs, recreation opportunities, and public performances. They offer grants and design support through Partnership for Parks.
cityparksfoundation.org

Forest for All NYC

Forest for All NYC is a broad and diverse coalition formed to demonstrate the vast support for the New York City urban forest.
forestforall.nyc

New Yorkers for Parks

New Yorkers for Parks is the independent citywide research and advocacy organization championing quality parks and open space for all New Yorkers.
ny4p.org

Trust for Public Land

Trust for Public Land supports advocacy, policy, and partnerships that protect natural areas and ensure equitable access to parks, playgrounds, gardens, and trails to support healthy communities.
https://www.tpl.org

Community Garden and Urban Farm Resources

GreenThumb, NYC Parks

The New York City Parks Department offers workshops and online resources to support hundreds of community gardens.
greenthumb.nycgovparks.org

New York Restoration Project

This citywide conservancy founded by Bette Midler plants trees, restores parks, and renovates gardens with a mission to give all New Yorkers access to a green space within walking distance of home.
nyrp.org

Green Guerrillas

With the motto “community gardening is a radical act,” since 1973, Green Guerillas has used education, organizing, and advocacy to help people cultivate community gardens, sustain grassroots groups, grow food, engage youth, and address issues critical to the future of food justice and urban agriculture.
greenguerillas.org

Brooklyn-Queens Land Trust

Find a community garden in Brooklyn or Queens and learn more about community garden advocacy.
bqlt.org

East New York Farms

Connect with this active neighborhood organization that runs two community farms, farmers’ markets, and a compost collection site, holds workshops, and more.
ucceny.org/enyf

Community Organizing

NYC Community Garden Coalition

This grassroots organization advocates to protect community gardens.
nyccgc.org

Citizens Committee for New York City

This grant-making organization issues neighborhood mini-grants, currently dedicated to COVID-related projects.
citizensnyc.org

Compost, Soil, and Water

NYC Compost Project Hosted by BBG

Compost resources of all kinds centered on Brooklyn funding by the city’s Department of Sanitation.
bbg.org/gardening/composting

Urban Soils Institute

NYC-based organization offers soil testing and training for gardeners and performs research on the city’s soil.
urbansoils.org

Earth Matter

Explore online resources on composting and learn about on-site workshops and facilities on Governor’s Island.
earthmatter.org

NYC Department of Environmental Protection Rain Garden Stewardship Program

Stewards receive training and equipment to help care for city rain gardens near them.
www1.nyc.gov/site/dep/whats-new/become-a-rain-garden-steward.page

Spotted Lanternfly

Have you seen the invasive lanternfly? Learn about this dangerous pest and what you can do to help.

Anti-Racism

A Black Lives Matters Reading List for Adults

Brooklyn Public Library has curated an anti-racism reading list for adults, with suggestions for younger readers, too.
borrow.bklynlibrary.org/booklist/7k4YP

Seed and Plant Sellers

• Truelove Seeds
• Renee’s Garden Seeds
• Burpee
• Botanical Interests
• Hart Seed Company
• Park Seed
• Victory Seeds
• Territorial Seed Company
• John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds
• Hudson Valley Seed Company
• Pinetree Garden Seeds
• Kitazawa Seed Company
• Fedco Seeds
• Lowlands Nursery