Vote to bring the Flourishing Communities Grant to
Free Family Nature Program "Rise Up! Forest the Bronx!"
More Gardens’ Partners: South Bronx Unite, & Mott Haven-Port Morris Community Land Stewards
Your Vote can secure $75K for our Free Family Nature Program "Rise Up! Forest the Bronx!"
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Register: https://bit.ly/FIC-NY,
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Description: community Needs & environmental justice goals.
Highlights of this successful program include:
● Indigenous Tree and Medicinal Plant Knowledge: Learning about the cultural and ecological significance of indigenous trees and medicinal plants.
● Heat Island Mapping and Mitigation: Understanding the urban heat island effect and participating in mapping and mitigating heat-vulnerable areas.
● Pocket Forest Design and Implementation: Designing and creating pocket forests using indigenous trees and medicinal plants in heat-affected locations.
● Community Wellness and Self-Care: Exploring the connections between nature, wellness, and community health through activities like yoga, meditation, and art.
● Environmental Stewardship and Advocacy: Developing skills in environmental stewardship and advocating for green justice in the South Bronx.
● Environmental Art: creatively representing and advocating for the trees in NYC
This grant will advance More Garden’s plans to support the Urban Forest Master Plan for New York City by engaging community leaders, youth and allied institutions to identify potential locations in the South Bronx, particularly Mott Haven and Port Morris, for new tree placement as well as existing trees in need of stewardship; assess conditions and identify needed modifications; and access tree stewardship training. The project advances Environmental Justice goals by increasing the urban canopy, mitigating heat island effects, providing environmental education, and fostering community stewardship of green spaces. More Gardens aims to empower residents, particularly youth, to combat extreme heat and polluted air, improve their environment, gain job skills and strengthen a growing movement of self and community care through reforestation. Community members will be actively involved in the planting and care of the trees and installations, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility. We will establish a volunteer stewardship group to ensure the continued health and maintenance of the trees and planters, even while training youth and young adults for paid stewardship work. AreshEarth, an experienced ecological artist, will lead participatory design workshops with community members to create living tree sculptures using willow rods and native tree saplings. These living artworks will be planted in 53-gallon wood barrel planters strategically placed in heat-affected locations surrounding Maria Sola and Brook Park, maximizing shade and cooling effects. In collaboration with La Finca del Sur, More Gardens will design and install a living sculpture within the garden that reflects the community’s vision and incorporates educational elements about urban heat mitigation, plant diversity, and sustainable practices.
Through monthly meetings of the Local Action Committee of South Bronx residents, More Gardens will share information about exiting tree stewardship training, recruit youth and others to sign up to learn how to care for trees in our neighborhood, and train members how to identify potential sites for tree plantings. Many of the Local Action Committee members are also NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents, giving them inside access to make recommendations to NYCHA’s management of ways to achieve NYCHA’s Sustainability Agenda of reducing greenhouse gases and improving resident health through strategic placement of trees. In addition, we will survey key allies in the South Bronx to identify potential locations and needed conditions for successful tree planting and stewardship to mitigate poor air quality and the heat island effect.
More Gardens will also support EJ tours along the community-proposed Mott Haven – Port Morris Waterfront Plan to map potential locations for new trees, particularly focusing on developing a green corridor for pedestrian access to the East 132nd Street Pier and the Lincoln Ave Street End, two locations poised to be the first developed of the seven site plan. Special attention will also be paid to the role trees can play in mitigating floods and strengthening our shoreline.
This work will be complemented by environmental education programming at the Maria Sola Therapeutic Garden, green space managed by the Mott Haven – Port Morris Community Land Stewards under contract with the NYC Department of Transportation. Children ages 8-13 and their families will learn about tree stewardship and the importance of an urban tree canopy for survival during extreme heat days, as well as understanding trees are key to mitigating our asthma epidemic. This summer program at Maria Sola will be facilitated by More Gardens in order to empower the next generation of community and environmental leaders through a community-organized curriculum that encourages learning, leadership, and social and ecological skills through play.
funds. Budget Details. Impact & changes.
These funds will be used to identify potential locations for trees in the South Bronx, train locals in tree stewardship, and organize a summer camp at the Maria Sola Therapeutic Garden that trains children and youth in tree planting and maintenance. Tree installation will be created using sustainable materials and low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants, prioritizing community involvement in the design and creation process. The process involves preparing the planters with soil and sealant, carefully planting the trees and rods, and securing them for optimal growth. The project will utilize shovels, hand tools, and a rented pickup truck for transportation of materials. The overall goal is to advance plans for an Urban Tree Canopy in the South Bronx in key locations to improve resident wellbeing. In addition to camp staff, youth interns will receive stipends and gain workforce readiness skills including pruning and urban tree maintenance. Funds will also support year-round advocacy for green space equity and the implementation of NYC’s Urban Forest Master Plan in the Bronx in a way that advances community goals for our green spaces.
Budget Details
10,000: Green Space Equity Organizer
9,000: 2 Summer Camp Staff
15,000: Landscape Contractor (Participatory Tree Design & Installation: landscaping, integrating with urban environment including contributing to storm water management, analysis of placement conditions and necessary modifications)
18,000: Stewardship materials: trees, plants, planters, field equipment, Planting, harvesting, and maintenance tools.
3,000: Healthy refreshments for program participants
3,000: Transportation (fuel, MTA passes, truck rental)
5000: Stipends for Junior Counselors at the Summer Camp
2,500: Art & Education supplies: Journals, Painting supplies, Soil Science
Supplies, iPads, field cameras, and measuring tools.
1500: Printing3000: Visiting Artists and Musicians to inaugurate installations once complete
5000: Administration & Book-keeping
New York City is notoriously slow at approving tree plantings, given the density of our urban infrastructure and the potential complications. The recent success of the Forest for All Coalition to pass the mandate for an Urban Forest Master Plan to increase our tree canopy to 30% indicates that these conditions are bound to improve. Hence we are confident that over the two years of this grant, as we submit requests for tree permits at the potential sites identified by our team and our allies, we will receive approval from City to plant at least 25 trees on public and private land in Mott Haven and Port Morris. The other metrics of our success will be measured by our ability to identify 2000 potential sites, the number of recruits for tree stewardship training we are able to recruit (our goal is 10 youth and 20 adults), and the quality of programming and training we are able to implement at Maria Sola Therapeutic Garden. Each of these stakeholders will be engaged by our staff to participate in evaluating the program, identifying ways to improve it after one year has passed, and assessing our success at the end. Our work promoting public greenspace goes hand in hand with advocating for a public budget for stewardship training and maintenance. The City’s plan to increase our urban forest canopy to 30% could mean over half a million trees. As the borough with less urban canopy, highest heat island effect, and worst air quality, the Bronx must take the lead on moving these concepts into action. The Mott Haven – Port Morris Waterfront Plan has long since envisioned an urban tree canopy and connecting greenway. With the passage of the Urban Forest Master Plan, now is the time to solidify this vision by identifying potential sites, and ensuring that South Bronxites receive the training we will need to steward these trees as mitigation for our current conditions, and an investment in the wellbeing of future generations.