STREET TREE CARE EVENT IN WINDSOR TERRACE (FREE)

Street Tree Care

Saturday, June 13th

10:00 a.m. to noon

 

From Prospect Farm:

Please join Big Reuse, the District 39 Tree Care Team, Council Member Shahana Hanif’s Office, Field Form, and Prospect Farm for a couple hours of street tree care.

 

Big Reuse will provide a brief tutorial on street tree care essentials, and the benefits of compost application. Also, our friends from Field Form will share information about the use of biochar in soil amendment for tree health.

 

Then, we will fan out in teams to freshen up the tree beds by picking up garbage, weeding, cultivating soil, and applying compost on Prospect Avenue and neighboring side streets.

 

All supplies are provided. 

All ages are welcome. Volunteers 16 years or younger must provide a completed STC Minor Waiver + Photo Release PDF signed by parent/guardian in order to participate. Email austin@bigreuse.org with any questions. Bring the hard copy to hand in prior to the event or email the form.

Sign Up now!
 

Saturday, June 13, 10am-12pm
Meet at 1194 Prospect Avenue
in front of Prospect Farm

 

RSVP on Eventbrite here.

 

Location

Prospect Farm 

1194 Prospect Avenue

between Vanderbilt and Seeley streets

Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn

(map)

prospectfarmbk@gmail.com

https://prospectfarm.org/

https://www.facebook.com/ProspectFarmBK

 

STREET TREE CARE: TAKING CARE OF KENSINGTON'S STREET TREES (FREE)

 

Street Tree Care

Saturday, March 21st

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

 

Trees are vital to human existence. They give off the oxygen that we inhale. They store the carbon dioxide that we exhale, which helps slow the buildup of that gas in our atmosphere. They remove particulate matter from the air--that kind of air pollution is the most dangerous for our lungs.

 

Also, they provide shade. And they're beautiful. So, let's help the trees help us and the world that we live in.

 

To help clean, weed, and care for street trees in our neighborhood, meet up with Friends of Albemarle Playground from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 21st.

 

Sponsoring this event are The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, Big Reuse, Flutura Effect, The Singing Winds, the New York City Council District 39 Tree Care Team, and Shahana Hanif, the New York City Councilmember for District 39.

 

Location

Albemarle Playground

McDonald Avenue

between Albemarle Road and Caton Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn 

NEW POCKET PARK IN WINDSOR TERRACE: SPRING PLANTING EVENT IN APRIL

Spring Planting

Saturday, April 11th

10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

A dedicated group of neighbors has been working industriously on creating Three Pillars Park, a new pocket park in Windsor Terrace. They hope to be able to open the park to the public by May 1st. 

 

Three Pillars Park lies at the intersection of Prospect and Greenwood avenues, across from the FDNY fire station, underneath the pedestrian overpass over the Prospect Expressway (Google map).

 

Among the volunteers are neighborhood residents Biana Varga, an urban naturalist, and Samuel Robinson and Line Kaasine, founders of Field Form, a landscape design and build firm that's built over 200 gardens in New York City.

The volunteers have already cleaned up the space, done an initial planting, and gotten the collapsed cobblestones repaired. Future plans include benches, art, and lighting. 

A spring planting is planned for Saturday, April 11th, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., to fill in the garden bed with more plants. Everyone is invited to join them in this neighborhood effort. Children are welcome to participate, with an adult supervising them. Bring gardening gloves with you, if you can.

 

Donations are requested to fund a protective low barrier around the garden bed. Donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-three-pillars-park-in-windsor-terrace.

 

STREET TREE CARE EVENT IN KENSINGTON (FREE)

Tree Care

Saturday, October 25th

10:00 a.m. to noon

 

Trees are vital to human existence. They help us breathe by emitting oxygen and by cleaning the air. Let's help them help us.

 

From The Kensington Stewards:

We're hosting a tree care event this Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 10 am to 12 noon, at 283 East 5th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11218. Come meet your neighbors. 

 

We're partnered with Big Reuse and City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, of District 39, to beautify Kensington and connect neighbors in volunteer work.

Location

283 E. 5th Street 

between Albemarle Road and Caton Avenue (closer to Albemarle)

Kensington, Brooklyn 

SUNFLOWER SEED BOMB MAKING WORKSHOP (FREE)

 

Update: rescheduled for Sunday, June 15th, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., because of rain.

------------------------------------------------ 

 

Sunflower Seed Bomb Making Workshop

Saturday, June 14th

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Newkirk Community Garden will host a sunflower seed bomb making workshop during the Open Gardens NYC weekend.

Guerilla gardener Don Loggins will lead the workshop on Saturday, June 14th, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The event is family-friendly and open to all ages.

Create a seed ball to plant in a tree pit, a vacant lot, or your garden. All of the materials that you'll need to make your own seed bombs will be provided.

Location

Newkirk Community Garden

736 E. 8th Street, at Newkirk Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

phone: (347) 903-7297 

https://www.newkirkgarden.com

https://www.facebook.com/groups/newkirkcommunitygarden/

https://www.instagram.com/newkirkcommunitygarden/

STREET TREE CARE ON OCEAN PARKWAY: A COMMUNITY PROJECT

 

Street Tree Care

Saturday, March 1st

noon to 2:00 p.m.

 

From Big Reuse:

Kensington! We’ll be back on Ocean Parkway on Sunday, March 1st for street tree care—volunteers needed

Location: 135 Ocean Parkway, Brooklyn 11218
Date/Time: Saturday, March 1, 12pm EST

Sign up to volunteer at lnk.bio/stcnyc [https://www.eventbrite.com/e/street-tree-care-w-135-ocean-parkway-tickets-1235128315039].

Thank you to @cmritajoseph @ritajosephnyc for funding street tree care in her district, as well as @cbre for funding Big Reuse as a CBRE Thrive Fund Community Partner.

Join us to clean, care for, and add mulch thanks to District 40 CM Rita Joseph!

All supplies will be provided. Please dress comfortably for the weather and our work together. Don't forget to bring a water bottle and stay hydrated!

Thank you to our sponsor District 40 CM Rita Joseph for making this event possible.

Please bring a friend and share this with your neighbors and in the community!

Location

135 Ocean Parkway

between Caton Avenue and Church Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

 

STREET CLEANLINESS ISSUES AND STRATEGIC PLANS FOR PROSPECT PARK: TOPICS FOR THE COMMUNITY BOARD 7 PARKS & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING

Parks & Environment Committee Meeting

Thursday, November 7th

6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

 

The Community Board 7 Parks & Environment Committee will meet on Thursday, November 7th, at 6:30 p.m., with the following agenda:

 

1. Updates from the Prospect Park Alliance on new strategic plans for Prospect Park

 

2. Identify and recommend specific neighborhood locations of persistent street cleanliness issues to the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit

 

3. Brainstorming session on committee's priorities and goals.

 

The public is invited to attend either in person at the Community Board 7 office. You can also attend on Zoom by pre-registering at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-EdMux1JTJCaHkJGv_LDBw#/registration.

The meeting can also be viewed on CB 7's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcAZ1cECSeZI8iNyQDKuX5Q.

 

Community Board 7 represents Windsor Terrace, South Slope, Greenwood Heights, and Sunset Park.

 

Location

Community Board 7 Office

4201 4th Avenue

enter on 43rd Street and 4th Avenue

Sunset Park, Brooklyn

phone: (718) 854-0003

fax: (718) 436-1142

bk07 @ cb.nyc.gov

http://www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb7/index.page

https://www.facebook.com/BrooklynCB7

KENSINGTON COMMUNITY STREET TREE CARE EVENT

 

Kensington Community

Street Tree Care Event

Sunday, September 22nd

10:00 a.m. to noon

A street tree care event will take place in Kensington on Sunday, September 22nd, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, hosted by Clean Up Kensington, New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif, and Big Reuse.

Meet at Kensington Plaza/Beverley Road Plaza (map) to lend a hand in picking up litter, sweeping the streets, and applying finished compost to street trees in the area.

All cleanup supplies, such as gloves, trash bags, trash pickers, brooms, rakes, and dustpans, will be provided.

The event will start and end at Kensington Plaza/Beverley Road Plaza, located on Beverley Road, between E. 2nd Street and McDonald Avenue.

------------------------------------

Clean Up Kensington is a volunteer-driven community group that gives neighbors an opportunity to work together to clear away litter and care for street trees.

Clean Up Kensington

e-mail: cleanupkensington@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanupkensington

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cleanupkensington

 

$65,000 FOR GREENSPACE MAINTENANCE FROM THE OFFICE OF CITY COUNCILMEMBER SHAHANA HANIF

 

Greenspace maintenance got a boost from New York City Councilmember Shahana Hanif's Office in the form of a $65,000 check. 

 

Councilmember Hanif allocated the money to the Horticultural Society of New York for greenspace maintenance. "The Hort," through its Neighborhood Plaza Partnership, worked with The Kensington Stewards over several years to create Kensington Plaza and Avenue C Plaza.

 

Councilmember Hanif writes

A big check for @thehort! The transformation of the Kensington Green Triangle is a shining example of what climate action at the community level can achieve. 

 

What was once a vacant, dangerous concrete triangle is now a vibrant green garden, thanks to the dedication of Maggie Tobin and the West Kensington Action Group. This lush garden has not only beautified Kensington but also plays an important role in reducing urban heat, managing stormwater, and improving air quality.

 

Growing up just down the block, I remember what this space used to be—now it’s a hub of greenery that brings life to our neighborhood. I’m proud to allocate funds to @thehort to ensure this space continues to thrive. Investing in green spaces like this is about more than beautification; it’s about fostering resilience against climate change, making our streets safer, and creating a healthier environment for our community.

 

As we face the challenges of climate change, local green spaces are vital to ensuring a sustainable future. I’m committed to keeping our district green and safe, and I’m excited to see the Kensington Green Triangle continue to flourish with the care and maintenance it deserves.

The Kensington Green Triangle, located at Church Avenue, 35th Street, and 14th Avenue (map), was created in 2009 after residents successfully lobbied Community Board 12 and the Parks Department.

 

CLEAN UP KENSINGTON IN JULY, AUGUST, AND SEPTEMBER

Clean Up Kensington

Saturday, July 27th,10:30 a.m.

Tuesday, August 6th, 7:00 p.m. [canceled because of weather conditions]

Tuesday, August 13th, 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, August 20th, 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 8th, 10:00 a.m.

Sunday, September 22nd, 10:00 a.m.

Clean Up Kensington will host six neighborhood cleanup events for the remainder of July and in August and September.

 

Lend a hand in picking up litter and sweeping the streets. All cleanup supplies, such as gloves, trash bags, trash pickers, brooms, rakes, and dustpans, will be provided.

Clean Up Kensington is a volunteer-driven community group that invites everyone to work together to clear away litter and care for street trees in Kensington.

 

Saturday, July 27th: Meet up with neighbors at 10:30 a.m. at Ocean Parkway and Ditmas Avenue. The route ends with refreshments at Newkirk Community Garden.

Tuesday, August 6th: Meet at 7:00 p.m. at Church Avenue and E. 8th Street. The route starts at Lofty Pigeon Books and ends at Hinterlands Bar. [canceled because of weather conditions]

Tuesday, August 13th: Meet at 7:00 p.m. at Ocean Parkway and Avenue C.

Tuesday, August 20th: Meet at 7:00 p.m. at Church Avenue and E. 8th Street. The route starts at Lofty Pigeon Books and ends at Hinterlands Bar.

Sunday, September 8th: Meet at 10:00 a.m. at Coney Island Avenue and Hinckley Place. The route starts at P.S. 889 and ends at Der Pioneer.

Sunday, September 22nd: Meet at Beverley Road and Church Avenue. This second annual tree care event with Big Reuse will start and end at Kensington Plaza.

------------------------------------

Clean Up Kensington

e-mail: cleanupkensington@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanupkensington

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cleanupkensington

KENSINGTON COMMUNITY GARDEN CLEAN-UP

Kensington Community Garden Clean-up 

Saturday, July 20th and Sunday, July 21st

9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

 

From Frankie Iozzio, an ISA-certified arborist:

Hello all, & thank you for your interest in the Kensington Community Garden Clean-up!

We will be hosting a community volunteer day at 487 Ocean Parkway on Sat 7/20 & Sun 7/21 from 9am - 2pm. 

We hope you can join us! You can RSVP here :)

Come stop by to:

• tame some mugwort, 

• sort through debris,

• attempt & fail to uproot some bamboo, or 

if none of that sounds appealing, just stop by to say 'hi!' & see the space for yourself & help us imagine future offerings/programs! If you can't make it this time, don't worry, there will be more events to come! 

While it might not be much to look at right now, the space is a blank canvas in a time when creative solutions are our best strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change; so much the better if these strategies are community driven, and all the better if like-minded individuals & organizations join together in recognition of the power these marginalized spaces hold for reversing environmental & social inequalities. 

Through our joint efforts, we can recreate a model of community activism that seeks to educate, advocate, and mitigate the negative consequences of climate change in our urban setting as well as strengthen the network of activists that promise to carry on the continued care of our environment & our city for future generations. 

We will provide sunblock, bugspray, & refreshments, you just need to bring yourself and comfortable working shoes! If you have a favorite pair of gloves, bring ‘em!

Feel free to reach out with any questions, & looking forward to working together!

Best,

  –frankie Iozzio

718-208-0749 friozzio@gmail.com

 

Keep informed about activities and program on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kensingtongardensbklyn/).

 

Location

487 Ocean Parkway

between Cortelyou Road and Ditmas Avenue

Kensington, Brooklyn

 

NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP HOSTED BY CLEAN UP KENSINGTON AND NEWKIRK COMMUNITY GARDEN

 

Clean Up Kensington

Sunday, August 6th, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

 

Join your neighbors in a partnership between Clean Up Kensington and Newkirk Community Garden to clean up a few blocks of Kensington. The neighborhood cleanup is scheduled for Sunday, August 6th, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

 

Meet at Newkirk Community Garden at 736 E. 8th Street (corner of Newkirk Avenue) to pick up litter, sweep the streets, and beautify E. 8th Street and Newkirk Avenue.

 

All of the cleaning materials that will be needed will be provided.

 

Bring water and sunscreen, if you'll need them.

------------------------------------

 

Clean Up Kensington

cleanupkensington@gmail.com

https://www.instagram.com/cleanupkensington/?hl=en

Newkirk Community Garden

newkirkcommunitygarden@gmail.com

https://www.newkirkgarden.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/newkirkcommunitygarden/ 

PLANT FREE DAFFODIL BULBS TO BEAUTIFY KENSINGTON AND WINDSOR TERRACE

Plant free daffodil bulbs in your neighborhood this fall. Enjoy their beauty when they blossom next spring. The neighborhood looks so attractive and cheerful when the daffodils are in bloom.

Bulbs are donated to civic organizations, individuals, schools, community leaders, and corporate volunteer groups who will commit to planting them in a park or a public space, such as a schoolyard, street tree pit, community garden, or planters in front of a building--or anywhere else in New York City where the public can see and enjoy them.

The Daffodil Project began in 2001 as a living memorial to September 11th. Since then, nearly 6,000,000 free bulbs have been planted around New York City by more than 100,000 young students, parks and gardening groups, civic organizations, corporate volunteers, and other New Yorkers, making it one of the largest volunteer efforts in the city’s history.

In 2015 alone,

• 450,000 bulbs were distributed,
• 531 students planted 2,750 bulbs with NY4P,
• 200+ NYC schools participated,
• 67 NYCHA gardeners planted 33,850 bulbs, and
• 23,369 volunteers joined citywide.

The two bulb distribution dates and locations in Brooklyn are Saturday, September 10th, at Seth Low Houses Community Center and Saturday, September 24th, at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, rain or shine.

Distribution time is from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. From 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., any unclaimed bulbs will be distributed to whoever can carry them. 

Bulbs can be requested in quantities of 25, 50, 100, 200, 350, 550, or 1100. 

Daffodil bulbs should be planted anywhere between mid-September through the first week of December. It's important to get them in the ground before the first frost.

Thursday, September 1st, at 5:00 p.m., is the deadline for registration. The registration form is at http://ny4p.convio.net/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=1840.

FAQs about the Daffodil Project are at http://www.ny4p.org/2016%20Daffodil%20Project%20FAQ.pdf.

For questions about the Daffodil Project, call Emily Walker, New Yorker's for Parks' Director of Outreach and Programs, at (212) 838-9410, ext. 314, or e-mail her at ewalker @ ny4p.org.

TREE PIT GUARDS FOR MCDONALD AVENUE TO PROTECT TREES, PLANTS, AND FLOWERS

 

      Help Us Beautify the Windsor Terrace-Kensington Area

The tree pits in front of the Hamilton Co-Op at 221-243 McDonald Avenue (between Fort Hamilton Parkway and Greenwood Avenue) have long been neglected. They have been areas of compacted dirt and a collection place for litter, broken car parts, and dog feces.

In an effort to beautify this stretch of the neighborhood, the residents of the Hamilton Co-Op have begun to plant flowers and plants in an attempt to reclaim these spaces.

Unfortunately, these flowers and plants are being trampled. To protect these newly-planted areas, the co-op is trying to raise funds to have tree pit guards installed.

The starting cost of a tree pit guard, depending on its size, is $550. The residents have set up a GoFundMe page to raise the funds. Donations go to the New York Tree Trust and are tax-deductible.

Anyone interested in helping to beautify this part of the neighborhood can donate at https://www.gofundme.com/qtzajve4. A donation of any size is acceptable and appreciated and is tax deductible.

                                                        The Garden Committee

                                                        Hamilton Co-op

COMMUNITY DAFFODIL PLANTING TODAY ON CATON AVENUE

Dig for Daffodils

Saturday, December 5th, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Caton Avenue will be more attractive and cheerful when daffodils bloom in its tree pits. Plant daffodil bulbs today with your fellow Kensington and Windsor Terrace residents to beautify Caton Avenue from Ocean Parkway to Coney Island Avenue. The bulbs you plant now will blossom in the spring.

Bulbs, gloves, and tools will be provided.

PICKING UP THE PAPERS

 

All it takes to become part of the brand-new  

Kensington Trash Mob 

is to show up today (Sunday) at 4:00 p.m. at Kensington Plaza, in front of Walgreens. The coordinators will bring gloves and trash bags for everyone. One group will head east on Church Avenue toward Coney Island Avenue and another will head west toward 36th Street. 

The bigger the turnout, the faster Church Avenue's sidewalks will look better, so bring a friend!

The clean-up won't last for more than an hour. Then we'll go back to Kensington Plaza to enjoy free refreshments and hang out a bit.

The first twenty people who show up will get a

FREE KENSINGTON TRASH MOB T-SHIRT!

THE JOY OF CLEANING CHURCH AVENUE

The First Kensington Trash Mob Gathering
Sunday, April 15th, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Become part of the Kensington Trash Mob and

• meet new people!
• make new friends!
• get exercise!
• enjoy fresh air! 
• munch on snacks and refreshments!
• receive an official Kensington Trash Mob t-shirt if you're among the first twenty people to arrive!
• Clean up Church Avenue!
• feel good about what you've done for the neighborhood!

 

Funding for cleaning Kensington is scarce: the number of times per week that the public litter baskets are emptied has gone down, and The Doe Fund doesn't come around anymore. Who is left to take charge of the cleanliness of the neighborhood? Residents and merchants.

 

Folks will meet at the new Kensington Plaza at the intersection of Church Avenue and Beverley Road (in front of Walgreens) on Sunday, April 15th, at 4:00 p.m. to clean from 36th Street to Coney Island Avenue. Everyone who participates will be provided with gloves and trash bags. Let's make this fun!