News
Membership Updates are Due!
All registered GreenThumb community gardens should send an updated complete list of all their members to the respective Outreach Coordinator via email or US Mail. Membership lists allow GreenThumb to identify gardens that can accommodate new members. This list is a requirement for receiving material support from GreenThumb. Download the membership update template.
GreenThumb Harvest Fair and Garden Recognition Awards
GreenThumb’s annual Harvest Fair will be held on Saturday, September 16th in Brooklyn, where we’ll be awarding ribbons to the winners of the annual Harvest Competition and also celebrating the 2nd annual GreenThumb Garden Recognition Awards.
Nominate a garden or gardener for a Garden Recognition Award. The deadline is this week!
Save the Dates!
Bronx Green-Up Harvest Festival
Saturday, Sept. 9
Join Bronx Green-Up for a celebration of the efforts of community gardeners that will include food, music, activities for kids, and much more. Learn more about the Bronx Green-Up Harvest Festival
GreenThumb Harvest Fair 2017
Saturday, Sept. 16
Bring your best harvest from your GreenThumb community garden to win prizes! Join us as we celebrate the close of the growing season. Learn more about the GreenThumb Harvest Fair 2017
Harlem Green Community Garden EXPO
Saturday, Aug. 12 – Saturday, Aug. 19
The Harlem Green Community Garden EXPO will be a week-long event advancing the cause of community gardens and displaying their outstanding resources. Learn more about the Harlem Green Community Garden EXPO.
Sixth Annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival
Saturday, Sept. 23 and Sunday, Sept. 24
The Sixth Annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival will feature music, dance, theater, spoken word, performance art, workshops and more in 50 community gardens on the Lower East Side. It’s free and open to all. Check their website for more details: Learn more about the Sixth Annual LUNGS Harvest Arts Festival
Grants and Opportunities
STEW-MAP is Live!
The STEW-MAP 2017 survey is now live! STEW-MAP is a map and searchable database of stewardship groups designed to help understand and strengthen our civic capacity to take care of New York’s neighborhoods. Your response and input helps support a vibrant, connected, and green NYC. Learn more about STEW-MAP, and contact stewmap.ufs@gmail.com with any questions.
Home Depot Community Impact Grant
The Home Depot Foundation offers grants up to $5,000 to 501(c)(3) organizations that are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community.
Deadline: Rolling basis until Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017
Learn more about the Home Depot Community Impact Grant
Partnerships for Parks Capacity Grants
Partnerships for Parks makes small grants of up to $5,000 to strengthen the outreach, membership, and program-planning capacity of community groups who care for their neighborhood parks in all five boroughs of New York City.
Deadline: Oct. 1, 2017
Learn more about the Partnerships for Parks Capacity Grants
Captain Planet Foundation: Environmental Education Grants
The mission of the Captain Planet Foundation is to give the next generation of environmental stewards an active understanding and love for the natural world in which they live. The Captain Planet Foundation primarily makes grants to U.S.-based schools and organizations with an annual operating budget of less than $3 million. Funding range: $500 to $2,500.
Deadline: Sept. 30, 2017
Learn more about the Captain Planet Foundation: Environmental Education Grants
Citizens Committee for New York City: Reuse and Repair Grant
Citizens Committee for New York City is partnering with the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB) and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer to launch our newest grant initiative: NYC Reuse and Repair. The goal of the grant is to support New York City in reusing, repairing, and refurbishing 100% of all discarded products that can be reused in some capacity, with the balance being recycled.
Deadline: Sept. 12, 2017
Learn more about the Citizens Committee for New York City: Reuse and Repair Grant
Building Healthy Communities: Green Your Cuisine
The Fund for Public Health in New York City (FPHNYC), on behalf of the Building Healthy Communities (BHC) initiative, is currently accepting proposals for community based organizations interested in implementing nutrition education and/or cooking workshops for residents of the Corona and Flushing communities to encourage healthy eating.
Deadline: July 7, 2017
Learn more about Building Healthy Communities: Green Your Cuisine
City Parks Foundation
View a listing of grant opportunities and other resources on the City Parks Foundation website.
Workshops
Did you know that ALL our workshops are free and open to the public? You can find soil and lumber request forms at ALL GreenThumb-led workshops.
GreenThumb Workshop Survey
Do you have ideas for GreenThumb workshops? Would you like to host a workshop in your garden, share your skills by teaching other gardeners, or simply let us know which workshops you’d like us to offer? Let us know in the GreenThumb Workshop Survey!
Saturday, July 8
Living Soil: Compost Tea for Integrated Pest Management
11:00 a.m.–Noon
NYC Compost Project hosted by Snug Harbor
This workshop will walk you through a simple DIY brewing system that will cost under $25 and give you tips on making and applying compost tea properly.
Location: Snug Harbor Compost Demonstration Site, Staten Island
For directions visit snug-harbor.org/visit/directions/
The Compost Demonstration Site is #23 on the map
RSVP: Register at snug-harbor.org/compost/
Wednesday, July 12
Composting: What’s Going on Inside my Bin?
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
GreenThumb and NYC Compost Project
In this workshop we’ll discuss the basics of composting and how to troubleshoot common issues that come up when maintaining a compost pile. We’ll take a deeper look at the inner workings of the compost system at Morris Jumel Community Garden as an example.
Location: Morris Jumel Community Garden 457 W. 162nd St., Manhattan
Thursday, July 13
Herbal Teas Using Garden Herbs
6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
Frances Dunston, herbalist at Sacred Vibes Apothecary, and GreenThumb
Herbs can do more than enhance your food—many have medicinal properties as well. For this workshop we’ll partner with an herbalist from Sacred Vibes Apothecary to discuss the healing properties of herbs commonly found in our gardens and sample some recipes for herbal teas.
Location: Isabahlia Community Garden 615 Saratoga Ave., Brooklyn
Tuesday, July 18
Replenishing your Soil
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
GreenThumb
Want to learn how to keep your plants growing strong this season? In this workshop we will discuss how to use amendments such as bone and blood meal to reintroduce nutrients into your soil. Amending throughout the season will keep your plants nourished and viable.
Location: 400 Montauk Avenue Block Association Community Garden 956 New Lots Ave., Brooklyn
Thursday, July 20
Carpentry 101: Creating Projects for Your Garden
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
GreenThumb
With the right tools, you can do a lot in your garden. We’ll discuss lumber and hardware selection, explain and use some measuring tools, and practice using hand and power tools on small garden projects. Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.
Location: Eagle Slope Community Garden 586 Westchester Ave., Bronx
Saturday, July 22
Vegetable Gardening: Crop Planning for Maximizing Harvest
10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
The Battery Conservancy
Participants will learn how to create an efficient crop plan to maximize yield in a small space using succession planting while maintaining healthy soil through crop rotation and other organic techniques. They will tour Battery Urban Farm to see these techniques in action. Pre-registration required at tbcevents.eventbrite.com/
Location: The Battery Enter at the corner of State St. and Broadway, Manhattan
Keeping Chickens Part 1: Spring and Summer (Bronx)
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
GreenThumb and Lilly Kesselman, GreenThumb community gardener at Brook Park
Learn the nuts and bolts of keeping chickens in the city. This workshop will be the first in a two-part series: this summer we’ll cover maintenance for spring and summer, and in the fall we’ll discuss maintenance for fall and winter. Garden groups who attend both sessions will be eligible to receive a book on keeping chickens! Part 1 this summer will be offered in two locations, and Part 2 will be offered in the fall.
Location:Brook Park 494 E. 141st St, Bronx
Tuesday, July 25
Natural Insect Repellent Candles
5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Grow to Learn and GreenThumb
Annoyed by pesky gnats and mosquitos that congregate in the garden once the summer sun sets? Interested in illuminating your garden at dusk? Join GreenThumb as we create our own natural insect repellent candles using citronella oil and soy wax. Bring flowers and garden treasures to decorate your candle!
Location: Oasis Community Garden 505 W. 52nd St. Manhattan
Thursday, July 27
Growing Plants for Dye
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Mark Leger, GreenThumb community gardener at Phoenix Community Garden, Grow to Learn, and GreenThumb
Many of the beautiful plants that we grow in the garden can also be used to color yarn and cloth. Orange cosmos makes vibrant golds. Marigolds make yellow. Purple basil makes olive green. And there’s lots more! This workshop will cover how to plan a dye plant garden, and then we’ll get to work dying some yarn! Workshop participants will each take away a length of colored yarn.
Location: Phoenix Community Garden 16 Somers St. Brooklyn
Saturday, July 29
Feral Cat Caretaker Certificate
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
NYC Feral Cat Initiative and ASPCA
Learn the basics of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) and colony care in this hands-on workshop. Attending a TNR certification workshop is the first step to gain the knowledge and skills needed to help the feral and stray community cats in your garden. Upon completion of the workshop, you will become a Certified TNR Caretaker and be eligible for free or low-cost spay/ neuter, trap loans, transportation for cats and traps, educational and networking events, newsletters, community outreach materials, and other services and support. Este taller se ofrecerá con traducción al Español.
Location: Jackie Robinson Recreation Center 85 Bradhurst Ave., Manhattan
Access all workshop info and more in GreenThumb’s Summer Program Guide
