MAYOR GIULIANI AND PARKS COMMISSIONER HENRY STERN RECYCLE HOLIDAY TREES IN ONE-DAY MULCHFEST '98
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Parks Commissioner Henry J. Stern today delivered used Christmas trees into the jaws of the powerful "mulch machine" in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, turning the trees into tiny wood chips New Yorkers took home to insulate tree beds around the City. New Yorkers participated in Mulchfest '98 in nine City Parks.
"For the second holiday season in a row, environmentally-minded New Yorkers have brought their trees down to Mulchfest '98, a program that utilizes Christmas trees beyond their intended purpose -- as decoration only during the Christmas season," Mayor Giuliani said. "Mulchfest '98 is a wonderful use of the City's existing equipment, a great way to turn trees into useful wood chips and an environmentally sound program that keeps the trees out of landfills. I want to thank the Parks Department for providing the equipment that makes the event possible."
Parks Commissioner Henry J. Stern, "After useful lives of providing beauty and shade, trees can continue to serve us by becoming wood chips and mulch instead of ending up in a landfill."
For the second consecutive year, Mulchfest '98 will provide the Parks Department and New Yorkers with chipped wood, bark and needles to help feed living trees in City parks and along City streets.
Chips and mulch not taken home by participants were taken to The Bronx Ferry Point Park recycling center for composting. This material will be added to lawn and garden waste collected by the Sanitation Department and then added to Parks restoration project sites. It will also be used at local neighborhood sites such as dog runs, pathways and new tree planting sites.
This year, the Parks Department accepted trees at the following locations all day Saturday:
| Manhattan | Brooklyn | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Washington Sq. Park 5th Ave. and Waverly Place (8:30 AM - 2:30 PM) |
Tompkins Sq. Park* 9th St. and Avenue B (8:30 AM-2:30 PM) |
Prospect Park Third Street and Prospect Park West (10AM - 3PM) |
|
|
Johnny Hartman Triangle W143rd St. & Amsterdam Ave. (8:30 - 2:30 PM) |
Jackie Robinson Pk.* W145th St. & Bradhurst Ave. (8:30 AM - 2:30 PM) |
Heights Promenade* Promenade and Montague Street (10AM - 3PM) |
|
| Queens | Staten Island | The Bronx | |
|
Cunningham Park Francis Lewis Blvd. & Union Tpke. (10AM - 3PM) |
Victory Nursery 3808 Victory Blvd. (10AM - 3PM) |
Ferry Point Park Recycling Center Service Rd. off Hutchinson Pkwy. (10AM - 3PM) |
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The Parks Department's Natural Resources Group, which is responsible for the program's oversight, was present to dispense tree recycling tips. Established in 1984, NRG is an international leader in ecological innovations, including restoration ecology, research and parks management. NRG develops and implements restoration and management programs for the City's natural resources and was the 1996 recipient of the prestigious Society for Ecological Restoration International Sperry Award, The National Wetlands Award, and the Chevron-Times Mirror Magazine North America Conservation Prize.
More information can be obtained by calling the Parks Department at 1-800-201-PARK.
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