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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 008-10
January 8, 2010

MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND PARKS COMMISSIONER BENEPE ANNOUNCE MULCHFEST 2010 WILL BE HELD THIS WEEKEND

Christmas ‘Tree-cycling’ at Parks Throughout the Five Boroughs

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe today announced the launch of MulchFest, a citywide event where New Yorkers can recycle their Christmas trees by converting them into woodchips. This year, Parks & Recreation has designated 81 park sites to accept trees throughout the five boroughs on Saturday, January 9, and Sunday, January 10, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. At many MulchFest locations, chippers will be on hand to turn trees to mulch and participants can take home woodchips for their own gardens and plants. The Department of Sanitation will also be making curbside tree collections and transporting them to recycling sites until Friday, January 15. Today's announcement was made in City Hall Park. The Mayor and Commissioner Benepe were joined by Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty.

"It's time to chip in and tree-cycle your holiday tree for a mulch greener City," said Mayor Bloomberg. "To achieve our ambitious plan to plant one million new trees across the five boroughs over the next decade, we're going to need more mulch than ever. We use woodchips and mulch to insulate the soil in tree pits, hold moisture, and provide nutrients. Sites are located in parks in all five boroughs. New Yorkers can find a list of Mulchfest locations by visiting the City's web site at nyc.gov, or by calling 311."

"New Yorkers can help the city stay green by bringing their Christmas trees for chipping at Parks' annual MulchFest," said Commissioner Benepe. "Last year, thousands of New Yorkers in all five boroughs brought more than 17,000 Christmas trees to be turned into mulch. By recycling their Christmas trees, New Yorkers support the environment and the MillionTreesNYC initiative by providing wood chips that help trees, flowers and shrubs grow. Mulch is also made available to take home for your own tree pits, private gardens and planting beds."

"Sanitation is pleased to partner with Parks & Recreation to offer New Yorkers this special recycling service," said Commissioner Doherty. "DSNY will provide curbside tree collection through January 15th that will give an environmental benefit to our neighborhoods. We'll deliver your discarded trees to Parks & Recreation who'll chip them so that the tree mulch can be used to fertilize parks, ball fields and other public spots. All residents are encouraged to participate in MulchFest 2010 and bring their discarded trees to designated parks sites this weekend and help us do more for our City."

In 2009, more than 160,000 Christmas trees were collected and recycled by the City with more than 17,000 coming through MulchFest. The mulch from last year's recycling was used throughout the year to nurture the City's greenspaces. New Yorkers are encouraged to take trees to designated sites and bring along bags to take home wood chips available at specified sites. All lights, ornaments and decorations must be removed from the trees before drop-off. Trees should not be placed in plastic bags.

Woodchip mulch moderates soil temperatures, helps retain soil moisture and deters weed growth while slowly adding nutrients to the soil. The mulch may be used to line street tree pits and flowerbeds in parks. Woodchips may also be used in homes and gardens to enrich soil and control weeds.

Below is the list of this year's designated MulchFest sites. Mulch is available at sites noted with an asterisk (*). For more information, please visit www.nyc.gov or call 311.

Bronx

*Metropolitan Oval Parkchester
Metropolitan Avenue& Unionport Road
*Brook Park
Brook Avenue & East 141th Street
*Bryant Triangle
Fordham & Kingsbridge Roads
*Van Cortlandt Park
Golf course - Bailey Avenue & VC South
Crotona Park
Tennis house at Crotona Avenue
Echo Park
Tremont Avenue & Valentine Street
El Flamboyan
592 Tinton Avenue at East 150th Street
Fort #4 Playground
Reservoir & Webb Avenues
Haffen Park
Hammersley & Wickham Avenues
Jacqueline Denise Davis
1022-1024 Boston Road & East 165th Street
Kossuth Playground
Mosholu Pkwy. & North Kossuth Avenue
Pelham Bay Park
Parking lot at Middleton Rd & Stadium Avenue
St. James Park
Jerome Avenue & West 192nd Street
St. Mary's Park
Office at St. Ann's Avenue & 149th Street
Thomas Cooke Garden
Washington Avenue between E. 181st & 182nd Street
Tremont Park
East Tremont & Arthur Avenues
Van Cortlandt Park
Indian Fields at East 233rd Street ballfields
Williamsbridge Oval Park
Reservoir Oval & Reservoir Place

Brooklyn

*Added Value Community Farm
305 Van Brunt Street
*Cobble Hill Park
Clinton Street & Verandah Place
*Fort Greene Park
Washington Park & Willoughby Street
*Hattie Carthan Garden
Lafayette Avenue & Clinton Place - across from Von King
*Marine Park
Avenue U & East 33rd Street
*McCarren Park
Driggs Avenue & Lorimer Street
*Owl's Head Park
Colonial Road and 68th Street
*Prospect Park
Prospect Park West & 3rd Street
Park Circle at Parkside Avenue
Coffey Park
Dwight Street & Verona Place
Greenwood Cemetery
25th Street & 4th Avenue
Lincoln Terrace Park
Buffalo Avenue btw East New York Ave & Eastern Parkway
Maria Hernandez Park
Knickerbocker Avenue & Suydam Street
McGolrick Park
Driggs Avenue & Monitor Street
Prospect Heights Community Garden
252-256 St. Marks Ave between Underhill & Vanderbilt Streets
Sunset Park
44th Street & 6th Avenue

Manhattan

*Bowling Green Park (Saturday only)
Cobblestone paving near Museum of American Indian at Broadway and Whitehall
*Carl Schurz Park
East 86th Street & East End Avenue
*Central Park
63rd Street & Central Park West
81st Street& Central Park West at Bridle Path
106th Street & Fifth Avenue
*El Jardin Paraiso Community Garden
311-321 East 4th St. between Avenues C and D
*Riverside Park
West 81st Street
*Stuyvesant Town
20th Street at 20th St. Loop East of First Avenue
*Tompkins Square Park
East Ninth Street between Avenues A & B
*Washington Square Park
Fifth Avenue & Washington Square North
Bennett Park
West 185th & Fort Washington Avenue
Corlears Hook Park
Jackson & Cherry Streets at FDR Drive
El Jardin Del Paraiso
706-718 East Fifth Street between Avenues C & D
Highbridge Park
West 173rd & Amsterdam Avenue
Inwood Hill Park
Isham Street & Seaman Avenue
Jackie Robinson Park
Edgecombe & 145th Street
J Hood Wright Park
173rd Street near Haven Street
La Plaza Cultural Community Garden
632-650 E. Ninth Street at Avenue C
Marcus Garvey Park
122nd Street & Madison Avenue
Morningside Park
West 123rd & Morningside Avenue
Pleasant Village
Pleasant Avenue between 118th & 119th Streets
Riverside Park
West 79th Street & Riverside Drive
West 97th Street & Riverside Drive
West 106th Street & Riverside Drive
West 116th Street & Riverside Drive
West 138th Street & Riverside Drive
West 145th Street & Riverside Drive
Thomas Jefferson Park
First Avenue & East 114th Street

Queens

*Astoria Park
19th Street & Hoyt Avenue
*Cunningham Park
Visitor Parking Lot and 196th Street
*Forest Park Bandshell
Forest Park Drive - West of Woodhaven Boulevard
*Juniper Valley Park
80th Street between Juniper Boulevards North & South
*Kissena Park (Sunday only)
Velodrome parking lot at Booth Memorial and 157th Street
*Roy Wilkins Park
Parking lot at Merrick Boulevard
*Travers Park
78th Street at 34th Avenue
Baisley Pond Park
Baisley Pond Avenue in parking lot
Kissena Park (Saturday only)
Velodrome parking lot at Booth Memorial - Kissena & Parsons Boulevards
Rockaway Beach
Shore Front Parkway & Beach 94th Street
Land Restoration Project Compound
Queens Plaza south & 10th Street

Staten Island

*Clove Lakes Park
Cheshire Place & Clove Road
*Conference House Parking Lot
Hyland Blvd. & Satterlee Street
*Midland Beach Parking Lot
Father Cappodanno & Graham Boulevards
*Silver Lake Tennis House
University Place & Revere Street
Eibs Pond Park
Palma Drive and Mosel Avenue
Father Macris Park
Fahy Avenue & Lamberts Lane
Willowbrook Park
Richmond Avenue & Eton Place
Wolf's Pond Park
Cornelia Avenue & Hylan Boulevard







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser / Jason Post   (212) 788-2958

Vickie Karp   (Parks & Recreation)
(212) 360-1311

Vito Turso   (Sanitation)
(646) 885-5020




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