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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 02, 2003
PR- 001-03
www.nyc.gov


MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG AND PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSIONER ADRIAN BENEPE KICK-OFF MULCHFEST 2003

Environment-Friendly Program Expands in 2003


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe today announced the expansion of the City's MulchFest program, which converts holiday trees into wood chips. The Mayor and Commissioner encouraged New Yorkers to recycle their holiday trees by participating in the seventh annual MulchFest beginning Saturday, January 4th, in designated parks at specified times throughout the five boroughs. This year, MulchFest has expanded by increasing the number of recycling sites from 12 to 40 and will have wood-chippers at most of the recycling sites. The nutrient-rich organic soil known as mulch forms when organic composts decompose, producing a compound used by the Department of Parks & Recreation for its restoration projects.

"MulchFest 2003 continues an environment-friendly tradition that converts icons of the holiday season into fertile mulch for trees and other plant life throughout New York City," Mayor Bloomberg said. "In addition, we are expanding MulchFest this year by increasing the number of sites and chipping equipment in each of the five boroughs. I invite all New Yorkers to participate and help make our City green."

"This is an opportunity to exercise your green thumb by recycling trees now that the holiday season is over," said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Benepe. "The woodchips created from the trees will help to nourish and sustain plant life across the City."

Tree recycling creates two different byproducts that benefit the environment. The immediate byproduct, wood chips, may be used to line street tree pits and in parks. The chips insulate the soil around the base of the tree, reduce soil compaction, increase moisture, and prevent salt-shock. Wood chips may also be used in homes and gardens to enrich soil and control weeds.

The Department of Parks & Recreation is working with several partners this year, including the Department of Sanitation, Con Edison, KeySpan Corporation, Lewis Tree Service, the Prospect Park Alliance, the Riverside Park Fund, and INFORM's "Waste-Free NYC" to bring MulchFest 2003 to New Yorkers. Since trees collected by Department of Sanitation trucks will be discarded and not recycled, New Yorkers are strongly encouraged to bring their holiday trees to MulchFest sites throughout the City rather than leaving the trees on street curbs for pick-up. New Yorkers are also encouraged to take neighbors' trees to designated sites, to team up with others to collect and recycle as many trees as possible, and to bring bags along to collect wood chips or fir boughs, which make great liners for street tree pits and home or community gardens.

Trees must be dropped off at designated locations during the hours listed below; wood-chipper sites are listed below as well. All lights, ornaments, and decorations must be removed from the trees prior to drop-off, and wood chips will be made available at designated sites for participants to take home.

MULCHFEST 2003 SITES (*Wood-chippers on-site):

JANUARY 4, 2003

Bronx (see individual sites for times)
Bissell Gardens- E. 239th Street and Wickham Avenue* (9:00 to 11:00 a.m.)
Brook Park- E. 140th Street and Brook Avenue* (1:00 to 3:00 p.m.)
Padre Plaza- East 139th Street and St. Ann's Avenue* (10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon)
JFK High School- Tibbett Avenue, south of 230th Street* (12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m.)
Claremont Neighborhood Garden- Teller Avenue and East 169th Street (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Van Cortlandt Park- 242nd Street and Broadway* (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

Brooklyn (see individual sites for times)
Prospect Park - 3rd Street and Prospect Park West* (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Cobble Hill Park- Veranda Place and Clinton Street* (9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Amazing Garden- Columbia Street and Carroll Street* (9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
McCarren Park- Lorimer Street and Bedford Avenue* (10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
McGolrick Park- Russell Street and Driggs Avenue* (1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
East NY Success Garden- Livonia and Alabama Avenue* (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
Redhook KAN Garden- King Street and Van Brunt Street* (1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

Manhattan (see individual sites for times)
Tompkins Square Park - 7th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B* (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Washington Square Park- West 4th Street and LaGuardia Place* (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Riverside Park- 89th Street and 115th Street at Riverside Drive* (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Carl Schurz Park- 86th Street and East End Avenue* (9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)
Marcus Garvey Park- 123rd Street and Madison Avenue* (12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Inwood Hill Park- 207th Street and Seaman Avenue* (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Central Park - 106th Street and 5th Avenue (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Central Park/79th Street Yard - Enter at 81st Street and Central Park West (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Central Park/Dead Road - Mid-park at 72nd Street (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Central Park - 68th Street and Central Park West (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

Queens (9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
Alley Pond Park- Springfield Boulevard and 76th Avenue
Alley Pond Environmental Center- Northern Boulevard, east of Cross Island Parkway*
Astoria Park- Hoyt Avenue and Ditmars Boulevard
Forest Park- Main Drive off Woodhaven Boulevard*
Cunningham Park- Francis Lewis Boulevard, south of Union Turnpike*
Kissena Park- Booth Memorial Avenue and 157th Street
Little Bay Park- Cross Island Parkway and Bell Boulevard
Springfield Park- 147th Avenue and Springfield Park
Roy Wilkens Park- Merrick Boulevard and Foch Street*
Juniper Valley Park- 180th Street between Juniper Boulevard North and Juniper Boulevard South

Staten Island (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
Greenbelt Native Plant Center- 3808 Victory Boulevard*
South Beach- Father Capodanno Boulevard, south of Sand Lane*
Wolfe's Pond Park- Cornelia Street and Hylan Boulevard*

JANUARY 5, 2003
Manhattan

Riverside Park- 89th Street and 115th Street at Riverside Drive* (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Union Square Park- North Meadow* (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

JANUARY 10, 2003
Bronx

Botanical Square Garden- Botanical Square South and East 201st Street* (12 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)

JANUARY 11, 2003
Bronx

Tremont Community Garden- East 178th Street and Lafontaine Avenue* (9:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m.)

Brooklyn
McCarren Park- Lorimer Street and Bedford Avenue* (10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
McGolrick Park- Russell Street and Driggs Avenue* (1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
East NY Success Garden- Livonia and Alabama Avenue* (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)

Manhattan
Riverside Park- 142nd Street and 115th Street at Riverside Drive* (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Marcus Garvey Park- 123rd Street and Madison Avenue* (12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
Samuel Seabury Park- 96th Street and Lexington Avenue* (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)


 

www.nyc.gov

Contact: Ed Skyler/ Jerry Russo 
(212) 788-2958
 
  Megan Sheekey  ( Parks & Recreation )
(212) 360-1311