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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 001-07
January 4, 2007

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES MULCHFEST 2007

Christmas Tree Recycling to Take Place in All Five Boroughs

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe today announced the 11th annual MulchFest, a citywide event where New Yorkers can recycle and convert their Christmas trees into wood chips.  This year, 66 recycling sites citywide have been designated to accept trees on Saturday, January 6th and Sunday, January 7th between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  At many of the tree drop-off locations, chippers will be on hand and the public will be able to take home mulch for their own gardens and plants.  The Department of Sanitation  will also be making curbside tree collections and transporting them to recycling sites from Friday, January 5, through Tuesday, January 16.  Today's announcement was made in Fort Greene Park.

"Mulchfest provides New Yorkers with the opportunity to complete the lifecycle of holiday trees," said Mayor Bloomberg. "This program recycles thousands of trees and wreaths and turns them into something useful that contributes to New York's urban environment."

"MulchFest is a great and easy opportunity for City residents to contribute to a cleaner and healthier New York," said Commissioner Benepe.  "By recycling their Christmas trees, New Yorkers can help the environment by reducing the waste stream and helping trees, plants and shrubs grow. Special thanks to the Sanitation Department for partnering with us to provide New York with this essential service. We encourage all New Yorkers to chip in and help our City grow."

Last year, 156,000 Christmas trees were collected and recycled by the City - 8,800 trees through MulchFest.  The mulch from last year's trees was used throughout the year to nurture New York City's greenspaces.  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 along bags for the 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.

Wood chip mulch moderates soil temperatures, helps retain soil moisture, and deters weed growth while slowly adding nutrients to the soil. Wood chips may be used to line street tree pits and flowerbeds in parks. Wood chips 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. Chipper sites are noted with an asterisk (*). For more information, please visit www.nyc.gov or call 311.

Bronx *Brook Park
Brook Ave. & 141st St.
*River Playground
180th St. & Boston Rd.
*Bissell Volunteer Gardens
Baychester & East 242nd St.
*Van Cortlandt Park
Broadway & Moshulu Ave.
Youth Village Playground
Boston Road & Home St.
St. James Park
E. 193rd St. & Jackson Ave.
Crotona Park
Crotona Ave. b/t Claremont Pkwy. & Crotona Park North
Willis Playground
W. 140th St. b/t Willis & Alexander Avenues
Rainey Park
Dawson St. & Longwood Ave.
St. Mary's Park
St. Ann's Ave. & W. 149th St.
Behagen Playground
E. 166th St. & Union Ave.
Belmont Park
E. 181st St. & Belmont Ave.
Nelson Playground
W. 166th St. & Nelson Ave.
Grant Park
Grant Ave. & E. 170th St.
Aqueduct Lands
W. 181st St. & University Ave.
Echo Park
Tremont Ave. & Valentine St.
Morris Garden
W. 181st St. & Morris Ave.
Tremont Park
E. Tremont & Arthur Ave.
Claremont Park
Mount Eden Pkwy. & Morris Ave.
Kossuth Playground
Mosholu Pkwy. North & Kossuth Ave.
Williamsbridge Oval Park
E. Bainbridge & Reservoir Oval
Fort 4 Playground
Reservoir & Webb Ave.
Watson Gleason Playground
Gleason & Rosedale Ave.
PO Serrano Playground
Lafayette & Olmsted Ave.
City Island Park
City Island Ave. & Hawkins St.
Haffen Park
Hamersley & Wickham Ave.
Mazzei Playground
Williamsbridge Rd. & Mace Ave.
 
 
Brooklyn *Prospect Park
Third St. & Prospect Park West
*Cobble Hill Park
Congress St. & Clinton St.
*Owl's Head Park
Colonial Rd. & 68th St.
*Marine Park
Avenue U b/t Stuart and 33rd Streets
*McCarren Park
Driggs Ave. & Lorimer St.
*Von King Park
Lafeyette St. & Marcy Ave.
*Fort Greene Park
Washington Pk. & Willoughby St.
Maria Hernandez Park
Knickerbocker Ave. & Suydam St.
Amazing Garden
Caroll St. & Columbia St.
McGolrick Park
Monitor St. & Driggs Ave.
Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Park

Dumont Ave. & Bradford St.
Greenwood Cemetery
25th St. & 5th Ave.
NOTE: this site will be open on Sat., Jan. 13 only
 
Manhattan *Tompkins Square Park
E. 9th St. b/t Avenues A & B
*Washington Square Park
Fifth Ave. & Washington Square N.
Central Park (various locations)
*W. 81st St. & West Drive
*E. 106th St. & Fifth Ave.
*W. 63rd St. & Central Park West
Riverside Park (various locations)
*W. 89th St. & Riverside Dr.
W. 79th St. & Riverside Dr.
W. 97th St. & Riverside Dr.
W. 106th St. & Riverside Dr.
W. 116th St. & Riverside Dr.
W. 138th St. & Riverside Dr.
W. 145th St. & Riverside Dr.
Carl Schurz Park
E. 86th St. & East End Ave.
Inwood Hill Park
Isham St. & Seaman Ave.
Morningside Park
W. 123rd St. & Morningside Ave.
 
Queens *Forest Park Bandshell
Forest Park Drive & Woodhaven Blvd.
*Juniper Valley Park
80th St. b/t N. Juniper & S. Juniper Blvds.
*Queens County Farm Museum
73-50 Little Neck Pkwy. & Commonwealth Blvd.
*Cunningham Park
Union Turnpike & Francis Lewis Blvd.
*Astoria Park
19th St. & Hoyt Ave.
Rockaway Beach 94
Shore Front Pkwy. & Beach 94th St.
 
Staten
Island
*Conference House parking lot
Hylan Blvd. & Satterlee St.
*Clove Lakes Park
Cheshire Place & Clove Rd.
*Midland Beach parking lot
Father Cappodano & Graham Blvd.
Wolfe's Pond Park
Cornelia Ave. & Hylan Blvd.
Silver Lake Tennis House parking lot
University Place & Reveer St.
Willowbrook Park
Richmond Ave. & Elton Place
Father Macris Triangle
Fahy Ave. & Lambert's Lane
 






MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser / Jason Post   (212) 788-2958

Warner Johnston   (Parks & Recreation)
(212) 360-1311

Vito Turso   (Sanitation)
(646) 885-5020




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