Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe today announced the 13th annual MulchFest, a citywide event where New Yorkers can recycle their Christmas trees by converting them into wood chips.  This year, Parks & Recreation has designated 89 recycling sites to accept trees throughout the five boroughs on Saturday, January 10, and Sunday, January 11, between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. At many of the tree drop-off locations, chippers will be on hand and residents 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 until Friday, January 16.  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 make 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 then ever," said Mayor Bloomberg. "We use woodchips and mulch to insulate the soil in tree pits, to hold moisture, and to 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 website at nyc.gov, or by calling 311."

"Please don't let your Christmas tree go to waste this year," said Commissioner Benepe. "Last year, thousands of New Yorkers participated in MulchFest and helped improve the environment by bringing more than 13,000 Christmas trees to be chipped and turned into mulch. With more than 160,000 trees planted throughout the city since the 2007 launch of MillionTreesNYC, we need more mulch than ever to keep our trees and plants healthy and thriving. Be sure to bring a bag this weekend and take some woodchips home for your 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 16 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 Mulch Fest 2009 and bring their discarded trees to designated parks sites this weekend and help us do more for out City." 

In 2008, more than 166,000 Christmas trees were collected and recycled by the City with more than 13,000 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

Chipping sites

* Brook Park Brook Ave. & E. 141st St.

* River Park Boston Road & E. 180th St.

* Bissel Gardens Baychester Ave. at E. 241st St.

* Van Cortlandt Park Van Cortlandt Golf Course
Enter at Bailey Ave. and VC Park south

Collection sites:

Van Cortlandt Park Indian Fields
at E. 233rd St. ballfields

St. Mary's Park Office at St. Ann’s Ave.
& W. 149th St.

Grant Park E. 170th St. & Morris Ave.
Grant Park Grant Ave. & E. 170th St.

Willis Playground W. 140th St. between
Willis & Alexander Aves.

Rainey Park Park House; Dawson St.
& Longwood Ave.

Crotona Park Tennis House

Behagen Playground E. 166th St. & Union Ave.

Youth Village Playground Boston Road
& Jackson Ave.

Claremont Park Mount Eden Pkwy. & Morris Ave.

Nelson Playground W. 166th St. & Nelson Ave.

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 Aves.

Belmont Park E. 181st St. & Belmont Ave.

St. James Park Jerome Ave. & W. 192nd St.

Kossuth Playground Mosholu Pkwy.
North & Kossuth Ave.

Williamsbridge Oval Park E. Bainbridge
& Reservoir Oval

Fort #4 Playground Reservoir
& Webb Aves.

Watson Gleason Playground
Gleason & Rosedale Aves.

PO Serrano Playground Lafayette
& Olmsted Aves.

City Island Park City Island Ave. & Hawkins St.

Mazzei Playground Williamsbridge Rd.
& Mace Ave.

Haffen Park Hamersley & Wickham Aves.

Williamsbridge Oval Park Bainbridge
& Van Cortlandt Ave.

Pelham Bay Park Parking lot: Middletown Road
& Stadium Ave.

Jacqueline Denise Davis 1022-1024 Boston Road
at East 165th St.

Taqwa Community Garden 90 West 164th St. at
Ogden Ave.

BROOKLYN

Chipping Sites:

* McCarren Park Field House Driggs Ave.
& Lorimer St.

* Hattie Carthan Garden Across from Von King
Park-Lafayette Ave. & Clifton Pl.

* Fort Greene Park Washington Pk.
& Willoughby St.

* Cobble Hill Park Clinton St. & Verandah Pl.

* Prospect Park Prospect Park West & 3rd St.

* Prospect Park Park Circle at Parkside Ave.

* Owl’s Head Park Colonial Rd. & 68th St.

* Marine Park Ave. U & E. 33rd St.

Collection Sites:

McGolrick Park Driggs Ave. & Monitor St.

Maria Hernandez Park Knickerbocker Ave.
& Suydam St.

Amazing Garden 261-265 Columbia St. at Carroll St.

Coffey Park Dwight St. & Verona St.

Sunset Park 44th St. & 6th Ave.

Brooklyn Bears Garden Flatbush Ave. between
Atlantic & Pacific St.

Paerdegat Park 40th St. & Foster Ave.

Lincoln Terrace Park Buffalo Ave. between E. New
York Ave. & Eastern Pkway.

MANHATTAN

Chipping Sites:

* Tompkins Square Park East Ninth St.
between Aves. A&B

* Washington Square Park • Fifth Ave.
& Washington Sq. North

* Carl Schurz Park • East 86th St.
& East End Ave.

Central Park • 106th St. & Fifth Ave.

Central Park • 81st St. & Central Park West
inside the bridle path

Central Park • 63rd St. & Central Park West

* Stuyvesant Town • 20th St. at 20th St. loop-
East of First Ave.

Collection Sites:

Marcus Garvey Park 122nd St. & Madison Ave.

Morningside Park West 123rd St.
& Morningside Ave.

Inwood Hill Park Isham St. & Seaman Ave.

Thomas Jefferson Park First Ave. & East 114th St.

* Jackie Robinson Park • Edgecombe & 145th St.

Highbridge Park West 173rd St.
& Amsterdam Ave.

Bennett Park West 185th St.
& Fort Washington Ave.

El Jardin del Paraiso 706-718 East Fifth St.
between Aves. C & D

La PLaza Cultural 632-650 East Ninth St.
at Ave. C

Pleasant Village 342-353 Pleasant Ave.
btwn. 118th & 119th Sts.

QUEENS

Chipping Sites:

* Cunningham Park Parking Lot #2, Union
Turnpike & Francis Lewis Blvd.

* Juniper Valley Park Asphalt Ballfield, 80th St.
bet. N. Juniper & S. Juniper Blvd.

* Forest Park Bandshell Forest Park Drive West
of Woodhaven Blvd.

* Roy Wilkins Park • 177th St. at Baisley Blvd.

* Astoria Park • 19th St. & Hoyt Ave.

* Kissena Park (Sunday only) • Velodrome
Parking Lot Booth Memorial Ave. bet. Kissena
& Parsons Blvds.

* Travers Park 78th St. south of Northern Blvd.

Collection Sites:

Rockaway Beach Shore Front Parkway
& Beach 94th St.

Kissena Park (Saturday only) Velodrome
Parking Lot Booth Memorial Ave. bet. Kissena &
Parsons Blvds.

STATEN ISLAND

Chipping Sites:

* Clove Lakes Park Cheshire Pl. & Clove Rd.

* Midland Beach Parking Lot Father
Capodanno & Graham Blvds.

* Conference House Parking Lot Hylan Blvd.
& Satterlee St.

* Holzka Garden • Castleton Ave. btwn.
Broadway & Taylor

Collection Sites:

Willowbrook Park Richmond Ave. & Eton Pl.

Father Macris Park Fahy Ave. & Lamberts Lane

Wolfe’s Pond Park Cornelia Ave. & Hylan Blvd.

GREENTHUMB GARDEN SITES

BRONX

Jacqueline Denise Davis 1022-1024 Boston Road
at East 165th St.

Taqwa Community Garden 90 West 164th St. at
Ogden Ave.

*Bissel Gardens Boston Road & E. 180th St.

BROOKLYN

Amazing Garden 261-265 Columbia St.
at Carroll St.

*Hattie Carthan Community Garden
700 Marcy St. btwn. Clinton Place & Lafayette Ave.

Brooklyn Bears Community Garden
Flatbush Ave. btwn. Atlantic Ave. & Pacific St.

MANHATTAN

El Jardin Del Paraiso Community Garden
706-718 E. Fifth St. btwn. Ave. C & D

La Plaza Cultural Community Garden
632-650 E. Ninth St. at Ave. C

Pleasant Village Community Garden
342-353 Pleasant Ave. btwn. 118th & 119th Sts.

STATEN ISLAND

*Holzka Community Garden
Castleton Ave. btwn. Broadway & Taylor