61 Franklin Street Garden Infrastructure and Rain Harvest Build

In 2014, through a competitive process, 61 Franklin Street Garden received a GCEF grant of $21,920 (and provided $25,000 in matching funds) to further the sustainability of this GreenThumb community garden. GreenThumb is a program of the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation that supports community gardening as important green space. GreenThumb gardens are managed by neighborhood residents. GCEF supported the 61 Franklin Street Garden’s continued development and sustainability by funding such activities at the garden as improving planting space, constructing rainwater harvesting facilities, adding community education areas, and installing solar panels to serve as a renewable power source for the garden.

In 2020, 61 Franklin Street Garden received an additional $7,500 GCEF grant to purchase a full season of seeds and plants and garden improvements including three new raised beds, metal signage for the garden’s compost bins, books for the in-garden resource library and new tools and gardening supplies. The “Greenpoint Citizens Club,” a GCEF-funded environmental education program conducted at 61 Franklin Street Community Garden, also used grant funds to conduct two workshops to educate the public: one on the benefits of herbal plants with an herbalist and an herb giveaway and the other on ecologically friendly dye techniques using plants from the gardens with a local artist.

• Constructed 2 picnic tables to accommodate garden visits by schools and community groups
• Built 6 vertical planters, which added an additional 100 square feet of growing space
• Installed a new garden irrigation system and a rainwater catchment system, which can store up to 600 gallons of stormwater preventing over 2,500 gallons of runoff from entering the NYC sewer system per year
• Installed 3 solar panels that provide 2,250 watt-hours of electricity to the garden
• Held 4 community workshops attended by approximately 50 people on topics including medicinal plants and tree care
• Hosted weekly 1-hour environmental education classes for children ages 4 to 6; attended by a total of 64 children
• Hosted the Greenpoint YMCA’s summer camp multiple times in Summer 2015; attended by approximately 60 children
• Built three raised beds, planted over 200 plants, added metal signage to compost bins, purchased 12 new books for the in-garden library and purchased new tools and supplies
• Conducted two additional workshops in 2021 and engaged 110 community members about the benefits of garden herbs and ecologically friendly dye techniques using garden plants