Project Description
61 Franklin Street Garden Infrastructure and Rain Harvest Build
Project Lead: | 61 Franklin Street Garden |
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Project Partners: | North Brooklyn Parks Alliance (formerly Open Space Alliance) |
Project Location: | 61 Franklin Street |
GCEF Grant: | $21,920 |
Matching Contribution: | $25,000 |
TOTAL INVESTMENT: | $46,920 |
Project Completed: | November 2016 |
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In 2014, through a competitive process, 61 Franklin Street Garden received a $21,920 from GCEF (and provided $25,000 in matching funds) to further the self-sustainability of this GreenThumb community garden. A derelict lot until 2013, GCEF funding enabled the garden’s continued development as a community green space. Major project activities included improving the garden’s planting space, constructing community education spaces and rainwater harvesting facilities, and installing solar panels to serve as a renewable power source for the garden.
PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Constructed 2 picnic tables to better accommodate weekly school classes and other community groups at the garden
- Built 6 vertical planters which added an additional 100 square feet of vertical growing space
- Installed a new irrigation system and a rainwater catchment system which can store up to 600 gallons of storm water and prevent over 2,500 gallons of water 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 workshops attended by approximately 50 people on topics including medicinal plants, tree care, and recycling textiles with dying techniques
- Hosted 1-hour weekly garden classes for children ages 4 to 6, and attended by a total of 64 children
- Hosted the YMCA summer camp multiple times in the summer of 2015 and that was attended by approximately 60 children