Greening Greenpoint

Project Lead:	City Parks Foundation
Project Partners:	Trees New York; Partnership for Parks; MillionTreesNYC; NYC Department of Parks and Recreation: Forestry Service; and North Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
Project Location:	Greenpoint-wide
Total GCEF Funding:	$2,652,767
2014 GCEF Grant:	$1,950,719
2017 Budget Addition:	$603,698
2019 Budget Addition:	$98,350
Total Matching Contribution:	$2,207,896
TOTAL INVESTMENT:	$4,860,663
2014 Project Completed:	June 2019

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

In 2014, through a competitive process, City Parks Foundation (CPF) received a $1,950,719 GCEF grant (and provided $2,207,896 in matching funds) to implement a comprehensive urban forestry plan for Greenpoint. Major activities of the GCEF-funded project included installing tree guards; planting bulbs and ground cover; removing concrete blocks around existing tree beds; and planting new street and park trees. The overarching project goals were to create new tree canopy cover, promote healthy, long-lived trees, add new green space, capture and treat stormwater runoff, and reduce local air pollution in the community. The project also sought to elevate residents’ understanding of the importance of trees and to empower them to advocate and care for their local trees. Through a variety of activities, the Greening Greenpoint project trained and equipped citizen tree stewards from the community and local schools to provide long-term care to Greenpoint’s trees.

In 2017, CPF was awarded an additional $603,698 to further Greening Greenpoint’s urban forestry activities in Greenpoint. These activities included holding a summer session of the ”Young Urban Forester” internship in Greenpoint; hosting tree stewardship workshops; providing additional scholarships for Trees New York’s signature “Citizen Pruner” course; using CPF’s “Seeds to Trees” curriculum at P.S. 110 The Monitor, P.S. 31 Samuel F. Dupont, and P.S. 34 Oliver H. Perry schools; holding additional tree giveaways; planting additional new street trees; and conducting street tree work such as tree bed expansions, concrete block removals, and tree guard installations for an additional six months.

An inventory of all street and park trees throughout NYC – including those planted through the Greening Greenpoint project – is available online the NYC’s Street Trees website: Tree-Map.NYCGovParks.org

Photo #11 by Daniel Avila.

PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Planted 634 street trees in Greenpoint, which is estimated to capture nearly 1 million gallons of stormwater and remove over 16,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually
Installed 575 tree guards, expanded over 1,000 tree beds, and converted over 34,000 square feet of concrete surface into green space
Protected 43 high-value ash trees from infestation by the emerald ash borer with prophylactic trunk injections
Provided advanced tree care for high-value neighborhood trees, including soil decompaction and nutrient enrichment for trees in Monsignor McGolrick Park
Provided structural pruning for all street trees that have been in ground between 3 and 5 years
Distributed 565 trees for planting on private property in Greenpoint
Distributed 2,000 perennial plants for planting, and planted 25,000 perennial bulbs in tree beds
Engaged nearly 3,000 volunteers and community members in street and park tree stewardship
Trained and equipped 135 new Citizen Pruners
Hosted 33 Young Urban Forester Interns in the summers of 2015-2018
Installed interpretive signage at street tree beds
Directed community-led tree stewardship of over 2,000 public trees (half of all trees in Greenpoint!)
Hosted Partnership for Parks workshops in Greenpoint to facilitate more participation from community members
Facilitated the enrollment of 3 Greenpoint residents in CPF’s Partnerships Academy Fellowship, an opportunity for community parks leaders to enhance their organizational skills
Revitalized Greenpoint block associations for Oak Street and Apollo Street, centered around tree advocacy
Inspired Greenpoint residents to self-organize and form Greenpoint Tree Corps, a group that will continue to care and advocate for trees throughout the neighborhood