Originally scheduled for:
Saturday, February 4, 2012
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Long Meadow by the Picnic House
Enter at 3rd St. & Prospect Park W.

Chip in! Mulch your tree! Help NYC grow!

Bring your holiday tree to a designated city park to be recycled into mulch that will nourish plantings across the city!  The designated tree chipping site within Brooklyn’s Community District 14 is Prospect Park Circle at Parkside Avenue and Prospect Park Southwest. You can bring your tree to any chipping location throughout the five boroughs on January 7 and 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For those with a green thumb, you can even take home your very own bag of mulch to use in your backyard garden or to make a winter bed for a street tree.

The NYC Department of Sanitation will also be conducting special curbside collections for mulching and recycling of Christmas trees from January 3 through January 14. Leave your unwrapped, undecorated tree on the curb and the Department of Sanitation will arrange a pick-up by Saturday, January 14^th.

Join the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, the New York City Department of Sanitation, and GreeNYC in this citywide green effort! Last year, close to 17,000 Christmas trees were recycled. Please help us top this number!

Want to volunteer at MulchFest? Register to join the GreenTeam and MillionTreesNYC volunteer group.

All are invited to attend the first Prospect Park Community Committee Meeting of 2012. Christian Zimmerman, Vice President of Design and Construction, will provide an update on all capital projects in the park, as well as discuss a possible future project on the East side of Prospect Park.
Please RSVP to Eric Landau if you wish to attend.

What: Prospect Park Community Committee Meeting

When: Wednesday, January 17, 2012, 6 pm

Where: Litchfield Villa Conference Room, Prospect Park, Brooklyn

Contact: Eric Landau, elandau@prospectpark.org, 718-965-8953

Our next It’s My Park Day will be on Saturday, May 21, 2011. Browse some of the highlighted projects coming to a park near you!

For more information, visit the Partnership for Parks site.

Central Amusement International and Sodexo are currently seeking qualified candidates for full- and part-time seasonal positions at Luna Park, the Cyclone Rollercoaster, and the new Scream Zone. Available positions include:

• Customer Service/Retail
• Event Staff
• Food & Beverage Service
• Grounds Maintenance
• Park Services
• Party Hosts & Entertainment
• Ride and Game Operations

For more information or to apply, please attend one of three pre-screening events planned for later this month:

Thursday, March 10; 2pm-8pm
Education Hall, New York Aquarium, 602 Surf Avenue

Saturday, March 12; 10am-3pm
Carey Gardens Community Center, 2315 Surf Avenue

Wednesday, March 16; 10am-5pm
MCU Park, 1904 Surf Avenue

Please spread the word regarding this important workforce outreach initiative to anyone who might be interested. You can visit CIDC’s website or download a flyer with more information, or you can contact the CIDC at info@thecidc.org or 212-312-4233.

The primary goal of the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is to help low-income families reduce energy consumption and costs. Weatherization can include some or all of the following:

• Replacing or repairing heating systems, including boilers and hot-water heaters.
• Applying superior weather-stripping and caulking.
• Installing high-efficiency cellulose insulation in walls and attics.
• Replacing inefficient appliances with Energy Star® models.
• Installing health and safety hardware, especially smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Installing low-flow shower heads, aerators, and energy-saving light bulbs.

Most importantly, Weatherization means:

• Your house or building will be warm in winter and cool in summer
• Your electric, gas, oil, and water bills will go down (an average of 32%)
• Your comfort and safety will increase

Income-qualified homeowners receive these benefits at NO COST. Weatherization not only lowers energy bills, it also benefits all Brooklynites by reducing pollution, upgrading housing stock, and decreasing New York City’s carbon footprint.

Co-sponsored by Pastor Gil Monrose’s Brooklyn Center for Quality Life and NYC Councilmember Jumaane D. Williams, the event is being held at Mt. Zion Church of God, 203 East 37th Street, between Church Avenue and Linden Boulevard, from 7 – 9 p.m. Representatives from Community Environmental Center (CEC) will be on hand to discuss details of WAP, assist participants to determine whether they qualify, and help them enroll in the program by completing the application process.

CEC, a Long Island City-based non-profit, was founded in 1994 to address the housing and energy efficiency needs of low- and middle-income communities. Through its partnership with CEC, Sustainable Flatbush is able to provide the resources to inform Brooklyn residents about subsidized opportunities to make their homes more energy efficient. Although the focus of this event is 1-4 family owner-occupied homes, information will also be available on other energy efficiency programs and subsidies.

Sustainable Flatbush, established in 2007, is a grassroots community-based organization that brings neighbors together to mobilize, educate, and advocate for sustainable living in our Brooklyn neighborhood and beyond. SF’s Energy Solutions Initiative provides information and resources to bring the benefits of energy efficiency to our community in central Brooklyn.

Refreshments will be served.
Free energy-saving lightbulbs will be available to the first 40 participants, courtesy of Beam NY

WHAT:
How to Fix Your Home and Save on Energy Bills

WHERE:
Mt. Zion Church of God
203 East 37th Street (between Church Avenue and Linden Boulevard)
Brooklyn, NY

WHEN:
Tuesday, March 8th from 7-9pm

•    Start Your Own Seedlings
•    How to Cultivate Edible Mushrooms in Your Apartment
•    Church Avenue Communal Garden
•    Flatbush Farm Share CSA
•    Compost for Brooklyn!
•    Gardening for Children
•    Lefferts Community Food Coop
•    Worm Bin Composting
•    Vertical Gardening

and more! We will also have an information table featuring sustainability education opportunities specifically for youth.

“Garden is a verb,” says Chris Kreussling, director of Sustainable Flatbush’s Urban Gardens & Farms Initiative, which is sponsoring the event. “It’s not just a place you visit. It’s something you do.” The Urban Gardens and Farms Initiative is centered on modeling sustainable horticulture practices, promoting urban agriculture and food sovereignty, and building community through neighborhood gardening and beautification.

Sustainable Flatbush programs provide opportunities for residents to learn about and get involved in working toward the goal of a sustainable neighborhood, while simultaneously building community and fostering local self-sufficiency.

“Hearing about what others are already doing can inspire people to work with their neighbors to take action,” says Kreussling, who also authors the local gardening blog, Flatbush Gardener . “We want to build community through gardening.”

Snacks and coffee will be available, please bring your own mug!

WHAT:
Greening Flatbush: Garden Where You Are

WHEN:
Sunday, February 27, from 2:00 to 5:00pm

WHERE:
Flatbush YMCA, 1401 Flatbush Avenue, located near the intersections of Farragut Road and Rogers Avenue.
Take the 2 train to Newkirk Ave, or the B41 bus along Flatbush Ave.

A $5 suggested donation includes 1 raffle ticket.

Space is limited. To register, go to http://www.sustainableflatbush.org/greeningflatbush.

If you have questions about this event, please email info@sustainableflatbush.org.
To volunteer with Sustainable Flatbush, please email volunteer@sustainableflatbush.org.

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PS 193
2515 Avenue L
Brooklyn, NY 11210

The community-designed playground helps achieve Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC Open Space goal of bringing all New Yorkers within a 10-minute walk of a park. 164 of these playgrounds have opened to date out of 257 that will open by 2013.

Please help keep the new playground safe by respecting its rules and hours. The schoolyard is open to the public from the end of the school day until dusk on weekdays and from 8 a.m. until dusk during the weekends, holidays, and summer.  The PS 193 custodial staff will be in charge of maintaining the new space. Please encourage your children and neighbors to help us keep the playground clean by picking up litter and by reviewing the rules with them. If you see any inappropriate behavior inside the playground, we ask that you call your local police precinct or 311. Violators of the rules are subject to summons and or arrest by the NYPD.

This playground is a fantastic addition to our community for learning and play. Let’s work together to keep it clean and safe for all to enjoy for many years to come.

Project LeafDrop 2010 sites welcome neighborhood residents to bring their bagged leaves (in clear plastic or paper bags without twigs or trash!) to the following participating sites:

Sustainable Flatbush’s Church Avenue Communal Garden – Flatbush
Flatbush Ave. & Church Ave. bordered by E. 21st St. & Kenmore Terrace. Accepting leaves 11 AM – 1 PM on Saturdays: Nov. 6 and Nov. 13.

Compost for Brooklyn – Kensington/Ditmas Park
Newkirk Ave. & E. 8th St.  Accepting leaves from 3 PM-6 PM on Sundays: Oct. 31 and  Nov. 7, 14 and 21

Community Board 14 is honored and proud to announce that Vanderveer Place between Flatbush Avenue and East 23rd Street has been chosen as the Greenest Block in Brooklyn!

The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and the Brooklyn Community Foundation, along with Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, presented the Vanderveer Block Association President Olivia Avery with the award earlier this morning.

“It’s a little piece of heaven in the concrete jungle,” said Yvonne Murray, Vice President of the Block Association, beaming with pride at her verdant oasis.

Bring your holiday tree to a designated city park to be recycled into mulch that will nourish plantings across the city! Remember to remove all lights and ornaments before bringing the tree to a MulchFest site.

The chipping location for CB14 is Prospect Park at Parkside Avenue and Prospect Park Southwest.

For all locations in the City of New Year and more information, visit the Mulchfest 2010 site.

What is the MillionTreesNYC Training Program?

 Recognizing the MANY benefits trees provide New York City’s residents, neighborhoods and environment, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and the New York Restoration Project created the MillionTreesNYC tree planting and stewardship initiative that established the goal of planting one million new trees throughout the City’s five boroughs by 2017. In order to make this a reality, MillionTreesNYC started a 7-month “green-collar” job training program that will produce a class of highly trained green professionals. The program begins on October 5, 2009 and runs through April 2009. Trainees will work 33 hours a week, from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, and will earn $10.24 per hour.

Download Application: Due July 31, 2009

Download Flyer

Who should Apply?

 Applicants should be interested in hands-on environmental work.  Accepted applicants will receive 5 weeks of training in the fields of urban forestry, ecological restoration, landscape design and installation. In the second month, members will be assigned to one of these tracks for the remainder of the term based on aptitude and interest. Applicants must be committed to working a full-time schedule Monday to Friday from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm and must be able to work outdoors in all weather conditions. High school graduates and GED recipients, in addition to, New York State Driver’s license or permit holders are preferred.

How to Apply?

 If you would like to get involved with the MillionTrees training program, please submit the attached application. If you do not have access to a computer, stop by our office at 1234 5^th Avenue (at 104^th Street) on the 2^nd floor in room 200 to pick up an application. We are accepting applications now!

Completed Applications should be submitted to:

Daniella Zanin-Pereira
MillionTreesNYC Training Program
1234 Fifth Avenue, Second Floor
New York, New York 10029
Milliontreestraining@parks.nyc.gov
Fax: 212.360.2738

**If you could please share and display the attached information with young adults that would be interested in the MillionTreesNYC Training program, it would be greatly appreciated! This is a great opportunity for high school graduates to receive job training and, at the conclusion of the program, the opportunity to obtain a paying full-time job.