GrowNYC Education
April 24 is National Arbor Day! Do you know your Urban Forest?
Quick Forest Facts:
NYC’s urban tree canopy covers 25% of the concrete jungle.
Tree-lined streets are an average of 2°F to 5°F cooler than streets with few trees.
The Top 5 NYC street trees are the London planetree, Norway maple, Bradford pear, thornless honey locust, and pin oak.
Native or Non-Native? Urban trees need to be tough and adapted to particular environmental challenges like road salt, dog urine, cramped root space, extreme heat, heavy metals, and nitrogen runoff from cars – conditions that did not exist when the Lenape people were the predominant inhabitants during pre-colonial NYC. Our city’s common trees are all suited to these conditions and manage to thrive in a high-stress environment.
But while honey locusts and pin oaks are native to NY, Bradford pears and Norway maples are considered invasive species. Non-native doesn’t always mean bad. Some non-native species even support local wildlife, though not as abundantly as native ones, but invasive non-natives like these can out-compete local natives that insects evolved to rely on, thus throwing an already-altered urban ecosystem out of balance.
While native trees are usually the first recommended choice due to their incredible support for local biodiversity, a balanced approach sustainable urban forestry involves intentionally mixing native and safe non-native species that will support native wildlife, uphold the balance with our ecosystem, and survive the high-stress urban environment we’ve built in NYC.
Go Deeper:
Use NYC Park’s NYC City Tree Map to see what’s planted around you, your office, your schools, and your favorite walking routes.
Sign up for a free native tree sapling from the New York Restoration Project.
Notice any street trees that could use some help? Request Tree Service through NYC Parks to have an arborist come out and take a look at your tree.
NYCPS Climate Action Week: Wednesday, April 22 is Health, Wellness, and Green Space day. Visit your local park or a GrowNYC-supported green space.
Street Tree Care (In-Person Workshop)
Tuesday, April 14th from 3:30 to 5:00 pm ET
PS/IS 78 The Robert F. Wagner, Jr. School
46-08 5th St, Long Island City, NY 11101
Join Big Reuse, GrowNYC School Gardens, and the NYCPS Office of Energy & Sustainability for an afternoon caring for street trees around PS/IS 78 in District 26.
Participants will explore Big Reuse’s Street Tree Care Guide for Students and learn how educators can organize their own street tree care events. NYCPS will also share how they support schools in these efforts, and the GrowNYC School Gardens team will highlight their approach to gardening with students in street tree spaces. School gardeners, educators, and community members are all welcome to attend!
CCNYC Community Leaders Grant Info Session (Virtual Webinar)
Tuesday, May 12th from 4 to 5 pm ET
Virtual webinar
Join GrowNYC School Gardens and Citizens Committee for NYC for a special school garden focused Info session for CitizensNYC Community Leaders Grant.
CitizensNYC has been providing grants and support to community groups with big ideas for 50 years, and applications are currently open for community grants of up to $5,000. Over the years, CitizensNYC has helped thousands of organizations, businesses, and individuals build projects.
To learn more, please register for GrowNYC and CitizensNYC's upcoming info session for school gardeners. This session will be recorded, so register if you’d like to receive a copy of the recording.
Pollinator Habitat in Your School Garden Part 2 (In-Person Workshop)
Thursday, May 21st from 5:30 to 6:30 pm ET
PS 216 Arturo Toscanini School
350 Avenue X, Brooklyn, NY 11223
Pollinators are essential to any garden community. Learn how to create habitats that support native bees, butterflies, moths, and other pollinators in school gardens, community spaces, and even window boxes.
Join GrowNYC School Gardens and Edible Schoolyard NYC for our in-person workshop where you’ll take a tour of the pollinator garden at PS 216 Arturo Toscanini School and learn how to design a pollinator habitat for your urban garden space. Enthusiasts of all ages welcome!
GrowNYC Annual Spring Plant Sale
Our Annual Plant Sale is happening! Every year since 1986, GrowNYC holds the plant sale in order to provide community groups with perennial and annual flowering plants, herbs, and vegetables from Greenmarket farmers at wholesale prices. Plants are for neighborhood open space projects only (e.g. community gardens, schools, block associations, churches, etc.) and may be sold to raise other funds. Order forms are due by Friday, April 10th.
Our 2026 Plant Sale will have 2 pickup locations:
Partner Spotlight: NYCPS Office of Energy and Sustainability
Save the Date: The $5K Sustainability Project Grant application launches May! NYCPS Office of Energy and Sustainability is opening the application in early May and closing it in mid-June, instead of the typical fall launch. Announcing winners in early September helps get funding to schools earlier in the 2026-27 school year, giving winners more time to implement their projects. Stay tuned for more information and for official application dates and deadlines. Learn more about the Sustainability Project Grant here.
This year Health, Wellness, and Green Space Climate Action Day is on Earth Day, April 22. Check out step-by-step “roadmaps” to plan lessons and activities for your class, and promote your day schoolwide using the communications toolkit.
The Climate Education Leadership Team, is hosting monthly virtual PDs! Join a session and earn CTLE credits.
Partner Spotlight: NYBG’s Butterfly Project Native Plant Share
Receive native pollinator plants from the Butterfly Project NYC Native Plant Share! These native plants are intended for community, school gardens, and other public spaces. Register by April 25th!
Distribution will take place on Saturday, May 9th from 11am to 2pm at La Finca del Sur Community Garden in the Bronx.
Earth Month and 50 Years of GrowNYC Greenmarket
Why it matters: This Earth Month we are celebrating 50 years of Greenmarket with a goal to raise $50,000 to honor five decades of connecting New Yorkers to local farmers and fresh food.
The big picture: Your support powers it all—from expanding food access and reducing waste to building greener, more resilient neighborhoods across the city.
Grant Opportunities
Target & Shipt Urban Garden Grants Deadline: April 10
The City Gardens Club Scholarship for NYCPS Educators Deadline: April 17
Food Justice For Kids Prize Deadline: April 28
EcoRise Student Innovation Project Grant Deadline: May 15
NYSAR3 Green School Grant Program Deadline: May 15
White-Reinhardt Ag Literacy Grant Program Deadline: June 12
KidsGardening Lots of Compassion Grant: Deadline June 15
Herman’s Garden Seed Donation Program Deadline: Rolling
Coast of Maine Growing Good Donations Soil Program: Application open for Spring 2026 pickup
From Our Partners
Free registration is now open for the Second National GrowTogether Conference—Soil & Soul: Where Hands Get Dirty and Hearts Connect! This inspiring two-day gathering of community gardeners and leaders nationwide begins on Friday, May 1st with urban gardening-related guided tours in NYC and continue on Saturday, May 2nd at CUNY Graduate Center with workshops, panels, and much more! All activities are free and open to the public.
Take an Urban Farming 101 Workshop at the Battery Conservancy’s Urban Farm. Their series of workshops is designed for those newer to farming and gardening, though the information may prove useful to those with more experience. Learn more here.
Brooklyn’s friendliest Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest is now in its 30th season! Visit bbg.org/greenestblock to check out last year’s winners, learn more about contest criteria, and join.
Learn how to design rodent resistant composting sites for your garden during this in-person workshop: Rodent Reduction in Compost Projects, Sunday, April 12, 1-4pm.
Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation
Join CELF and the Hudson Valley Writing Project for Teaching Climate Literacy: Hope in Action — a conference for PreK through University educators and community partners. Secure your spot here.
Get free, high-quality compost made from the collected leaf and yard waste, food scraps, and food-soiled paper. Sign up here.
Calling NYCPS teachers! Join Edible Schoolyard for free, virtual workshops designed to engage students in the garden and in cooking activities. Check out their workshops and events here.
Fordham University Center for Community Engaged Learning
Join Fordham University and CH+SE Lab for One System, a collaborative gathering that brings community members, organizers, researchers, and practitioners to explore community-led solutions to food insecurity and housing instability and help build a more equitable New York City. Register and find out more here.
TWEENS & TEENS! Join Roosevelt Island Public Library Staff and iDig2Learn for some Savvy Urban Gardening! Learn more here.
John Bowne High School Agriculture Program
John Bowne HS nursery has trees for schools! If you can arrange pickup, please e-mail Jane Zhu at jzhu6@schools.nyc.gov.
New York City Housing Authority
Join NYCHA, NYC Office of Urban Agriculture, and University Settlement for their annual Farms and Gardens Summit. Reserve a spot and learn more here.
Usher in Spring and the mushroom season with the NYC Mushroom Network, through a series of hands-on mushroom log cultivation workshops in the Bronx! Sign up for one of the workshops here.
SubjectToClimate created an Earth Day Teacher Guide, designed to make climate learning simple, flexible, and classroom-ready, no matter the grade level, subject area, or experience with teaching climate topics.
WWF’s Wild Classroom has a wealth of resources for educators to help kids explore and understand the natural world around them. Check out their lesson library here.
No comments:
Post a Comment