June Monthly Newsletter
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This is an invitation to join hundreds of passionate land stewards from across the country engaged in all aspects of community gardening, urban agriculture, and greening during the 2025 National GrowTogether Conference: Planting Seeds of Resilience! This inspiring four-day gathering of community gardeners and leaders nationwide will celebrate the resilience of our communities and cultivate a greener, healthier, and more connected future!
This conference will showcase 13 panels, over one hundred hands-on workshops, and more than 20 guided tours of community gardens and green spaces across all five boroughs. All the activities are led by practitioners, expert community gardeners, local partners and organizations.
Free registration is closing soon for the 2025 National GrowTogether Conference: Planting Seeds of Resilience, Thursday, June 5 - Sunday, June 8 at CUNY Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10016.
Please register in advance here.
Plan your days in advance!
Claim your free tickets before they are gone!
Register in advance here.
Sunday Guided Tours Now Open!
Learn more about the tours being offered throughout the day on Sunday, June 8th and register for free on our website.
The conference is presented by NYC Parks GreenThumb in partnership with the American Community Gardening Association, Urban Garden Project, and with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
2025 NYC Parks GreenThumb T-shirt Design Contest Winner: Rina Root / @romaroot
National GrowTogether Conference Details
Please reserve an individual ticket for each day you plan to attend by clicking on the get tickets link on Eventbrite.
- Workshops and panel discussions geared towards community gardening and urban agriculture organizations.
- Workshops and panel discussions geared towards community gardening and urban agriculture organizations.
- Announcement of the winning t-shirt design, and keynote address by Robin Wall Kimmerer! Workshops and panel discussions geared towards community gardeners and that promote resilience and innovation in urban gardening and community building.
- Join us for guided tours at GreenThumb community gardens, NYC Parks facilities, and other interesting urban green spaces across New York City. For tour and ticket details, visit our website!
Neighborhood Advisory Committee Community Garden group welcomed visitors during last year's Open Garden NYC to participate in arts and crafts activities, tours, plant demonstrations, and more. Photo by Lillian Reyes, GreenThumb
8th Annual Open Garden NYC
Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15
Each summer since 2018, GreenThumb has partnered with community gardens across the city for Open Garden NYC, when gardens open their gates to the public during the same weekend and offer free activities, tours, performances, educational workshops, volunteer projects, and much more.
To find a list of free activities and participating gardens so far, visit the Open Garden NYC page and check back often for updates!
Last month, volunteers helped plant a vast, native pollinator garden at Family Community Garden in Brooklyn. Photo by Fabiola Caceres, GreenThumb
Volunteer at a Community Garden
If you are new to community gardening, volunteering is a great opportunity to get to know community gardeners and learn how to become a garden member at these gardens:
- 1086 E 180th St, Bronx, NY 10460Wednesday, June 18, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Bronx River Community Garden is a green space along the Bronx River stewarded by community members who are dedicated to growing and sharing food, organizing community events and programs, and practicing sustainable and innovative land stewardship. Participants will help with essential gardening tasks such as weeding, engaging with youth volunteers, and installing a paver pathway.Registration: Not required. Drop-ins are welcome!
- 2035 Honeywell Ave, Bronx, NY 10460Wednesday, June 18, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Hispanos Unidos is a community garden in East Tremont stewarded by local gardeners and families passionate about growing heritage crops and hosting cultural events. On this volunteer workday, participants will help with essential gardening tasks such as weeding, spreading mulch, and engaging with youth volunteers.Registration: Not required. Drop-ins are welcome!
To sign up for a group of 10 or more, please contact Volunteer Program Coordinator Kyleen.Sanchez@parks.nyc.gov
Join hands with GreenThumb gardeners across the city with your corporate, school, or other community group as a volunteer for one or multiple days! If you're interested in volunteering at a GreenThumb garden, please visit our website to learn more and fill out the Intake Form.
Maya Marie S. of Deep Routes discussing the history of Juneteenth before preparing a meal for everyone to share during a Soul of Food Juneteenth workshop in 2023 at Phoenix Community Garden. Photo by Elena Dubas-Ruiz, GreenThumb
Highlight of the Month:
A Juneteenth Jubilee
Cook with us in the garden in honor of Juneteenth! During this workshop, we'll get into the legacy of Juneteenth and self-liberation efforts throughout the African diaspora and learn about crops (e.g., hibiscus, field peas, and more) that have sustained Black peoples throughout the Southern U.S. and Caribbean. As we prepare and share a meal, we'll reflect on the legacies and continued strides Black folks have made through self-determination and preservation of foodways. This session continues The Soul of Food, a hands-on Deep Routes workshop series honoring the foodways that connect plants, peoples, and lands across Afro-Indigenous diasporas.
Facilitated by Deep Routes
GreenThumb Workshops
- June 3, Brooklyn: Setting the Stage – Building a Scene with Nature
- June 10, Brooklyn: Garden Sounds & Musical Moments
- June 17, Brooklyn: Costumes, Light & Imagination
- June 24, Brooklyn: Putting It All Together – A Garden Performance
- June 26, Bronx: Know Your Rights Workshop
- June 30, Webinar: Know Your Rights Workshop
- July 1, Brooklyn: Rooting the Story – Designing with Nature
- July 8, Brooklyn: Garden Threads – Costumes from the Earth
- July 12, Brooklyn: Create Natural Plant Dyes & Design Your Own Dye Samples
More Workshops & Events
- June 14, Bronx: Bronx Day at the New York Botanical Garden
- Citizens Commitee for New York City is now accepting applications for their Community Leaders Grant, a microgrant of up to $5,000 to community-building projects. Learn more and apply by July 25, 2025.
- Green Guerillas Seed & Tool Lending Library, creates access to tools that community gardeners need, and seeds for community gardeners in NYC to access culturally relevant seeds. Learn more on their website.
- Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Essex and Hudson Counties and Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources is offering free Spanish-language webinar series, El Huerto Urbano, on urban gardening for beginner gardeners on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. Learn more and register.
- La Cooperativa de Extensión de Rutgers de los condados de Essex y Hudson y el Departamento de Agricultura y Recursos Naturales ofrecen una serie de seminarios web gratuitos en español, El Huerto Urbano, sobre jardinería urbana para jardineros principiantes los miércoles a las 7:00 p.m. Para unirte, por favor regístrate aquí.
