Mulchfest in Prospect Park 2012 was another holiday success for the Park Slope community. Residents brought thousands of trees to the Third Street and Park Circle entrances of Prospect Park over the sunny and warm weekend of Jan. 7 and 8, which were then converted into mulch for parks and gardens.
Co-sponsored by the Park Slope Civic Council’s Sustainability Committee in partnership with the Prospect Park Alliance and 1-800-Mr. Rubbish, the annual event brings the community together in an effort to collect postholiday trees and turn the “waste” into something more environmentally friendly. People gather trees from across the neighborhood to the collections sites; one family even rented a ZipCar pickup truck and helped bring the trees to the park.
People could also take home ground cover — in biodegradable bags, of course — for their own gardens. Working hard during the entire event, 1-800-Mr. Rubbish was instrumental in transporting the trees from our neighborhood corners up to the park for mulching using their hybrid truck.
Our thanks go to everyone who volunteered in the event, including members of the Park Slope Food Coop, Bishop Loughlin High School, Brooklyn Tech High School Red Cross Club, New York Cares, Yale Alumni of New York City, Leon Goldstein High School, New York City Police Department Explorers, Girl Scouts Troop 2450, and Poly Prep High School. Many “unaffiliated” hard workers also dragged a tree to Prospect Park or to their nearest corner for collection.
Mulchfest in Prospect Park is one of many projects coordinated by the Sustainability Committee. Interested in getting involved and building a greener community? Meetings are held every third Monday of the month (visit our calendar at www.parkslopeciviccouncil.org to confirm dates), or e-mail sustainable@parkslopeciviccouncil.org.
from the Winter 2012 Civic News