MulchFest rakes it in
MulchFest rakes it in
New Yorkers celebrated the 19th Annual MulchFest by recycling nearly 30,000 Christmas trees at over 80 locations across the city.
NYC Parks, the Department of Sanitation, GreeNYC, and numerous community organizations, provides New Yorkers with the opportunity to mulch their Christmas trees into wood chips that will be used to nourish parks and gardens throughout the city.
“This city is committed to being the greenest big city in the world,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“It is events like MulchFest that allow us to give back to our parks,” added NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “Mulch is so beneficial to the environment, keeping our trees and plants healthy and full of nutrients.”
On Thurs., Jan. 8th, Commissioner Silver joined DSNY Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, elected officials, members of the community, the press, and GreeNYC mascot Birdie in Tompkins Square Park to kick things off.
“The chipped trees become compost that will nourish parks, gardens, and woodsy public areas in our City’s many parks all year round,” said DSNY Commissioner Garcia.
“MulchFest gives Christmas trees a second life, providing mulch to help our critical street trees thrive,” noted City Councilmember and Parks Committee Chair Mark Levine. “It’s great to see so many New Yorkers participating this year.”
MulchFest 2015 was sponsored by Whole Foods Market New York City and 92.3 AMP Radio.
This year, NYC Parks will not only be counting recycled trees, but also launching its Trees Count 2015 tree census to count every street tree on every city block. For more information on how you can volunteer, visit www.nyc.gov/parks/treescount or call 311.
