Sure, homegrown community gardeners and nascent environmental activists can work together to build rainwater collection units, build compost bins from packing flats discarded by Home Depot, sponsor weekly movie nights for families, organize summer story hours for children to encourage environmental stewardship, and build raised planting beds for seniors and children to grow more produce for the local emergency food pantry.

But these things can’t happen without dedicated people, a plan of action and resources.

For more than a decade, Brooklyn Community Foundation has provided micro-grants to help people reach their potential–whether it be helping a neighborhood group clean out a vacant lot or helping a PTA provide after school activities. The Foundation believes and invests in Brooklyn.

And this year, we’re thrilled to partner with ioby to help Brooklynites create Green Communities that protect and create open spaces, parks and community gardens. The 2011 Spring Match will make donations to eligible ioby Brooklyn projects go further by matching donations of up to $200 dollar-for-dollar. That means a $10 donation becomes $20, $25 becomes $50 and so on until we’ve raised $10,000 for these great causes.

As a member of my community garden (shout out to Stars of Hope), I know first-hand the powerful results that micro-grants can have on our neighborhoods.  Not only do they enable the purchase much-needed supplies and tools, they also allow people to conduct the outreach that is essential to sustain interest in and activity around a neighborhood project.

Something as simple as having gloves and bottled water for a spring planting party will draw people inside a community garden like bees to honey. And while the will and desire is always present, the tools and resources are often the only barrier between a vacant, trash-strewn lot and a verdant, peaceful community space.

Participating Spring Match projects, which have been reviewed and vetted by ioby and Brooklyn Community Foundation staff, each meet an identified community need–perhaps a need within your community. I hope you’ll take a moment to donate and help us make Brooklyn the greenest place in NYC.

About the Author:

Toya Williford is a Program Director at the Brooklyn Community Foundation. Launched in 2009 as the borough’s largest philanthropic institution, Brooklyn Community Foundation improves the lives of people in Brooklyn by strengthening communities through local giving, grantmaking and community service. Learn more at BrooklynCommunityFoundation.org. Follow them @DoGoodBklyn

Contact Helen Ho with questions.

First and Third Saturdays, 10AM-2PM
UCC Youth Farm
Schenck Avenue between New Lots and Livonia Avenues

Second and Fourth Saturdays, 10AM-2PM
Hands and Heart Garden
New Lots Avenue between Alabama and Georgia Avenues
Note: The closest trains to Hands and Heart are the L to New Lots or the 3 to
Pennsylvania.

*****
Volunteers Needed – Children’s Story Hour
Volunteer at our farmers’ market and coordinate Children’s Story Hour. We are
looking for individuals who will commit to 3 Saturdays or more during our
market season. You would receive community service hours.

Skills:
- Seeking volunteers, to host 1 hour activity for small children (children
ranging 5 – 10 years old).
- Must be enthusiastic, creative, friendly, patient and able to work well with
kids
- Must be 18 or over
- Must be available to work outdoors from 11:30 – 1:00 on Saturdays

Activities can include, but not limited to: reading stories, arts & crafts,
face-painting, games, cooking demos, workshops. Supplies would be provided.

For more details or to schedule an interview, contact
janelle@eastnewyorkfarms.org
*****
Newsletter Volunteers Needed
UCC is seeking contributors and organizers for it’s brand new newsletter, set
to debut in the spring.
Contributors – send in articles pertaining to the development/current state of
our community, events and discussion topics (op-eds.)
Organizers – help to produce and distribute the newsletter.

For more details, contact janelle@eastnewyorkfarms.org
*****
Directions: Take the #3 train to Van Siclen Avenue. After exiting through the
turnstyles, take the stairs to the right. At the bottom of the stairs continue
walking straight, you will be on Van Siclen Avenue. At the corner, take a left
onto New Lots Avenue and walk two blocks to the corner of New Lots and Schenck
Avenues. Our office is the brightly painted building that says “United
Community Centers.” The UCC Youth Farm and our farmers’ market (Saturdays
June– Nov) are here too, just around the corner on Schenck Avenue between New
Lots and Livonia.

Join the discussion with David Weisman, the filmmaker of the Texas Legacy Project, Anthony Wood, founder of the New York Preservation Archive Project, Eric Goldstein of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Felicia Mayro of the Neighborhood Preservation Center for this exciting conversation.

Tuesday, April 5, 6:30-8:30pm
World Monuments Fund
Empire State Building
350 5th Avenue, Suite 2412

Admission $5
Due to security at the Empire State Building, RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. Please call 212-988-8379 or email mcoody@nypap.org to RSVP.

Photo by Urban Omnibus

April is Streets Month at Municipal Arts Society.

Streets comprise more than a quarter of the city’s land area. They are where New Yorkers do business, socialize, play and gather. Their design and maintenance have a direct impact on the livability of neighborhoods across the city.

MAS has two provocative programs coming up on April 4 and April 12. We’ll hear from Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan as well as Gil Peñalosa, who transformed streets in Bogotá, Colombia, and John Norquist, president of the Congress for the New Urbanism and former mayor of Milwaukee.

Shared Streets: Making it Work

Monday, April 4, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Reception to follow.
Scholastic Auditorium, 557 Broadway at Prince Street.
$15, $10 MAS members and students. Register online or call 212 935 2075.
APA and AIA credits are pending.

Streets provide critical connective tissue in cities, not only ensuring the movement of people and goods, but also underpinning much of the social, commercial and cultural vibrancy of a city. What practices are cities around the world adopting to make streets more than just corridors for moving traffic? Under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Department of Transportation (DOT) has advanced an ambitious rethinking of New York City’s streets. What effect have Select Bus Service, dedicated bicycle lanes, pedestrian plazas, and other initiatives had on livability in New York?

Introduction:
* Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City Transportation Commissioner

Moderator:
* Andrea Bernstein, WNYC, director of the Transportation Nation Project

Panelists:
* Gil Peñalosa, executive director of 8-80 Cities and former commissioner of Parks, Sports and Recreation in Bogotá, Colombia
* Kate Slevin, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign
* Sam Schwartz, president, chief executive officer and founder of Sam Schwartz Engineering

*****************************************************

Big Streets: Using and Reusing City Thoroughfares

Tuesday, April 12, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Reception to follow
New York Institute of Technology Auditorium, 1871 Broadway at 62nd Street. MAP.
$15, $10 MAS members and students. Register online or call 212 935 2075.
APA and AIA credits are pending.

As populations in cities around the world continue to grow, and gridlock becomes more prevalent, we are witnessing creative ways of dramatically repurposing the street infrastructure built decades ago. In some cities, this has included the removal of elevated highways, altering the transportation modes and reconnecting original neighborhoods. Other cities have intensified uses under existing expressway infrastructure, or upgraded landscaping and urban design features that make the areas more walkable and transit-friendly. New York City has many options to improve its largest thoroughfares. What should be our priority in addressing the fates of our elevated routes like the Sheridan Expressway? Panelists will discuss their experience with leveraging the potential of infrastructure in the context of urban design and other ideas for repurposing roadways to make them more appropriate for the way urban citizens now use them.

Introduction:
* John Norquist, president of the Congress for the New Urbanism and former mayor of Milwaukee

Moderator:
* Michael Grynbaum, The New York Times

Panelists:
* Joan Byron, director of policy at the Pratt Center for Community Development
* Marion Weiss, principal of Weiss/Manfredi
* Vaughn Fauria, president of NewCorp Inc., based in New Orleans

These programs are made possible through the generous support of The Rockefeller Foundation and their annual Jane Jacobs Medal. Jane Jacobs recognized the vital role of streets in strengthening city life by providing opportunities for civilizing and enjoying interactions between people and their surroundings.

Since 1978, GreenThumb has nurtured over 600 community gardens (and their 20,000 members) with material and technical assistance. GreenThumb is fully funded by the Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program with a modest budget of around $800,000 — less than half of 1% of New York City’s current $200 million allocation.

Now, the US House of Representatives’ 2012 Budget (HR1) calls for the elimination of funding for the CDBG program for the remainder of 2011, and a 60% cut to future CDBG funding — that could mean the elimination of GreenThumb, or at least a 60% slash to its budget!

Our elected officials must protect funding for GreenThumb and all CDBG funded programs in NYC.
Please call, email or meet with your elected officials. Tell them that CDBG funding must be protected in NYC and across the nation. Let them know GreenThumb is an important CDBG funded program and it’s funding needs to be guaranteed!

Sen. Chuck Schumer
757 Third Ave, Suite 17-02
New York, NY 10017
212-486-4430
www.Schumer.Senate.gov

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
780 Third Ave, Suite 2601
New York, NY 10017
212-688-6262
www.Gillibrand.Senate.gov

There are also representatives in the House working on passing alternative spending bills to HR1. Contact one or both of the most active in New York to give your support:

Rep. Jerry Nadler
445 Neptune Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11224
718-373-3198
www.Nadler.House.gov

Rep. Nydia Velazquez
173 Avenue B
New York, NY 10009
212-673-3997
www.House.gov/Velazquez

New York City must protect and increase funding to maintain GreenThumb’s essential programs
In the over 30 year history of GreenThumb, the City of New York has not spent one dollar to pay for all the good work it does. Not only must the NYC Office of Management and Budget make sure GreenThumb receives its full share of CDBG funds, but it’s now time for the Mayor and our City Council members to spend some of NYC’s Tax levy money to protect GreenThumb from whatever happens in Washington!

Mayor Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007 311
(or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)
www.NYC.gov/Mayor

Speaker Quinn
250 Broadway, Suite 1856
New York, NY 10007
212-788-7210
www.council.nyc.gov

Go to www.council.nyc.gov to find contact info for your City Council Representative.
Tell your elected officials that GreenThumb is important for your garden and your community!

Download the NYCCGC petition!

Check in at www.NYCCGC.org for upcoming action alerts.

“Why no!,” we replied. “They’re seedballs, non-edible seedballs, made of compost, clay and native wildflower seeds.”

We adapted the recipe from Urban Habitat Chicago using instead of potting soil, fresh compost from the Lower East Side Ecology Center which we purchased at the Union Square Greenmarket.

The basic idea is to make a pancake of clay and compost then sprinkle seeds inside. Roll up the pancake and knead it, then roll it into little balls.

Depending on whether your seeds are mainly on the inside or the outside will change whether your truffle looks more traditional or of the coconut variety. Enjoy!

An Estonian woman put on quite an impressive show of skill, as did her female Scottish opponent. Chinese-speakers, Spanish-speakers, African-Americans, Anglophiles and those of Yiddish ancestry (like myself) surrounded the table throughout the afternoon, all joined by a shared love of ping-pong. I had the feeling that this common denominator among neighbors of very different backgrounds was deeply appreciated by everybody. -Lo-Down

We’re curious what you think of ping-pong, ping-pong in parks, ping-pong pingbacks, ping-pong as social lubricant and what you want to do for It’s My Park! Day this May. Comment and tell us all about it!