New York
Together for the environment
The MSC Foundation has launched a two-year partnership with The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and the Department of Parks and Recreation to support the NYC Parks GreenThumb programme, which sustains community-based urban gardening initiatives.
NYC PARKS GREENTHUMB
NYC Parks GreenThumb was established in 1978 and has grown to become the United States’ largest urban gardening programme. GreenThumb sustains more than 550 community gardens and supports 20,000 volunteer gardeners with materials, technical assistance and educational workshops on gardening, farming, community organisation and more.
Timeframe: 2023-2025
Location: New York City
Goal: Contribute to strengthening 7 GreenThumb community gardens in South Brooklyn in the city of New York and to the social processes generated around the gardens.
Strategy: Provide material support to community garden groups which are engaging individuals across all age groups and demographics to build their health, resilience and social connections through outdoor leisure, gardening, farming and community organisation.
MAYOR'S FUND TO ADVANCE NEW YORK CITY
The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1994 that now works with 50 City agencies and offices, 300 institutional funders and 100 community-based partners to advance initiatives that improve the lives of residents in all five boroughs of New York City.
OUR SUPPORT
The MSC Foundation plans to support all the following NYC Parks GreenThumb Gardens:
- South Brooklyn Children’s Garden
- Human Compass Community Garden
- Urban Meadow
- Backyard Garden
- Amazing Garden
- Summit Street Community Garden
- Pirate's Cove Garden
WHY THIS PROGRAMME IS IMPORTANT
- New York City is home to over 550 unique public green spaces that are stewarded by thousands of volunteer community members.
- The community gardens hold cultural and social events, conserve biodiversity and foster appreciation of the outdoors with neighbours and friends.
- Community gardens provide important green space, thus improving air quality, conserving biodiversity and promoting the well–being of residents.
- Participants, including youths, work on garden-related projects, gaining skills such as environmental stewardship and community organising.
Challenges
New York, like the rest of the world, is facing significant increases in food prices and decreases in the availability of fresh food.
Many people in New York have limited access to green spaces.
Urban areas are experiencing the effects of climate change, including urban heat and flooding.
Many GreenThumb community gardens in South Brooklyn were established in the 1990s, so garden infrastructures need repair and investment
