Giving Thanks

Dear Friend,

As November comes to an end, cover crops are sown, leaves are raked and our thoughts turn to remembering how this country was founded and the enormous work for social justice in America, at Friends of Brook Park, we’d still like to pause for a moment to reflect on all the reasons we have to be grateful.

Here are just a few:

*We are grateful for the indigenous peoples and cultures, the philosophies and way of life that sustain a possible future on this finite Earth if we listen and act on them.

*We are grateful for our volunteers – educators, parents, organizers and activists – who devote their time and energy to teaching their neighbors to grow food, to eat well, and introducing their children to Nature in the inner city, encouraging free play and those challenging a system of greed and unfairness.

*We are grateful for our supporters – our donors, foundations, elected officials and private sponsors, and others who give so generously of their time and resources to support the mission and work of Friends of Brook Park.

As a nonprofit organization, we are 100% reliant on the generosity of friends and supporters – and with another year of accomplishment coming to a close, we have a lot to be thankful for.

Wishing you a reflective time filled with much to be thankful for and all the locally-grown delights of the season,

Harry J. Bubbins
Executive Director

PS
To learn more about the origins of “Thanksgiving” Look up the 1637 Pequot massacre, or visit here.

Cleaning the Harlem River

An email from our friends at Urban Divers:

“For now 10 years, from the beginning of our inception DEP was mandated by STATE and FEDERAL law to began mitigating its failure to comply with the Clean Water Act for illegally Discharging RAW UNTREATED SEWAGE IN OUR WATERWAYS.
 
A condition that causes record beach closures, and is also known to introduce the largest concentration of pathogens ( disease causing bacteria) in our waterways.

DEP was charged to establish the USE, STANDARD and ATTAINMENT public outreach program.  A Study with community involvement to work  together to come up with ideas and implement solutions to this violation. Millions of dollars was invested in this project. DEP was to prioritize the areas of greatest impact.

Though the Harlem River has over 37 points that get direct discharges from WARD ISLAND… DEP’s largest regional waste treatment plant…. NO ATTENTION WAS GIVEN TO THE HARLEM RIVER and many other impacted communities.

TODAY now 11yrs down the line… ALL we are seeing is DEP’s new postage of warning signs NOT TO SWIM, KAYAK, OR FISH IN THE RIVER….. IS THAT A SOLUTION?

IS DEP’s MESSAGE- “F  ( german) YOU” NEW YORKERS- DARE NOT SWIM, KAYAK or FISH in THE HARLEM RIVER THAT WE ( DEP) ARE POLLUTING?

THIS IS DARN INCEDIOUS AFTER 11YRS OF WAITING FOR AN EFFECTING SOLUTION TO STOP TO MOST EGREGIOUS and SHAMEFUL POLLUTER ON THE HARLEM RIVER— OUR VERY OWN NYC DEP.”

See their facebook link here.

Brook Presentation at SWIM Coalition

Consider attending the next SWIM Coalition meeting where our own Aaron Petersohn will report on the exciting work happening to restore the natural hydrology of this site that was part of a historic Bronx waterway. Fore mor info on this project, or to support our effort to raise $300,000 ( WE ALREADY HAVE $45,000!), Watershed Map 1897 - WATERSHED CONTOUR

VISIT HERE to learn more about this project

Friday, November 19, 2010
10am to 12pm
Hudson River Foundation
17 Battery Pl # 915
New York, NY 10004-1114

S.W.I.M. Coalition!

Fall is off to an active start with green roof-related legislation in City Council , and the release of DEP’s long-awaited Green infrastructure Plan …and so its time to meet!

Please join us for our next meeting:

As usual, we will devote half of our time to S.W.I.M. business and half to an exciting and informative presentation “from the field”.  This month we will be hearing from three practitioners from our membership that work at the intersection of art, community and Green Infrastructure.

Lillian Ball is the force behind many works exploring water and environmental concerns, concluding WATERWASH, a creative stormwater remediation and public education piece in Mattituck, NY.Jackie Brookner is an ecological artist who creates biosculptures, living moss sculptures and water gardens through a community-based process that use public art restore natural systems and engage the public.
Aaron Petersohn from Friends of Brook Park, will report on the exciting work happening to restore the natural hydrology of this site that was part of a historic Bronx water

PLEASE RSVP: swimmablenyc@gmail.com

—-
Kate Zidar
Coordinator
Stormwater Infrastructure Matters (S.W.I.M.) Coalition
http://swimmablenyc.info/

Aaron Petersohn,
Habitat Restoration Projects Director
Friends of Brook Park
www.friendsofbrookpark.org
P.O. Box 801
Bronx, NY 10454
Tel: (347) 262 6624

Drop your Leaves off with us

NYCLeaves is a volunteer-run, neighborhood-based coalition of community gardens, botanical gardens, greening groups, environmental organizations, City agencies and community partners dedicated to reducing the amount of useable organic material that currently ends up in our wastestream.

Project LeafDrop gives New Yorkers the opportunity to move fallen leaves from the trash bin to the compost bin where it will be transformed into fertile “brown gold” for use in local greening projects.

Questions? Comments? Skills? Want to get involved? Email them at: compost [at] nycleaves.org

Print out a flier or two and hang them up near Brook Park by clicking here.

It is OUR Waterfront!

It is OUR Waterfront

FoBP needs your input on the NYC plans for the waterfront.Safe canoe at MIll Pond Park

Click here to provide comment. Cut and paste these bullet points below, and/or add your own. Takes one minute and really helps! BEFORE 11-12-10.

1. Expand existing public access on the Harlem River at Lincoln and Park Avenues
2. Allow canoeing at Mill Pond Park and local control of the Power Station building
3. Remove obstacles on the Bronx Kill made by Con Ed
4. Rebuild 132nd Street East River Pier Con Ed blew up
5. Preserve gantries at 135th Street and East River
6. No Wake Zone for All of Harlem River

REMEMBER, CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE WATERFRONT WEBSITE AND GIVE YOUR INPUT!

BEFORE 11-12-10.

Share it on facebook, just click the blue share button!

November Newsletter

Happy Autumn!IMG_0879
Sign up to receive this monthly newsletter directly here.

Autumn is here, and thanks to beekeepers Donna and Joseph, the first batch of honey was harvested. Friends of Brook Park keeps producing wonderful outcomes for our local youth and our city-wide environment, this picture of the best tasting honey ever is but a taste of what we do, thanks to you.

Another year of the South Bronx CSA is over, stay tuned for big plans for next year and become a member in early 2011

Bronx Kill Clean-Up Success, we cleaned the shore and the water of over 600 lbs of garbage and debris

We were featured in the NY Times again, working to create an Art and Eco center on the East River

Keep pushing to preserve ALL community gardens

Stay in touch on our website and blog for lots more, events, reports, press releases and opportunities to donate and get involved.

Click here to see the full version online. server ip