City Parks Foundation

Last week we held our annual CPF x Partnerships for Parks staff potluck! We are so grateful to work with such amazing people (and chefs ??) every day ???? ??

Vital Parks is NYC Department of Parks & Recreation’s data-driven approach to a more equitable parks system. In the wake of budget cuts, advocates organizing to #SaveNYCParks can use the tool to identify opportunities/disparities in park access, staffing and amenities. Learn more: nyc.gov/vitalparks

We love seeing our Liberty Learning Garden buzzing with activity! Shoutout to EY for stopping by for another fantastic staff service day in the garden ?? ??

Happy #AmericanEducationWeek! Today, we are highlighting our Seeds To Trees Program Manager, Conner McCarthy. Conner has been working with the CityParks Learn Seeds To Trees team for the past two months and enjoys helping students become more comfortable outdoors. "Whether it's observing birds, finding cool bugs under fallen trees, or getting up close with salamanders, pushing that line and being comfortable in the woods is most important to me." A fun fact that he likes to teach is that 75% of the produce and nuts we find at the grocery store are courtesy of bees! ?? Throughout the school year, Seeds To Trees introduces elementary and middle school students to science and nature through outdoor field experiences and hands-on classroom activities based on biodiversity, urban wildlife, forest ecology, and healthy waterways. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gS7HYxvW!

Yesterday, we gathered in the Bronx's St. Mary's Park (in the very welcomed rain) to launch NYC's first comprehensive Urban Forest Plan, featuring guest speakers, including our very own Executive Director Heather Lubov. This 10-year plan will equitably increase the city's tree canopy to 30% by 2035 to help cool street temperatures, curb pollution, and beautify the city. Thank you to our funders,?The Helmsley Charitable Trust,?and to our plan collaborators, the Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice (MOCEJ),?the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, and many more for launching this critical initiative with us!

Happy #AmericanEducationWeek! Today, we are highlighting our Associate Director of Youth Development, Necia Clarke, and our College and Career Readiness program which helps prepare our interns with the skills and resources needed for the next steps in their lives. Necia has been with the CityParks Learn team for almost 5 years and loves the ‘aha’ moments and questions that come from facilitating workshops for CPF interns in our College and Career Readiness program. “When minds are curious, and they apply what they have learned on paper, with their peers, in the classroom, and on their internships, that brings joy!” Necia, also referred to as “DJ Nice” by interns, brings energy to each workshop by kicking them off with up-tempo music.

Happy #AmericanEducationWeek! Today, we are highlighting our Coastal Classroom Program Manager, Safiya Sabir. Safiya has been with the CityParks Learn team and Coastal Classroom for a year and enjoys educating young minds about the environment while cleaning up beaches and surveying the water for wildlife. Her favorite fun fact to share with her students is that sea jellies, such as lion's mane jellies, are considered plankton because they drift with ocean currents. Coastal Classroom invites middle school students to become actively involved in marine ecosystems with hands-on learning in parks along the NYC waterfront. Coastal Classroom is offered year-round through our After School, Summer Institute, and Summer Groups programs. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/efeubfXt!

An underfunded parks system means fewer opportunities to play, compete and grow community. Recent NYC Department of Parks & Recreation budget cuts eliminated nearly 800 staffing lines and ended key programs New Yorkers depend on. Demand budget restorations to #SaveNYCParks at playfair.nyc

Happy #AmericanEducationWeek! Today, we are highlighting Katina Leier, Program Manager of High School Internships, Learning Gardens. Katina has been with the CPF Learn team for 2 years, and her favorite part has been creating partnerships and engaging community members in different areas all over the city: "From the South Bronx to Jamaica, Queens, I meet so many incredible people dedicated to preserving our green spaces and involving youth in stewardship." A fun garden fact she loves to share: there's no such thing as a green pepper - it's just another color pepper that hasn't fully ripened yet! Throughout the year, Learning Gardens teaches elementary and middle school students the fun of community gardening, growing food, understanding our urban environment's biodiversity, and more. Learning Gardens also offers a five-month High School Training program led by Katina, where students develop leadership skills and earn high school credit after completing 60 hours of instruction. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/eYZNfdFB!

This year, we provided support for nearly 30,000+ volunteers who cleaned and beautified their local New York City parks. In the face of citywide budget cuts, our work is more important than ever to ensure that local community organizations and volunteers - like Kelly from Friends of Tompkinsville Park in Staten Island - can keep making magic happen by transforming local green spaces. Give today to help more volunteers like Kelly at https://lnkd.in/dCBE9VSW!