Spring Cleaning on Cortelyou Road

Posted on 2010-03-16 by admin

The daffodils are pushing up along Cortelyou Road and they would be so much prettier if they don’t bloom in the midst of garbage! Join Sustainable Flatbush and your neighbors from the Beverley Square West Association to help clean up the tree beds.

When: Sunday, March 21st
Where: Meet up at 10am in front of the Library, near the Greenmarket tent, at the corner of Argyle and Cortelyou Roads.
If you miss the meet-up, look for us along Cortelyou Road between Coney Island Avenue and East 16th Street.

Bring gloves and rakes if you have them; we will also have some to share. Children are welcome to join us!

Making Brooklyn Bloom at BBG, this Saturday, March 13

Posted on 2010-03-11 by admin

Making Brooklyn Bloom in March 2008

I’m hoping to attend the 29th annual Making Brooklyn Bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden this Saturday. The theme of healthy soils, communities and cities is of interest to me.

via press release

The urban gardening community will kick off the spring gardening season at Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) with the 29th annual Making Brooklyn Bloom, a daylong conference on how to green up the borough, presented by GreenBridge, the community environmental horticulture program at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

This year’s Making Brooklyn Bloom, “Soil in the City: Growing Healthy Neighborhoods from the Ground Up,” focuses on revitalizing our soil, the foundation of life in the garden. The free event features a keynote address by Dr. Nina Bassuk, director of the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University, developer of Cornell Structural Soil, and author of Trees in the Urban Landscape. Exhibits and workshops on rooftop farming, community composting, and soil testing will be offered—all presented by members of BBG’s horticulture staff or experts from other greening organizations in New York City.

“For 29 years, Making Brooklyn Bloom has introduced urban gardeners to sustainable practices and encouraged ecological awareness in city gardens—whether those gardens are on windowsills, in backyards, or in community gardens,” says Robin Simmen, director of GreenBridge. “Focusing on soil this year addresses an issue that pertains to everyone interested in cultivating green space in the city. GreenBridge is proud to bring together leaders in sustainable horticulture and environmental science to share their knowledge on this critical issue—and in doing so, strengthen the community of Brooklyn gardeners,” she adds.

To celebrate its centennial, BBG is commemorating the renewal of Brooklyn’s urban environment by sharing before-and-after photos of local community gardens. Attendees are encouraged to bring photos of their gardens on the day of the event; BBG staff will be on hand to scan and share them on the web throughout our centennial year. Like many of Brooklyn’s gardens, BBG itself started from scratch, transforming its grounds from a derelict coal ash dump into an emerald gem in the heart of the borough.

No preregistration is required for Making Brooklyn Bloom, but it is suggested that visitors register by 10 a.m. on Saturday at BBG’s Palm House to secure their first choice of workshops. Entry to BBG is free before noon or with a flyer about the event. For more details on Making Brooklyn Bloom, please call 718-623-7250 or visit bbg.org/vis2/2010/mbb/.

Making Brooklyn Bloom 2010: Saturday, March 13 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Workshops:
Soils 101: Theory and Practice
John Jordan, Prospect Park Alliance

Building Soil with Mulch and Cover Crops
Luke Halligan, NYC Compost Project in Brooklyn

Advanced Composting: Beyond the Basics
Jenny Blackwell, NYC Compost Project in Brooklyn | T Fleischer, Battery Park City Parks Conservancy

Soil and Stormwater: Lessons from the Bronx River
Dawn Henning, Bronx River Alliance

Digging Up History: Learning About Your Garden Site
Steven Romalewski, CUNY Center for Urban Research | Mara Gittleman, Council on the Environment of NYC

Rats! (And Other Rodents…)
Caroline Bragdon, NYC Department of Health

All the Dirt on Soil Contaminants
Joshua Cheng, Brooklyn College Soil Testing Lab
Marisa DeDominicis, Earth Matter

Choosing a Soil Test and Interpreting the Results
Matt Brown, Central Park Conservancy | Hannah Shayler, Cornell Waste Management Institute

Soil Fertility: An Organic Approach
Lorraine Brooks, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Native Plants for City Soils
Uli Lorimer, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Dirt Cheap: Starting Seeds Indoors
Solita Stephens, Olympus Garden Club

Rooftop Farming: Soil in the Skies
Jeff Heehs, Community Advocate | Jennifer Nelkin, Gotham Greens | Annie Novak, Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

Revitalize Your Soil with Compost Tea
Karla Chandler, Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Community Composting Projects in Brooklyn
Claudia Joseph, Garden of Union | Kendall Morrison, Earth Matter | Jessica Katz, 6/15 Green
Matt Sheehan, Brooklyn New School

Networking Brown Bag Lunches:
Bring a bag lunch to take part in these conversations:
• Advocating for School Gardens
• Therapeutic Horticulture
• Street Tree Stewardship

Visitors to Making Brooklyn Bloom will also have an opportunity to take a free Seasonal Highlights tour at 1 p.m.; enjoy lunch at the Zagat-rated Terrace Café; and view the exhibition of BBG artist-in-residence Emilie Clark, a conceptually based body of new work inspired by the 19th-century naturalist Mary Treat.

11th Hour for Campus Road Garden

Posted on 2010-02-23 by admin

2010-02-23: Added a brief history of the Garden.

Last Fall, Brooklyn College announced plans to destroy the Campus Road Community Garden, located at the western end of Brooklyn College’s athletic fields since 1997, for a parking lot. This Wednesday, February 24, the Brooklyn Community Board 14 Committee on Education, Libraries & Cultural Affairs is having a public hearing:

When: Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 7 PM
Where: CB14 District Office, 810 E 16th Street, Brooklyn, NY

Agenda:
1. Update on Brooklyn College Garden – Representatives of Brooklyn College and South Midwood Residence Association
2. Presentation on Brooklyn Public Library initiatives – Tambe Tysha-John, Cluster Leader, Brooklyn Public Library
3. Other business

If you would like to speak during any of the public hearings or during the public portion of the board meeting, please call the CB14 District Office at 718-859-6357 to register for time. You may also register to speak on the evening of the meeting.

The “Brooklyn College Garden” is part of Brooklyn College’s greenwashing campaign. On February 3, they posted this announcement (since removed) on their Web site:

Brooklyn College announced today the creation of the Brooklyn College Garden that will serve as the basis for a broad spectrum of academic and sustainability initiatives for faculty and students. Members of the surrounding community will also be welcome to plant on individual plots, which will be assigned to them on a yearly base.

The garden, to be situated at the campus’s Avenue H entrance and bordering the college’s athletic field, is designed to be approximately 2,500 square feet.

which is where the Campus Road Garden, occupying more than twice the area, already exists.

View Brooklyn Community Gardens in a larger map

Brooklyn College’s unilateral announcement is disingenuous, at best. They omit any mention of their plans to destroy the Campus Road Garden, or the parking lot that will take its place. Such is the basis for their “sustainability initiatives.”

Not content with destroying a garden with decades of history in the community, they plan to pick at its bones for their private benefit:

Trees and bushes from a temporary community garden that made use of the area in previous years will be carefully replanted in front of the West Quad Center to create an inviting new garden. The college envisions the new green space as a “serenity garden” with comfortable seating for visitors to linger.

A garden that has been in place for 13 years is not a “temporary” garden.

Once again, the hearing is this Thursday, Wednesday, February 24, at 7pm, at the CB14 District Office at 810 E 16th Street.

[bk.ly]

A brief history

Provided by the Campus Road Garden:

1970s: Brooklyn College Organic Gardening Club starts a garden on a vacant college lot on Campus Road, sustained by community residents and students.
1980s: The City sells the lot at auction and evicts the gardeners. The developer defaults, and the lot remains vacant and overrun by weeds.
1990s: New Campus Road Garden Residents negotiate with the bank holding the property, and successfully recreate the garden. The bank again sells the lot and evicts the gardeners.
1997: Gardeners negotiate with Brooklyn College to relocate the garden to its current location. Then-President Vernon Lattin calls it “Brooklyn College’s gain.”

Links

Stop the Demolition of the Campus Rd Garden, online petition

Education, Libraries & Cultural Affairs Committee, Community Board 14

Land of the Free, Home of the…Cars?, Dassa Gutwirth, Sustainable Flatbush, 2010-02-23 (Illustrated with my photos of Campus Road Garden)
BC issues plan for new community garden, stirring ire, Courier-Life, 2010-02-09
Saving the Campus Road Community Garden from Parking Lot Fate, 2009-10-19
Brooklyn College to pave over popular garden to expand track, Flatbush residents not pleased, Daily News, 2009-10-09

Sunday, 2/21: Greening Flatbush – Garden Where You Are!

Posted on 2010-02-19 by admin

Sustainable Flatbush presents the second annual “Greening Flatbush” on Sunday, February 21.

Join us for a fun-filled & information-packed afternoon. Meet your neighbors and get your hands dirty. “Greening Flatbush: Garden Where You Are” is an afternoon of short demonstrations and hands-on workshops including:

gardening for kids
starting seeds indoors
growing herbs and microgreens on your windowsill
vertical gardening (Windowfarms)
growing sprouts in your kitchen
composting with worms in your apartment
how to join the Flatbush Farm Share CSA
preparing healthy food (cooking demo with a Just Food Community Chef)

… and much more!

Snacks and coffee will be available. Bring your own mug (BYOM)!

Worm composting, at the first Greening Flatbush event, in 2008.

“Garden is a verb,” says Chris Kreussling, Director of Sustainable Flatbush’s Urban Gardens & Farms Initiative, which is sponsoring the event. “It’s not just a place you visit. It’s something you do.” The Urban Gardening and Farming Initiative is centered on modeling sustainable horticulture practices, promoting urban agriculture and food sovereignty, and building community through neighborhood gardening and beautification.

Sustainable Flatbush programs provide opportunities for residents to learn about and get involved in working toward the goal of a sustainable neighborhood, while simultaneously building community and fostering local self-sufficiency.

“Hearing about what others are already doing can inspire people to work with their neighbors to take action,” says Kreussling, who also authors a local gardening blog, Flatbush Gardener. “We want to build community through gardening.”

Snacks and coffee will be available (courtesy of Flatbush Food Co-op and Vox Pop Café). Bring your own mug!

Greening Flatbush is Sunday, February 21, from 2:00 to 4:00pm at the Dorchester Senior Center, 1419 Dorchester Road, located on the corner of Dorchester Road and Marlborough Road. Take the Q train to Cortelyou Road.

$3 suggested donation.

Space is limited. To register go to http://www.sustainableflatbush.org/greeningflatbush
If you have questions about this event, please contact Sustainable Flatbush: email – info@sustainableflatbush.org, phone – (718) 208-0575

A big thank you to our sponsors: Kings County Nurseries, Flatbush Food Co-op, and Vox Pop Cafe

Will the Flatbush Loew’s Kings Theatre finally be saved?

Posted on 2010-02-03 by admin

Updates, 2010-02-03: Added more links and images.

Loew’s Kings Theatre, Flatbush Avenue, Flatbush, October 2007

From today’s NY Times City Room:

A developer has signed an agreement, made a down payment on a $70 million renovation of the Kings and plans to turn it back into a functioning entertainment venue, this time presenting live performances, city officials said Tuesday.
– Crumbling Movie Palace Finds an Angel

Loew’s Kings Theatre Exterior Then and Today. Credit: NYC EDC
Loew's Kings Theatre Exterior Then and Today

For some amazing photos of the interior, see marioletto’s Flickr set.

After a four year process -– and many false starts — the city has selected a company based in Houston, ACE Theatrical Group, to renovate and operate the theater. It would be, once again, the biggest indoor theater in Brooklyn and would host 250 concerts, theatrical performances and community events annually, officials said.

Under the terms of the agreement, ACE Theatrical Group will restore the theater to its original French Renaissance-style and expand its stagehouse to accommodate modern shows. Live performances may include theatrical productions, dance and performing arts presentations and musical and comedy shows, as well as community events. The design phase of the project will begin immediately. Construction is expected to begin in two to three years and take approximately two years to complete. According to the EDC, the project will create 530 construction jobs and 50 permanent jobs, not including individual production personnel.
– Loew’s Kings To Be Transformed Into ‘Wonder Theater’ Once Again, Brooklyn Eagle, 2010-02-03

Links

Loew’s Kings To Be Transformed Into ‘Wonder Theater’ Once Again, Brooklyn Eagle, 2010-02-03
Crumbling Movie Palace Finds an Angel, NY Times City Room, 2010-02-02

NYCEDC and Brooklyn Borough President Seek Redevelopment of Former Loew’s Kings Theater, NYC EDC Press Release, 2006-09-28

RFP for Restoration of Loew’s Kings Theatre, NYC Economic Development Corporation

Happy Imbolc (Groundhog Day) 2010

Posted on 2010-02-02 by admin

Update, 2010-02-02: Swing, and a miss. It’s overcast this morning. The sun is up, and visible over the rooftops, but no shadows. Spring will arrive on time! (Oh, and my neighbor’s Snowdrops are up, if not yet in bloom.)

If the National Weather Service forecast for tomorrow morning is correct on this point, the sky will be clear for dawn in Flatbush. Flatbush Fluffy, the resident Marmota monax, will see his shadow, promising six more weeks of Winter.

Groundhog Day, celebrated on February 2, has its roots in an ancient Celtic celebration called Imbolog [Wikipedia: Imbolc]. The date is one of the four cross-quarter days of the year, the midpoints between the spring and fall equinoxes and the summer and winter solstice.
– NOBLE Web: Groundhog Day

The groundhog, Marmota monax, also known as a woodchuck, groundhog, or whistlepig, is the largest species of marmot in the world.

2009
2008
2007

Links

Wikipedia: Imbolc

Central Park Rabies Outbreak

Posted on 2010-01-31 by admin

This month, 23 raccoons in and around Central Park have tested positive for rabies. In addition, 11 animals tested positive during December 2009, bringing the two-month total to 34.

In contrast, from 2003-2008, only one raccoon tested positive in Manhattan. In 2008, only 19 animals tested positive for all of New York City.

This increase may be the result of increased surveillance by the Health Department:

With the identification of three raccoons with rabies in Manhattan’s Central Park in recent months – two during the past week – the Health Department is cautioning New Yorkers to stay away from raccoons, skunks, bats, stray dogs and cats and other wild animals that can carry rabies. The recent cluster of findings suggests that rabies is being transmitted among raccoons in the park. The Health Department is increasing surveillance efforts to determine the extent of the problem.
– Press Release, 2009-12-07

Historically, raccoons are by far the most commonly reported animal, comprising about 3/4 of reports from 1992-2008. Raccoons are nocturnal, and should be active only at night. Anyone observing a raccoon active during the daytime, or any animal that appears disoriented, placid, or aggressive, should call 311 immediately to report the location. Animal attacks should be reported to 911.

Links

Animals Testing Positive for Rabies in New York City in 2010, year to date
Health Department Cautions New Yorkers to Avoid Wild Animals and Vaccinate Pets against Rabies, NYC DOH Pres Release, 2009-12-07
Rabies, Communicable Diseases, NYC DOH

Mulchfest 2010: NYC Recycles Trees

Posted on 2010-01-04 by admin

Updated 2009-01-05: Added a map of Brooklyn Mulchfest locations.

Park Circle Mulchfest 2009

It’s tree recycling season in New York City. Residents can have their trees recycled into mulch for the City’s parks and gardens:

Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel and tree-stands from your tree.
Leave your tree unwrapped. Don’t put it in a plastic bag.
Leave trees curbside from Monday, January 4, through Friday, January 15, for recycling pickup, OR
Bring your tree 10am-2pm Saturday, January 9th or Sunday, January 10th to one of over 80 locations citywide.

Residents can also pick up free mulch at designated chipping locations. Volunteers from Sustainable Flatbush, including your host, will be helping out at the Park Circle location of Prospect Park.

Map

View Brooklyn MulchFest 2010 in a larger map

In addition, Brooklyn residents are invited to drop off their Christmas trees at Green-Wood Cemetery for mulching, daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Jan. 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Master composters from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will be on hand to discuss the benefits of using wood-chip mulch. Free wood chips will be available in exchange for those who bring their trees. Sponsored by the Green-Wood Cemetery and Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Green-Wood Cemetery, Fifth Avenue, at 25th Street, Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn, (718) 768-7300; free.

[bit.ly]

Links

Parks: MulchFest

Parks Press Release, 2010-01-11t

The End of “Gowanus Lounge”

Posted on 2010-01-03 by admin

This morning I discovered that the domain for Gowanus Lounge had been appropriated by a commercial site. I learned this afternoon that the domain had been sold.

Gowanus Lounge had been the project of founder Robert Guskind, who died (too soon) in March of 2009. Archived content from Gowanus Lounge is now available at a new, “memorial” domain, bobguskind.com.

I’ll be updating my links to the old Gowanus Lounge site to the new domain in his name. It saddens me to have to do this, but I must, since Bob’s work is no longer available at the original domain. It’s clear to me that the new proprietor of the domain expects to garner hits through links to Bob’s old work. I refuse to support that.

How to find links

Two Google keywords let you find links from a specific domain to another:

link:: finds links to the specified domain
site:: limits the search to links from the specified domain

So, to find links from my blog to the old Gowanus Lounge domain, I searched this in Google:

link:gowanuslounge.com site:flatbushgardener.blogspot.com

[bit.ly]

Links

Robert “Bob” Guskind Memorial Site
Much Ado About the Gowanus Lounge, That Greenpoint Blog, 2010-01-03

Flatbush Gardener

Urban Habitat Gardening with Native Plants

Category Archives: 2010

Spring Cleaning on Cortelyou Road

Making Brooklyn Bloom at BBG, this Saturday, March 13

11th Hour for Campus Road Garden

A brief history

Related Content

Links

Sunday, 2/21: Greening Flatbush – Garden Where You Are!

Will the Flatbush Loew’s Kings Theatre finally be saved?

Related Content

Links

Happy Imbolc (Groundhog Day) 2010

Related posts

Links

Central Park Rabies Outbreak

Related Content

Links

Mulchfest 2010: NYC Recycles Trees

Map

Related Content

Links

The End of “Gowanus Lounge”

How to find links

Links