Take Care of Your Bronx Street Trees

The presence of trees in your neighborhood can often make all difference in the world. When describing so-called "nice" neighborhoods, reporters like me and my colleagues often use terms like "leafy" or "tree-lined." It just makes places look and then sound nicer. Plus, trees help clean the air of pollution and cool sidewalks.

With this in mind, the city has (smartly) planted thousands of trees (375,000, according to city officials) throughout the five boroughs over the past few years as part of the mayor's MillionTreesNYC initiative. 

(A good example of this is on Bainbridge Avenue near Williamsbridge Oval Park in Norwood. The corridor looks much better after trees were planted there last year.)

But those trees are still mostly young saplings in need of a little TLC -- which basically entails only the occasional bucket of water poured into their thirsty roots and not running over into them with your car. This dry and ridiculously hot summer has put those trees in greater peril.

Fortunately, the city is attempting to protect its investment by encouraging residents to take ownership of and water their neighborhood street trees.

Tomorrow morning in Oval Park at the park's northern entrance at 10:30 a.m., Bronx Parks Commissioner Hector Aponte along with Jennifer Beaugrand and her horticultural crew from Mosholu Preservation Corpation will be demonstrating some "creative" watering techniques and encouraging residents and merchants to water the trees in front of their homes and businesses.

(Note: not quite sure how "creative" you can get with watering, I'm just quoting the press release, but we'll report on it afterward and let you know.)

In any case, we'll have more tomorrow. But come to the Oval if you're interested. Because doesn't the "tree-lined streets of Bainbridge Avenue" sound so much better than "the hot concrete streets of Bainbridge Avenue"?

New Exhibit Captures Bronx Parks 'Before They Were Parks'

The mansion condemned for Henry Hudson Parkway, courtesy NYC Parks Department

Can you imagine your favorite Bronx park as a landfill? How about as a jail? The city's Parks Department has put these images to life with "Before They Were Parks," an exhibition on the history of NYC parks and their journey to becoming green.

The exhibition features 19 vintage and contemporary photographs of Bronx locations, including properties condemned for the Henry Hudson Parkway and the historic burial plot of the Van Cortlandt family, and over 100 images total of all the boroughs from the New York City Parks Photo Archive and other collections.

“'Before They Were Parks' tells the untold stories behind many of New York City’s green spaces through photography, artifacts and memorabilia,” Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said in a statement announcing the collection. “The exhibit...invites viewers to take another look at their favorite neighborhood parks and strengthen their appreciation for the city’s leafy oases.”

The public is welcome to witness the tale of their the city's parks weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Central Park’s Arsenal Gallery through Sept. 9. The Arsenal Gallery, which dedicates itself to examining themes of nature, urban space and wildlife, is located on the 3rd Floor of the Arsenal at 64th Street and Fifth Avenue in Central Park. Admission is free.

Bronx River Flotilla

Photos from last year's flotilla by Adi Talwar

One hundred people will hit the waters of the Bronx River tomorrow in canoes and kayaks for a five mile ride to kick off the start of paddling season. The 11th annual Bronx River Flotilla, sponsored by the Bronx River Alliance and the Department of Parks and Recreation, is to celebrate the revitalization of the waterway--a result of years of advocacy to clean up the river.

The festivities will include the unveiling of a brand new guide map to encourage more residents to use the river and to make sure paddlers navigate its waters safely. There will also be a celebration picnic at Concrete Plant Park around 1 p.m. More details here.