Category: Outreach

Spring and Fall Youth Gardening Classes Returned in 2021

10/16/2021

Despite the ongoing challenges of Covid 19, the Outreach Team who were interested in offering free garden classes was able to make a come back this spring and fall 2021. Laura Laderman and Julia Ferguson both enjoy "teaching" these gardening classes and they were glad to be able to start again this year. We offered 6 weeks of free classes in May and June and then again another 6 weeks of free classes in September and October.

Plot D12 is super shady with many tree roots, but we persist. We also were able to use some sunny spots in C-38 and C-39 in the summer for corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Plot D12 has produced lots of kale, purple beans, a few radishes, and now Swiss chard, lettuce, and garlic for winter crops. We have some native pollinator plantings ,one hydrangea, and a few impatiens. Most of all Plot D12 gives youth ages 9-13 a place to learn with a cycle of activities that we repeat in some way each week:

Breathe deeply
Observe & Inquire
Look Down - Soil - Check on & Learn about soil.
Look about - Plants - Check on & Learn about plants.
Look up and around - Ecosystem - Think about and Consider the Interconnected Whole

This fall at our final class we had two boys and two girls and a guest scientist. (Thank you, Alexander Dvorak.) We also had three children of member gardeners - now a "tradition" since 2014 when one high schooler, the daughter of a member in the B section, got it all started. Click here for the article

Stay tuned for more. The last thing these young people said was:
" When is our next class?"

NYC Pollinator Group Visits Wonderful Roosevelt Island Community Garden To Learn And Share Best Practices On Bees, Native Plants, Composting & More!

10/15/2021

Please read and watch this post by The Roosevelt Islander for much more information. We could not have been more excited to host passionate professionals from all around NYC for a visit and seed swap at the gardens on Friday afternoon October 15th: Parks professionals, Landscapers, National Wildlife educators, Native plant enthusiasts, Arborists, Entomologists and more! Thank you so much Christina Delfico @iDig2Learn for organizing this social gathering for nature!

Cornell Tech's Service Learning Course and RIGC

9/10/2017

Cornell Tech campus moved on to Roosevelt Island this summer and RIGC has been part of the welcoming committee. As one of the many non-profits on Roosevelt Island, we are also unique in that we are an all volunteer organization.

We were honored to be invited by Jane Swanson, Cornell Tech Community Liaison, to connect with Professor Tapan Parikh in June as he began planning a new Service Learning course for Cornell Tech Graduate Students. Sande Elinson, Neal Weissman, and Julia Ferguson enjoyed this meeting and began the connection. Then in August, RIGC was invited to attend the opening reception along with other RI non-profit organizations like the Carter Burden Senior Center, Main Street Theatre, RIVAA gallery, RI Historical Society, Dr. Jack Resnick, and more. Anthony Longo and Julia Ferguson were able to represent RIGC at this exciting reception hosted by RIVAA at the Art Gallery and enjoyed officially greeting Cornell Tech students for the first time.

Three weeks later...we have already begun meeting and corresponding with three wonderful graduate students who are researching and exploring a service project for RIGC and RI. They will work to complete a green and also technology related project by the end of November. More news soon as this exciting collaboration continues.

RIGC Bench Project: Update Our Garden Furniture 2017

9/6/2017

Examples of high quality teak benches in "Les Jardins Suspendus, Le Havre, France"

The RIGC Board works with members to upgrade and improve our gardens. One way to do this is to repair and replace aging garden furniture in common areas as well as place additional benches around our perimeter landscape beds. During this 2017 season, we have been the fortunate recipients of some professional grade teak benches. We are working with ADA requirements per Human Rights Commission recommendations as we want our pathways and our garden site to be accessible to all.

The plan is to provide a high quality bench at the end of each pathway for visitors and members to relax and enjoy the gardens, without any temptation or need to enter member plots. These are the same benches found in botanical gardens and they are practical, long lasting and enhance the beauty of our gardens. Teak is superior for outdoor purposes and can last for many, many years with no special treatment other than washing it down once or twice a year. This wood will age to a beautiful, silvery gray color.

Board members have spent considerable time working with online and community resources that provide very low cost or sometimes even "free for pick up" opportunities for new and used professional grade garden benches and common area tables. The process takes time, and can bring surprises and also disappointments. For example, you may find a new, barely used pair of benches or you may drive out of the city to an estate sale, only to discover that the benches are not in good shape. However, we have acquired six beautiful benches already and are working to find several more. The Landscape Committee is guiding this project and chair, Johan Marfey, prepared the image below that shows the plan and progress as of September 1st.

RIGC is a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization that can accept donations. If you are interested in donating any amount towards this project, please contact the secretary at [email protected].

Learning about Gardening: Mid-week Middle Schoolers

7/31/2017

Andrew, Jake, and Annelisa all tried the pilot program for learning about gardening that was offered by Julia Ferguson in July. Plot C-30 on the east side became the temporary site for this weekly gardening and learning. We used the following checklist options for each lesson:

Connect: Close your eyes, listen & breathe, then walk a bit and observe
Compost: Check, add, turn, or spin
Grow: Plant seeds, thin seedlings, "dead head", weed, or water
Clean: Rake, sweep, care for and store tools
Observe: Measure, draw, look around & breathe

Students planted radishes, lettuce greens, marigolds, basil seedlings, zinnias, cosmos, and a wildflower mix. They learned to identify certain plants, harvested green beans and squash, and measured sweet corn growth. They learned about compost and tried both sifting and the trammel. One big question that came up was about pollinators and bees. What do these insects actually do to help plants and vice versa? So we looked up details about plant fertilization and reproduction. Ecological concept connections included cycles, interdependence, diversity, and flow. Despite the summer heat, we made lavender wands, a plant wreath, and were able take home some herb cuttings or plants in pots. Stay tuned for more news from late August and possible September classes.

Roosevelt Island Day 2017 Seed and Seedling Planting

6/19/2017

RIGC Outreach and Publicity shared free plants on Roosevelt Island Day again this year. Last year we tried basil and chives seeds. This year we had basil seedlings and wheat grass seeds. RIOC generously allows us to set up across from the Food Scrap Drop Off Site from NYC Compost hosted by BigReuse. So we added NYC compost to every pot and people who drop their food scraps could benefit first hand from the hyper local compost!

The rain dampened the turn out this year, but not our spirits. This may have been the driest, calmest spot in the whole Island celebration between 12 and 1 p.m. A special thanks to Robert Ostergaard, Jérôme Dutilloy, and the Longo family who all helped out and brought friends!

More Pre-K students visit the gardens in May 2017

6/19/2017

Two different classes from P.S. IS 217 and also some Roosevelt Island Day Nursery students were hosted in the gardens for visits in May and early June. Anthony Longo as well as Gen and Cory Katana were our hosts for these visits. We love for students to visit, learn about seeds, explore and observe the flowers and trees. Spring is the perfect time to get out of the classroom!

If you know a group who is interested in a mid-week visit to the gardens, please email [email protected] and we will work to set up a time with a volunteer host. We will also see if we can set you up with a scavenger hunt or another small hands on activity! We can never get too much nature when we live in a big city and RIGC enjoys sharing our gardens.

Compost Connection: W.O.R.M.S!

6/19/2017

Early in February the emails were exchanged, and by mid-March the Saturday date had been set with the Outreach coordinator of NYC Compost Hosted by Big Reuse. Erycka De Jesus saved Saturday, June 3rd, for our RIGC community connection date. Anthony Longo began searching for the name and he found it -Weekend Organics Recycling Mission+Sifting - W.O.R.M.S!

Roosevelt Island is fortunate to have NYC Compost hosted by Big Reuse offering our weekly Food Scrap Drop Off Site near the Farmer's Market. As of a last count in March, Roosevelt Islanders had diverted over 35,000 pounds from landfill. (That's about the weight of an 18 wheeler semi truck!) RI has also received give backs of hyper local compost from the Queensboro Bridge site for gardens, trees, and schools on Roosevelt Island.

Anyone who wanted to learn more about composting was invited to join Roosevelt Island Garden Club and NYC Compost hosted by Big Reuse this Saturday, June 3rd for a Compost Connection Event.

This was our first open composting event in RIGC community gardens (across from 750 Main Street) and we were ready and set up for visitors between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. on June 3rd!

However, the visitors came even before 1:00! As soon as baseball players on the field north of the garden saw Anthony Longo setting up, they were there and present and searching for worms and learning about composting! We had a great afternoon with both middle school and teen volunteers, RIGC hosts and volunteers and children and adults learning and experiencing compost sifting first hand! I addition we sifted about 3 cubic yards of compost from mulch that had been cold cooking outside the fence for a year and gardeners quickly scooped it up! Don't worry, there is more..always more!

iDig2Learn starts another great year with RIGC visit

6/5/2017

April 27, 2017 PS IS 217 and RIGC

Spring brought nearly 90 second graders from P.S.217 to the community gardens again this year for the annual iDig2Learn kick off. What better way to get students excited about photosynthesis, food, and nature then to start with a visit to the beautiful gardens of RIGC. Students met RICG leaders, learned what a community garden is, visited the compost station, and got inspired. At the end of the visit 217 students learned they would start their very own gardens at the youth center outdoor courtyard with Spring iDig2Learn science enrichment sessions. Celebrating five years, iDig2Learn initiative founder, Christina Delfico, was thrilled that RIGC welcomed 217 from the beginning in 2012. A huge part of initiative, which allows children to explore science and the origin of food through plant life, was building bridges with other Roosevelt Island organizations. P.S. 217's Ms. Fokine, the teachers and PTA volunteers are often eager to enjoy the tour and all remark on the beauty of the gardens. This year, Christina sent this email in gratitude to the Board member hosts. Thanks also to Christina! RIGC is so glad to be able to reach out to children and help with their environmental STEM learning program!

Dear RIGC Board Members,

A joyful day! You all touched my heart today - I learn so much from you every day and today was no exception - I feel so lucky to know you all!!

THANK YOU!!!!
With love and respect,
Christina Delfico

Pumpkin Bash and Leaf Gathering- Dreams Do Come True!

11/5/2016

Dreams do come true...and in this case, because of the huge efforts of friends, partners, and neighbors. In January 2016, Anthony Longo and Julia Ferguson sat in Main Street Sweets before the RIGC board meeting talking about hopes for the year with compost and outreach. In their notes they wrote:

Work with BIG REUSE for organics recycling growth
Enlarge (begin) pumpkin smash and tree chipping

Christina Delfico, iDig2Learn, and Erycka De Jesus, BigReuse/NYC Compost and Anthony Longo spoke in a conference call in September to set the November 4th date for pumpkins and leaves. Then Erycka and Christina took the lead and worked together on preparations for a month. Erycka de Jesus and Devin Reitsma and Leah Retherford and their work with NYC Compost@ BigReuse were the reason we could offer to do this.

Christina Delfico's amazing service network, partnering skills, and production techniques brought connections with RIOC, Manhattan Park, P.S. I.S. 217, RIRA, and so many more on Roosevelt Island brought the happy crowds. We had a dream come true day yesterday! Everyone chipped in to bash pumpkins, gather leaves, and send these natural resources away to be composted! Julia Ferguson took personal day from work to help out. She spent her day watching and listening to the parents and children.

"This is what a farmer must feel like."
"This is what a gardener does."
"Can I take this to the worms?"
"I had a garden class at school!"
"Do you want to bring your pumpkin again next year?"

We sent over forty bags of leaves and three huge, green toters of pumpkins to be composted back into enriched soil for parks, gardens, street trees, and community groups. For more sounds and sights of the day, check out this video by Nick Turner posted to the Roosevelt Islander blogspot or like the Facebook page at BigReuse to see a live post.

<<Previous

Spring and Fall Youth Gardening Classes Returned in 2021

NYC Pollinator Group Visits Wonderful Roosevelt Island Community Garden To Learn And Share Best Practices On Bees, Native Plants, Composting & More!

Cornell Tech's Service Learning Course and RIGC

RIGC Bench Project: Update Our Garden Furniture 2017

Learning about Gardening: Mid-week Middle Schoolers

Roosevelt Island Day 2017 Seed and Seedling Planting

More Pre-K students visit the gardens in May 2017

Compost Connection: W.O.R.M.S!

iDig2Learn starts another great year with RIGC visit

Pumpkin Bash and Leaf Gathering- Dreams Do Come True!

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