On Friday, April 22nd, while nations signed the Climate Agreement at the UN, RIGC witnessed local learning and education. iDIG2Learn's founder, Christina Delfico hosted a workshop by GrowtoLearnNYC on pollinators and beneficial plants for school groups. We had school leaders from Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx who made their way to the stand just outside our gates at the Butterfly Corridor Site.  Grow to Learn staffers Rasheed Hislop and Jessie Kerr Vanderslice facilitated this talk and garden walk about bugs that help us! We looked at insects that play a critical role in the life cycles of your garden plants. Participants were able to take seeds back to their local school groups and also painted lady caterpillars.  iDig2Learn caterpillars became butterflies in May and were released at the gardens! 

IDig2Learn says "Thanks for a spectacular day!" 

Thanks to the custodial staff at 217, school leadership and PTA, Roosevelt Island Garden Club and iDig2Learn today we witnessed full circle our weekend food scraps collected by BigReuse, through NYC Compost project, return to our soil. Jeff, Kenny, and the entire custodial team made beautiful garden border beds and tilled the soil to prepare the beds.

RI Garden club member Anthony Longo and son, Anthony alongside, parent Dee and Ms. Fokine sifted the soil and added the BigReuse compost.  iDig2Learn sourced native plants including phlox paniculata "Jeana", lobelia cardinalis, milkweed, alongside some yarrow, ajuga and mums from the Central Park conservancy.  Today children and their families had their gloves and trowels in hand and incredibly planted over 100 pollinator friendly plants in 35 minutes! Thanks to Joey and Dimis for turning on the water to soak both the plants and us.

RIGC is so glad to be a part of all this! We say thanks again to everyone in this circle and .... "Remember to bring your food scraps on Saturdays to the RI Food Scrap Drop Off Site run by NYC Compost hosted by BigReuse!"  Since late November 2015, Roosevelt Islanders have brought in 10,504 pounds - over 5 tons of food scraps with over 2,242 drop offs and  2,761 interactions. Spread the word and keep bringing us all full circle from food scraps to gardens!

Enjoy this collage of photos of the amazing transformation. 

 It was cloudy and cool, but we left with warm hearts! Thanks to donations and help from many, we successfully launched the RISA Potluck Patio Gardening on May 5th, 2016.

A shout out of thanks goes to the RI Girl Scouts and their leaders, Aiesha and Janine, and iDig2Learn's Christina, who cleaned up the terrace in advance.  Thanks also to those, like Jennifer Schuppert and Ron Schuppert, who hosted the RISA field trip visit to our gardens on April 25th! 

Six to eight RISA Members attended on May 5th for this first Thursday activity for planting and gardening. Some came with plants and others with pots and ideas. Some people just came ready to help.  We had cuttings  and pots with soil at the ready. We also had seeds to plant and share.  We filled some pots with zinnias and got a round herb and flower planter started.

Anthony Longo reworked the composter that we have donated for the center and brought down more soil and tools. AJ shared GRIN stickers with every single participant. We set up a cart to hold extra pots and tools.  Beverly donated a lemon tree and the wooden cart will soon be propped up and loaded with more plantings.  More donations of pots and tools are always welcome as this program gets rooted.

Gardening can bring people together and we certainly felt that today.  The squirrels will be heading down Main Street soon when they figure out there will be a new place with tasty tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflowers and more.

Roosevelt Island Receives $1 Million Pledge for Green Roof
P.S. / I.S. 217 Project Soon Heading into Design Stage

New York, NY (April 19, 2016) – City Council Member Ben Kallos today pledged an additional $350,000 to P.S. / I.S. 217’s STEM green roof, bringing his commitment to a total of $1 million for the project. Together with funding committed by the Manhattan Borough President, the greenroof now has sufficient backing to begin the design and bidding phase.

For the second year straight green roofs received top votes and for the second time technology for schools won Participatory Budget ballot. A healthy showing of voters on Roosevelt Island
helped P.S. / I.S 217’s STEM Green Roof project garner $150,000 as the third highest vote getter “Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) continue to be where residents are voting to invest their tax dollars to prepare our children for the future,” said Council Member Ben
Kallos. “Thank you to Participatory Budgeting Delegates for leading the process as well as
residents 14 and over for voting.”

"Due to the strong showing of support for green roofs two years in a row," stated City Council Member Kallos, "We will allocate the full $500,000 for the green roof at P.S. / I.S. 217, which combines last year's allocation of $500,000, and a minimum of $250,000 from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, to ensure the project will begin scoping."Assembly Member Seawright has also nominated the P.S. / I.S. 217 Green Roof project for an
additional $500,000 in State support. “At a time when New York City schools are fighting to provide excellent education while faced with a challenge of limited space and overcrowding, I am happy to have nominated P.S. / I.S. 217 Roosevelt Island for the New York State Capital Project Funding of $500,000. The school’s proposal to create a green roof, a space for numerous educational opportunities for the students of Roosevelt Island, is remarkable. I am looking forward to seeing this project flourish and offer my support to the principal and school leadership in the process,” said Assembly Member Rebecca A. Seawright.

Said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, “Facilities like this planned green roof make project ­based
STEM education possible, and promote a deeper, more enriching learning experience. At the same time, green roofs reduce the ‘urban heat island’ effect and improve our air quality – a “Thank you to all of the supporters from our community and the city for voting for the P.S. / I.S.217 STEM Green Roof,” stated Principal Mandana Beckman. “This green roof will further enhance the learning opportunities for the students and families of P.S. / I.S. 217 and the residents of Roosevelt Island.”

“We are thrilled to support this project, enabling the children to earn the funds needed to continue an eco­friendly initiative. The green roof will minimize heat output on the island, clean the air, improve our health, and provide a unique classroom, giving the students a tremendous opportunity to directly experience their impact on our environment.” said Susan Rosenthal, Acting President/CEO & General Counsel, Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation.

"Roosevelt Island is full of passionate residents and it is a testament to their ability to come together and support each other," stated Jeffrey Escobar, President Roosevelt Island Residents Association, "congratulations on this commitment to our future."

 Ursula Fokine, Instructional Coach for P.S. / I.S. 217 added that “Students and teachers are planning our open air classroom for STEM and arts enrichment learning. We will create an inspirational space that provides a habitat for native species, captures rainwater runoff, reduces energy consumption, and provides a green space for all. We are also eager to identify and develop STEM projects that support our environment by tapping into the technical expertise of our partner, Cornell Tech.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to share our expertise and passion for this important project,” noted the Roosevelt Island Garden Club’s president, Ali Schwayri, “Engaging children early sets them on a lifelong path of learning and interest in being stewards of our planet.”

"What fantastic news the week of Earth Day, that the green roof project can become a reality for the growing population of young children on Roosevelt Island,” stated Eva Bosbach, founder of the Roosevelt Island Parents’ Network, "With a green roof in the middle of our community, every day can be Earth Day for Roosevelt Island families. Thank you all who teamed up in this Christina Delfico, who helped navigate the green roof project as iDig2Learn’s founder. The cost for P.S./I.S. 217’s 6,750 square­foot green roof has been estimated at $1.5 million. Organizers said that they hope to have the project in full swing by 2018.

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Groups and individuals involved in this project include New York City Council Member Ben Kallos and his team (including Sushant Harite, Paul Westrick and Josh J. Jamieson ), Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer (including Bodi Du, Debbie C. Timothy, Vladimir Martinez, Jessica Mates and Andrew Goldston), New York State Assembly Member Rebecca A. Seawright (including Katarina Matic), Citizens Committee for New York City, Grow to Learn NYC, GrowNYC, P.S./I.S. 217, Girl Scout Troop 3244 & 3245 of Beacon/Youth Program, Brownies Girl Scout Troop 3001 sponsored by Manhattan Park, 217PTA, designer Nathalie Chetrit, The WIRE, Roosevelt Islander Online, Roosevelt Island Residents Association, Roosevelt Island Community Coalition, Roosevelt Island Garden Club, Sharon Bermon, New York Public Library (Roosevelt Island branch), Roosevelt Island Historical Society, Music Together, Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance, Roosevelt Island Parents' Network, and iDig2Learn.