Blog Posts

Back Again at RIGC : Spring into Summer Free Garden Classes for Youth & Children

7/9/2022

For the past six or seven years, the Roosevelt Island Community Garden has hosted free small group gardening classes for youth ages approximately 8 - 13. Students help maintain a garden plot, including planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting. They learn about ecology, composting, and the Roosevelt Island Community Garden structure. All parents must sign a liability waiver / permission slip.

An Interest Form was sent to all persons on the RIGC Waitlist as well as Members and Associates: "Classes are held on weekend afternoons and are taught by RIGC m\Members and Associates. Students enroll in 3-5 week sessions. Covid-19 safety protocols are followed.

Are your older children interested in attending a garden class in 2022?
Would you like us to expand some offerings if we find it is possible?
Are your younger children interested in attending a garden class?
Would you like to learn more about gardening with kids? "

With a set of interested families, Laura and Julia were able to begin gardening with youth again this year. The spring brought rain and a few cancellations, but by late May they were running a class regularly on Saturday or Sunday at 4:00 and extending into mid-July. They were able to host one Saturday morning class for 3-5 year olds in June.

At the early spring reunion class, students harvested arugula that grew all winter. Then, in May, they began sowing more vegetables than ever in containers as well as in the beds: peas, garlic, radishes, broccoli, beans, tomatoes, kale, bok choy, carrots, parsley, basil, zinnias and sunflowers. Currently the berries in D-12 don't have enough sun for blooms, but are doing great alongside some asters and hydrangeas. Thanks to Debbie & Donna in C-37, students also have a small sunny spot for cantaloupes and cucumbers.

All are looking forward to some Fall class offerings and explorations. RIGC Associate and Urban Forester, Schuyler Borden (along with his bearded dragon, Phoebe,) has expressed an interest in joining us one day.

Earth Justice Team for Sustainable Food and Farming Retreat on Roosevelt Island Ends with a Tour of our Community Garden followed by Lunch & Cornell Tech visit

6/25/2022

On Friday, June 24th from 12- 1 pm, Julia, Jack, and Graciela were honored to host a visit of 15 adults from the EarthJustice NE office. During their tour of the gardens they had a great introduction to our compost system and after, a few had time to try making a sunprint. We were also honored to meet Raymond Figueroa Jr, President of the New York City Community Garden Coalition who worked closely with EarthJustice on this petition to protect New York City community gardens.

The Sustainable Food & Farming program at Earthjustice was hosting their team retreat this week on Roosevelt Island at the Graduate Hotel. and they are active with supporting NYC community gardens.

Support their work by signing the petition and join us in thanking them for this time visiting our gardens.

All Photos By Karen Lee

June 2022 - Standards Votes!

6/19/2022

Congratulations! On June 19 Standards voted again on a day when there was so much beauty everywhere as summer was beginning.

This month they chose:

Best June Garden

B27 Julie

A Most Colorful Garden

D05 Dorothy and her Associate Froukje

"Best June Garden" B 27

June Category: "So Colorful!"

Celebrate Associates & Volunteers: RIGC Community Service

6/11/2022

Thanks to everyone who made the day most productive as well as fun! We had a rather quiet, energizing day: building, repairing, cleaning, painting, composting, "plogging", weeding, pruning, and connecting. We met new volunteers and a few of us kept going till 4 p.m. and after! Below are statistics about the tasks and also some amazing high def pictures by Audrey Gray, Climate Journalist, and a new neighbor on Roosevelt Island. https://www.audreygray.nyc/

Wetland Habitat Bird visits the garden

6/1/2022

The pictures are a little blurry, but this week we had a special visitor who may have been lost due to lights or a building strike during a migration trip. It may be a Virginia Rail, a wetland habitat bird. She discreetly hung out near a water feature, hopping back and forth between two gardens. Here's to hoping she has moved on to a good home for breeding.

PS 217 Classes Return to RIGC on Field Trips

5/31/2022

Thanks to members like Christina Delfico who are able and willing to host these groups, RIGC received and facilitated visits from 5 Kindergarten classes in late April and 1 Pre-K class in late May.

Enjoy a glimpse of the Pre-K group called the Tiny Tigers with Ms. Kaplan. Their visit made possible with help from Kaz, Linda, Julia and others.

These field trips give experiences that enhance the P.S. 217 curriculum such as the pre-K "plant units" as well as providing a much needed breaks from the in-school routines. Due to Covid 19 restrictions, RIGC had not been able to host any field trips since May of 2019, but this year a long standing tradition returned!

Ms. Kaplan, who is retiring this year after many years at PS 217 on Roosevelt Island, sent the following thank you note to our community garden:

Thursday June 2, 2022
Good morning everyone!

Thank you to everyone who made our visit on Tuesday so special. Julia, I appreciate your input in creating a time and plan for our time there. As always, Anthony, it is wonderful seeing you again, and I am grateful that you were there for my final visit as a teacher with PS 217.

The children, Ms. Grandy, the adult chaperones , and I really enjoyed wandering the Gardens. The plants, pond, and guides made for a happy experience. A vase of pretty flowers made for the perfect goodbye.

Again, thank you so much. We all loved it!

Warmest wishes,

Nancy Kaplan

Plant and Seed Share: First "Town Hall" Gathering 2022

5/15/2022

In early 2021 a group of 8-10 garden members worked with 2 Board members on ideas for more engagement and leadership opportunities as well as more transparency in our gardening community. One idea that resulted from this "Task Force" was to have a few "Town Hall" meetings.

This year we are trying out these gatherings beginning with a Native Plant Share. About 15 gardeners showed up to meet and connect at this event hosted by Jack Burkhalter and Laura Laderman. Fifty small butterfly plant plugs from a Colossal Garden Kit by Prairie Moon Nursery were shared as well as another 20 plants of all sizes from the Butterfly Project Native Plant Share sponsored by facilitated by Bronx Green-Up of The New York Botanical Garden, City Parks Foundation, Grow to Learn NYC, and GreenThumb.

RIGC Nature Walk with Schuyler Borden

5/15/2022

During the winter of 2022, Neal Weissman reached out to RIGC Associate Schuyler Borden and planned this wonderful May walk and talk attended by Members, Legacy Associates, and visitors. We look forward to more time learning with Schuyler in the future!

May 2022: Standards Votes!

5/14/2022

Congratulations!
on 08-14-22 the RIGC Standards Committee voted
the following gardens (in a three way tie) as

"Best May Gardens"

C55- Mamta & Talat

D01- Carolina & Jorg

C28 -Curtis

And a hearty dose of encouragement also goes to

"Most Improved Gardens"

B04- Alexis

C33- Antoine & Karina

Habitat Garden Planted Under the Cherry Trees for EarthLove Day 2022: RI is an urban ecosystem project!

5/3/2022

The white throated sparrow was singing his joy and I am sure I heard the cherry trees thank us as we brought them new companion plants and tickled/aerated their little roots.

With Roosevelt Islanders help we have completely planted phase one for this lovely little habitat site. It takes a village and we are especially lucky in that regard. What a beautiful day it was to celebrate ecosystem connections and restore a little bit of ground with people of all ages! Thank you so much to RIOC and RI community and RIGC members for all the help.

Gratitude For another RI Habitat Planting - Phase 1 is complete after EarthLove Day 2022!