A Parks employee holds a small bag of mulch at a previous Mulchfest. Image Credit: Parks Dept.
On January 17, 2023, the Department of Parks and Recreation announced the results of the most recent Mulchfest, where the agency collected live Christmas trees that were recycled into mulch to be used for mulching plant beds and community gardens across the city. According to the agency, 58,309 trees were collected for this year’s Mulchfest.
Mulchfest ran from December 26 through January 8. There were 73 drop-off sites citywide. Thirty-four sites were “chipping” sites, where New Yorkers could bring trees to be mulched in person and take home a bag of mulch for free. The sites citywide that mulched the most trees were:
- Bronx: Co-Op City, with 2,020 trees
- Brooklyn: Marine Park, with 3,404 trees
- Manhattan: Carl Schurz Park with 2,340 trees
- Queens: Hunter’s Point South Park with 668 trees
- Staten Island: Clove Lakes Park with 320 trees
The mulch helps maintain the health of plants and trees by retaining moisture, preventing compaction, adding nutrients, deterring weeds, and keeping roots warm.
Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue stated, “I’m thrilled to announce that New Yorkers have gone above and beyond in their tree-cycling efforts this year and set a new Mulchfest record. Thank you to everyone who made this event happen and contributing to our city’s sustainability efforts. Here’s to breaking the record again at Mulchfest 2024!”
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the CityLaw fellow and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)