The Bronx is well known for its large parks. In fact, it has the largest green space of all New York City boroughs, at around 24% of its total area. But the problem is, there’s no one to take care of it all—most parks don’t even have a single gardener. All hope rests on dedicated charitable and volunteer organizations. This article from bronxname will tell you about one of them.
Conscious Youth, a Brighter Future
The Bronx is Blooming (BiB) was founded in the Bronx in 2011. Its goal is to develop and support a culture of environmental awareness in the borough. It’s about more than just taking care of local parks. In addition to the environmental aspect, the organization’s activities cover other important areas of life, as their main focus is on youth. Engaging kids in volunteer work, labor, education, and nature helps to keep them off the streets and away from questionable activities, which are common in the Bronx. BiB encourages young people to actively participate in civic life and strengthen their communities.
In 14 years, The Bronx is Blooming has mobilized over 24,000 volunteers, who have dedicated about 175,000 hours to various charitable programs and cared for more than 20,000 trees in 20 parks and green spaces across the Bronx.
BiB’s initiatives aren’t limited to park work. The organization also dedicates time to cleanup campaigns, combating water pollution, recycling, and other environmental issues.
Read about how the recycling system is organized in the Bronx here.
Fighting for Clean Air
Air pollution is a global problem. For the Bronx, it’s an especially painful issue, as the borough has the highest asthma-related mortality rate in the entire state—43.5 deaths per million residents—while the state average is only 13.1 per million, according to the New York Environmental Report.
BiB’s community gardening efforts help to improve air quality; new plantings and tree care in parks and on streets can significantly reduce pollution. It may seem like a drop in the ocean, but the ocean is made of drops. One mature tree absorbs over 48 pounds of carbon dioxide annually and releases beneficial oxygen. Trees play a vital role in cities. Besides balancing carbon dioxide and oxygen, they also:
- Absorb other harmful elements.
Dust and compounds like sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide collect on the surface of leaves. That’s why it always feels easier to breathe under a tree—its leaves trap dust particles and harmful microelements. The best trees for this job are poplars, oaks, and maples.
- Lower air temperature in hot weather.
It’s not just about the shade a tree provides. Trees draw a lot of moisture from the soil, which evaporates through their leaves. Thanks to transpiration (the evaporation of moisture through leaves), lower wind speeds, and relative humidity, a beneficial microclimate is created. These factors collectively affect the surrounding temperature, which is usually 2 degrees lower under a tree than the general temperature.
- Release volatile organic compounds.
These are called phytoncides. They can kill pathogenic microbes, many harmful fungi, affect multicellular organisms, and even kill insects. Phytoncides increase a person’s overall vitality and have a beneficial effect on the central and sympathetic nervous systems. Trees like cypress, maple, viburnum, magnolia, jasmine, white acacia, birch, alder, poplar, and willow have pronounced bactericidal properties.
The importance of The Bronx is Blooming’s work was recognized in September 2023 when the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the organization a $5 million grant. This support took BiB to a new level and contributed to the active development and growth of its influence. Under the terms of the grant, the total amount was distributed over five years, so the BiB team has $1 million annually at its disposal.
“This unprecedented investment will engage thousands of local students, Bronx youth, and diverse community partners in tree planting and care, equipping them with the tools to grow and support our urban community,” said Jenn Boogran, founder and executive director of The Bronx is Blooming.
Key BiB Programs
The Bronx is Blooming works through various programs: Grow, Revitalize, Engage, Educate, Nurture, and more. But the two main directions are the GREEN and PLACE programs.
The GREEN project focuses on small and remote parks in the Bronx that often suffer from a lack of staff and resources. Many of these parks don’t have a permanent gardener, which leads to their neglect. To solve this problem, GREEN curators train volunteers and students in the basics of community gardening and help them put their knowledge into practice.
The BiB team organizes community events on weekends, gives presentations at schools, and holds team-building activities for companies and university groups to engage as many people as possible and introduce them to the organization’s work. The Bronx is Blooming promotes the idea of shared responsibility, showing how everyone can impact their surroundings. The start is small: just clean up your yard and take care of at least one tree while enjoying the process.
PLACE is a youth leadership program. In addition to traditional principles and environmental goals, it aims to cultivate conscious, self-confident, and active leaders who will motivate society and promote certain ideas in the future. The PLACE program was founded in 2013. Since then, 250 young people have become leaders and respected representatives of their communities.
PLACE participants, under the guidance of mentors, gain practical skills in gardening and leadership. Students are divided into five groups and work in different parks, implement environmental projects, and become curators of their green spaces in the summer. As Jayden, a 2019 PLACE student, said, “Even though the work was hard at first, it became much easier for me when I realized how important our work is to the community.”
Another PLACE participant, Gabby, said, “I loved learning about my local environment! When I share that knowledge with my students, I can tell that I’m teaching them things they never thought of before. All their questions made me realize I’m helping them see their everyday world in a new and exciting way!”
Partnerships and Collaborations at Various Levels
To enrich the team’s experience, The Bronx is Blooming invites experts from various organizations, such as the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality, High Bridge Development Corporation, and New Settlement. Throughout the summer, BiB youth leaders actively participate in volunteer events, applying their new knowledge to effectively lead groups from schools, businesses, and community organizations in park restoration projects.
The PLACE program also provides participants with a path to higher education, coordinating them with college and university representatives. The Bronx is Blooming organizes tours of educational institutions for the most promising and successful participants of the PLACE program.
In a borough where only 19% of people over 25 have a higher education, these connections are crucial for the economic development of Bronx youth. By gaining practical experience, developing leadership skills, and learning professional competencies, program participants prepare for promising careers in environmental development or other fields. BiB’s regular educational partners include International Community High School, HERO High School, The Highbridge Green School, Luis Llorens Torres Children’s Academy, The Highbridge School, and Manhattan College.
The Bronx is Blooming also collaborates with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, environmental organizations like Trees New York and The Nature Conservancy, and workforce development organizations such as Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, Roads to Success, and United Activities Unlimited.
Read about another environmental organization in the Bronx here.