Join us for our Spring Awakening Celebration Saturday. April 20. We are meeting at 11:30am at El Sol Brillante, 522 E.12th St between A & B. Our parade steps off at Noon with our Tree Goddess, Batala, Stiltwalkers and more. 

The parade will travel east on 12th St, south on Avenue C, west of E.6th St, north on Avenue A and enter Tompkins Square Park at 7th St, meander through the park and end on Avenue B and 9th St.

There will be many greening groups representing on Avenue B.
From 2–4 pm free pony rides will be available for kids.

At 2:30 on Avenue B Isabel Estrada-Jamison’s group will perform Afro-Cuban folklore and Rumba.

From 3:00–4:30 pm a garden tour will be led by Magali Regis, meeting at 9th St & Ave B.

There are other Spring Awakening events happening in various gardens throughout the day. This schedule is still in flux, so these times are approximations.

At 1:30pm, DeColores, 311 E.8th St ( B & C) is hosting a meeting to introduce the migrants to the community gardens, followed by a short tour of the gardens.

La Plaza Cultural ( SW corner of 9th & C)

2 PM: Elika Healing Bowls

2:30 PM : Bubblez

3pm Poetry featuring Sparrow, Truffles, David Carter, Flip Marinovich, Jill Rappaport and Bob Holman

4pm  : Christopher Thomas

430pm : Bartho

5PM Open Jam with Ali Bishop (from the HAven Jam)

6 pm NORY

6:30 Sylvain Leroux & Sources

7:30 Kid Java

Lower Eastside Girls Club

Here is the RSVP link, to the Planetarium Shows but walk-ins are OK.

Pancho’s Garden (formerly 9C garden, NE corner of 9th & C) will have a memorial for gardeners who passed away in the last year, hosted by GreenThumb.
2023 In Memoriam for GreenThumb community gardeners who passed away at Francisco “Pancho” Ramos Community Garden

UPDATES to Follow!!!

Two bills have been introduced in the New York State Legislature for a vote – calling for community gardens to be designated as Critical Environmental Areas. 
Both bills have the same wording and purpose which read in part as follows: 

Requires the community gardens task force [of the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets] to conduct an assessment of all community gardens located on publicly owned land in the state to facilitate each garden’s designation as a critical environmental area. 

A Critical Environmental Area (CEA) is a geographic area with exceptional or unique character with respect to one or more of the following: 

• a benefit or threat to human health; 
• a natural setting such as fish and wildlife habitat, forest and vegetation, open space, and areas of important aesthetic or scenic quality; 
• agricultural, social, cultural, historic, archeological, recreational, or educational values; or 
• an inherent ecological, geological, or hydrological sensitivity that may be adversely affected by any change. 

On Monday,  the State Senate passed CEA Bill S629A.

Now Assembly Bill A4139A is before the members of the State Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee.

Assembly Bill A4139A calls for a regulatory Process by which community gardens can be officially designated as CEAs.

When passed this will raise the “environmental impact review process” bar in order to help preserve & protect community gardens as CEAs. 

Both bills have the same wording and purpose which read in part as follows: 

Requires the community gardens task force [of the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets] to conduct an assessment of all community gardens located on publicly owned land in the state to facilitate each garden’s designation as a critical environmental area. 

The State Senate bill was sponsored by State Senator Leroy Comrie. He represents the 14th Senatorial District of Queens 

The State Assembly bill (A4139A) is sponsored by State Assemblymember Donna A. Lupardo and co-sponsored by State Assemblymember Steven B. Raga. 

Assemblymember Lupardo is the Chair of the Agriculture Committee She represents the 123rd Assembly District, which includes  Binghamton,  Vestal, and Union, the villages of Johnson City,  and Endicott 

LupardoD@nyassembly.gov

Assemblymember Raga represents the 30th Assembly District of Woodside, Elmhurst, Maspeth, Jackson Heights, Astoria, and Middle Village. 

ragas@nyassembly.gov

The Assembly bill A4139A is currently in the committee review phase before the very powerful Assembly Ways and Means Committee. This is the link where you can see information regarding the status of the Assembly bill: 

Please visit by email, phone or in person, the members of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, including the Committee Chair, Helene E. Weinstein, in order to communicate yoursupport for the Critical Environmental Areas Designation of community gardens along  

PROTECT COMMUNITY GARDENS 

Contact members of the Ways and Means Committee and tell them why you support this effort to protect the gardens and why the New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee should vote in favor of the bill. The members of the Ways and Means Committee can be found HERE