Join Sustainable Flatbush & Friends for Greening Flatbush 2012

Greening Flatbush 2011, by Sustainable Flatbush, on Flickr.

Roll up your sleeves and prepare to get dirty–and meet some neighbors–at the 4th annual Greening Flatbush: Garden Where You Are from Sustainable Flatbush at the Flatbush Reformed Church this Sunday, March 25 at 2pm. Anne Pope, Sustainable Flatbush founder and executive director, says that this year will bring more organizations, more hands-on activities, and, for the first time, the event will end with a community meal.

When Sustainable Flatbush first hosted Greening Flatbush, the idea was to broaden the neighborhood’s ideas about gardening. Since then, several new groups have been formed that focus on specific greening initiatives–like Compost for Brooklyn and the Newkirk Cares Collaborative–so Greening Flatbush is now able to gather those groups, and others from around the city, and create a unique event where neighbors can find a project that can help you become more involved in making your community greener.

“We’re at a new level where these grassroots activities are starting to thrive in our community,” Anne said. “This type of event that we’re doing, on this scale, is not something that’s been done in the neighborhood before. With so many things happening, we just want to bring it all together so people can plug into it.”

About 30 organizations will be at Greening Flabtush 2012, including two CSAs, several tree care organizations, some involved in innovative gardening projects, and many more. You’ll be able to ask questions, learn about what they’re doing, and in many cases, do some hands-on projects right on the spot.

Additional interactive programming is scheduled, including a couple of workshops from Sustainable Flatbush–one explores ways to use solar power in community gardens and backyards, and another about composting. Their compost bins at the Church Avenue Communal Garden collected over a ton of waste last year, between food scraps collected from Flatbush Farm Share members as part of their compost pilot project and leaves from Project Leaf Drop, and they hope to increase that collection this year. They began open hours earlier this year on Saturdays from 11am-1pm, and will start a push so more people in the area know the composting site is there.

“We want more people to be involved in what we’re doing,” Anne said. “It’s a great location, since there’s no regular community compost drop-off in that area.”

The resulting compost is about to be used in the garden as part of their spring planting. You’ll have a chance to see what’s going on around the church this Sunday, when Chris Kreussling, aka Flatbush Gardener, gives a tour of the native plants garden.

The increased regular presence at the church garden and compost site, in addition to the series of Saturday community meals that started at the church with a January meal from Sustainable Flatbush, has helped gain some notice among parishioners.

“Just as we’re trying to get more people from the surrounding neighborhood involved, we’re working on getting the church members more involved as well,” Anne said, adding that Reverend Dan Ramm and Associate Minister Cheri Kroon have been great supporters.

For the first time, Sustainable Flatbush will be honoring a local organization for their successful greening efforts. The 300 East 25th Street Block Association will be awarded, and they’ll also present a workshop about gardening as a tool for community engagement. Neighbor Sheryll Durrant of Sustainable Flatbush, who along with Kady Ferguson have been instrumental in helping organize Greening Flatbush 2012, will be a part of the workshop as well.

As Greening Flatbush winds down, participatory community art will continue as Colombian folkloric group Gaitambo plays and the gymnasium is transformed into a dining room for a community meal. David Cohen of Sustainable Flatbush will be preparing an Indian-influenced Vegan meal, using ingredients from the Flatbush Food Co-op and Barry’s Tempeh, along with vegetable stock that will be made throughout the day at their info table.

“We want to demonstrate how to eat food that’s healthy and delicious and not expensive to prepare,” Anne said.

With so much going on at Greening Flatbush 2012, there’s bound to be something for everyone. And Sustainable Flatbush hopes you’ll stop by and find some way to collaborate with neighbors.

“This is a great chance to show people what were doing here, help them find something they can get involved with,” she said.

Check the Sustainable Flatbush website this week for updates about the organizations, demonstrations, and food that will be at Greening Flatbush 2012. Please RSVP if you can so they know how many people are coming. There is a suggested donation of $10 for event and meal.