Green Teens Day Of Adventures at the Alley Pond Adventure Course

Yesterday, August 7 the Queens Greens had a day of fun at the Alley Pond Adventure Course. Thirty Green Teens from Al Oerter, Detective Keith Williams, Lost Battalion Hall, Roy Wilkins and Sorrention Recreation Centers came together to enjoy problem solving, team building and trying new activities. The obstacles ranged from floor excercises to 30 feet in the air. The Queens Green Teens worked together as a group and supported each other through difficult and sometimes terrifying challenges. At the beginning of the day some Green Teens were unwilling to try anything outside of their comfort zone. Thanks to the encouragement of the Alley Pond Adventure Course Staff and fellow Green Teens  everyone tried something new! Some brave Green Teens really suprised themselves but we all knew if they tried they would do great!

 

July 30 was another Wonderful Wednesday at a local community garden with the Justice Community and the Detective Keith Williams' Green Teens. It was a warm summer morning but luckily the work was in a shaded area. Ms Alberta shared her knowledge with the youth volunteers. Everyone worked together well and was proud to complete their assigned tasks. Although we saw worms, insects and bees there were no garden snakes. Maybe next week! Eight bags of debris were removed from the garden. There were many laughs and fun moments throughout the event.

Green Teens volunteer at local park and community garden in Jamaica, Queens.

On Wednesday morning July 23, the Green Teens were out improving their community. The Green Teens were busy helping at a local park and community garden. If you are interested in volunteering please send an email to  Green.Teens@parks.nyc.gov


Ready to work!



Team work makes any task easier!



5 Bags of litter and debis were removed from the graden.

During the hot summer days the garden need water to survive.



Turning th soil before planting.

Great planting by the Green Teens!

This section of soil was very hard and dry.

Everyone helped out!

Finished job! Looks fantastic!

Green Teens at Alley Pond Park

On June 27, 2014 the Green Teens volunteered with NAV ( Natural Area Volunteers). The Green Teens  removed invasives fom Alley Pond Park. The mudwart and porcelein berry had no chance against the Green Teens! The Green Teens became expert poison ivy spotters. After a  morning of work everyone enjoyed eating Subway for lunch!



All smiles after a day of volunteering!

A big job but someone has to tackle it!

Lessons of the day: 1)  Wear long pants when removing invasives!
2) Bug spray is a must!
 

 

Is that a chipmunk?

 

 



Yummy lunch for a great crew!

Green Teens pitch in at Harvey Park!

On April 5, the Green Teens were out early Saturday morning  helping  volunteers at Harvey Park. The ground was wet and the wind was howling but that did not stop the Green Teens. The Harvey Park annual  Pitch In For Parks Event was a big success thanks to the Green Teens. They raked and bagged leaves which were heavy,wet and soggy from the rain the night before. By the end of the event 270 bags of leaves were collected. They placed all 270 bags into a container to be taken out of the park.  It was a day full of hard work, laughs and snacks! The Green Teens and volunteers had a great time and Harvey Park looked fantastic. Adults and children alike were impressed in the Green Teens' dedication to community service. The Al Oerter Green Teens Rock!

Green Teen Design team visits Queens Greenhouse

On July 17th, the Al Oerter Green Teen Design team visited Queens Greenhouse in order to learn about plant care and design. Judy Mai, a green teen, shares her discoveries:
"Recently remodeled to incorporate technology, the greenhouse now uses computers to control the temperature in each room as well as heating pads to help seedlings germinate. In one room, wind would blow through the corrugated cardboard and become moist, and is later ventilated out on the other side. This creates a controlled environment that keeps air moving to prevent pests. The greenhouse goes by a golden rule policy where they try the least toxic method first to get rid of pests, avoiding the use of pesticides. Most of the plants being grown were annuals, which only have one year life cycles and are considered high maintenance.  However, these annuals consist of pretty flowers and are meant to be for show. Sally, a gardener there, showed us how they pot the seedlings. By collecting seeds, it becomes more cost effective. Perennials, on the other hand, are year round. When considering what to plant, one must look at the nature of the plants - bloom time, color, sun and shade tolerance, texture, use, etc."

Green Teens

Join us on May 18th, 2013, for the Marsh Island Restoration in Jamaica Bay!  NYC Audubon is enlisting volunteers to help the American Littoral Society plant Spartina grass (or "cord grass") in some of the habitat that was negatively affected by Hurricane Sandy.  This fast-growing grass will help prevent further erosion on marsh islands like Rulers Bar and Black Wall Marsh Island, and over time will bring back some much needed structure and buffering to the bay.

This is a great opportunity for volunteers to learn about saltmarsh ecology, as well wildlife and habitat management, right here in NYC. 

If you are interested in joining this effort, please email Nancy Cordova at Nancy.Cordova@parks.nyc.gov to register.
 

Additional Project Dates:

Sun May 19 @ 9:00AM - 01:00PM

Sat May 25 @ 11:00AM - 03:00PM

Sun May 26 @ 12:00PM - 04:00PM
Sun Jun 02 @ 10:30AM - 01:30PM