'Green Fort Greene & Clinton Hill' Underway

Council Member Tish James and Attorney Jed Marcus held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to announce the new Green Fort Greene & Clinton Hill spring greening initiatives.

They were joined by students from the Academy for Young Writers (AYW) and other elected officials and community members. AYW students helped conduct research and outreach on several of the green initiatives.

Green Fort Green & Clinton Hill is a volunteer organization, which is helping to make our neighborhoods more environmentally friendly through programs which focus on reducing our community's contribution to global warming as well as our use of non-renewable resources.

Other subjects discussed at the press conference include recycling in local parks: this project is taking place on a pilot basis in Fort Greene Park, Cuyler Gore Park, as well as Underhill Playground. Bins will be placed first for paper, and then for bottles and cans later this month. Lawn Litter Act signs: GFGCH is distributing free waterproof signs to prevent unwanted paper waste and to encourage businesses to promote themselves in a more green way, such as through their websites. Tree bed expansions: in order to maintain the health of trees that line the streets of Fort Greene/Clinton Hill - GFGCH with Council Member James want to expand tree beds to 50 square feet. This project called Take Back the Pavement will create longer living trees and more shade, safer sidewalks, as well as jobs for the community.