Volunteers are needed for the Gowanus Canal Conservancy’s August 22 Clean & Green, toclean up of the banks of the Gowanus Canal on Degraw Street off Nevins Street.
The work will begin at 10 a.m. with the construction and painting of bird and bat houses, which will later be installed near the canal, followed by 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. clean up and greening of Degraw and the nearby streets.
The project was developed in collaboration with the creators of the Canal Nest Colony, the people responsible for building the bright yellow bird houses installed in several locations by the canal. The bird houses the Conservancy will be building are for Eastern Blue Birds, Kestrels, and other species, all local inhabitants of the Gowanus Canal. Bats eat mosquitoes (some can eat as many as 1,200 per hour) and are an environmentally-friendly way to reduce the mosquito population.
Scrap lumber for the bird and bat houses is being provided by City Beautiful Carpentry and Bjork Carle Woodworking. The event is sponsored by Brooklyn Creative League and is offered in partnership with the NYC Parks Department and Partnership for Parks.
The conservancy is also partnering with the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation and Trees New York to offer Citizen Pruner Classes. Participants learn topics such as tree identification, tree biology, tree pit gardening, and tree pruning. Graduates of the Citizen Pruner Course are licensed by the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation and Trees New York to care for New York City street trees. NYC Parks is offering this special series through the Gowanus Canal Conservancy at the discounted rate of $90/person (regularly $100/person). This five-session course runs from September 2-23.
For a full schedule or to register, email volunteer@gowanuscanalconservancy.org or call 718-541-4378.
