Marine Park is mad about mulching.
The tree-lined community had the undue distinction of chipping down nearly one third of the Christmas trees sent to Brooklyn shredders during the city’sMulchFest 2010 earlier this month.
Marine Park residents brought 2,164 trees to the Avenue U green space to be recycled during the weekend event, where firs, pines and spruces were reduced to woodchips.
Marine Park was responsible for 29 percent of the 7,477 trees mulched in Brooklyn, which had the second highest number in the five boroughs. King of the mulch heap was Manhattan, which cut down 10,533 trees.
All told, 23,615 trees were mulched throughout the five boroughs — the highest in the city’s history.
“New Yorkers helped the city stay green by bringing their Christmas trees for chipping at Parks’ annual MulchFest,” explained Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “By recycling their Christmas trees, New Yorkers support the environment and the MillionTreesNYC initiative by providing wood chips that help trees, flowers and shrubs grow.”
Residents were asked to take as much mulch as they could for their own tree-pits, gardens and planting beds.
Mulch was still available for the taking at the park, members of Community Board 18’s Parks Committee was told Wednesday.
The remainder would be used by the city Parks Department for their trees and gardens.
Area residents were all smiles over the achievement, especially if one considers that 80 locations throughout the city were deemed mulch centers.
Yet some wondered if Marine Park was cooking the books, or should we say bark.
“Two-thousand of those trees probably belonged to the guy who was selling them there this Christmas,” Community Board District Manager Dottie Turano joked when told of the news.
