A Dirty, Dusty, Yet Delightful Tree-Hugging Day at Prospect Park

On a sunny Sunday, October 20th 2024 in Brooklyn, a motley crew from Fountain House — Deborah, Jenny, Arlene, and me — ventured to the corner of Parkside and Ocean avenues, determined to spruce up the trees around Prospect Park. The Prospect Park Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to the park’s upkeep, had organized the event, and we were just four of the 30-odd folks gathered for a day of weed-wrangling and tree-tending.

The Alliance truck finally arrived, packed with an assortment of tools: garbage bags, gloves, knee cushions, and trowels that looked straight out of an action movie (seriously, Rambo would be proud). There were also wheelbarrows, shears sharp enough to leave a digit behind if you weren’t careful, reacher-grabbers for trash duty, and garden forks for soil aeration. Yep, we were equipped to give these trees a full spa day.

Our mission was simple: maintain the street trees along Parkside and Ocean avenues. This meant weeding without destroying roots, removing garbage, and giving the soil a good old-fashioned aeration. We were also warned about those dreaded tree root barriers — the tough, threaded tarps that some cities put around tree bases. Though intended to manage roots and protect sidewalks, these barriers could sometimes backfire, stunting root growth and making the trees cranky. Our job was to snip them off whenever possible to let those roots breathe easy again.

Now, let’s talk about the action.

Deborah, who wisely claimed “bad knees” as her reason to avoid the bending and crouching, took on garbage duty. Armed with her reacher-grabber in one hand and a garbage bag in the other, she scoured the area with the precision of a hawk. Jenny initially tried weeding but quickly swapped to the trash team. Arlene, on the other hand, became the queen of weeding. I mean, this woman contorted herself into such impressive angles, she could’ve started an impromptu twerk show. When I asked if her back was okay, she proudly declared it “excellent” — much better than mine, that’s for sure.

Of course, navigating through dog poo and discarded takeout wasn’t exactly glamorous, but we all embraced the community spirit. As wheelbarrows full of mulch rolled by, it became clear that despite the dirt and sweat, we were having a blast. I took every opportunity to hug the trees — they looked like they needed reassurance that these strange humans meant well. Who knew that cleaning up could be so therapeutic?

By the end, the trees had their fresh mulch blankets, the weeds were no more, and we all left a little dirtier and a lot happier. Even Beka from Fountain House showed up with his wife and their adorable dog to cheer us on — a perfect end to the day!

As a gentle reminder: if you’re walking your dog, please pick up after them. No tree needs a poo surprise, and neither do we! And remember to toss your trash in the bins, folks.

All in all, this “Peers in Person” (PIP) event was a success, and we’re already looking forward to the next one. If you want to join us for some tree-hugging fun in November, give me a call! My number is 929-884-3564 or [email protected]