Downtown Parks Are Abloom with Earth Day Activities. Here's Where.

In April 1998, Friends of City Hall Park weeded and planted the formerly neglected park. Organized in 1996 by Skip Blumberg, the group continues—along with the City Hall Park Conservancy—to be stewards of the park. This month they are sponsoring a host of "Tree Days in City Hall Park" activities along with more cleaning and gardening. Photo: Carl Glassman/Tribeca Trib 

Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22, but the celebrations in Lower Manhattan parks are hardly limited to that one day, or just one way. Here is a roundup of what’s happening and, in some of these jewels of green spaces, how you can volunteer to make them even better.

CITY HALL PARK

Many events, from Friday April 18 to Wednesday April 30, are part of “Tree Days in City Hall Park,” including tree and garden plantings, chalk drawing, lectures, nature walks, music and more. Join the park’s “Spring Cleaning and Gardening” on Saturday April 26 from 9 am to 12 pm. Meet at Jacob Wrey Gould Fountain. Go here [1] for a complete schedule. Sponsored by Friends of City Hall Park and City Hall Park Conservancy.

HUDSON SQUARE

Volunteers participate in a tree data collection project that will use neighborhood trees as a “living research lab.” Data from the measurements of tree diameters and stormwater absorption of pavers is meant to contribute to a future report published by Hudson Square BID, which can inform urban environmental strategies across New York City and beyond. Meet at  Freeman Plaza West [2], Hudson Street between Broome Street & Watts Street. Tuesday, April 22, 12 to 2 pm and 3 to 5 pm. Sponsored by the Hudson Square BID.

WASHINGTON MARKET PARK

Plant bulbs with Richie, the park’s gardener on Saturday, April 26, from 10:30 am to 12 pm. Trowels and children’s gardening gloves will be provided. Garbage bags and plastic gloves will be available to adults who want to help beautify the park by picking up microlitter from the park beds. Greenwich and Duane Streets. Sponsored by Friends of Washington Market Park.

GOTHAM PARK

Located on Rose Street beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, the park celebrates Earth Day on Saturday, April 26, from 9 am to 1:30 pm with Chinese dance and Kung Fu classes, planting and park cleanup. Go here [3] for the schedule and to reserve a spot.

DUANE PARK

In honor of Earth Day, a mobile shredder will be at the park on Sunday, April 27 from 10 am to 2 pm. And on Saturday, May 10, from 10-12 pm, kids can plant succulents—to the sound of live music. Duane and Hudson Streets. Sponsored by Friends of Duane Park. 

GOVERNORS ISLAND

On Colonels Row celebrate Earth Day on Saturday April 19, 10 am to 3 pm, with free activities for all ages including guided walking tours, an island-wide scavenger hunt, seedball workshops, climate tech demos and music. Also featured is the popup nature exhibit, which organizers say will include rocks, feathers, bones, moss and water samples, a nature sounds listening station and instructions about techniques of biological drawing. Go here [4] for a schedule of activities. Sponsored by the Trust for Governors Island.

BOGARDUS PLAZA

Earth Day will be celebrated with a live performance of songs in English and French by the group Blue Dahlia, led by singer-songwriter and ukulelist Dahlia Dumont [5] on Saturday, April 26 from 3 to 4:30 pm. Hudson Street, between Chambers and Reade. Sponsored by Friends of Bogardus Plaza