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New York City Parks Dept. and Advocates Announce Organic Demonstration Sites Following Passage of Law
(Beyond Pesticides, June 1, 2023) Eco-Friendly Parks for All (EFPA)*, a partnership of environmental, public health and political action organizations, has teamed up with Beyond Pesticides, New York City Parks and Recreation Department, and Stonyfield Organic Yogurt to celebrate the success of pilot organic land management programs at eight sites across the five boroughs. The demonstration programs**, directed by Beyond Pesticides board member and nationally recognized natural turf expert Chip Osborne, were initiated by the coalition after the city council adopted new legislation on Earth Day in 2021 prohibiting the use of chemical pesticides on all New York City parks.
“We are excited to be working with the City of New York on organic land management practices that protect community health and the environment, and support efforts to mitigate climate change and biodiversity decline,” said Jay Feldman, Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides. “Organic practices such as those being used in these demonstration sites eliminate fossil fuel petroleum-based products and sequester atmospheric carbon in the soil, combating the climate crisis. It’s a win for the city, the public and the environment.”
The new law Intro 1524, required to be fully implemented by the fall of 2022, restricts pest management products to those compatible with organic systems, which eliminates synthetic weed killers like glyphosate (Roundup), tied to cancer by the World Health Organization, and bee-toxic insecticides like neonicotinoids, which have been prohibited by many communities and countries.
The demonstration sites are part of Beyond Pesticides’ nationwide Parks for a Sustainable Future program, with the long-term goal of adopt organic practices that rely on methods and products that support soil biology and soil health, while beautifying parks and playing fields by strengthening the grass plants to be better able to stand up to the stress associated with use. In New York City, the program also features the use of compost from the city’s Sanitation Department, which can provide valuable nutrients to park grounds and reduce the cost of fertilizer.
Join the press conference held today, June 1, 2023, on the baseball field at Morningside Park in Harlem at 11 AM EDT (Manhattan Ave and W 112 St). [Flyer] Beyond Pesticides will be there as an exhibitor to celebrate pesticide-free park management and demonstrate how organic techniques can work in NYC.
A few words from EFPA members and stakeholders:
- “We are proud of the significant reduction in pesticide use at Parks, and our collaboration on this pilot with Eco-friendly Parks for All will further demonstrate what can be achieved through our continued and expanded use of sustainable landscaping practices,” said NYC Parks Deputy Commissioner for Environment and Planning Jennifer Greenfeld.
- “The Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center applauds the implementation of this legislation as a major victory for children’s health. Outdoor play and access to green spaces is essential to health and well-being – all families have a right to safe, pesticide-free parks.” said Sarah Evans, PhD, Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
- “It’s critical that municipal governments take these positive steps forward to make our parks safer for people and our cities more sustainable,” said Patti Wood, executive director of Grassroots Environmental Education, one of the Coalition’s founding members. “We’re hoping this will help convince other cities across the country that they can do it too!”
- Bertha Lewis, Founder and President of The Black Institute said, “This initiative not only benefits the environment, but it also addresses environmental justice by ensuring that our Black and Brown communities have access to safe, healthy, and sustainable parks. We’re working together to create a better future for all New Yorkers, regardless of their background, by promoting organic land management practices that protect our people.”
- Paula Rogovin, NYC public school teacher for 44 years (now retired) said, “It is a joy of a lifetime to see this law, introduced in 2015 on behalf of my kindergarten students from PS 290, coming to fruition. No one is too young or too old to advocate for a better world for all.”
- “Stonyfield is pleased to collaborate and support the city’s efforts as a leader in sustainability and now organic land management with demonstration sites that serve as an opportunity to adopt practices that meet the environmental and health challenges of our time,” said Mairead Dunphy-Fabrycki, Public Relations Manager, Stonyfield Organic Yogurt, which helped underwrite the costs of the pilot program.
- “Eco-friendly lawn care takes a responsible approach to maintaining our green spaces, including parks like Pelham Bay Park. The use of pesticides can have harmful effects on our environment and the health of humans and animals. By adopting eco-friendly practices, we can promote the growth of healthy parks and green spaces without compromising the health of our community,” said New York City Council Member Marjorie Velázquez. “These practices not only protect our environment but also contribute to the resilience and sustainability of our communities for generations to come. ”
- “By embracing sustainable practices, families can enjoy the beauty of our parks without it being a health hazard. We support Eco-Friendly Parks for All and The Black Institute in ensuring New York City parks are safe and sustainable.” said New York City Council Member Darlene Mealy.
- “Parks are invaluable public resources that help us maintain the health of our communities,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams. “It’s important that our parks and public spaces utilize eco-friendly practices so that New Yorkers can enjoy them for generations to come. These sustainable measures to ban chemical pesticides in our parks, as passed by the City Council in 2021, are important to ensuring that our city is accessible. I thank Eco-Friendly Parks for All for their work to protect our communities and our city’s natural biodiversity.”
What can we do?
It is critically important to educate ourselves and our communities on not only the hazards associated with cosmetic lawn care pesticides, but the availability of alternative practices and products. Check out Beyond Pesticides’ 40 Commonly Used Lawn Pesticides factsheet and infographic, as well as alternatives for safer lawn care, myths about organic playing field management, and stopping systemic environmental racism in New York City parks.
Now, with your help, it is time to take this work to the next level. Sign up to be a Parks Advocate!
You do not have to be an expert on landscaping management, or the health effects of every pesticide used on playing fields. What you do need to know is that children are being unnecessarily exposed to chemicals that can impair their health, and a safer, proven way exists.
Steps you can take: Determine whether your state, school or community has a law or policy governing pesticide usage in and around schools, or on public lands. Find out if, and how well, it is being implemented and you do not have a law, call for an organic land care policy in your community. Petition the school and the town parks department to convert the playing fields to organic care and require that the grounds maintenance director, or contracted professional, be trained in organic land care.
For more information, please contact Beyond Pesticides at [email protected]
*Eco-Friendly Parks for All founding members include Beyond Pesticides, The Black Institute, Grassroots Environmental Education, Children’s Environmental Health Center, at Mount Sinai Institute for Exposomic Research, (Icahn School of Medicine) and Voters for Animal Rights.
**Demonstration sites include Bronx—Claremont Park, Mapes Playground (Jacobo Field); Brooklyn—Canarsie Park (cricket field) and Lincoln Terrace; Manhattan—Morningside Park; Queens —Rufus King Park; Staten Island—Rev. Dr. Maggie Howard Playground and Mahoney Playground.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
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