New York Cares

Meets pressing community needs by mobilizing caring New Yorkers in volunteer service.

Revitalizing Public Spaces

Our Public Spaces programs give outdoor lovers the opportunity to take their passion for nature to greener and greater heights by beautifying public green spaces such as parks and gardens. We work side by side with the NYC Parks Department and other community partners to pick up debris, prune trees, plant flowers, remove weeds and invasive species, build garden beds, and more. We believe that New Yorkers in all five boroughs deserve access to clean and nurturing green spaces, gardens, and schools. See below for a selection of our Public Spaces projects! For a full list of upcoming projects, go to our search page. 

Animal Care and Composting at Earth Matter - Governors Island
Earth Matter NY

Ride the Governors Island Ferry to Governors Island....Read More

Governors Island, Manhattan
Urban Farming at New Roots Queens Community Farm
International Rescue Committee

Come help out at this exciting new IRC site!...Read More

Woodside, Queens
Compost with Big Reuse at the NYC Compost Project LIC
Big Reuse

Help keep food scraps out of landfills!...Read More

Long Island City, Queens
Garden Revitalization at PS 24 K
PS 24 K - The Dual Language School for International Studies

Get your green thumbs out and ready to go!...Read More

High-Need
Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Plumb Beach Cleanup with NYC H2O (Union Square Meetup)
NYC H2O

Walk the shoreline and help NYC H2O clean up Plumb Beach near Sheepshead Bay,...Read More

Family Friendly
High-Need
Union Square, Manhattan
Urban Farming with East New York Farms - Pink Houses Community Farm
United Community Centers

Help farmers grow fresh local produce for community members in need!

...Read More
High-Need
East New York, Brooklyn
Farm to Pantry: Urban Farming with Project Eats Frederick Douglass Farm
Project EATS

Help this community-run farm put fresh healthy produce on the menu this summe...Read More

Upper West Side, Manhattan
International Coastal Clean-Up Day on Randall's Island
Randall's Island Park Alliance

Help us clean the waterways and shorelines around Randall's Island....Read More

Randall's Island, Manhattan
Beautify Red Hook Parks
Red Hook Conservancy

Help maintain parks and other community green spaces in Red Hook, Brooklyn....Read More

Red Hook, Brooklyn
Garden at Tompkins Square Park
Tompkins Square Park

Help maintain this popular park in the middle of East Village that’s a perfec...Read More

East Village, Manhattan
Garden at Stuyvesant Cove Park
Stuyvesant Cove Park - Solar One

Green up a local park owned by Solar One along FDR Drive and the waterfront b...Read More

New Volunteer Friendly
Murray Hill, Manhattan
Compost at Red Hook Community Farm
Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Assist the largest community compost site in the United States that runs enti...Read More

New Volunteer Friendly
Red Hook, Brooklyn
Beautify Inwood Hill Park
Inwood Hill Park

Plant native plants, remove invasive plants, and clean up one of the city...Read More

Inwood, Manhattan
Urban Farming with East New York Farms - UCC Farm
United Community Centers

Help farmers grow fresh local produce for community members in need!

...Read More
Family Friendly
High-Need
East New York, Brooklyn
Garden with Project Harmony at the JD Wilson Garden
GreenThumb

Weed, do light construction, and general garden maintenance with Project Harm...Read More

Family Friendly
High-Need
Hamilton Heights, Manhattan

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