The Bronx is Blooming, a non-profit organization actively working to address long-standing environmental injustices in the Bronx, is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a $5 million Urban & Community Forestry grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, through funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.
This award is a testament to The Bronx is Blooming’s unwavering commitment to community-driven park revitalization and ecological restoration for more than a decade. These funds will bolster the organization’s youth development and tree stewardship programs over the next five years, helping to address long-standing environmental and health inequities related to air quality, excessive heat and park access, while creating economic opportunities, building community capacity to care for urban forests and increasing climate resilience.
The award was announced on Sept. 14.
“The Bronx is Blooming is honored to receive this $5 million grant from the USDA Forest Service. This unprecedented investment will engage thousands of local students, Bronx youth, and diverse community partners in tree planting and stewardship, equipping them with the tools to grow and support our urban canopy,” said Jenn Beaugrand, founder and executive director of the nonprofit. “We are incredibly excited about the opportunities this grant will create for our community to come together to give Bronx green spaces the love and care they deserve.”
The funds from this grant will be used to directly engage Bronx residents in caring for their urban tree canopy through expanded community outreach, environmental education programming and stewardship opportunities in communities around the borough. It will also help by supporting the next generation of urban forest stewards by offering more school-based education for K-12 students and by providing job training, certifications and employment opportunities for more than 1,000 Bronx youth, to foster interest in forestry and create pathways to careers in the green economy. The funding will create greener, healthier and more climate resilient neighborhoods by planting thousands of new trees in the Bronx, to mitigate long-standing environmental injustices related to air pollution, extreme temperatures and access to green space. And also establish a network of community tree stewards in Highbridge through partnerships with schools, property owners and community organizations, to demonstrate how community-driven forestry efforts can transform a neighborhood.
To advance these efforts, The Bronx is Blooming will collaborate with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, citywide environmental organizations including Trees New York, The Nature Conservancy; workforce development organizations including Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, Roads to Success and United Activities Unlimited; community development organizations including High Bridge Development Corporation and New Settlement; local schools and colleges including International Community High School, HERO High School, The Highbridge Green School, Luis Llorens Torres Children’s Academy, The Highbridge School and Manhattan College; as well as many other important partners and supporters.
For more information about The Bronx is Blooming and its programs, please visit www.bronxisblooming.org.
For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
