Outside of Grace Exhibition Space: 182 Avenue C, Between 11/12th streets

4:30 pm  Kids: Run the Obstacle Course Challenge: painted decorated boxes become an obstacle for a children’s race course. Lead by runner & passionate health advocate Harry B. Lichtenstein.  

6:00pm Wellness: Herbal Class with Noreen Kelly, ND Free Medicinal Herbal Class.  We will learn how to identify medicinally viable plants, determine what is a “weed”, examine the traditional uses of these plants, look at some of the current science, and then make a tea.  All are welcome. https://www.naturopathnyc.com/

:30pm Social Protecting Wilderness: Ancient Forests and Our Future Breaths Learn about an ancient wild forest in the Yaak Valley, Montana – “the lungs of this continent” – that is under threat of being cut and sold for profit. – Write your own imaginings of what the forest has to teach us in our current age of fires – Create a silk wildflower that is native to the Yaak Valley that will be part of the body and organs of a 10-foot puppet installed in this forest.  – Integrate embodied artistic practice, political advocacy and community action.

Also Friday, Oct 1 at 182 Ave C & Saturday, Oct 2 at El Jardin Del Paraiso at 4th /5th between C&D

De Colores Community Yard & Cultural Center, 8th St (Aves B & C)

6:30 pm PERFORMANCE: Tim Cusack’s “I Ping the Body Electric” reimagines Walt Whitman’s iconic ode to the human anatomy from the perspective of a 50-something, HIV-positive gay man. This solo dance-theatre piece, co-created with director Patrice Miller, foregrounds Cusack’s queer, aging, “diseased” bodily presence as the focus of the performance, in the process disrupting and challenging normative valuations concerning “masculinity,” “youth,” and “health.” 

La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez (Ave C & 9th St)

FILMS 6pm “GARBAGIA” RT: 10 minutes, Or how the trash was one.

9C Garden, corner of Avenue C & 9th St)

CALLING ALL ARTISTS

LUNGS (Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens) is inviting all artists to paint your masterpiece in public on the fences of community gardens in the East village and Lower East Side.

Join us in “Art Around the Hood,” Saturday, June 5, Noon to 5pm.

as part of GreenThumb’s Open Gardens Day. We supply the canvas, you supply the paint and the talent. Make your statement, show your true colors  Sign up at  info@lungsnyc.org

20 Community Gardens are participating in Art around the Hood

LaGuardia Corner Gardens, 511 LaGuardia Place, Houston & Bleecker Sts

Petit Versailles, 247 E. 2nd St, B & C

Peachtree Garden, 221 E. 2rd St, B & C

Jardin Los Amigos, 221 E. 3rd St, B & C

Parque de Tranquilidad, 314 E. 4th St, C & D

El Jardin del Paraiso, 305 E.4^th ST, C & D

6 & B Garden, 84 Ave B, 5th & 6th Sts.

6BC Botanical Garden, 624 E.6th St, B & C

Carmens’ Garden, 17 Ave C, 7th & 8th Sts

DeColores, 313 E. 8th St, B & C

Firemen’s, 360 E 8th St, C & D

Green Oasis, 370 E.8^th ST, C & D

LaPlaza Cultural, 674 E.9^th ST, corner of C

9C Garden, 144 Ave C, corner of 9th St

11BC Serenity Garden, 626 E.11^TH ST, B &C

East Side Outside, 415 E 11th St, 1st & A

El Sol Brillante, 522–528 E 12th St, A & B

Campos Garden, 644 E.12^th ST, B & C

Vamos Sembrar, 197 Avenue B St, 12th & 13th Sts

Dias y Flores, 520 E. 13th St, A & B

There more events in various community gardens throughout the day, stay tuned to stay up to date.

We are starting the CSA this Sunday if you are interested.
It’s still $10 a bag, is open to anyone and the fresh produce comes from the Acevedos Family Farm of Orange county.

Pickup is at DeColores Community Garden, 313 E.8th St between B & C between 1-3pm
If you’d like you can prepay with Paypal: csa@lungsnyc.org

Please let us know if you would like to sign up.
thanks

Because of the Corona pandemic, community gardens are closed by order of GreenThumb, effective immediately “and until further notice community gardens may remain open or closed to garden members only at the discretion of each garden group, and only for absolutely necessary maintenance and season preparation.“

This is in the best interest of everyone, we must protect each other and stay safe. Gardeners know well enough how to give each other space but you never know how interaction with the public may be dangerous given the current crisis.

There is no guidance to what constitutes “absolutely necessary maintenance and season preparation” but it would seem that this would include protecting, nourishing and watering plants.

However, last week it was announced that “Parks was directed by GreenThumb to not turn on internal water at unlicensed gardens.  Internal water access (along with deliveries and supply and plant distributions) is another form of material assistance that is not available to gardens that are unlicensed .“

In the midst of a global health emergency this is of grave concern.

This license impasse began last April. Since September the Parks Department has refused to meet with us to negotiate. We believe these issues can be resolved. We have been acting in good faith. We want to get back to gardening.

On March 13, at the City Council Parks budget hearing Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver was presented with a petition signed by more then 500 folks asking the Department to return to negotiations. Please join us and sign the petition below and share it with your friends and neighbors.

At the hearing, Commissioner Silver agreed to have the Parks Department meet with garden groups to discuss the license. See the video of the hearing HERE.

However, no meeting has yet to take place or be scheduled. Now is it the Parks Department policy to deny water in the midst of a public health emergency?

Surely this is a bureaucratic misunderstanding or oversight. We implore GreenThumb to correct this policy immediately, there is too much at stake

We have watched as GreenThumb’s tactics have devolved into threats, intimidation and reprisals. Now they are turning off the water?

Retribution is not an appropriate public policy. We have legitimate concerns about the GreenThumb license which many find confusing and repressive.

LUNGS and the New York City Community Garden Coalition (NYCCGC) are asking you to join us and support our efforts to correct the GreenThumb License Agreement. We have been trying to bring the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Mayor’s Office, and the Office of the Corporation Counsel back to the table to negotiate in good faith and resolve the outstanding issues in order to achieve a fair and just GreenThumb community garden License. We have been requesting a meeting since September and gotten no response.

The program has been an extraordinary example of a City agency working hand and hand with 10,000 volunteers. Now these gardeners who steward city property are being denied a voice.

We also urge our elected officials to support the thousands of volunteers who have spent years working for to improve their communities and enhance the health and well being of their people.

The Rally on the steps of City Hall for a fair GreenThumb license on September 19 was a great success.

We were very heartened by the support many of our elected officials who stood with the community gardeners
Our thanks go to State Senator Brad Hoylman, Assemblyman Harvey Epstein, City Council Members Peter Koo, Mark Levine and Carlina Rivera.