Brook Park in Mott Haven, Bronx

Enter Our Earth Month
Photo Contest

Help us celebrate NYC nature and bring attention to the underfunding of parks by entering our Earth Month photo contest! Just share photos on social media of your favorite park, playground, or green space with the hashtag #PlayFair. Tell us why the space matters to you, and make sure to include the name of the space and the borough.

The best photo overall will win a gift certificate for 2 people for an REI outdoor class or outing! Plus, the best photo from each borough will win a reusable water bottle, tote bags, and t-shirt. Find all details here. 

Parks are one of New York City's greatest environmental resources. They provide habitat for wildlife, clean our air, help mitigate climate change, and connect us with nature and each other. But the NYC Parks Department receives less than 1% of the City budget, leaving our parks and green spaces under threat!

Celebrate Earth Month by showing how important these spaces are to you, and why they need more funding. Share photos of your favorite parks and what they mean to you using the hashtag #PlayFair on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Make sure to include the name of the space and the borough.

The contest ends April 29, so start sharing your photos today!

The City Council Is Listening
Last week the City Council released their response to the Mayor's preliminary budget, and one thing is clear: they're listening to Play Fair! They included some of our key asks in their response, including permanently funding 150 park workers position. However, it still falls short of the entire $100 million that Play Fair calls for. Now that we know the City Council is listening it's time to raise our voices even more and tell the City to Play Fair!

Meet Our Daffodil Honorees
This spring, over 7.5 MILLION daffodils are blooming across the City, and it wouldn't be possible without our incredible volunteers. At our annual Daffodil Breakfast on April 23 we're honoring community groups and individuals from every borough. This year we are thrilled to honor New York Road Runners with the Lynden B. Miller Citywide Daffodil Award to recognize them for the success of their first “Planting Marathon” last fall. Meet the honorees.

Join Us at the Nature Goals Party this Thursday, 4/18
Celebrate NYC at the New York City Nature Goals 2050 party. Representatives from the more than 70 organizations in the Nature Goals coalition, including the Natural Areas Conservancy and New Yorkers for Parks, will share their vision for NYC, and an exciting announcement about the role of NYC Nature Goals 2050 in NYC policy! Light snacks and beer will be served. This event is free, but registration is required. RSVP.

Open Space Dialogues:
Complete Video Now Online
Did you miss our last Open Space Dialogues of the season? The complete video is now online! At Open Space Dialogues: Money Doesn't Grow on Trees practitioners and advocates explored options for ensuring that parks have have equitable and sustainable funding. It was a lively discussion with diverse - and sometimes opposing - views! Watch the video.

Other Events and Resources

GreenThumb 

The Municipal Art Society 

Natural Areas Conservancy

New York Restoration Project 

Partnerships for Parks

Transportation Alternatives 

The Trust for Public Land 

Waterfront Alliance