Learning about solar power

Even more, contacting them was easy, and Anne Pope’s reply was unlike any other I’d received. Previous responses were curt and to the point, businesslike and impersonal, demanding only a CV. Instead, Anne, the director of Sustainable Flatbush, seemed thrilled, asking about my hobbies, education and general interests, meaning about me and not about what I have accomplished on paper. This felt nice, and though I feel accomplished “on paper”, it strikes me as impersonal and insufficient as a summary of self.

I finally met with Anne in late August and accompanied her to a meeting with her colleagues. Diving right into the non-profit institution, I was caught off guard. The people: everything from what is an advisory board, its responsibilities and powers, who actually comprises it in this case, the volunteers, who to thank for the website (Keka), who stewards the garden? The politics: the sources of funding, how to appropriate them, when to ask and for which events? The non-profit: how to declare it and how to run it? The community: how to communicate, receive ideas, make decisions, give answers, accommodate constituents? All in all, a fascinating and endless list of how a seemingly small and local organization copes with complex questions and negotiates its purpose in a local context.

A week or so later we were in the midst of preparing for the Flatbush Frolic as Sustainable Flatbush was hosting the Environmental Fair at the function. This was my first experience writing for the public, promoting an event to a community, and it’s a lot more work than it seems. I spent the day writing and rewriting the blurbs and press releases for our upcoming events. I was becoming overwhelmed and flustered, but by the end of the day a deep satisfaction set in when the script was deemed worthy and catapulted through the virtual world. I was now prepared to actually attend the events that I had researched and written about for days!

The Environmental Fair at the Flatbush Frolic was my first time witnessing Sustainable Flatbush interacting with the community at large. Parents and kids were under our tent all day long, squealing at the worms and learning about composting, farmshares and solar energy, as well as our own role and initiatives in the neighborhood. I met many active community members from the Food Coop, the urban garden, Transportation Alternatives, and more. I talked to neighbors who garden for a hobby in an attempt to acquire some rooftop and urban gardening tips, had discussions about the international politics of aid, food production, climate change, city transport and bicycling. I left with a tangible connection to Flatbush in my hand through meeting the folk that live in and care for the neighborhood.

The following Friday was the celebrated Park(ing) Day! Imagine real grass on the street, a park instead of a car, a puppeteer, free coffee and tons of kids having a blast with fingerpaints, music and the creativity of recycled art projects. We surprised many the unsuspecting community member on their way home from work or to the store, who stopped by to ask about the scene. Most left interested and pleased, with a smile on their face, musing about the conversion of space form parking spot to a community’s open space. We reached out to a lot of new and interested people, letting them know who we are and what we care about.

These face to face community events bring sense to the days I spend writing and editing the virtual posts that go out to people I don’t even know, like our neighborhood blogs, news sources, and email contact list. Little by little I am actually meeting these people and putting their specific smiles together with their blogs or email addresses, and it feels strange and pleasant at the same time. The community takes shape in this way beyond the contours of its geography on the Brooklyn map, beyond the virtual realm of the web, from the nebulous to the interpersonal and real. And it is this abstract shift which occurs almost imperceptibly that I have come to like the most about my internship. It does indeed prove the feasibility of the seemingly intangible and elusive aims to which this small organization dedicates its time and energy, and continues to give me enthusiasm for our upcoming work.

Park(ing) Day 2009 in full swing

Do you brush past that same old tree every day as you come and go from home, but forget that it’s even there? Would you like to know its name, its history, and admire its resplendent beauty at the peak of this colorful Fall season? Join Sustainable Flatbush and community residents for the first Fall Foliage Street Tree Walking Tour, led by tour guide Tracey Hohman, professional gardener, and Chris Kreussling, aka Flatbush Gardener, both from the neighborhood.

On Saturday, October 24th, we will be strolling and discovering the hidden histories of local trees, identifying names and characteristics, discussing their role in the environment, and learning how to care for the proud tree on your street.

“Conditions are ideal for spectacular foliage this year. We’ve had ample rains over the Summer following near-record Spring rains. The NY State Foliage Forecast predicts that peak foliage will reach New York City around the last week of October.” -Flatbush Gardener Blog

This free event is a perfect opportunity to visit Victorian Flatbush in the heart of Brooklyn and experience the neighborhood’s breathtaking street trees — including some that are more than 100 years old! By the tour’s end you will have made friends not only with neighbors and guides, but with the trees in our community as well.

Location:
Tours start at Sacred Vibes Apothecary, 376 Argyle Road, just south of Cortelyou Road: http://maps.google.com

Directions:
Take the Q train to Cortelyou Road Station and walk west after exiting the station toward Argyle Road. As a reminder, check the MTA website for schedule and service advisories before you head out: http://mta.info

Time:
Tours depart at 11:00 AM and 12:00 NOON.
Tours take about 2 hours to complete and are 1 mile in length.

Google Map for the stroll: http://bk.ly/N8

For more information, please contact Sustainable Flatbush at info@SustainableFlatbush.org

photos by Flatbush Gardener and Keka Marzagao

To raise awareness of how public space is allocated in our neighborhood, we will transform an unremarkable parking spot into “Cortelyou Road Park”: an urban oasis with grass, lawn chairs, music, art supplies, games, and good conversation for all to enjoy, at the corner of Cortelyou and Argyle Roads, in front of the Public Library.

Two sustainable craft businesses based in the NYC area – Garbage of Eden Design and RePlayGround – will teach free creative workshops on fashioning fun stuff out of garbage. We invite you to bring your favorite empty cereal box or designed scrap paper to personalize your crafts. Jewelry made from plastic bags and yogurt containers as well as kits to make projects from scrap will be on display. You could even win a food gift basket from the Flatbush Food Coop, which is also graciously providing free snacks throughout the day! Join us for this international event at the level of our local neighborhood. Meet your neighbors and those working within our community who strive to make it a more livable place.

Last year’s event was a great success. This year we plan to outdo it with:

• * A special Puppet Show featuring the juggling egg puppet by Ronny starting at 11am
• * Craft workshops by Garbage of Eden Design and RePlayGround
• * A worm composting demonstration by a Brooklyn Botanic Garden Master Composter
• * A solar-powered cell phone charging station
• * BYO Mug Coffee Station, courtesy of Vox Pop Cafe

So bring your own mug and don’t miss the daylong fun!

WHAT: Park(ing) Day / Cortelyou Road Park
WHEN: Friday, September 18th from 9am until 6pm
WHERE: Corner of Cortelyou and Argyle Roads, Brooklyn NY

Park(ing) Day 2008 photos by Keka Marzagao

For the second year, Sustainable Flatbush is presenting an Environmental Fair at the Frolic, partnering with organizations that represent our four main initiatives: Energy Solutions, Livable Streets, Zero Waste, and Urban Gardens & Farms.

At the Environmental Fair you can charge your cell phone with solar power, learn how to care for street trees or start a recycling program in your school, watch worms turn your food scraps into compost, pick up a free NYC bike map… and much more! Learn about conservation through gardening and composting, lowering emissions with bicycling and solar power, and eating fresh with affordable organics.

Participating organizations include:

• Sustainable Flatbush
  Bringing neighbors together to discuss, educate, and advocate for sustainable living in our Brooklyn neighborhood and beyond.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden Greenbridge Community Horticulture
  Promoting conservation and community through gardening activities.
• Transportation Alternatives
  Your advocate for bicycling, walking, and public transit.
• Flatbush Farm Share CSA
  Making fresh, organic produce available to any Brooklyn resident, regardless of economic status.
• Energy New York – Jocelyn Cohen, Energy Educator and Consultant
  Working toward a sustainable energy future for our schools, communities, nation and the world.
• Brooklyn Compost Project
  Promoting composting in Brooklyn neighborhoods, community gardens, institutions, and businesses.
• Educating Tomorrow/United Federation of Teachers Green Schools Committee
  Our children. Our environment. Our future.

This is our opportunity to share our work with you, and for you to get involved at the most local level: your own neighborhood. We are educating about sustainability all day long so stop by for some knowledge or just a chat. The Frolic takes place on Cortelyou Road from Coney Island Avenue to East 19th Street. Look for the Environmental Fair in front of the Flatbush Food Coop, on Cortelyou between Marlborough and Rugby.