Follow our journey

Our work is a real team effort, but the woman behind the scenes who keeps the engine humming is our fearless leader Marlene. Learn about her and more of our team (link in bio). [PIC: A woman in a Red Hook Conservancy t-shirt takes a photo of two volunteers working in a park.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity

Spring 🌸 Summer ☀️ Fall 🍁 Winter ❄️ Thanks to our volunteers, we're working year-round to keep our neighborhood looking and feeling its best. Spend time with us in the park! Sign up to volunteer (link in bio; more dates will be added soon). [PIC: Several volunteers stand in a circle in a park with various tools scattered about, including shovels and rakes.] #Volunteerism #CommunityService #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity

We’ve been planting bulbs! Visit Coffey Park in the spring to see it in bloom! 🌺

Consider making a tax-deductible gift to Red Hook Conservancy on our website (link in bio). "I like volunteering with Red Hook Conservancy because I get to do important work in a great neighborhood with people who are enthusiastic about sustaining New York's green spaces." -Stephen Balinskas, RHC board member [PIC: A quote graphic featuring a man in a hat and red shirt looking at the camera.] #GivingTuesday #Quote #Volunteerism #CommunityService #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity

'Tis the season for raking leaves. And we're so grateful to our volunteers for helping to keep Red Hook parks looking neat and clean. [PIC 1: A volunteer rakes leaves by a fenced-in athletic court. PIC 2: Several volunteers place leaves in black bags. PIC 3: Four volunteers place brown and black bags filled with leaves on the street curb. PIC 4: Three volunteers gather around brown and black bags filled with leaves.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity #Volunteer #Volunteerism #CommunityService #Raking #RakingLeaves @newyorkcares

Today and every day, we're thankful for the people who keep Red Hook Conservancy going. Thank you!

1. Dig a hole / 2. Plant a bulb / 3. Cover the hole

Visit Coffey Park in the spring to see the work of these fantastic volunteers in bloom! Thanks to the dozens of volunteers who came out this month to plant flower bulbs. [PIC 1: Two volunteers dig a ditch with shovels. PIC 2: Four volunteers place flower bulbs in a ditch. PIC 3: A volunteer steps on a tool, plunging it into soil to create a hole. PIC 4: A volunteer uses a shovel to dig a ditch. PIC 5: A volunteer crouches in the soil, planting a flower bulb. PIC 6: Two volunteers use shovels to dig a ditch. PIC 7: Two volunteers in a circular, fenced-in area plant flower bulbs around a tree. PIC 8: Three volunteers plant flower bulbs in the soil. PIC 9: Four volunteers use various tools to plant flower bulbs. A church stands in the background.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity #Volunteer #Volunteerism #CommunityService #Gardening @newyorkcares

There are nearly 700,000 street trees in NYC, and over 4,300 of them live in Red Hook. We're always grateful to the generous support of our volunteers and city organizations that help us care for these important neighborhood resources. Learn more about Street Trees Care at RedHookConservancy.org (link in bio). [PIC 1: Three volunteers working around a tree pit on a city sidewalk. PIC 2: One man empties a wheelbarrow of mulch into a tree pit while another man helps with a shovel. PIC 3: A man crouches in a tree pit with his hands on the tree's trunk. PIC 4: Two women work around a street tree. PIC 5: A woman in a bright yellow and blue jacket holds up a gardening tool with one hand and holds a garbage bag with the other. PIC 6: A man wheels a wheelbarrow filled with mulch towards a tree pit while another man looks on.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity #Volunteer #Volunteerism #CommunityService #Gardening #StreetTrees #Trees @newyorkcares

This neighborhood gem has been serving up some of the best sandwiches in the city since 1922! Thanks to Red Hook’s Defonte’s Sandwich Shop for its generosity today towards our hard-working volunteers. 🥖 [PIC: A hand holding up a wrapped ham sandwich with a four-story green and pink building in the background. A large sign saying “Defonte’s Sandwich Shop” stretches across the building.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity #LocalBusiness #Defontes @defontes1922

Last weekend, our incredible New York Cares volunteers cared for 10 street trees. Red Hook is a bit cleaner and greener now. 👏 [PIC 1: Several volunteers work around a street tree with shovels and other tools. PIC 2: Two volunteers crouch around a tree with hand tools.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity #Volunteer #Volunteerism #CommunityService #Gardening #StreetTrees #Trees @newyorkcares

A special thanks to Red Hook's own Raaka Chocolate for its kindness and generosity to our volunteers as they cared for street trees outside of its business. Did you know that Red Hook has a chocolate factory? 🍫 [PIC 1: Several small, wrapped chocolates surrounding a bag with the word "Raaka" on it. Hand gardening tools are in the frame. PIC 2: An industrial-looking building with the words "Raaka Co. Virgin Chocolate" printed on it. PIC 3: A street sign with the words "Raaka: Bean-to-bar chocolate factory. Come say hi!" An arrow points to the right. PIC 4: A sign on the wall stating Raaka's store hours: Monday-Thursday, 11am-4pm; Friday-Sunday, 11am-6pm. Contact information is also included: RaakaChocolate.com, call (855) 255-3354.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity #LocalBusiness #Chocolate @raakachocolate

"I started working with Red Hook Conservancy as a fun way to volunteer with my kids. I stayed because I feel like my work makes an actual difference to people in the community." -Gary Silber, RHC board member [PIC: A quote graphic featuring a man in a gray suit smiling at the camera.] #Quote #Volunteerism #CommunityService #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." -Albert Einstein [PIC: The aforementioned quote displayed next to a black-and-white mural of Albert Einstein.] #Quote #AlbertEinstein #Einstein #Nature #Mural #StreetArt

Our incredible volunteers were able to care for 10 street trees in Red Hook this past weekend! It’s a three-part process: 1. Clear out all debris/trash and weeds from the tree pit. 2. Aerate the soil by poking holes throughout the bed. 3. Spread fresh mulch and compost to help keep the tree healthy. Join us for an upcoming Street Trees Care volunteer event. Check out our site for information. 🌳 📸: Shirley Karasick [PIC 1: Two volunteers shovel mulch on the bed of a pickup truck while three others look on. A pile of mulch is on the ground at their feet. PIC 2: Five volunteers work around a tree pit, pulling weeds. PIC 3: A volunteer pours mulch from a wheelbarrow into a tree pit while others look on.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity #Volunteer #Volunteerism #CommunityService #Gardening #StreetTrees #Trees #Compost #Mulch

Talk about a transformation! Check out these before-and-after photos from a tree pit our volunteers cleaned out yesterday. There were several rusted-out bike parts and even a broken-down motor scooter chained to the poor tree. Thanks to the nearby FDNY fire house for helping us break through the chains—and, of course, to our rock star volunteers for their incredible work! In total, they cared for 10 street trees. 🌳 [PIC 1: A street tree in a pit overgrown with tall weeds and polluted with bike parts. PIC 2: The same tree pit, but cleared of all weeds and litter. Fresh mulch covers the pit. PIC 3: Several volunteers and a firefighter crouch down to break through chains connecting a motor scooter and bike parts using a hand tool. PIC 4: A close-up of the hand tool being used to break the chain. VID: A video of the firefighter using the tool to break through the chain.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity #Volunteer #Volunteerism #CommunityService #Gardening #StreetTrees #Trees #Compost #Mulch @fdny

Have you been to Red Hook lately? [PIC: A mural painted on an outdoor wall that says “Greetings from Red Hook” in large, vibrantly colored letters.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity #Mural #StreetArt

Thanks to all of our incredible volunteers who came out this past weekend to help with our Street Trees Care (STC) program! Together, they cared for 20 street trees in Red Hook. Their work included cleaning and weeding tree pits, aerating the soil, and laying compost and mulch to help the trees thrive. [PICS 1, 2: A city street lined with trees. Volunteers work at each tree bed with various hand tools. PIC 3: Four volunteers work around an empty tree pit, weeding it and aerating the soil with hand tools. PIC 4: Three volunteers work around a tree pit. PIC 5: A man in a red Red Hook Conservancy shirt holds a bag, sprinkling compost from it into a tree pit. PIC 6: Rakes rest against a stone wall while a man walks along side pushing a wheelbarrow filled with mulch. PIC 7: A man in a red Red Hook Conservancy shirt dumps the wheelbarrow of mulch into a tree pit. PIC 8: A clean tree pit with mulch surrounding a tree. PIC 9: A clean tree pit with mulch surrounding a tree. A shovel rests on the ground in the foreground.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity #Volunteer #Volunteerism #CommunityService #Gardening #StreetTrees #Trees #Compost #Mulch

Did you volunteer with us last fall planting bulbs? Your work is coming to life! [PICS: Two pictures of plant life starting to emerge from the soil in a tree pit.] #RedHook #Brooklyn #NYC #NewYork #NewYorkCity #Volunteer #Volunteerism #CommunityService #Gardening #Plants #Flowers