The Council on the Environment of NYC (CENYC)
The Council on the Environment of NYC (CENYC) is a hands-on non-profit that has been improving New York City's environment for over thirty years. CENYCs dedicated staff green our neighborhoods, create the environmental leaders of the future, promote waste prevention and recycling, and run the largest farmers market program in the country. CENYC achieves its mission through the following projects and programs:
The Open Space Greening Program (OSG)
The Open Space Greening Program (OSG) empowers people in neighborhoods throughout the city to create, manage and sustain community gardens and park/playgrounds. OSG provides best practices workshops, services, tools, donated plant material, and open space planning/mapping information and other services. Grow Truck provides tools, donated supplies, plants and horticultural advice and assistance to gardening groups all over New York City. The Plant-A-Lot (PAL) Project gives substantial material and technical assistance to several new gardens each year and helps the 45 existing gardens created in prior years.
Greenmarket
Greenmarket, the largest and most successful open-air farmers markets program in the country connects local farmers with city residents by delivering fresh healthy produce to all five boroughs. Greenmarkets 44 market locations allow New Yorkers to purchase fresh fruit, vegetables, and other locally produced products straight from regional farmers. By directly connecting farmers and producers to New Yorkers, Greenmarket supports family farms, preserves farm land, delivers fresh healthy produce to those who need it most, and reduces the environmental effects that result from food traveling across the country or world. Greenmarket has set the standard for farmers markets for 30 years, and continues to grow and serve new communities.
The New Farmer Development Project (NFDP)
The New Farmer Development Project (NFDP) identifies, educates, and supports immigrants with agricultural experience to become local producers and establish small farms in the region. By training the next generation of regional farmers, the NFDP is helping preserve local farmland and rural farm communities, strengthen farmers markets and regional food security, and expand public access to high-quality, locally-grown farm products.
Environmental Education Training Student Organizers (TSO)
Environmental Education Training Student Organizers (TSO) creates the environmental leaders of the future though academically based service learning programs. TSO educates young people about the environmental consequences of their choices, teaches them to improve the environment in which they live, and increases their interest in environmental sciences and issues. Through TSOs hands-on programs, middle and high school students directly connect with and improve the urban ecosystem by planting trees in the watershed, building model green buildings, and identifying environmental hazards in their communities.
Learn It, Grow It, Eat It
Learn It, Grow It, Eat It is a collaborative effort of three CENYC programs (Open Space Greening, Greenmarket, Environmental Education) aimed at improving the health of young people through nutrition education and improved food access in their schools and communities. The project encourages young people to take control of their health on the cusp of adulthood through knowledge, choices and action. Learn It, Grow It, Eat It gives students nutrition information that goes beyond memorizing the USDA food pyramid; helps them make the connection between the environment and food consumption through hands-on gardening; and introduces healthy food choices that they can incorporate into their diet with in-school food preparation and offerings featuring Greenmarket produce.
Office of Recycling Outreach and Education (OROE)
Office of Recycling Outreach and Education: OROE works to improve the City’s recycling rate by educating residents about recycling and waste prevention, and working with landlords to make sure building recycling programs are adequate. Our free services include apartment building waste audits, recycling workshops and training on other waste reduction, reuse and composting programs available to residents. OROE’s five borough-wide coordinators are conducting intensive outreach efforts on a Community Board by Community Board basis, starting in CBs 1 in Brooklyn (Greenpoint, Williamsburg), Queens (Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside), Bronx (Port Morris, Mott Haven and Melrose) and Staten Island and CBs 10 and 11 in Manhattan (Central and East Harlem).
Council on the Environment of New York City
51 Chambers Street, #228
New York, NY 10007
212-788-7900