WHAT'S THE BUZZ?

Have you noticed more pollinators buzzing around the park lately? We have too - and we think our new bee house has something to do with it!

Thanks to a grant from the environmental nonprofit The Bee Conservancy, we installed a native bee house in the Seward Park meadow this summer. The house acts as a nesting space for native solitary bees - a type of bee that does not produce honey or wax, but is three times more effective as a pollinator.

The honeycomb-shaped bee house is filled with dozens of cardboard tubes that vary in size to accommodate three different native bee types: mason, leaf cutter, and small carpenter. Each tube can be home to a single female bee, who will lay 5-7 eggs. The house was built by the talented woodworkers at Brooklyn Woods, an organization that trains unemployed and low-income New Yorkers in woodworking and fabrication skills.

Nervous about an increase in bees in Seward Park? Don’t be! Unlike their hive dwelling cousins, native solitary bees are extremely docile and highly unlikely to sting. After all, they have no queen to protect. By giving these hardworking pollinators a safe place to land, the only risk we run is a meadow, and park, that continues to flourish.

Stop by the park soon to visit our new bee house and see how the meadow has grown - we think it looks bee-autiful!

 

DID YOU KNOW?

Seward Park itself is a living piece of history, but did you know that there are historical pieces of the neighborhood within the park? The ornate terra cotta planters seen throughout our garden beds are actually repurposed pieces of another historical landmark - the Jarmulowsky Bank Building on Canal and Orchard Streets! When the Jarmulowsky Building started undergoing renovations, it was discovered that the terra cotta pieces on the decorative frieze would need to be replaced. Instead of being thrown out, the pieces were bestowed upon Seward Park for use in our garden!

 

COMING UP IN THE PARK

OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT

A free screening of Disney's The Lion King (rated PG) will be held in the park on Thursday, September 2! Doors open at 7pm and the film will begin at dusk. Seating is first come first served and chairs will be available for the first 150 guests. Please feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks, though glass bottles and alcohol are prohibited. Enter on East Broadway, next to the library. Brought to you by SPC, Henry Street Settlement, and Abrons Art Center.

MORNING SKY IN THE PARK

In remembrance of the 20th anniversary of September 11th, Illegal Art and Seward Park Conservancy are hosting a community project on Saturday, September 11 called Morning Sky. We invite you to join us 11am - 2pm in Library Plaza to paint your memories of the morning sky that September day. The paintings will then be displayed in the Seward Park Branch of the New York Public Library until October 1.

 

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Think!Chinatown is hosting their third "Chinatown Nights" festival on September 10th. Join T!C for a night of local food, art, and performances - all in historic Forsyth Plaza at the foot of the iconic Manhattan Bridge. The festival, in partnership with Neighborhoods Now and Asian Americans for Equality, is the latest in a series designed to support local vendors, bring more foot traffic into Chinatown, and utilize underused city space. Check out the full list of vendors and events, and reserve your free tickets now!

 

LOOKING AHEAD

New Yorkers For Parks is back with The Daffodil Project, an annual program to beautiful NYC public spaces while honoring and remembering the victims of 9/11. This October, we will be participating by planting over 1,000 daffodil bulbs throughout Seward Park. Look for more information in the September newsletter on planting dates and how to join us!

 
 
 

Seward Park Conservancy | PO Box 840 New York New York 10002 | info@sewardparkconservancy.org​​​​​​​

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