By Lisa Kava

If you are looking to dispose of your Christmas tree in an environmentally friendly way, or hoping to start off the new year with neighborhood volunteering, you can do both on Saturday, January 8th, and Saturday, January 15th, from 10 am to 2pm, at “2022 Mulchfest” in Riverside Park at West 83rd Street.

Organized by the Riverside Park Conservancy and the NYC Parks Department, 2022 Mulchfest is an event where Christmas trees and wreaths will be “treecycled,” (chipped and turned into nourishing mulch for neighborhood trees.) “Mulching them is an environmentally friendly way to treecycle holiday trees and prevent them from contributing to landfill waste,” the West 80’s Neighborhood Association newsletter explains.

Volunteers are needed to remove ornaments and to spread mulch around the neighboring tree beds. Signs will be posted at the West 83rd Street entrance to Riverside Park, directing volunteers to the exact location of the event.

All volunteers must wear masks and must RSVP prior to the event. It is not necessary to RSVP to drop off your tree or wreath. Mulchfest 2022 will be held rain, snow, or shine. The event is cohosted by neighborhood organizations and leaders including; Goddard Greenkeepers, Curb Allure, CB7, Love Your Street Tree Day, NY State Assemblymembers Linda Rosenthal and Danny O’Donnell, and NYC Councilmember Gale Brewer.

To volunteer, contact Riverside Park Conservancy Volunteer Program Manager Kristen Meade at grassroots@riversideparknyc.org . You can also learn more and sign up here.