Beyond its beautiful landscapes, the Queens Botanical Garden is one of the places that carry out the greatest work on environmental sustainability in the entire county.
An example is this building built with recycled materials. Incorporate a rooftop or eco-friendly. Jatnna Ramírez, director of programs at the Queens Botanical Gardens explains:
“Having a roof garden, like where we are now, is a creative way to use the space that we do have to help the environment and to create more green spaces for people to enjoy.”
It has solar panels and its roof is designed with a drain that brings rainwater to this channel.”
In addition, their bathrooms work with recycled water from the same garden. Something helps reduce potable water use by more than 80 percent.
This building was the first public work in New York City to obtain Leed Platinum certification, a recognition granted by the United States Green Building Council, for its great work in environmental sustainability.
And in this small farm they teach the children the process of growing plants and vegetables.
“And they form that connection that is so important so that when they are adults they too can be leaders in the community for the environment,” he says.
They also teach residents the composting process.
In commemoration of Donovan Richards Earth Week, the Queens Borough President visited the Botanical Garden to highlight his contribution to the environment.
“You’ve seen what’s been happening across Queens as we look at the environment and challenges related to flooding, Hurricane Ida and Hurricane Sandy, so this is our response to combat climate change,” Richards said. .
He also visited the West Pond restoration project in Jamaica Bay.
The shoreline includes new marsh habitat that protects the bay from high tide and includes more than 200,000 new native plantings.
The tour of these two stops coincides with the launch of the first annual report compiled by Operation Urban Sustainability, a group formed in 2022 by a team of municipal leaders.
Its goal is to highlight sustainability projects deserving of government funding, to craft tangible solutions focused on resilience, environmental justice, and equity. And in this way.
“Lobby the city, state, and federal government for funds to invest in environmental initiatives,” they state.
