What difference can a community garden really make in the face of climate change?
It’s a fair question. Climate change is global, complex, and systemic. A single project can feel small against that scale.
But across New York City, our grantee partners are proving that local action matters. They are advancing hyperlocal climate resilience through nature-based solutions and green infrastructure, all driven by community-led climate action.
With support from Con Edison, CitizensNYC is funding projects that go far beyond traditional gardens. Partners are building rooftop pollinator spaces, planting microforests, creating pollinator corridors, and restoring green spaces that reduce heat and absorb stormwater. These are practical, neighborhood-level solutions responding to real climate pressures.
In Crown Heights, the Westbrook Memorial Garden shows what this looks like in action. With more than 100 plant varieties, most native, the garden is designed to support pollinators year-round and strengthen local ecosystems. Its “Pollinator Highway” initiative extends that impact beyond a single site, helping reconnect habitats across the neighborhood. Just as important, it is a shared space. Residents, neighbors, and passersby all take part in caring for the land. Environmental impact and community connection grow side by side.
This Earth Month, we are highlighting five of the dozens of grassroots projects made possible through Con Edison’s support. Across the five boroughs, these partners are building climate solutions rooted in their communities:
- Westbrook Memorial Garden (Brooklyn)
- Uptown & Boogie Healthy Project (Harlem and the Bronx)
- Cambria Heights Community Garden (Queens)
- iDig2Learn (Manhattan)
- Port Richmond North Shore Alliance (Staten Island)
Each project takes a different approach, but all are building resilience where it is needed most. A single project will not solve climate change. But a network of local leaders, working block by block, can transform how communities adapt and respond.
This work also extends beyond funding. This month, Con Edison employees joined us in volunteering with the Marine Park Alliance in South Brooklyn, planting cherry trees, collecting litter, and tending to the land. Together, we helped reduce pollution, improve habitat quality, and remove invasive species within one of Brooklyn’s “Forever Wild” tidal salt marshes.
We are grateful to Con Edison for their continued partnership in supporting this work and investing in a more resilient New York City.
