“From coastal resiliency and sustainable green practices to the preservation of affordable housing, world-class public art, and vibrant, year-round programming in award-winning public spaces, Battery Park City leads the way in many of the measures that makes cities livable."
BPC Parks Happenings is a monthly “snapshot” of the Authority’s work in maintaining Battery Park City’s parks and public spaces. Scroll down to see what’s on for October!
– Fall Ahead: BPCA staff will be planting more than 35,000 bulbs arriving this month for a beautiful flower show in the Spring.
– Ratting Out: We will continue to apply dry ice throughout the park to help with rodent pest control. Rat ice, an EPA approved dry ice product, is a more environmentally-friendly form of rat control that does not impact non-target animals like birds or squirrels. Rat ice applications were applied three times last month at rat burrows throughout Battery Park City.
– Branching Out: BPCA will be planting six street trees this month, delivered as a part of the New York Power Authority’s Tree Power Program. In October 2024 we planted eight native trees for our streets- two Red Maples (Acer rubrum), four Swamp Oaks (Quercus bicolor) and two Elms (Ulmus americana).
– Fond Farewell: BPCA will be removing one callery pear tree on Rector Place. This tree has been identified as a candidate for replacement to contribute to a healthier, more diverse urban tree canopy. Read more about Battery Park City’s Urban Tree Canopy & Biodiversity Assessment here.
– Drying Up: Water play features in playgrounds will be turned off this month in anticipation of colder weather.
Biodiversity
– Bug Off: Spotted Lanternfly adult populations are being monitored and controlled using traps strategically placed in tree species favored by these insects. If you see Spotted Lanternflies in the parks, you can report it to the BPC iNaturalist page so we are aware of where the populations are. Thank you to those of you who have already sent submissions!
– Wild In Wagner: Help us discover who calls the new Wagner Park home! BPCA welcomes the public to upload any pictures of wildlife to our BPC iNaturalist page. This data will help us establish a baseline for the biodiversity that exists and will exist in the future.
Volunteering
– Happy Helpers: Battery Park City Authority is looking for volunteers who would like to join us in completing gardening tasks. If you’re interested email info.bpc@bpca.ny.gov for more info and fill out our application form.
– On The Lookout: We appreciate your feedback when you see something in the parks! Please share what you see and experience with info.bpc@bpca.ny.gov
Sustainability at BPCA
In August, we composted 3,642 pounds of food waste, and 34 pounds of dog waste from the community.
This virtual tour on our YouTube page, highlights how BPCA works to develop the sustainable features, projects, and practices that make Battery Park City an innovative model for urban climate action!
Now that residential buildings are composting through DSNY, BPCA has relocated the compost bins to capture food waste in the parks. Based on past waste audits, around 10% of the waste thrown in our trash cans is food waste that could have been composted.
Please remember to use our green compost bins to discard your food waste. And if you’re walking along the South Esplanade or in one of our three dog runs, help BPCA reach zero waste by composting your dog waste.
Our community food compost drop-off bins are open 24/7 and are located at: 75 Battery place office; South esplanade near Rector Place; West Thames near the artificial turf; Police Memorial area; Belvedere; River Terrace near Irish Hunger Memorial; Rockefeller Picnic Benches; The Real World in Rockefeller Park; North End Avenue island across from Stuyvesant High school; and at the BPC Ball Fields Terrace.
Our Path to Zero! As a decades-long leader in sustainability, BPCA is striving to divert 90% of what is sent to landfill! To continue helping toward our Zero Waste goal, we ask that you rethink what you throw away in the parks, and please recycle or compost items.
