On Sunday, Nov 17th, BetaNYC co-organized a park stewardship/cleanup event at McCarren Park in partnership with State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, Council Member Lincoln Restler, North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, the NYC Parks Department, and Partnership for Parks! It was a lovely fall morning, and over 50 local volunteers turned out at 10 AM to clear catch basins, plant daffodils, and provide stewardship to North Brooklyn’s biggest park.
Three BetaNYC staff members led five volunteers to map park amenities near the McCarren Park pool and inventory trash cans around the ball fields / parkhouse. This was an application of our Mapping for Equity campaign, where we empower citizens to leverage spatial open data and open-source tools to document resources in their communities! The data and conditions observed will end up in OpenStreetMap!
Our group wrapped up at 1 PM with a debrief, where volunteers shared their newfound appreciation for everyday park features like benches and water fountains, as well as their visions of a more equitable McCarren Park—suggestions included more trash cans near the ballfields and the addition of braille at water fountains and building entrances.
Thank you for joining us! This was our first combined park stewardship event, which included data stewardship! It was a great time to unite in community and nourish a shared space that anchors so many!
