The 31st Bronx Parks Speak-Up event took place at Lehman College in Bedford Park on Saturday Feb. 22. Funded by the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality (BCEQ) through a Con Edison environmental stewardship grant and held in conjunction with the Bronx Coalition of Parks and Green Spaces (BCPGS), the annual event draws various Bronx environmental organizations, parks groups, and residents together to discuss and learn how to preserve and make the most of the borough’s natural environment.

 

Hosted by Ed Garcia Conde, founder and editor of Welcome2TheBronx, this year’s event comprised workshops, presentations, networking, exhibits, lunch, a raffle, art activities with the Bronx River Art Center, and more.

 

Fred Yonghabi, deputy program manager at Con Edison, kicked off the event with a presentation on how to take advantage of Con Edison’s energy efficiency incentives. First Deputy Commissioner at NYC Parks, Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, delivered some remarks, followed by a presentation by her colleague, Jennifer Hoppa, entitled, “Vital Parks for All.”

 

Daniel Abram of New Yorkers for Parks, also gave a presentation entitled “Play Fair for Parks: Bronx Advocacy in Action.” Later, a panel discussion entitled “River Seekers: Why Bronx Waterfront Access is So Important, and So Difficult” was moderated by Robert Fanuzzi, BCEQ president, and Nilka Martell, founder of Loving the Bronx.

 

Panelists included Bob Bender, who has been advocating for a greenway along the Hudson River for over 15 years and is a member of Bronx Community Board 8 and vice chair of Friends of the Hudson River Greenway, and Kevin Daloia, administrator of Friends of the Hutchinson River Greenway (HRG) Team.

 

From Pelham Bay/Throggs Neck, Daloia advocates for better housing, quality of life, parks and recreation, micro-mobility access, and transportation in the East Bronx. With HRG, he coordinates clean ups, plantings, bike rides and advocates for better access for biking and to the water.

 

Other panelists included Christian Murphy with the Bronx River Alliance, who is currently responsible for overseeing the collection, analysis, and dissemination of water quality data from the Bronx River, and who pursues efforts to protect and restore the river’s health.

 

Meanwhile, Matthew Shore with South Bronx Unite brings residents in the Mott Haven and Port Morris neighborhoods together to reclaim underutilized public spaces for their benefit, and to fight for their right to clean air and health equity.

Chauncy Young of Harlem River Coalition (HRC) is passionate about cycling, waterfront access, and education. He has been coordinating the HRC for over 15 years and worked for many years with the Highbridge Coalition to reopen the Highbridge for pedestrian and bike access from The Bronx to Manhattan.

 

Various workshops also took place, including one on “Clean Waters, Stronger Communities: Restoring Bronx Waterways,” coordinated by Murphy and Noel Hefele, a volunteer coordinator with Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. Another was on grant & funding opportunities and was coordinated by Robert Madera of Partnerships for Parks.

 

Another workshop was on “Reclaiming the Harlem River Waterfront for People and Nature, a community planning session” presented by Alan Hunt, Ph.D., community planner & project manager, Steph Stroud, community planner, Arriyan Peagler, landscape architect, & Olivia Wilson, community assistance fellow.

 

It was facilitated by Christina Carrero, Urban Waters ambassador for The Bronx and Harlem River Urban Waters Federal Partnership, and Fanuzzi, Young, and Karen Argenti from BCEQ.

 

The final workshop was called, “The Ripple Effect: How Water Pollution Affects Communities and How We Can Help,” and was focused on how young people take center stage in the fight against water pollution. Participants left equipped with practical ideas and motivation to make a real difference in their community.

 

Adriel Aguliar, Ian Alvarado, Adelina Fiallos and Jayleanna Mitchell, Lehman STEP, and Rafael Lebron, Jason Ochoa-Rivera, Gaia Rueda Moreno and Jonel Shal-Aponte from The Bronx is Blooming participated.

 

Other attendees included Friends of Pelham Bay, Urban Park Rangers, Crotona Park representatives, NYC Parks Bronx Borough Commissioner Jessenia Aponte, City Councilman Rafael Salamanca, Jr. (C.D. 17), who is running for Bronx borough president, and Guerinos Against Graffitti* to name a few.

 

Elizabeth Quaranta, executive director of Future of Mosholu Parkland (FOMP), who also attended the event, said in part of the event, “Kudos to the organizers, as always! Thank you for 2025 Bronx Speak Up. I saw lots of old faces. Reminds me of how long we’ve been doing this.”
She added, “Lots of good info and more important, it was good to see the good work that our colleagues are doing. Looking forward to next year’s [event].”

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.