Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District (BID) held a free Earth Day event, together with Friends of Mosholu Parkland (FOMP), at the Jerome Garden Plaza under Mosholu Parkway subway station by Jerome Avenue in Norwood on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

 

From noon to 3 p.m., volunteers joined kids and BID and FOMP representatives for a community clean-up, beautification, giveaways, healthy food, and other activities. 

 

Elizabeth Quaranta, executive director of FOMP and who also runs the Keeper’s House Community “Edible” Garden on the Reservoir Oval in Norwood, is recovering from a knee injury but didn’t miss the event.

 

Smiling as she took a break from her gardening work, she said of the day, “It’s a community day….community, environment, together and that’s why we’re out here just for a few hours to enjoy the little bit of sun that just came out!”

 

The event was also co-sponsored by Snatchback Nutition, located at 336 East Gun Hill Road, and NYC Department of Small Business Services, while NYPL had a stand and shared resources and sustainable cloth bags with attendees.

 

Queen of Tacos, located at 9 East Mosholu Parkway North, and Playground NYC, a nonprofit adventure playground that has operated on Governors Island since 2016 and advocates for access to space for free play, also had stands on the day.

 

Malcom Gray, manager of neighborhood development at the BID, told Norwood News, “The event was a great success and is a testament towards the collaborative nature in which businesses and the overall community can work together towards a cleaner and greener city, nation and planet.”

 

Further afield, Fordham University students also hosted an Earth Day celebration for community children on the same day at the college’s Rose Hill campus in The Bronx.

 

Children colored, painted, tried out yoga, and interacted with one another and with Fordham University staff/faculty and students, through various games.

 

Members of the military services were also seen on the day participating in various games with the kids.

 

A selection of free books was laid out on a rug on the grass, available for kids to choose from and take home if they wished.

 

Ten-year-old Manuel Garcia said he loves to read and showed us his favorite book. Meanwhile, Bismarly Liberato and Daniel Liberato helped each other plant some seeds in a cup.

 

Other games consisted of the use of cups with tape and rice to make maracas.

 

A local dad, Manny Garcia, was seen joining in on the fun and trying out a hoola hoop.

 

Other attendees on the day included Charles Hearn, Jack Hanus, Anthony Dorazio, Joe Daprocida, Brian Inguanti, Michael Adcock Craced and 8-year-old Ethan Mercedes.

 

Attendees, Gil Severiano, Carol Gibney, and Donna LaJoux, said, “It was a wonderful event and the weather was good!”

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.