Sample Activities
Get an outdoor workout as you tackle construction and garden maintenance projects, including:
Planting & Caring For Trees: Help plant and nurture 260 trees to address flooding and climate change in East Harlem through 2026.
Planting & Caring for Organic Gardens: Grow organic vegetables, herbs, and fruits available for free to local residents living at or below poverty.
New Bed Construction: Construct raised garden beds.
Compost & Soil Crew: Fill new raised beds with topsoil, and prepare the ground for bed installation. Mix, turn and feed compost units.
Path Crew: Create clearly defined paths throughout the gardens.
Seed Crew: Plant a massive butterfly garden by sowing native perennials.
Maintenance Crew: Varied projects including patching raised beds and lining garden paths.
Weekdays - Monday - Friday
Sample Garden Event Schedules With Children & Youth
Single-Day Garden Education Event
Youth Garden Internship Training & Infrastructure Projects
Time Activity Notes
8:15 AM Orientation Volunteers Only 9:15 AM Meet the Mentees Play team building games
9:45 AM Start stations Switch every 30 minutes
11:45 AM Lunch Volunteers Only 12:15 PM Continue Stations Switch every 30 minutes 1:15 PM Debrief
1:45 PM Cleanup 2:00 PM Departure
Time Activity Notes
9:00 AM Orientation Volunteers+Interns 10:00 AM Ice Breakers Play team building games
10:15 AM Start Projects Commit to small and large projects
11:45 AM Lunch Volunteers+Interns 12:15 PM Continue Projects Complete as needed 1:30 PM Debrief
1:45 PM Cleanup
2:00 PM Departure
Interested in making a weekly impact?
Garden education events serve East Harlem District 4 students weekly by grade and school, camp or community partner, varying in the school year and summer. Volunteers can join us for up to 30 events per year. Ask us which days are available this season.
Saturday Garden Volunteer Sessions
Sample Garden Event Schedules
Time Activity
10 AM Orientation
10:20 AM Start Stations
12:30 PM Debrief
12:40 PM Cleanup
1PM Departure
DONATION: $3,500 for the first 35 volunteers.
Rates increase to host up to 150 volunteers per event.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN YOUR DONATION:
Supplies, materials, event planning, staffing, and service will be provided for the event. Yes, that includes gloves.
Proceeds support direct service participants with free, year-round outdoor programs.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR DONATION:
Food is not included in your donation. Please support local restaurants and caterers, if you choose to order food. There are seating areas available outdoors around our gardens, which can accommodate groups upwards of 100 volunteers. It is required that food be purchased for CS' youth participants, national service members, and staff attending the event, if food will be served when they are present.