Logo by Sean-Michael Fleming

NYCLeaves: Project LeafDrop, a new coalition of community gardens and greening groups dedicated to moving fallen leaves from the trash bin to the compost bin, is building a growing network of community gardens that will take in some of the 20,000 tons of residential leaves that would otherwise go to landfills and turn them into beautiful, rich compost or mulch for garden beds and street trees. Community gardens participating in “Project LeafDrop”, welcome neighborhood residents to bring their bagged leaves (in clear plastic or paper bags without twigs or trash) to their gardens on specific dates in November.

Until 2007, NYC had collected and composted residential leaves, but since that program was discontinued due to budget cuts, some community gardens are inviting neighbors to bring their leaves to their gardens where the leaves will nourish the urban oases and be kept out of the wastestream.

Garden groups wishing to join Project LeafDrop and register as a drop-off site, to find specific drop-off dates at a participating garden near you, or for more information about the project, see the group’s website: www.nycleaves.org or email them at compost@nycleaves.org.

Information will be available at many of the participating gardens about how to make compost in your own garden or apartment and about efforts to encourage the City to reinstate its municipal leaf collection and composting program.

NYCLeaves is a volunteer-run, neighborhood-based coalition of gardeners and greening partners who are harvesting residential leaves for compost this fall.