#GivingTuesday to Help Protect Green Space

Giving Tuesday is a day set aside for us all to come together to support our local and national not-for-profits. While we shouldn't need a special day to support great causes, it is a great reminder that the holiday giving season is not just about shopping and gift giving - it is also about giving back. 

Giving Tuesday was created by the team at the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact at the 92nd Street Y—a cultural center in New York City that, since 1874, has been bringing people together around the values of service and giving back—#GivingTuesday connects diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving. 

The Trust for Public Land

At the Trust for Public Land, we don't just save land—we save land for people to enjoy, from neighborhood parks to national parks. We depend on the ongoing support of individuals to make sure our work carries on well into the future.


Our mission is to create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Every park, playground, and public space we create is an open invitation to explore, wonder, discover, and play. We're proud to say that we've been connecting communities to the outdoors—and to each other—since 1972. Today, millions of Americans live within a 10-minute walk of a park or natural area we helped create, and countless more visit every year.


Today is Giving Tuesday, and thanks to a generous donor every dollar you give to The Trust for Public Land by midnight will be tripled to save public land.


Your support on Giving Tuesday is critical to our work to protect public lands and the millions of acres that hang in the balance. This special matching gift opportunity ends at midnight tonight, so please don’t wait to give!


Every dollar donated saves $15 worth of land.

Give today to help protect YOUR LAND here: https://www.tpl.org/donate#sm.00000myqjx7f8ve8dwl8doiv9soln

The Cultural Landscape Foundation

The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides people with the ability to see, understand and value landscape architecture and its practitioners, in the way many people have learned to do with buildings and their designers.


Your gift to TCLF is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law and will ensure TCLF's programs and ongoing initiatives collectively tell the stories of our nation's rich landscape heritage.
YOUR SUPPORT WILL

• Save important landscapes

• Document our landscape legacy

• Educate the public & stewards

• Support advocacy efforts

Help support cultural landscapes by donating here: https://donate.tclf.org/donate/

The Garden Conservancy

The mission of the Garden Conservancy is to save and share outstanding American gardens for the education and inspiration of the public. The Garden Conservancy helps to make private gardens public, restore, protect and preserve existing public gardens and to provide preservation assistance to help protect the future of gardens. There are many ways you can show your support for the Garden

Conservancy in celebration of Giving Tuesday:

Give the Gift of Gardens – a gift membership is a thoughtful way to share your love of gardens with a loved one or friend this holiday season.
Make a Tax-Deductible Contribution to our Annual Fund – we depend on support from generous individuals like you to help fund our preservation, Open Days, and education programs.
Become a Member/Renew Your Membership – members are at the center of all we do and stay connected to us through a wealth of benefits.
Volunteer for Open Days – our Open Days program relies on the support of our hardworking garden hosts, regional representatives, and volunteers.
Shop on AmazonSmile – the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of every eligible purchase to the Garden Conservancy when you make us your charitable organization of choice.

for more information and to make a donation go here:  https://www.gardenconservancy.org/membership/donate

Support Locally

Finally, it is always great to support local organizations in your own communities. One that is near and dear to me is the Elizabeth Street Garden in lower Manhattan.

In the crammed neighborhoods of Little Italy & SoHo, Elizabeth Street Garden is the only public green space that provides an open, tranquil environment for locals of all ages.

Serving as an outdoor community space since 1882, the one-acre site first hosted the Free School Society’s Public-School No.5, which provided free night classes for people of color in addition to regular schooling. The space became an important community amenity, with public education lectures being held frequently.  This garden is now a beautiful and inviting community amenity in a neighborhood that severely lacks green space and is in threat of being demolished to make way for the development of public housing (however there are other sites that are available in the neighborhood identified for this development).

ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN'S MISSION: TO PROTECT & PRESERVE THE MAGIC OF ELIZABETH STREET GARDEN AS A PUBLIC COMMUNITY GREEN SPACE AND TO DETERMINE HOW NYC PARKS & RECREATION TOGETHER WITH THE COMMUNITY CAN PROTECT THIS SPACE FOR GENERATIONS TO ENJOY.

Learn more about this garden and show your support either by making a donation or signing the petition to help preserve the garden here: https://www.elizabethstreetgarden.com/donate/

New Yorkers for Parks

New York City is home to many parks, big and small, loved by thousands of New Yorkers. Some attract millions from out of town, others provide respite and gathering places for local residents. Spread across all five boroughs, NYC's parks and open spaces are part of what keeps this city thriving, and New Yorkers for Parks is the only advocacy organization bringing advocates together to protect them all.

While some New Yorkers have beautiful, easily accessible parks near their homes, this is not the case for everyone. Some New Yorkers face land use changes in their neighborhoods, others have local parks with inadequate maintenance, and some have to travel far just to reach a park at all.

New Yorkers for Parks strives for parks equity - a belief that all New Yorkers in all neighborhoods deserve accessible, well maintained parks or open spaces in their neighborhoods. But this goal is only possible with the help of our dedicated advocates, hardworking peer organizations, and generous supporters.

From now through Tuesday, November 27th, your online gift to NY4P will be matched. Thanks to a generous Board member, your $50 gift turns into $100 to support our city's parks and open spaces when you give online now through #GivingTuesday on November 27th.

Donate to New Yorkers for Parks today at: https://ny4pgivingtuesday.causevox.com/

SHARE THE LOVE - GIVE TODAY!

Thank you and please consider making donations to your favorite local organizations this #givingtuesday

World Landscape Architecture Month

April is World Landscape Architecture Month (WLAM), a month long celebration of landscape architecture and designed public and private spaces. Established by the American Society of Landscape Architecture, WLAM aims to demonstrate how landscape architecture affects our daily lives.

I'll be posting some of NYC’s greatest places inspired by The Cultural Landscape Foundation's new “What’s Nearby” web mapping tool. The goal of this searchable, easy-to-navigate database is to raise public awareness of the rich diversity and inter-connectedness of our shared designed landscape heritage. Spanning over two centuries of North American landscape design, the What’s Out There® database is searchable by landscape name, locale, designer, type, and style. The ‘What’s Nearby’ feature also allows users to see the landscapes that are in close proximity to each other, regardless of the user’s location—perfect for research or for planning a day of exploring a city or region.

Find out what landscapes are around you at https://tclf.org/landscapes-near-you

Learn more about the great landscapes of New York City by following along this month on Twitter and Instagram. I will be sharing photos and fun facts all month long taking you on a journey of parks, gardens, greenspaces, plazas and public spaces in and around NYC.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jnitzky_nyc 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jnitzky/

Here is a taste:

#wlam2018 Day 1: Central Park's North Woods - One of my favorite parts of #CentralPark, it is a secluded woodland with peaceful trails for wildlife viewing. The Ravine is the heart of the North Woods and traverses around and over the Loch, a winding stream that connects The Pond to the Harlem Meer and has breathtaking cascades in between.

Landscape Architect: Frederick Law Olmsted, Calvert Vaux

More info:

https://tclf.org/landscapes/north-woods

http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/  

#thisislandarch #whatsnearby #discoveryourland

Stay Tuned for more and get out and experience the landscapes around you!

Anxious to get your garden going this spring? Here are some great finds:

Mr. Sprout's Organic Herb Seed Starter Kit
The Inspired Landscape: Twenty-One Leading Landscape Architects Explore the Creative Process

Selecting the Best Holiday Tree

Selecting the Best Holiday Tree

As a landscape architect and arborist, I may be pickier than most about what kind of tree to get for the holidays. I love the woodsy fragrance of Balsam and Fraser Fir and because I live in a sunny, warm and dry NYC apartment, I also want good needle retention (trees tend to dry out so fast in an apartment). Selecting a tree is fun if you know what you are looking for. Here are some pointers to make sure you bring home a fresh tree: 

1. Be sure you know what size (height and width) you need before heading to the lot. Measure the ceiling height in the room where the tree will be displayed. The trees in the field look small when the sky is the ceiling. Don't overbuy (unless you are Clark Griswold!). Measure the width of the area of the room where the tree will be displayed. Most trees on tree farms are trimmed to an 80% taper. So a tree that's 10' tall will be 8' wide at the bottom. A tree that will fit in the room vertically may be entirely too big horizontally.
2. Run a branch through your enclosed hand - the needles should not come off easily. Bend the outer branches - they should be pliable. If they are brittle and snap easily, the tree is too dry.
3. Look for other indicators of dryness or deterioration: Indicators might include: excessive needle loss, discolored foliage, musty odor, needle pliability, and wrinkled bark. A good rule-of-thumb is, when in doubt about the freshness of a tree, select another one. If none of the trees on the lot look fresh, go to another lot.

Give a gift that keeps on giving for a lifetime with this Memory Gift Tree

The following evergreen trees are commonly grown in the United States for Christmas Trees and are thought of as the best for different characteristics.


Fir Trees: Common name (Botanical name)

Balsam Fir branchin

Balsam Fir – (Abies balsamea) – Native to the northeastern United States, the Balsam Fir is named for the balsam or resin found in blisters on bark. The needles are flat, ¾” to 1 ½” long rounded at the tip and generally last long on the branches. The color is dark green with silvery cast. Balsam Firs have good form and are fragrant - often the fragrance will hold for several weeks. Balsam fir branches are good for medium to light weight ornaments. Factoid: Balsam fir oil is an EPA approved nontoxic rodent repellent.

Fraser Fir

Fraser Fir – (Abies fraseri): The combination of form, needle retention, dark blue-green color, pleasant scent and strong branches has led to Fraser fir being a most popular Christmas tree species. Fraser Fir has dark green, flattened needles with a medial groove on the upper side and two broad silvery-white bands on the lower surface and are ½ to 1 inch long. When crushed, the needles have a very pleasant woodsy scent. The more upright branching and clean form allows for medium weight ornaments. Factoid:  Named for the Scotish botanist, John Fraser, who explored the southern Appalachians in the late 1700’s.

Needles of White Fir

White Fir or Concolor Fir – (Abies concolor): Commonly found in the western/northwestern US, the White Fir has blue-green needles are ½ to ½ inches long. They have a nice shape, good citrus-like aroma and good needle retention. White Fir is named for its light-colored bark and the silvery or "glaucous" color of its needles. This is a narrow conical conifer with a straight trunk, spire-like crown and branching to the base. Upper branches tend to grow upward, but the lower branches tend to recline. Factoid: In nature the White Fir can live to 350 years.

Douglas Fir branches

Douglas Fir – (Pseudotsuga menziesii):Although not actually a fir, the Douglas Fir is one of the most popular trees for Christmas Trees. They are softer with  1” to 1 ½” flat needles and have one of the best aromas among Christmas trees when crushed. Douglas fir has a good conical shape (and often are sheared on the farm to maintain the "perfect" shape).  Named after David Douglas who studied the tree in the 1800’s;  can live for a thousand years. It is also the state tree of Oregon.

Pine Trees - Common name (Botanical name):

White Pine

White Pine – (Pinus strobus):
This pine has soft, blue-green needles, 2 to 5 inches long in bundles of five and retains needles throughout the holiday season with a very full appearance. White pine has little or no fragrance so has less allergic reactions as compared to more fragrant trees - this is a good choice for families prone to allergies or sensitivities to fragrances. As the largest pine in Eastern United States it is also the state tree of Michigan and Maine. It's slender branches will support fewer and smaller decorations as compared to Scotch pine. It’s wood is used in cabinets, interior finish and carving. Native Americans used the inner bark as food. Early colonists used the inner bark to make cough medicine. Caveat: Branching can be too dense for large ornaments. Needles can be too slippery and soft for heavy ornaments but it's soft appearance takes on an elegant appearance simply with just white lights.

Scotch Pine branches

Scotch Pine – (Pinus sylvestris): Another common Christmas tree, the Scotch Pine is native to Europe and Asia and is predominant in Scotland. It is readily identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orange-red bark.  It has stiff branches, stiff, dark green needles in pairs one inch long and holds needles for four weeks - needles will stay on even when dry which makes it very popular for indoor Christmas trees. It has open appearance and more room for ornaments and also keeps aroma throughout the season. The Scotch Pine was introduced into United States by European settlers. Factoid: Pinus sylvestris is the only pine native to northern England and is the National Tree of Scotland.

Spruce Trees - Common name (Botanical name):

White Spruce branches

White Spruce – (Picea glauca): Leaves (needles) are needle-shaped, and are often somewhat crowded on the upper half of the branchlets. Needles are usually 1/2 to 3/4 inch long, blunt at the tip and green to bluish-green in color.  Crushed needles have an unpleasant odor but have good needle retention. As a Christmas tree, white spruce has excellent foliage color, short stiff needles and a good natural shape. Needle retention is better than some of other spruce species.  Factoid: State tree of South Dakota.  

Blue Spruce branches

Blue Spruce – (Picea pungens): Color is dark green to powdery blue with very stiff needles, ¾” to 1 ½” long. The needles are 4-sided and have a very sharp point on the end. It is this point which gives the species its name "pungens", from the Latin word for sharp as in puncture wound. Needles are generally dull bluish-gray to silvery blue and emit a resinous odor when crushed; good form; will drop needles in a warm room; symmetrical; but is best among species for needle retention; branches are stiff and will support many heavy decorations. Factoid: State tree of Utah & Colorado. Can live in nature 600-800 years.

What kind of tree will you (or have you) picked? Let us know in the comments!

Don't forget these essentials for your tree:

      

Top #GivingTuesday Organizations to be more Green

Giving Tuesday is a day set aside for us all to come together to support our local and national not-for-profits. While we shouldn't need a special day to support great causes, it is a great reminder that the holiday giving season is not just about shopping and gift giving - it is also about giving back.
Giving Tuesday was created by the team at the Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact at the 92nd Street Y—a cultural center in New York City that, since 1874, has been bringing people together around the values of service and giving back—#GivingTuesday connects diverse groups of individuals, communities and organizations around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate and encourage giving.

This year I am involving my kids in making decisions on which organizations to make donations to. I want to focus on environmental and parks causes so I put together the list below as a resource for my family and yours. Take a look at these great organizations that are really making a difference and consider supporting them on November 29, or any day!

National Park Service

This year marked the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service. Show your support for the future of our National parks by making a donation to your favorite park or through the National Park Foundation. Our over 400 national parks preserve 84 million acres of the world’s most treasured landscapes, ecosystems, and historical sites. Your gift will help the National Park Foundation protect these treasured landscapes for generations to come.

Click here for more info and to find your park

Donate to the National Park Foundation here

The Trust for Public Land 

Creating Parks and Protecting Land for People
For over four decades, The Trust for Public Land has saved more than 5,400 special places in 48 states, protecting more than 3.3 million acres. No other organization can accomplish more with less money, so you can be sure that every dollar donated will make a difference! This year your donation will be matched dollar for dollar so your gift will make twice the impact. Learn more about the Trust for Public Land at tpl.org

Watch this fabulous video on the work TPL is doing for schools in NYC: TPL NYC Playgrounds Program
Donate to TPL today here

350.org 

An international campaign dedicated to fighting climate change, 350.org gets its name from the maximum level of atmospheric carbon dioxide — 350 parts per million (ppm) — that climate scientists agree will maintain our planet’s long-term ecological health. Now, the level is 400 ppm, and it’s rising by 2 ppm each year. This group organizes in 188 countries and strives to revolutionize the climate movement. Learn more at https://350.org/Donate to 350.org today here

Nature Conservancy 

Since its foundation in 1951, this global conservation group has safeguarded more than 115 million acres of land from development. The Conservancy works with landowners, communities and businesses to achieve conservation goals. Learn more about the Nature Conservancy at http://www.nature.org/
Donate to Nature Conservancy Here

Sierra Club 

EXPLORE, ENJOY, AND PROTECT THE PLANETThe Sierra Club, founded in 1892, has an impressive, storied history and is one of the oldest and largest grass-roots environmental organizations in the United States. The group’s website is a hub of opportunities to participate in all sorts of environmental campaigns, from rallying against fracking to opposing carbon pollution. Learn more at http://www.sierraclub.org/ 
Donate to Sierra Club Here

The Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation inspires people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.
This is the mission statement of the Arbor Day Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit conservation and education organization.

Founded in 1972, the centennial of the first Arbor Day observance in the 19th century, the Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with over one million members, supporters, and valued partners. Over the course of 50 years, a single tree can generate $31,250 worth of air pollution control, recycle $37,500 worth of water, and control $31,500 worth of soil erosion. Learn more about Arbor Day Foundation here: https://www.arborday.org/

Donate to Arbor Day Foundation Here

Learn more about #GivingTuesday at https://www.givingtuesday.org/ 

#BlackFriday deals start now!

Thanksgiving is over and while we recoup from a busy holiday it is a great time to catch some great early Black Friday deals online! I am not one for huge crowds or getting up early to run into stores as they open on Friday morning, just to save a few bucks. I prefer sitting warm and cozy at my computer to search for the best deals. Amazon is my first stop - there are always great savings to be found. Check out some of the special savings events going on now. Go to Amazon's Black Friday Deals page now.

My Favorite deal is the 30% off fashion! I found some great deals on brand names like Calvin Klein, Steve Madden, Lucky Brand and Nine West - plus much more. Check the deals out here - no code necessary.

Save time and shipping costs by signing up for Amazon Prime. Now is the perfect time to sign up and take advantage of free 2-day shipping when you need it most!


Membership offers special benefits for just $99 per year:

-  Instantly watch thousands of movies and TV episodes 

-  Borrow Kindle books 

-  Get unlimited FREE two-day shipping (no minimum order size)
-  Stream music from millions of artists FREE
- Prime members get 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals on Amazon.com
- Prime Now 2-hour delivery on groceries, gifts and more

Sign up now for a free trial and unlock these great benefits!
Happy Shopping.

Save Money with Honey!

As an avid online shopper and penny pincher, I will jump at the opportunity for a good promo code, deal or discount and often spend more time researching and comparing prices online than actually shopping. I recently discovered a new way to save even more when shopping online and it's name is as sweet as the savings! HONEY.

Honey is a service that makes it ridiculously easy to save money and time. Honey automatically finds coupon codes for the site you’re shopping at and applies them to your order when you check out, saving you money and coupon searching time.

How easy it is to get:

Install the Honey browser extension. A 

 button will be placed in your browser bar. While shopping at a supported store, click on 

to view all available sales and coupon codes. During the checkout process, simply click the "Find Savings" button in the browser extension and Honey will automatically find and apply the best coupon(s) for you.

How it works:

Shop online. Honey works on thousands of stores. Just look for the 

 button in your browser bar. Some of the more popular sites are Amazon, Target, Macys, Groupon and so many more. When you get to the checkout screen, the Honey sidebar will automatically slide out with the button “Try Codes”. When you click the button, Honey automatically tests coupon codes, saving you the hassle of searching for coupon codes before you check out. 

 Click here to start saving big time today: joinhoney.com/ref/aogqtp

Free Audible Trial with 2 Free Books

Going on a road trip and want to listen to a good book to make the time go faster? Amazon Audible is the perfect solution with over 180,000 books to choose from. Sign up now for a FREE no-risk 30-day trial and receive 2 FREE book credits!

Books that speak to you
Immerse yourself in inspiring voices
Listening adds a new dimension to your experience of a book.
Hear master storytellers bring books to life, illuminating characters and taking you deep inside the story. Enjoy more books Listen to audiobooks on your commute, in the gym, while doing chores. Suddenly you have a whole lot more time to enjoy your favorite books.

Some of the popular books I have in my library are (save big with an Audible membership):

 

Listen anywhere Listen wherever, whenever. Listen to your audiobooks with the Audible, or Kindle, app, and Echo too! Switch between Reading and Listening Now you don't have to put a good book down. More than 70,000 Audible titles allow you to switch seamlessly between reading your Kindle version and listening, without losing your place, on Kindle app and Fire devices.

Sign up Now for a 30-day Trial
Includes two free audiobooks with your free trial.
Choose from 180,000+ best sellers, new releases sci-fi, romances, mysteries, classics, and more. After 30 days, get 1 book each month, $14.95/month
Cancel easily anytime. Your books are yours to keep, even if you cancel. Click below to get started now

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks

Back to School Savings At Amazon

It's that time again... time to start thinking about Back to School and all of the supplies and clothes that go along with it. It is also a great time for savings! Amazon has plenty of great deals and promotions geared just for parents and students. Check out some of these deals:
Back to School Deals

Off to College Deals

Prime Pantry Savings: Free Shipping on Back to School Essentials

Purchase any of the 4 qualifying products below and receive free shipping (a savings of $5.99). Savings will be applied at checkout. Limited time only.

What Is Prime Pantry? Prime Pantry is a unique shopping experience on Amazon.com. Prime members can shop popular household essentials and have them conveniently delivered. You can buy as much or as little as you want for a flat $5.99 delivery fee per Prime Pantry box. Save gas, save money, save time. Learn More

Back to School Deals on Software Browse software titles discounted by 50%