The holidays are fast approaching, and so too is NYC Parks’ annual Mulchfest tree chipping celebration! Beginning December 26, 2021, New Yorkers can “tree”-cycle their holiday trees at local parks, with convenient drop-off sites in all five boroughs.
This year, Parks will be hosting one Chipping Weekend, where New Yorkers can actively mulch their holiday trees – January 8 & 9. At any one of Parks’ 35 Chipping Weekend locations, residents can watch their tree get chipped, and those who would like nutrient-rich mulch can take some home with them!
Drop-offs begin at 74 sites citywide December 26, including:
Bronx ~ Van Cortlandt Park, Golf course at Bailey Ave. & Van Cortlandt Park S.
Brooklyn ~ Prospect Park ~ Lincoln Rd. & Ocean Ave. ~ Park Cir. & Parkside Ave. ~ Third St. & Prospect Park W.
Manhattan ~ Washington Square Park, Fifth Ave. & Washington Square N.
Queens ~ Hunters Point South Park, 51st Ave. and Center Blvd
Staten Island ~ Conference House Park, Parking lot at Hylan Blvd. & Satterlee St.
For more information, including the full list of Mulchfest drop-off and chipping sites, visit: nyc.gov/parks/mulchfest
Mulchfest 2022 will run from December 26 through January 9. New Yorkers will be able to drop off holiday trees at one of 74 sites—35 are chipping sites—across the five boroughs, including parks and GreenThumb gardens. The trees are then chipped and recycled, and the mulch is used to nourish city trees and plants in every corner of the city.
During the chipping weekend—January 8 & 9—residents can bring their tree to a chipping site and watch their tree being chipped, and bring a bag of nutrient-rich mulch home with them. Weather-permitting, DSNY will also collect and compost clean trees left at curbs from Thursday, January 6, 2022, to Saturday, January 15, 2022.
Mulchfest, part of the New York City holiday tradition, encourages New Yorkers to make greening a family activity—turning holiday trees into mulch which can be used for gardening and to increase soil fertility. For more than 20 years, Parks and DSNY have collected and mulched trees to help planting beds and community gardens around the city grow. Mulch maintains the health of our trees and plants citywide by deterring weeds, retaining moisture, preventing compaction, adding nutrients to the soil, and keeping roots warm. In recent years, Parks has mulched between 25,000 and 30,000 on average annually, with a record-setting 50,900+ mulched during Mulchfest 2020.