Grow with Us!

Dear Valued Friend,

Every day The Horticultural Society of New York makes a difference in people’s lives, from inmates on Rikers Island to at-risk youth and school children, many of whom would see little if any green were it not for our work. We promote equal access and opportunity for all New Yorkers to benefit from a greener city.

Let us share with you a typical “day in the life of the Hort.”


• It’s 7:30am, and GreenHouse Director Hilda Krus is already in our 2-acre garden on Rikers Island. She works with inmates assigning tasks relating to their individual needs and abilities, providing horticultural therapy and vocational training to help redirect their lives and reduce the likelihood of re-arrest.

• At 9:00am, John Cannizzo, GreenTeam Internship Program Director, is leading six GreenTeam interns in the completion of a healing garden for the Bailey House, which serves New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. The GreenTeam provides a job in horticulture and a safety net during the most vulnerable time in an ex-offender’s life, when they first leave prison.

• Back at the Horticultural Society, our Librarian, Katherine Powis, welcomes preschoolers to the library. These little ones learn about the wonders of the green world through seasonal songs, picture books, puppets and nature crafts during the Budding Naturalists’ Story Hour at the only library in Manhattan devoted to plants and gardens.

• As the morning comes to an end, Pam Ito, Director of AppleSeed, our children’s education program, is at PS 57 in East Harlem with thirty third graders, planting coriander seeds that will soon sprout cilantro leaves. Our curriculum is designed to expose children to nature while at the same time teaching science, to help them meet third grade science standards.

• During a working lunch, Director of Horticulture, George Pisegna meets with Jane Cooke, Executive Director of the New York Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (and a new tenant at HSNY’s headquarters), to plan a forum on the therapeutic use of landscape design for social service agencies.

• At 5:30pm, Chris Murtha, our Curator of Exhibitions, is preparing for an opening reception of plant-based art. Our recent SPROUT III exhibition featured paintings, collages and sculptures by nearly 100 young students from underserved communities who participated in our AppleSeed education program.

The Hort is working hard to grow the impact of our social service programs, but we need your support. Whether you are a member, a donor or a friend, I ask you to contribute generously. Please help us to help all New Yorkers grow with us.

Sincerely,

Sara Hobel
Executive Director

P.S. Your donations are welcome at any time throughout the year. But those received before June 30 will help even more now, as they will be credited to our 2010 Fiscal Year.