Winter Recess in Prospect Park
2024-12-28 12:00 - 16:00, 2024-12-29 12:00 - 16:00, 2024-12-30 12:00 - 16:00, 2024-12-31 12:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Prospect Park Audubon Center, Prospect Park Boathouse, 101 East Drive, Brooklyn, NY, 11225, United States
Make the most of winter break! Join Prospect Park Alliance for family friendly programming every day during winter recess from Thursday, December 26 – Tuesday, December 31.
Nature Around Us, 12–3 pm: Enjoy different seasonal discovery stations and nature themed activities that will introduce you to the plants, insects and animals that call the park home. The Lake and Lullwater are home to many plants and animals. Help us to test the water quality and investigate pond samples that are filled with living organisms.
Animal Encounter, 2–3 pm: Join Alliance Naturalists in learning about the animals in the Center’s collection. This program starts promptly at 2 pm.
Family Nature Walk, 3–4 pm: Prospect Park is a stopping point for hundreds of bird species each year! Join us as we search for these amazing creatures and other nature around the park. Binoculars and bird guides are provided. This program departs from the Audubon Center promptly at 3 pm.

Scavenger Hunt For Kids (Marine Park)
2024-12-30 11:00 - 12:00 | Salt Marsh Nature Center, East 33rd Street and Avenue U, Brooklyn, 11234
Even when school’s out, our parks are still the city’s natural classroom! Bring your kids to parks throughout the city for Kids Week during Winter Recess. With programs led by our Urban Park Rangers, kids will get to experience nature in a hands-on and fun way. Come get salty with us on a nautical scavenger hunt. Find all the clues and win a prize!

Location: Salt Marsh Nature Center in Marine Park 3301 Avenue U, Brooklyn. Directions to this location
Cost: Free
Event Organizer: NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers
Contact Number: (718) 421-2021

Cancelled! Imani Day of Reflection and Celebration (Prospect Park)
2025-01-01 12:00 - 16:00 | Lefferts Historic House, 452 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11225
Join Prospect Park Alliance to celebrate the last day of Kwanzaa, named Imani, Swahili for “faith.” Learn about the freedom-seekers enslaved at Lefferts Historic House in the early 19th century. The political revolution that these everyday heroes helped initiate led to the abolition of slavery in New York and nationwide. After learning about their struggles, attendees will march to the Abraham Lincoln monument at the Concert Grove for a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued January 1st, 1863.

No Meeting! Scouts BSA Troop 26 Weekly Meeting
2025-01-02 08:00 - 17:00 | McCarren Park BBQ Area, Driggs Ave and Manhattan Ave, Driggs Avenue and Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11222, United States
No meeting this week.
***
Do your tweens and teenagers want to camp, fish, hike, ride horses, shoot arrows, ski and more? What about learning to cook, swim and applying first aid? How about giving back to our community, becoming a solid citizen and leader, and making great friends? Check out the fun with Troop 26 (boys)!
They meet outside every Thursday at 5:30 PM in McCarren Park, Brooklyn (BBQ area along Driggs Ave bw Manhattan Ave and Lorimer St.). If the weather is poor, they’ll meet indoors at Middle School 126 (424 Leonard Street).
https://www.instagram.com/troop26bk_nyc/ | https://www.instagram.com/pack7bk/
For more info: https://forms.gle/QGfySGTgRvDe2URr7
***
Weekend Overnight Trips ~ Biking, Cooking, Maritime, Shooting Sports, Skiing, USS NJ overnight, Whitewater rafting, and more!
Service Projects ~ Greencycle Swaps, Greenpoint Children’s Halloween Parade and Party, Cookies with Santa, Spring Egg Hunt, and more!
Other fun stuff ~ Baseball games, Bowling, Football games, Horseback riding, Ice skating, Indoor climbing, Klondike competitions, Movie nights, Palisades trail hikes, NYC urban hikes, and more!

No Meeting! Cub Scouts Lucky Pack 7 Weekly Meeting
2025-01-03 08:00 - 17:00 | American Playground, 389 Milton St, Brooklyn, 11222, United States
Do your grade schoolers (K-5) want to camp, fish, hike, ride horses, shoot arrows, ski and more? Learn fun skills and make great friends? Check out the fun with coed Cub Scouts Lucky Pack 7!
They meet every Friday at 6 PM at St. John’s Lutheran Church (155 Milton Street, Greenpoint, Brooklyn).
More info: https://forms.gle/QGfySGTgRvDe2URr7 | https://www.facebook.com/BKPack7 | https://www.instagram.com/pack7bk/
***
Fun Stuff ~ Baseball games, Bowling, Camping trips, Cookies with Santa, Fishing, Football games, Halloween Party, Horseback riding, Ice skating, Indoor climbing, Movie nights, Palisades trail hikes, NYC urban hikes, Pinewood derbies, Spring egg hunts, and more!
**
OLDER SCOUTS

Have older tweens & teenagers? Check out Boys Troop 26 (Grades 6-12)
They meet outside on Thursdays, 5:30-7 PM, McCarren Park BBQ Area, Driggs Ave bw Manhattan Ave & Lorimer St., Brooklyn
Troop 26 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troop26bk_nyc/

McGolrick Bird Club
2025-01-04 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-01-11 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-01-18 09:00 - 10:00 | McGolrick Park, Nassau Avenue & Russell Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11222, United States
Join the McGolrick Bird Club every Saturday at 9 AM at the corner of Russell St. and Driggs Ave.

Intro to Birdwatching Walks (Prospect Park)
2025-01-04 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-01-11 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-01-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Prospect Park Audubon Center, Prospect Park Boathouse, 101 East Drive, Brooklyn, NY, 11225, United States
These outings will start at The Audubon Center at the Boathouse.
Leader: A member of the Brooklyn Bird Club
Whether you’re just starting out or have already joined the birding ranks, this introductory bird outing is for you. Join a member of the Brooklyn Bird Club to learn the basics of birding and search for the dozens of species that visit Prospect Park through all seasons.
All levels and ages are welcome. No registration necessary. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Please bring binoculars if you have them. A limited number of binoculars will be available to loan.
Route Description: This outing is at a leisurely pace with lots of stops to observe birds. A different route through the park may be taken each week. There may be steps, slight inclines, and grass and dirt paths with exposed roots. We will cover approximately 1.5-2 miles.

Gardening Seminar (Greenpoint Library)
2025-01-04 10:30 - 12:00 | Greenpoint Library, 107 Norman Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11222, United States
Join gardening expert and educator Leslie Fiske for four seminars to learn about seeds, outdoor gardens, flower gardens, and container gardens in urban spaces.
Saturday, January 4th, 2025 ~ Seed Starting
Saturday, February 22nd, 2025 – Urban Gardening for Beginners: Learn the basics of starting an outdoor garden regardless of the size and kind of space you have, the amount of sunlight your space receives, or your level of gardening knowledge.
Saturday March 15th, 2025 – Container Gardening: Learn the basics of starting and maintaining a container garden in an urban setting including choosing the right container and soil for each variety of plant, grouping plants together, watering and fertilizing, and protecting from changes in weather throughout the year and from small animals found in our area.
Saturday April 12th, 2025 – Flower Gardening in Small Spaces: Learn the basics of creating a flower garden in a small space by matching the varieties of plants to the season, lighting conditions, and kind of outdoor space you have. Seed starting versus buying transplants and the benefits of annuals versus perennials will also be discussed.

This program is for adults and and young adults 14+.Attendance is first come first serve.

DSNY Residential Bins Info Sessions
2025-01-09 16:00 - 17:00 | Online
Residential Waste Containerization
To remove the mountains of black bags on New York City streets, reclaim public space, and improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers, DSNY has announced a plan to containerize all residential trash beginning fall 2024.
The new rules also apply to special-use buildings receiving DSNY collection – including City agencies, nonprofits, houses of worship, and professional offices in residential buildings.
Info Sessions
Join a virtual info session to learn more about DSNY’s new containerization rules.

Thursday, January 9 at 4:00 PM
Thursday, January 23 at 6:00 PM
Thursday, February 6 at 4:00 PM
Thursday, February 13 at 6:00 PM
Thursday, February 27 at 4:00 PM
Thursday, March 13 at 6:00 PM
Thursday, March 27 at 4:00 PM
Thursday, April 10 at 6:00 PM
Thursday, April 24 at 4:00 PM

Residential Buildings with 1-9 Units
Beginning November 12, 2024, all properties with 1-9 residential units will be required to use bins, 55 gallons or less, with secure lids for trash set out.
If you already use a bin with a secure lid that is 55 gallons or less for trash set out, you may continue to use it until June 2026. After that, you will need to switch to the official NYC Bin.
Learn more about NYC Bin requirements.
Official NYC Bins
The NYC Bin is the next step in New York City’s plan to get black bags of garbage off the streets and make our city cleaner and safer for all New Yorkers.
On July 8, 2024, the City unveiled the NYC Bin, the official trash bin for properties with 1-9 residential units. Separate NYC Bins are also available for purchase for recycling and composting, though they are not required.
The NYC Bin is now available for purchase at a significantly lower price than similar bins at retail stores, at www.bins.nyc or by calling 1-855-NYC-BINS.
NYC Bins are exclusively available for NYC property owners and building managers and will only be delivered to addresses within the five boroughs.
The NYC Bin was selected following the City’s release of an RFP in October 2023 to contract a vendor to produce official NYC Bins. In the RFP, DSNY mandated that the vendor produce bins according to specifications including, but not limited to:

Cost no more than $50 for the most common size
Available in multiple sizes to accommodate different types of buildings.
Rat resistant, easy to use by sanitation workers, and compatible with mechanized collection trucks.

DSNY will retrofit or replace hundreds of collection trucks, adding mechanical tippers compatible with the new bins. This upgrade will speed up collection and minimize the possibility of spills that occur with manual collection. Two sanitation workers will be needed to operate the mechanism, and this change will not affect DSNY workforce numbers.
Residential Buildings with 10+ Units
NYC is also advancing a plan to containerize trash in larger residential buildings.
Buildings with 31 or more residential units will be required to use stationary, on-street containers for their trash, serviced by DSNY’s new automated side-loading garbage trucks. On-street containers will be assigned to a specific building, solely for residents of that building.
Buildings with 10 to 30 units will be able to choose between stationary on-street containers and smaller wheelie bins.
The first district with these containers will be Manhattan Community Board 9, beginning Spring 2025, with further expansion pending environmental review.

Scouts BSA Troop 26 Weekly Meeting
2025-01-09 17:30 - 19:00, 2025-01-16 17:30 - 19:00 | McCarren Park BBQ Area, Driggs Ave and Manhattan Ave, Driggs Avenue and Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11222, United States
Do your tweens and teenagers want to camp, fish, hike, ride horses, shoot arrows, ski and more? What about learning to cook, swim and applying first aid? How about giving back to our community, becoming a solid citizen and leader, and making great friends? Check out the fun with Troop 26 (boys)!
They meet outside every Thursday at 5:30 PM in McCarren Park, Brooklyn (BBQ area along Driggs Ave bw Manhattan Ave and Lorimer St.). If the weather is poor, they’ll meet indoors at neighborhood locations such as St. John’s Lutheran Church (155 Milton Street) and Middle School 126 (424 Leonard Street).
https://www.instagram.com/troop26bk_nyc/ | https://www.instagram.com/pack7bk/
For more info: https://forms.gle/QGfySGTgRvDe2URr7
***
Weekend Overnight Trips ~ Biking, Cooking, Maritime, Shooting Sports, Skiing, USS NJ overnight, Whitewater rafting, and more!
Service Projects ~ Greencycle Swaps, Greenpoint Children’s Halloween Parade and Party, Cookies with Santa, Spring Egg Hunt, and more!
Other fun stuff ~ Baseball games, Bowling, Football games, Horseback riding, Ice skating, Indoor climbing, Klondike competitions, Movie nights, Palisades trail hikes, NYC urban hikes, and more!

Cub Scouts Lucky Pack 7 Weekly Meeting
2025-01-10 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-01-17 18:00 - 19:00 | American Playground, 389 Milton St, Brooklyn, 11222, United States

It's My Park at Msgr. McGolrick Park
2025-01-11 10:00 - 12:00 | McGolrick Park, Nassau Avenue & Russell Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11222, United States
This It’s My Park season, volunteer with Friends of McGolrick Park at their first event of the year to clean up the park. Bundle up and help us keep our park beautiful! Meet the Friends of McGolrick at our table by the pavilion from 10-12. Pickers, gloves and trash receptacles provided. We hope to see you there!
Location: Central Pavilion in Msgr. McGolrick Park Brooklyn. Directions to this location
Cost: Free
Event Organizer: Friends of McGolrick Park
Contact Email: friendsofmcgolrick@gmail.com

Nature Detective Mystery Adventure (Ft Greene Park)
2025-01-11 11:00 - 12:30 | Fort Greene Park Visitor Center, Fort Greene Park Willoughby Ave. &, Washington Park, Brooklyn, NY, 11205
Put your nature detective skills to test to crack the case of Pauly Pigeon. This clue-based program will test your knowledge of the natural world and outdoor skills figure out exactly “whodunit”

Location: Fort Greene Park Visitor Center in Fort Greene Park Brooklyn. Directions to this location

Cost: Free

Registration: In-person registration only.

Event Organizer: NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers

Contact Number: (646) 398-1479

Volunteer Landscaping and Cleanup at the Ridgewood Reservoir
2025-01-12 10:00 - 12:00 | Ridgewood Reservoir, Highland Blvd and Vermont Place, Brooklyn, NY, 11207
Join NYC H2O and the NYC Parks Department as we remove invasive plants and plant native plants at Ridgewood Reservoir!

Conflict Transformation Circles for Community Gardeners
2025-01-13 18:00 - 19:30 | Online
Conflict is natural and can happen even in the most well-organized garden group or with the best of friends. How can we hold space for and resolve conflict within our groups? In these monthly sessions, mediators Skye Roper-Moses and Michelle Jackson will facilitate discussion circles for community gardeners to bring their challenges to the group and collectively generate solutions. The facilitators will model skills for holding space that gardeners can bring back to their groups to develop a practice for addressing and transforming conflict in the garden; this will be a confidential space that is not recorded. These sessions are held monthly, and themes for discussion are based on issues brought forward at the prior session. Participants are welcome to attend them all or drop in for one.
NYC Parks GreenThumb hosts this event. We are proud to be the nation’s most extensive urban community gardening program, sustaining over 550 gardens throughout New York City. With GreenThumb’s support, community gardens are centers of environmental justice, ensuring that our city is fairer, safer, and greener for all. GreenThumb’s events are free and open to the public.

Location: Virtual/Online Workshop

Cost: Free

Registration: Register Here

Event Organizer: GreenThumb

Contact Email: greenthumbinfo@parks.nyc.gov

Bonsai Beginner Workshop at Threes Brewing - Gowanus
2025-01-13 18:30 - 20:30 | Threes Brewing Gowanus, 333 Douglass Street, Brooklyn, 11217
Beginner workshops are perfect for you to grab your friends, grab a drink and come make tiny trees! We’re bringing the awesome art of bonsai out of the hedged in gardens and into the streets! Or at least into your favorite bars/breweries/pubs. Bonsai Bar is a night of fun you don’t want to miss. Learn the fundamental skills and techniques behind the art of bonsai while enjoying a night out with friends! Our teachers will introduce core concepts and guide your experience as you pot, prune, and design your very own bonsai tree! Our Guarantee: These tiny trees are so hardy we guarantee you can keep yours alive, or we’ll replace it.
This workshop will be hosted at Threes Brewing – Gowanus. Threes Brewing is a Brooklyn-based brewery known for crafting approachable beers that balance simplicity and complexity, with a focus on lagers, hop-forward American ales and mixed culture beers. Creativity and respect for the craft of brewing are among our guiding principles. We take pride in introducing (or reintroducing) traditional styles to a new audience by applying a modern spin. We opened our Gowanus flagship in 2014; a non-traditional taproom and event space that houses our Brooklyn brewhouse, tucked discreetly behind the main bar. Gowanus is the birthplace and heart of our operation, also home to a beer shop, music venue (Tiny Montgomery), and Ninth Street Espresso.
Under 21 policy: Please contact Threes Brewing – Gowanus for details regarding underage entry
For more about Bonsai Bar and what to expect at our classes, visit our website at: https://bonsaibar.com/products/threes-brewing-gowanus

Bonsai Beginner Workshop at Carroll Hall
2025-01-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Carroll Hall, 2 Vandervoort Pl, Brooklyn, 11237
Beginner workshops are perfect for you to grab your friends, grab a drink and come make tiny trees! We’re bringing the awesome art of bonsai out of the hedged in gardens and into the streets! Or at least into your favorite bars/breweries/pubs. Bonsai Bar is a night of fun you don’t want to miss. Learn the fundamental skills and techniques behind the art of bonsai while enjoying a night out with friends! Our teachers will introduce core concepts and guide your experience as you pot, prune, and design your very own bonsai tree! Our Guarantee: These tiny trees are so hardy we guarantee you can keep yours alive, or we’ll replace it.
This workshop will be hosted at Carroll Hall. Carroll Hall is a unique, multi-faceted event venue in the heart of Brooklyn, NY. The venue is available for all types of private events from art exhibits, performances, and film shoots to corporate functions, weddings, baby showers, bridal showers, and birthday parties.
Under 21 policy: Please contact Carroll Hall for details regarding underage entry
For more about Bonsai Bar and what to expect at our classes, visit our website at: https://bonsaibar.com/products/carroll-hall

Brooklyn CB1 Combined Public Hearing and Board Meeting
2025-01-14 18:00 - 21:00 | Swinging 60’s Senior Center, 211 Ainslie St., Brooklyn, NY, 11211 , United States
Combined Public Hearing and Board Meeting
When: Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Time: 6pm
Place: Swinging Sixties Senior Center
211 Ainslie Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(corner of Manhattan Avenue)
Meeting Agenda: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/brooklyncb1/downloads/pdf/2025/REVISED-Combined-Public-Hearing-and-Board-Meeting-Notice-01-14-25.pdf
Monthly Combined Public Hearing and Board Meeting Agendas
(Note: For further information on accessibility or to make a request for accommodations, such as sign language interpretation services, please contact Brooklyn Community Board No. 1, Phone: 718-389-0009; at least (5) business days in advance to ensure availability.)

Press Release/Calendar for 2025 – 2026

Friends of Greenpoint Library Meeting
2025-01-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Greenpoint Library, 107 Norman Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11222, United States
Have ideas on how to make the branch a better place? Want to support the branch through advocacy and fundraising? Come and join the Friends of Greenpoint Library and help us plan and support our upcoming events! Bring your time and talent, and ideas, too. All are welcome to join!
Please join us for this next meeting of the Friends of Greenpoint Library at 6pm! The meeting will take place at the library. RSVP is optional but helpful.
For any questions before the meeting, or if you’re unable to attend but would like more information, please email Agarnett@bklynlibrary.org.

Bonsai Beginner Workshop at Strong Rope Brewery - Red Hook
2025-01-16 18:00 - 20:00 | Strong Rope Brewery (Red Hook), 185 Van Dyke St, Brooklyn, 11231
Beginner workshops are perfect for you to grab your friends, grab a drink and come make tiny trees! We’re bringing the awesome art of bonsai out of the hedged in gardens and into the streets! Or at least into your favorite bars/breweries/pubs. Bonsai Bar is a night of fun you don’t want to miss. Learn the fundamental skills and techniques behind the art of bonsai while enjoying a night out with friends! Our teachers will introduce core concepts and guide your experience as you pot, prune, and design your very own bonsai tree! Our Guarantee: These tiny trees are so hardy we guarantee you can keep yours alive, or we’ll replace it.
This workshop will be hosted at Strong Rope Brewery – Red Hook. Strong Rope Brewery® was created in 2015 with the purpose of showcasing New York ingredients and to make truly regional beers. Our hand-crafted ales & lagers are brewed with intention and a sense of place that is welcoming to all. With unparalleled views of New York Harbor and the best sunsets in the city, our flagship brewery is spacious, comfortable, family-friendly, and accessible for all.
Under 21 policy: Please contact Strong Rope Brewery – Red Hook for details regarding underage entry
For more about Bonsai Bar and what to expect at our classes, visit our website at: https://bonsaibar.com/products/strong-rope-brewery-red-hook

Center for Brooklyn History Talk: Atlantic Avenue End-to-End
2025-01-16 18:30 - 20:00 | Center for Brooklyn History, 128 Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn, NY
This program is offered in partnership with the Municipal Art Society (MAS), as part of its Enduring Culture Initiative

Atlantic Avenue is one of the most critical corridors in our city. The sole east-west truck route through Brooklyn, it also bifurcates Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill, Downtown Brooklyn and Prospect Heights, and Crown Heights from Bedford Stuyvesant before transitioning into Queens. The corridor has been home to layers of communities, yet across the stretch of these diverse neighborhoods, the course of development and the investment of resources has not been equal.
Now the City is looking to transform Atlantic Avenue. The Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan (AAMUP) is a community-centered rezoning proposal: a mixed-use framework intended to support affordable housing, new jobs, and public space investment. With city officials and residents contemplating Atlantic Avenue’s future, a number of critical questions arise. How do we practice preservation in ways that support long-time neighborhood businesses, community character, and the many priceless elements that make neighborhoods along the corridor familiar and beloved? What methods will help bolster community resiliency? How do we ensure security and protection for current residents, taking into account all that we know about the dynamics of gentrification and displacement?
Join the Center for Brooklyn History and the Municipal Art Society of New York for a conversation with interdisciplinary practitioners who are working across the spectrum of Atlantic Avenue communities to preserve culture and history in the face of change.
