Blog

First Annu­al ShinDIG a huge success!

May 7, 2019 9:56 am

On May 4^th, the Friends of Gov­er­nors Island host­ed the first annu­al ShinDIG! Through­out the day over 500 com­mu­ni­ty mem­bers pitched in to help get the Island ready for the sea­son ahead. Thank you to all who helped the Friends keep Gov­er­nors Island vibrant. 

Togeth­er we: 

• Removed 4,350 gal­lons of inva­sive species, mak­ing room for native plants to flour­ish and con­tribute to the Island’s healthy ecosystem

• Weed­ed 5,000 square feet in Liggett Ter­race, ensur­ing it remains a beau­ti­ful place for vis­i­tors to enjoy deli­cious food or splash in the play fountains

• Removed 3,000 gal­lons of over­grown grass­es in the Hills, encour­ag­ing new growth and pro­tect­ing the habi­tats of friend­ly insects and birds

• Dis­trib­uted 800 gal­lons of mulch to the Liggett Ter­race Play Area and Slide Hill, so kids (and adults!) can play safely 

• Har­vest­ed thou­sands of seeds from flow­ers grown on the Island, so we can con­tin­ue to sup­port the grow­ing bio­di­ver­si­ty of the Island
• Worked with the Bil­lion Oys­ter Project to clean and pre­pare 150 bags of oys­ter shells that will be used to cre­ate new oys­ter habi­tats and help restore our Harbor.
• Cleared 220 gal­lons of dead leaves and weeds from The Laven­der Field, ensur­ing a fra­grant, pur­ple sum­mer to come.
• Weed­ed and cleaned the gar­den at the Har­bor School, cre­at­ing a beau­ti­ful recess spot for 450 pub­lic high school students.

All of the 10,350 gal­lons of plant mate­r­i­al we col­lect­ed will be com­post­ed by our friends at Earth Mat­ter NY’s Com­post Learn­ing Cen­ter, where it will be made into rich fer­til­iz­er that goes back into our land­scapes as part of the Island’s zero-waste initiative. 

With your help, we accom­plished a lot! But there’s more to do to keep this oasis in the Har­bor beau­ti­ful and healthy. Here’s how you can get involved to help care for the Island: 

Vol­un­teer with us

Become a member

Adopt a piece of Gov­er­nors Island