Compost/MulchFest

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Dead leaves and fallen branches are a rich resource for our City’s green spaces. Through two processes called composting and mulching, we can reuse this organic litter and minimize the amount of material we deposit into the trash. Fallen leaves, shrubbery clippings, and plants can naturally decompose into compost, a nutrient-rich, dark, crumbly material that helps improve soil health and provides essential nutrients to plants. Fallen tree limbs and branches can be chipped and turned into mulch—a wooded material that helps conserve soil moisture and moderate soil temperature.

Each January, NYC Parks plays host to MulchFest, a citywide event where New Yorkers in all five boroughs bring their holiday trees to local parks to be recycled into mulch.

There are a number of ways that you, too, can compost in your home, local park, or community garden.

• Learn about composting in New York City in general.
• Find out more about community composting sites in New York City.
• Visit Parks' Upcoming Events calendar and enter “compost” into the Keyword or Phrase search box.
• And make sure to bring your tree to your local park next January for the new year's MulchFest!