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By Natalie Musumeci
Brooklyn Daily
On the 19th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me — lots of mulch!
The Brooklyn yuletide season came to its official close on Jan. 13 with the final day of MulchFest, a 17-year city tradition in which eco-conscious residents sacrifice their Christmas trees to wood chippers, giving evergreens new life in the form of fertilizer.
Hundreds of Brooklynites parted ways with their tannenbaums in the popular festivity held last weekend at greenspaces including Prospect Park, Fort Greene Park, Green-Wood Cemetery, Marine Park, McCarren Park, and Owl’s Head Park.
The heaping piles of mulch created at the event will be used as nutrient-packed food for flora in city parks, gardens, and street planters — and the pine-scented enrichment will help moderate soil temperatures, retain moisture, and fend off weed growth, according to the Parks Department, which organized MulchFest with the Department of Sanitation and the eco-focused GreeNYC program.
And all Brooklynites who donated arbors for the grinding got the chance to take home their very own bag of fresh mulch!
Reach reporter Natalie Musumeci at nmusumeci@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4505. Follow her at twitter.com/souleddout.