Restoring the Unity riverbank: a volunteer-led project in Brooklyn

The Unity riverbank has been used as an informal dump for years. This July, 72 neighbors turned up for a first cleanup, filling 99 bags in a single morning. Now we want to restore it for good. We have a plan agreed with the local forestry office, including native species selected by a local botanist. The area floods more each year, and fish have returned for the first time in a decade after our first cleanup. Restoring it will protect homes and bring back shade. All the labor is volunteered. We just need materials. We'll post planting day photos and a count of every sapling planted. Where the $2,450 goes: • Native saplings and stakes: $1,400 • Tools and protective gear: $620 • Waste removal and skip hire: $330 • Signage and educational materials: $100 Even a small gift gets used right away and I'll thank you myself.