BROOKLYN QUEENS LAND TRUST
This organization has already been registered
Someone in your organization has already registered and setup an account. would you like to join their team?Profile owner : i**o@b**t.o*g
Mission Statement
The mission of the Brooklyn Queens Land Trust (BQLT) is to: - Ensure the conservation and preservation of open space in perpetuity, for the benefit of the general public - Act as a steward of the open space properties that BQLT owns - Establish a community of gardeners in Brooklyn and Queens
About This Cause
In 2004, the Brooklyn Queens Land Trust (BQLT) was incorporated to manage 34 gardens (29 in Brooklyn and 5 in Queens), with a plan to eventually own those gardens. BQLT is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization comprising a 14-member Board of Directors, staff, and 600+ volunteer gardeners. BQLT has a grassroots structure where the gardens are the members and garden representatives act on behalf of their gardens in an official capacity, either on the BQLT board or as voting members. BQLT is now the outright owner of 36 community gardens and the lease-holder of one additional garden. BQLT-owned gardens cannot be sold or developed and are permanently saved as open spaces. Located in 20 different neighborhoods through Brooklyn and Queens, BQLT gardens provide opportunities for diverse groups of people to meet and work together cooperatively. BQLT gardens provide their communities with vital access to open space. They are hubs for gardening, learning, arts, and culture. They bring together neighbors of all ages and backgrounds, strengthening the social fabric of our neighborhoods and making them healthier, safer, and more sustainable. Most BQLT gardens are used for urban agriculture, with a wide range of vegetables, fruits, and herbs grown for local consumption. Many BQLT gardens are located in lower-income communities, where access to fresh produce is scarce. Having the space to grow nutritious food in one’s own neighborhood is an important step toward improving the health of our communities. At BQLT gardens, summers are filled with fish fries, cookouts, concerts, and art exhibits. Many gardens also serve as open-air classrooms, providing students of all ages with opportunities for hands-on learning. Gardens are natural catalysts for community involvement and volunteering. BQLT makes sure its gardens are protected so that gardeners can focus on the work they love. BQLT provides liability insurance to all of its gardens and manages the paperwork associated with its properties (including ensuring that all nonprofit paperwork is submitted and up-to-date). For gardens connected to the city water system, BQLT covers the cost of water usage. BQLT also provides needed support to ensure that its gardens remain fully operational at all times. This may include fixing a damaged fence, removing a fallen tree, or making capital improvements to enhance a garden space, whenever the need arises. BQLT hosts several annual events that bring BQLT gardeners together to recognize each other’s accomplishments, share resources, and develop their skills. This includes an annual bike tour and open garden day each fall, and a Celebration of Gardens that takes places at the end of each garden season. Throughout the growing season, BQLT’s operations committee holds its meetings at a different BQLT garden each month, bringing together gardeners throughout our community to see each other’s spaces, discuss common challenges, and share resources. As BQLT has grown, it has begun implementing targeted, cross-garden projects that benefit both our gardens and the surrounding communities. In 2016, with funding from New York Community Trust, BQLT implemented the Neighborhood Coalitions Project to encourage healthy eating and build community within and across four BQLT gardens in Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Currently, BQLT is implementing the CIRCLE Initiative, an ambitious project that fosters community and environmental sustainability across BQLT’s full network of gardens.