Annual Day of Action
For our second annual Day of Action, ARO completed a clean-up with Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy. At Pier 1 Salt Marshes, the team raked and disposed of dead marsh grass to allow for new growth, and collected trash that had accumulated in the area. Salt marshes were once common across the Northeast coasts and provide a critical habitat for ducks, birds, crustaceans, and bivalves. ARO has a special connection to Brooklyn Bridge Park, having designed three projects in the Park over the past decade.
ARO is committed to an annual Day of Action as way to connect with our local communities, build team cohesion, and take a break from office work to distribute our labor to a community-serving organization.
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Matching T-shirts and Volunteer Bibs -
ARO staff raked and collected trash in the Pier 1 Salt Marsh -
Pier 1 Salt Marsh - Before -
Pier 1 Salt Marsh - After
In 2021, ARO held its inaugural Day of Action volunteering with GrowNYC, a local nonprofit working to secure a clean and healthy environment for future generations of New Yorkers. We volunteered in person at their Governors Island Teaching Garden, a one-acre urban farm where NYC students learn to plant, water, harvest, and cook the garden’s wide array of vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Remote employees helped GrowNYC read grant applications from community groups across the city for publicly accessible gardens.
Collectively, we:
- Contributed over 80 hours of volunteer time
- Cleared out a mugwort infestation from plant beds, walking paths, and a long stretch of the main road
- Moved 100 sand bags to help protect plantings for the winter season
- Reviewed 6 applications for new community gardens across the city
- Deconstructed and rebuilt 1 bench
Read more about ARO’s actions and initiatives.
