August 22, 2018
New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P), the citywide independent champion of quality open space, announced on August 16 the opening of the 2018 Daffodil Project. NY4P is giving away half a million daffodil bulbs to New Yorkers as part of a living memorial to the victims of 9/11, to be planted in public spaces throughout the city for all to enjoy. Registration is now open and ends Wednesday, September 5 at 5:00 pm.
The Daffodil Project was founded in the fall of 2001 as a living memorial to the victims of 9/11 by NY4P board member and world-renowned public garden designer Lynden Miller, and NYC Parks, under the leadership of Commissioner Adrian Benepe. With over seven million free bulbs planted citywide by more than 100,000 young students, parks and gardening groups, civic organizations, corporate volunteers, and other New Yorkers, it is one of the largest volunteer efforts in the city’s history. The project has become a powerful tool for remembrance, community building, education, and environmental stewardship.
Registration is now open and ends Wednesday, September 5 at 5:00 pm. Free bulbs are available to any group or individual planting them in a public space such as a park, community garden, public plaza, or street tree bed. NY4P will hold distribution events in each borough. Participants must register in advance to guarantee their bulb order. Community members can request bulbs and choose a pickup location at www.ny4p.org/the-daffodil-project.
All bulb distributions take place from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm; and from 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm NY4P distributes all unclaimed bulbs to people who joined the waiting list either online or in-person at the distribution.
In Queens, there will be two distribution locations: on Saturday, 9/22 at Forest Park; and on 10/6 at the Rockaways Firehouse at Beach 59th. There will be distributions in the other boroughs as well.
For over 100 years New Yorkers for Parks has been the independent champion for quality parks and open space for all New Yorkers. Through its research, advocacy, and The Daffodil Project, they work with communities and elected officials to create and preserve quality open space across the city. To learn more visit www.ny4p.org.
“We are very happy to once again bring The Daffodil Project to New York City, to beautify communities across every borough and bring us together in remembrance,” said Lynn Kelly, executive director of New Yorkers for Parks. “We’ve planted over seven million daffodil bulbs since the project’s founding in 2001, and we’re so grateful to the thousands of volunteers whose participation makes our city more beautiful every year. The Daffodil Project is emblematic of so much of what makes New Yorkers great–we’re not afraid to get dirty and work together out of love for our city.”
“Every year we have more and more people sign up for bulbs, which proves how important The Daffodil Project is to communities throughout the city,” said Emily Walker, director of outreach and programs at New Yorkers for Parks. “The bulbs always go fast and we encourage people to register as soon as they can, so they can be a part this uniquely New York City experience.”