Home / Environment / From Litter to Lush: NYRP Transforms City Parks
From Litter to Lush: NYRP Transforms City Parks
3 Sep
Summary
- The New York Restoration Project has planted over 200,000 trees across the city.
- An artificial oyster reef was installed to combat rising sea levels and storm damage.
- Over 1.6 million New Yorkers now live near an NYRP-managed green space.
Thirty years ago, Bette Midler began clearing abandoned parks in Northern Manhattan. This initiative evolved into the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), now credited with revitalizing green spaces across all five boroughs. NYRP has planted over 200,000 trees and removed more than six million pounds of rubbish since 1995.
The charity's impact includes environmental protection measures, such as a 500-foot artificial oyster reef installed along the Harlem River to safeguard Sherman Creek Park from rising sea levels. As of its 2025 Annual Report, NYRP stewards over 80 acres of parkland and manages more than 50 community gardens.
Recent efforts in 2025 saw the planting and distribution of 4,649 trees, removal of over 98,000 pounds of rubbish, and the creation of eight new green spaces. NYRP's ongoing chestnut restoration project in Highbridge Park, a collaboration since 2017, has expanded with the 1,000 Chestnut Challenge. The organization's work now ensures over 1.6 million New Yorkers live within a 10-minute walk of an NYRP green space.
