Cultivating Curiosity in the Garden

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Across New York City, the integration of garden spaces with schools and libraries has emerged as a powerful tool in fostering literacy and lifelong learning. These green, community-centered environments provide more than just a break from the urban landscape; they serve as dynamic, hands-on learning spaces that support reading, writing, and critical thinking.

By linking nature with educational programming, garden-based initiatives engage children and families in storytelling, environmental education, and culturally responsive literacy practices, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. In honor of September being National Literacy Month, we celebrate the ways in which our urban gardens foster curiosity, and learning.

Bringing Learning Outdoors with the DeKalb Library

Through our Gardens for the City program, NYRP has completed over 300 garden builds and/or renovations to date, 75 of which are adjacent to a school, library, or campus.

 

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This past May, NYRP renovated the Brooklyn Public Library DeKalb branch garden thanks to the generous support of NYRP donor Jeffrey Moskin. NYRP pruned and cleaned up the garden and installed perennials, shrubs, and more seating areas. The free public community space will serve as a venue for a variety of library programs and events and will now be more accessible and usable for the local community in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Nurturing the Next Generation

Every Monday morning, Paradise on Earth Garden (Longwood, The Bronx) hosts a baby meetup where children and caregivers gather to read, learn, and play in the garden. The Baby Meetup provides free, high-quality early childhood and family programming that promotes connection and education through art, story time, music, movement, and more.

 

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“The garden is magical,” says Danielle King Powell, founder of The Baby Meetup. “Children learn best when they are at play and at ease, and the garden makes that possible effortlessly. It’s the perfect place to snuggle up with a good book, explore stories together, or write freely.”

Little Free Libraries in NYRP Gardens

For New Yorkers with less proximity to a library, volunteer-led Little Free Libraries can increase access to books. These charming, book-sharing boxes invite community members to “take a book, share a book,” fostering neighborhood connection. Since 2020, NYRP has worked with Little Free Libraries to install book boxes in 25 of the 51 gardens we own and operate.

Heather Butts, NYRP trustee and gardener Westervelt Community Garden (St. George, Staten Island) coordinated a citywide art contest called “Reading in Color” to decorate these new garden libraries. “These Little Free Libraries in NYRP gardens represent the best we have to offer,” says Heather. “They also represent imagination and creativity.”

Gardens Are a Perfect Place to Read

Spending time in nature has been linked with improved attention spans, memory, and executive function—essential skills for learning and literacy. Literacy is increasingly recognized as a social justice issue, as disparities in literacy rates often mirror broader societal inequalities.

Longtime NYRP supporters Diane and Clyde Brownstone have championed our Little Free Libraries and community gardens. “A garden gives you a place to go: quiet, nice, beautiful. It’s a place where you can sit and rest your mind, which is especially important in a city like New York that doesn’t have a lot of quiet spaces.” emphasizes Diane.

“This is a wonderful testament to the work that libraries and organizations like NYRP can do together,” says Edward Maxwell, the Director of Neighborhood Services at Brooklyn Public Library, when reflecting on the recent garden build at DeKalb Library. “In a bustling New York City, having a garden where you can be tucked away is a beautiful thing.”