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Eastern Redbud and Flowering Dogwood

There is an Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) growing in the northeast corner of the park. It is located in a fenced off area thus inaccessible for phone photography. This photo is of an easy to reach redbud in the neighborhood. The redbud is a native species and grows in the understory of regional deciduous forests.

Aren’t the flowers of the Flowering Dogwood enchanting? This dogwood tree also grows in the northeast corner of the park. Flowering Dogwood (Cornus mas) is another native, understory species. We track this individual in the Phenology Project. Follow us on Instagram for updates.

Tree Wonder Washington Square Park

The Visiting Artist on Sunday, April 30th will be Nikki Lindt. The drawing sessions are free and no registration is required. Paper and pencils are provided to participants. Tree Wonder Washington Square Park runs every Sunday until June 25th. Make a donation to the program.

City Nature Challenge

Also happening in the northwest corner on April 30th is a how-to participate in the City Nature Challenge and the Green Space Race. A Macaulay Honors College student will show us how to set up the iNaturalist app and to make observations. In the meantime, here is an iNaturalist fact sheet.

Upload 5 tree observations on Friday, April 28th to celebrate Arbor Day and the first of CNC! #5onFri #CNCNYC

NYC Wildflower Campaign

Vote for the City’s official wildflower! Each borough has nominated a flower. You can vote for any of the 5 flowers. The winning candidate will be revealed in the fall.

Explore Birds

Explore Birds, our sister project, will pop up in Union Square Park on Saturday, April 29th with Street Lab.

The Earth Day celebration in Union Square Park on April 16th was a success. Below are a few photos from the event.