An Environmental Collaboration: Broadway Stages and Newtown Creek Alliance
/Since 2002 the Newtown Creek Alliance (NCA) has been working to restore community health, water quality, habitat, access and vibrant commerce along Newtown Creek. Serving as a catalyst for effective community action, NCA has made a positive and enduring impact on the health and quality of life of Creek-side communities. Their efforts to restore, reveal and revitalize Newtown Creek have played a key role in advancing environmental initiatives in our community, among them Kingsland Wildflowers.
NCA is also the steward of educational programming at Kingsland Wildflowers, a green roof initiative supported by a group of collaborators including the New York City Audubon, Alive Structures and NOoSPHERE Arts. Located atop a Broadway Stages building on Kingsland Avenue, Kingsland Wildflowers was made possible by the Greenpoint Community Enviromental Fund (GCEF), along with initial matching funds and continued maintenance efforts supported by Broadway Stages. Initiated by the New York City Audubon who took the lead in submitting the GCEF grant proposal, the project is among our proudest environmental sustainability efforts, and has become a blueprint for other green roof projects.
Broadway Stages’ interest and concern about the condition of Newtown Creek, along with a deep-rooted desire to help improve the environment, brought our two organizations together. Broadway Stages Founder, Tony Argento, has actively participated in community meetings that address environmental concerns, including the condition of the creek. With a mutual interest in helping to restore the environment, a relationship between NCA and Broadway Stages transpired. “Tony is not just interested in the waterway because he is a creek-side property owner,” said Lisa Bloodgood, Director of Advocacy and Education at NCA, “he has invested in environmental initiatives that help to advance ecosystem services that are critical to habitat and community.” To date, Broadway Stages has invested in more than 20,000 square feet of green rooftops, including the 6,000 square foot Eagle Street Rooftop Farm, and 50,000 square feet of rooftop solar panels. In 2018, Broadway Stages opened their doors to NCA, providing the organization with a facility to call home. This gesture has allowed NCA to grow their advocacy efforts, while at the same time stewarding Kingsland Wildflowers, a role NCA took-on in 2019. “We are eternally grateful to Tony and Broadway Stages for their generous offering of office space and support of our mission,” said Willis Elkins, Executive Director of NCA. “Our relationship with Broadway Stages and our work at Kingsland Wildflowers has been enriching and broadened our ecological reach,” continued Elkins.
Broadway Stages is proud to support organizations that help to enhance the quality of life in the communities where we work and live. We encourage you to join us, and get involved in one or more of the many events hosted by NCA, from creekside clean-ups and bike tours, to volunteer plantings and more at Kingsland Wildlfowers. #GOGREEN
