Hundreds of cleanups across the city
Welcome to the NYC Big Spring Clean - a spectacular month of cleanups and activities during Earth Month where we champion New Yorkers and help you take care of the places you love the most.
In its inaugural season, spring 2024, the Foundation supported 100 cleanups, with 4,700 volunteers, and over 5,300 pounds of garbage collected. We made a direct and positive impact on the lives of over 217,000 New Yorkers.
Stay tuned for round two - Join us in May 2025!
Community Groups - We worked hand-in-hand with 40+ community groups across all 5 boroughs to turbocharge their cleanups with cash grants, tools, supplies, and access to our online volunteer platform that helps drive volunteer participation.
Corporate - We partnered with over a dozen businesses and non-profits across the city whose employees stepped up to help clean up and have a positive impact on our city during Earth Month. If your company may be interested in cleanups in the future, let us know here.
Schools - We led and supported 50+ cleanups throughout NYC public schools. If you are an educator who is interested in getting involved in the future, explore our resources here.
We collaborated with the International Center of Photography (ICP) on three special events during the Big Spring Clean.
Lower East Side Community Cleanup- Saturday 4/13
Following our community cleanup, ICP faculty member Raine Roberts led a found object photo-based activity and learn more about using found objects to engage with photographic processes.
City as Canvas - Wednesday 4/17
Jade Doskow, ICP faculty member and Photographer-in-Residence of Freshkills Park, NYC, was joined by choreographer Kathy Westwater, NYC Department of Sanitation Archivist and records manager, Maggie Lee, and Dennis Diggins, the former First Deputy Commissioner of New York City Department of Sanitation for a conversation centered on how artists engage and document undervalued and reclaimed city land. Special remarks from artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles.
Third Thursday x ICP Late Night - Thursday 4/18
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
We are so proud to host NYC Big Spring Clean with the support from our incredible partners.
Bloomberg
Société Générale
Target
COMMUNITY HEROES
34th Avenue Open Streets Coalition
77th PCT Community Council, Inc.
Bed-Stuy Clean Ups
Beyond Plastics Queens
BQE Clean Up
Brooklyn New Lots Lions Club
Brooklyn Public School 9 PTO
CCNY GreenCentral x South East Brooklyn CDC
Clean Up Kensington
Clinton Hill Fort Greene Mutual Aid
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine Sustainability Club
Community Bridges to Success Incorporated
Friends of Tompkins Square Park
Inwood Merchant Association
Lex and 3rd Block Association
Macon Lewis Marcus Garvey block association
Malcolm X Boulevard Beautification Group
Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board
Nasty New Yorkers
Natural Resources Protective Association
Association for a Better New York (ABNY)
International Center of Photography
NYC Service
NSTAT TEAM BROWNSVILLVE / VAN DYKE HOUSES
NYC CLEAN Volunteers
NYC H2O
O.W.N. Club
Quincy St. Nostrand Marcy Block Association
Ridgewood Is Beautiful
Ridgewood Runners
Rosedale Preservation Society
Santana & Vargas Charities Inc
St. George Civic Association
St. Vartan Park Conservancy
Sunnyside Social
Team Rubicon
The Groundskeeper Club
The Mission Continues
Uptown Grand Central
We Run Uptown
West 30th Street Block Association