Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Quiet Communities and the American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) celebrated a significant milestone, with the first botanic garden in New York state, and the second in the nation, becoming AGZA Green Zone Certified. An AGZA Certified Green Zone is an area of land on which routine landscape maintenance is performed with low-impact, battery-powered equipment instead of traditional gas-powered tools, which produce harmful exhaust, toxic waste and noise pollution. The garden celebrated this significant milestone with a special ceremony on July 10 that brought together green industry professionals, local municipal leaders and elected officials.
The recognition marks the culmination of a multi-year effort by Brooklyn Botanic Garden to evaluate and reduce the environmental impact of its horticultural and maintenance operations. The garden has systematically transitioned away from gas-powered landscaping equipment in favor of quieter, emissions-free tools that support a more sustainable and serene environment across its 52 acres and the surrounding neighborhood.
“Sustainability is at the forefront of our mission at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and now more than ever we are committed to practices that help combat climate change and support our environment and community,” said Adrian Benepe, president of Brooklyn Botanic Garden. “We are honored to be recognized for this work and certified as a Level 1 AGZA Green Zone by AGZA and Quiet Communities. We hope to be a resource to botanic gardens, parks and other organizations looking to move toward greener, cleaner, quieter operations.”
AGZA, in partnership with the nonprofit Quiet Communities, implements the certification program nationwide for parks, municipalities, institutions and businesses. The program includes education, training, certification and metrics reporting to ensure a lasting reduction in emissions and noise, with the goal of delivering financial savings as early as possible. Its four-level program starts with phasing out gas-powered handheld tools, followed by mowers and other large equipment used for routine maintenance, and culminates in adopting broader best practices for sustainable landscape care…