The sun had set hours ago, but the air was heavy and the sidewalk still radiated heat. I had walked 20 minutes to get frozen yogurt to cool down — even waited in line, something I’d sworn to never do for food — and it worked, briefly. But after I finished my cup of froyo, I was still sweating in the humidity, so I hopped on a Citi Bike in the hopes of catching a breeze on my way home.
The ride was glorious. I took myself on a scenic tour of Park Slope, cutting through Grand Army Plaza instead of taking my usual route. As I rode toward the entrance to the park, I was shocked to feel a wave of cool air wash over me, carrying with it the loamy smell of plants and soil.
I looped around the plaza a few times while waiting for the light to change — something I hope, one day, to never have to do again, if DOT can get their plaza redesign through — and each time, I rode closer to the park, reveling in the fresh air. The trees cooled me down when even froyo couldn’t.
I knew about the urban heat island effect, intellectually: asphalt and concrete without trees hold heat and raise temperatures. But I had never felt it quite so dramatically. Which is all to say that I’m feeling grateful for Brooklyn’s trees.
They’ve gotten some extra attention this year with the release of the city’s Urban Forest Plan, which details the benefits of trees, including that cooling effect, and lays out a roadmap to reaching 30% urban canopy cover citywide by 2040.
If you’re feeling moved by the city’s trees, too, you can be a part of the effort to hit 30%. Every 10 years, with the help of thousands of volunteers, NYC Parks counts every public tree in the city to better understand the urban forest. Trees Count 2025 started last year, but volunteer events will continue through the fall.
You could be the 3,528th volunteer this fall! Source: NYC Parks.
By volunteering, you don’t just help the city learn more about its trees — you do, too. I love being able to name a plant. If you’ve ever wondered about the species of the tree outside your window, this is a great way to start learning.
I’ll be counting trees in Prospect Park on Sept. 24 for Climate Week. Join me?
– Ella Spungen, Editor, Bluedot Living Brooklyn
Climate News, In Brief
Storms Got Me Down: This August has been the rainiest in five years, according to Time Out. All these heavy, climate-fueled storms have taken a hit on Brooklyn’s mature trees — the latest victims are two old honey locusts in Brooklyn Heights.
The People’s Canal: Almost every day for the past three years, Gary Francis has tested the waters of the Gowanus Canal, developing a clearer picture of the polluted waterway than city officials can. And he thinks it’s getting better. Read his story, and what he has to share about the canal.
EV Chargers in Schools: Public spaces across New York — like schools, libraries, and parks — are now eligible for a total of $35 million in state funding to install EV chargers through the new Charge Ready NY-Large Public Sector Project program.
Utility-Owned Renewables: Utility companies, like Con Ed and National Grid, were banned in the ’90s from owning power plants to encourage competition. Now, the companies want to build solar and wind farms to generate their own power, apparently to help the state meet its climate goals. But experts aren’t so sure.
Debates at Transmitter Park: A North Brooklyn park is at the center of another new debate over use of public green space. This time, it’s about a plan from NYC Parks to add a 40-slip marina and restaurant to the small waterfront Transmitter Park — the revenue would be high, but neighbors and elected officials are concerned.
Buying Out of Climate: NYC’s Local Law 97 sets strict emission standards for the city’s buildings, attempting to reduce their climate impact. But since last week, landlords can buy their way out of the regulation with renewable energy credits, which are cheaper and less impactful, through a Mayor Adams-era program.
Brownfield Application Open for Comment: Once a coal yard, later a soap plant, now… a condo? Comments are now open on a proposal to clean up this Gowanus site, which includes a brownfield application and work plan, recently submitted to the DEC by 252 Third St. Realty.
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The triple cantilever consists of three decks overhanging Furman Street (shown here), which runs at ground level next to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Photo: Mary Frost/Brooklyn Eagle
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn have unveiled the broad outlines of a 10-year, $4 billion plan to rehabilitate the city-owned portion of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street.
This section, dubbed “BQE Central,” includes the triple cantilever underlying the historic Brooklyn Heights Promenade.
This schematic shows the construction area of the city's planned BQE Central rehabilitation. Diagram: NYCDOT (Diagrams preliminary and subject to change.)
“Time is up. We are fixing the triple cantilever,” Flynn told reporters on a press call last Thursday. He said the city has “kicked the can down the road” long enough, and immediate action was needed to ensure the safety of drivers and minimize the likelihood of massive traffic diversions through Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Mamdani, on vacation at the time, was not on the call, but said in a statement that the city could not afford to wait for the “perfect solution.”
When life gets busy, even small changes can feel like just one more thing to figure out. These ready-made kits take some of the guesswork out of building more sustainable habits, bundling together everything you need to waste less, compost more, or rethink a routine.
Me Mother Earth’s Zero Waste Kitchen Set brings together reusable alternatives to the items most likely to end up in your kitchen’s trash can. The kit includes two dish brushes, three loofah sponges, a solid dishwashing bar and soap dish, plus three cotton mesh produce bags for farmers market trips and grocery runs. ($49.95)
If you’re not already composting, now is a great time to start! It’s one of the most meaningful changes you can make at home. Zero Waste Store’s Countertop Compost Bin Kit bundles the basics. Choose a white or black bin and you’ll also get 48 compostable baggies and three replacement filters. Keep the bin within reach as you cook, then transfer the scraps to your home compost or municipal green bin. ($69.78)
Finding more sustainable beauty products can involve a lot of trial and error as well as a lot of waste. UpCircle’s Pamper Kit makes experimenting easy, with 17 samples for hair, face, and body. The brand is known for effective, vegan, cruelty-free products that incorporate upcycled ingredients. ($9.99)
Dear Dot,
Where do you suggest buying “safe” greens?
– Janet
Dear Janet,
We can reduce risk by buying whole heads of lettuce, which undergo less processing than bagged greens, thereby reducing exposure to microbes. Strip away outer leaves, give the rest a good wash in clean, cold water, and dry in a salad spinner or on a towel.
The same holds true for greens purchased from local farms or at farmers markets — a shorter trip with fewer chances for contamination means a safer salad. And, as a bonus, buying local keeps money right in your community, cuts down on food miles from transport, eliminates or reduces plastic packaging, and gives you the chance to get to know your local farmers and their methods.
Got a question for Dot? Write her at [email protected].
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BLUEDOT LIVING KITCHEN
Nobody wants to turn the oven on in this heat. Luckily, this sweet treat requires no baking. Silken tofu has a custard-like creaminess and neutral flavor that makes the perfect base for this vegan New York–style cheesecake. Flavor it by adding any extract, citrus zest, or spices, and top it with fresh fruit.
Photo by Annabelle Waugh
BROOKLYN WILDLIFE WATCH
An osprey flies with a half-eaten fish in its talons above the Lynnhaven River, June 30, 2025, in Virginia Beach. Photo: Stephanie Scarbrough/AP
Ospreys are known to some as “fish hawks” in honor of what they do best: hunt for fish. The black-and-white birds of prey, which dive feet first into the water to catch fish in their talons, can be found across Brooklyn at Bush Terminal Park, Calvert Vaux Park, and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. But the birds are in trouble — find out why and how you can help.
The Bluedot Brooklyn newsletter is edited by Ella Spungen. If you have any questions, suggestions, ideas, or want to tell us what you’re doing, email [email protected].
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