Nurture by Nature

The main goal of the Nurture by Nature project is to help beautify Thomas P. Noonan Jr. Playground by providing horticultural and floricultural expertise and curation, procurement of flowers and shrubs, plant installation, composting, and landscaping. 

Friends of Thomas P. Noonan Jr. Playground ("Friends of Noonan"), and the impetus behind Nurture by Nature, was founded in June 2020 in an effort to provide a clean, safe, and accessible playground for all. To effect impactful change, Friends of Noonan engaged the community and asked what changes they would most like to see at the playground, with 'playground beautification' being one of the most common responses.

The playground is largely devoid of flowering plants or shrubs, with weeds overpowering all of the planted areas. Planter boxes, filled with years-old woodchips, line both the interior and exterior of the playground. These boxes contribute to the park's barren aesthetic and lack identifiable purpose. The limited plant and tree species that do exist in the park are not adequately cared for and have become litter and waste deposits. 

The Nurture by Nature project will not only target existing planted areas, but also develop new ones in underutilized areas. In collaboration with our neighborhood's family and friends, park advocates, gardeners, and ioby, we can simultaneously revive a beloved playground and empower a community from the ground up. 

• September 2020 - consultation with horticultural expert; plant selection; and purchase fencing
• September and October 2020 - weed and cultivate soil in areas that will be repurposed for planting
• Mid October - plant and mulch
• December 2020 through March 2021 - allow plants to build strong root systems
• March through May 2021 - watch as Thomas P. Noonan Jr. Playground blooms

Thomas P. Noonan Jr. Playground, located in Sunnyside, Queens, is a single acre of recreational space that serves as a primary outdoor resource for a community of over 60,000 people. In addition to standard play equipment, the playground is equipped with a splash pad, two handball courts, a basketball court, a generous seating area, and public restrooms.

Despite reconstruction in 2015, the playground has long been undermaintained and underutilized. A local newspaper even referred to the park as "gritty" and "unkempt" in an article published in 2018. In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged New York, and resources that may once have been used to improve parks and playgrounds have since been reallocated to address and help mitigate more pressing problems. Just this month, NYC Parks announced that their annual budget was cut by 14%, and warned that the slash would "result in continued closures and worsening conditions in our parks".  

Friends of Noonan's Nurture by Nature project will help to safeguard Thomas P. Noonan Jr. Playground against the negative cascade effects from statewide budget cuts, restore its beauty, and elevate the community. May we all come together to build something beautiful.