Photo Courtesy of NYC Parks
Learn how to help protect the natural areas in our city’s greenspaces, care for local street trees, or contribute to wetland restoration while honoring the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!
Monday, January 19, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Are you looking to celebrate the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through service? NYC Parks has you covered with volunteer opportunities across all five boroughs!
Join NYC Parks Stewardship and community partners for a day of service honoring Dr. King’s commitment to community action. Events include forest restoration, wetland care, street tree maintenance, and woodland tree care activities. Volunteers are encouraged to come prepared with water and dress in warm layers and sturdy boots or closed-toed shoes that can both get dirty and keep you warm!
A full list of volunteer efforts can be found on the NYC Parks MLK Day events page.
Highlights for Martin Luther King Jr. Day include:
Idlewild Park Woodland Tree Care
Idlewild Environmental Science Learning Center parking lot, 149th Avenue & Springfield Lane, Queens
Join the Eastern Queens Alliance and NYC Parks Stewardship as we celebrate the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a day of service in Idlewild Park! Volunteers will use shovels, pitchforks, and wheelbarrows to apply wood chips to newly-planted trees and shrubs in the forested areas.
Inwood Hill Park Wetland Restoration
Inwood Hill Park Nature Center, 218th Street and Indian Road, Manhattan
Volunteer with the Stewardship Team to protect wetland areas in Inwood Hill Park! Volunteers will contribute to ongoing restoration work and learn the importance of species diversity to ecosystem health, as well as remove debris in order to help restore the wetland and create a healthier ecosystem.
W 139th St and Lenox Ave, Manhattan
Care for local street trees while celebrating Dr. King’s legacy! Volunteers will learn how to aerate, cultivate, mulch, and identify street trees. They will also learn about the important roles street trees play in New York City.
Jackson Heights Street Tree Care
86th Street and Northern Blvd, Queens
Work with NYC Parks Stewardship to care for local street trees! Volunteers will learn how to aerate, cultivate, mulch, and identify street trees. They will also learn about the important roles street trees play in New York City.
Pelham Bay Park Forest Restoration
Pelham Bay Nature Center, Bronx
Volunteer with the Stewardship Team to protect the forested areas in Pelham Bay Park! Volunteers will contribute to ongoing restoration work and learn the importance of species diversity to ecosystem health.
Prospect Lefferts Garden Street Tree Care
Maple St and Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn
Work with NYC Parks to care for local street trees! Volunteers will learn how to aerate, cultivate, mulch, and identify street trees. They will also learn about the important roles street trees play in New York City.
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