Change by Us NYC is the City’s new social media tool for greening New York’s neighborhoods. Change by Us NYC allows participants to post ideas, connect with other New Yorkers, find City & non-profit resources & start projects to make NYC greener & greater.

So if you have an idea for a greener, greater New York, log on & connect to the people & resources you need to make it happen.

Currently, Change by Us NYC is offering 20-40 mini-grants between $500 & $1,000 each to support selected projects on the site.  Eligible projects must be focused on neighborhood gardening & agriculture, tree or park stewardship, or composting.

It’s a great opportunity to come together to create new or improved gardens to produce local produce & decrease the carbon footprint of Brooklyn neighborhoods. The mini-grant application deadline is August 15th.  So review the application details & don’t wait to apply.

This Saturday, February 5th 2-5pm, Brian Merlis, author of Historic Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill & Wallabout will be at Green in BKLYN.

Jam packed with archival photographs & interviews with historians & other folks in the know, Historic Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill & Wallabout is an extraordinary documentary piece that’s as much fun as it is informative.

Brian will be signing books, telling (local) tales & curating our latest art show – a series of archival photos of Brooklyn.

Jason Sheftell – of the Daily News – called Brian much more than a “localist & photo archivist. He’s a treasure to New York City having accumulated, researched, dug up, purchased, found & preserved some of the most historically significant photographs of Brooklyn that exist.”

We’d love to have you join us on an incredible walk down memory lane.

It seems we’ve been moving back & forth between Winter & hints of Spring amidst many, many falling snowflakes.  And it’s gotten me thinking about the Spring that will, inevitably, come.

The change of season always welcomes new joys, challenges &, at Green in BKLYN, new products & events.  I’ll catch you up on the events in the next few days.  In the meantime, here’s some info on the latest & greatest items at the shop now…

• Reusable Brooklyn Wine Totes
• Felted Wool Dinosaurs, Easter Eggs & Hearts
• Clear Plastic Recycling Trash Bags
• Grosgrain Ribbon (from 100% post-consumer recycled bottles)
• Wax Paper Bags

• Organic Cotton Brooklyn Onesies (for babies)
• Insulated Klean Kanteens (12 oz & 16 oz)
• SodaStream Jet & Penguin Seltzer Makers
• Nellie’s Scented Dryerball Fragrance Stix
• More Essential Oils (eucalyptus, neem, lavender & more)
• Books, Books & More Books
• Even More Sassy Magnets & Snarky Cards

Green in BKLYN is featured in an article titled Green Your Neighborhood Store on the One Million Acts of Green website.  The article beautifully explains why opening Green in BKLYN was so important to me, what it means for us to be a part of the Brooklyn & green communities & how we are part of the One Million Acts…

In October 2008, Cisco launched One Million Acts of Green in Canada to show that individual, organizational & community acts of green add up to something significant.  Today, they’re asking everyone in the United States for an act of green.  It can be small: take public transportation instead of driving, use a refillable coffee cup or a CFL light bulb.  Or something bigger, like covering your roof in solar panels.

One Million Acts of Green asks you to form a community, record your acts of green & share your ideas to encourage others.  It shows the power of people coming together & working toward meaningful goals—the power of the human network.

So, you can start at the One Million Acts of Green website & register your acts of green.  Their calculator on the site, designed by GreenNexxus, shows how our acts create a positive impact.  Very cool.