The first botanic garden in New York State and the second in the US to receive green zone certification was announced in July.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden gained the American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) accolade to recognise its status as an area of land on which routine landscape maintenance is performed with low-impact, battery-powered equipment instead of traditional petrol-powered tools, known to emit harmful exhaust fumes and generate noise pollution.
The garden marked the milestone with a special ceremony that brought together green industry professionals, local municipal leaders and elected officials.
Certification, awarded by AGZA and Quiet Communities, marks the culmination of a multi-year effort by the garden to evaluate and reduce the environmental impact of its horticultural and maintenance operations. It has systematically moved away from petrol landscaping tools to quieter, emissions-free kit supporting a more sustainable, serene environment across its 52 acres and surrounding neighbourhood, a statement noted.

Sustainability key
“Sustainability is at the forefront of our mission and now more than ever we are committed to practices that help combat climate change and support our environment and community,” said Adrian Benepe, Brooklyn Botanic Garden president.
“We are honoured to be recognised for this work and certified as a Level 1 AGZA Green Zone and hope to be a resource to botanic gardens, parks and other organisations looking to move toward greener, cleaner, quieter operations.”
AGZA, partnering with the not-for-profit Quiet Communities, implements certification nationwide for parks, municipalities, institutions and businesses. The programme 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”, the statement added.

Broader best practices
The four-level programme starts with phasing out petrol hand tools, then mowers and other large machinery and equipment used for routine maintenance, culminating in adopting broader best practices for sustainable landscape care.
“This milestone demonstrates Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s leadership and vision in prioritising both environmental and human health,” said Dan Mabe, AGZA founder and president. “They’ve shown that even large, complex landscapes can make this shift and we congratulate them on this well-earned achievement. We hope their example will inspire other institutions across New York and beyond to pursue cleaner, quieter and more sustainable maintenance practices.”
Phasing out petrol hand tools and significantly reducing petrol vehicles and equipment “aligned with the garden’s broader sustainability initiatives, including stormwater management in the Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden and the green roof on the Diane H and Joseph S Steinberg Visitor Center, serving as a model for how urban institutions can make incremental, tangible improvements to foster environmental health for generations to come”.

Setting the bar
“Brooklyn Botanic Garden is setting the bar for sustainable landscape management in urban environments,” said Jamie Banks, PhD, MSc, founder and president of Quiet Communities. “By embracing quieter, cleaner equipment and committing to best practice, it’s protecting the health of staff, visitors and neighbours while reducing its carbon footprint.”
About Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Founded in 1910, Brooklyn Botanic Garden is an urban space connecting people to plants, “fostering delight and curiosity while inspiring an appreciation and sense of stewardship of the environment”.
Open year-round, it’s home to more than 10,000 varieties of plants and more than 30 specialty gardens.

AGZA
The American Green Zone Alliance is committed to improving the quality of life for communities, working conditions for operators and best practices for the landscape maintenance industry.

Quiet Communities
Quiet Communities is dedicated to helping communities reduce health and environmental harm from noise and pollution with evidence-based approaches and solutions.

Pictured left to right are:
Rik McCoy, AGZA Northeast representative
Rowan Blaik, vice president of horticulture, Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Dan Mabe, founder of American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA)
Adrian Benepe, president of Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Jamie L. Banks PhD, MSc, president, Quiet Communities
Trish Glass, executive director, Quiet Communities

0: Sean Chee/Brooklyn Botanic Garden