by Deborah Patton, ParkTender Volunteer at the 95th St Entrance Gardens
Kini Gonzalez started as a Riverside Park Conservancy volunteer 15 years ago, taking a brief break in 2019 when her husband was sent overseas for a project. Once they returned in 2023, she immediately came back to garden in her space between 78th and 79th Streets, by the stairs leading to the Boat Basin.
To Kini, volunteering is “a sense of wellness that comes from working with plants and soil. The idea of contributing to the community and neighborhood where I live, and in a wider sense the impact on the planet, is so meaningful.”
Kini notes that her time volunteering in Riverside Park, as well as the time she studied at the New York Botanical Garden, made her more conscious about the impact of plants that feed the birds and pollinators that are native to the area. “My work is part of a larger sustainability ecosystem,” Kini reflects.
Outside of her volunteer gardening, Kini has worked in advertising production in Mexico for many years. She explains, “I represented photographers and illustrators, and I currently continue with voiceover talents for ads and recordings in Mexico and the US. I started volunteering at The Arboretum in Summit, NJ when I moved to the US, back in 2008. I received certifications in Landscape Design and Horticultural Landscape Design at NYBG during that period. Now, I’m about to publish an illustrated book for kids and I’m a photographer!”
She adds, “Since I became a volunteer, I have had a good sense of the organized community work promoted by the Conservancy, where so many resources have become available to all of us. Something I treasure is the helpfulness the staff gardeners give to the volunteers; somehow, they find the time to help, even in cases when they are assigned to other areas within the park. They are always nice, helpful and ready to work with us.”
Volunteering has many rewards. Kini enjoys “seeing the plants we have planted thrive, blossom, and the garden looking good. When I see someone stopping by and looking at the garden, smiling or taking the time to enjoy it, I know my work is valuable.” She adds, “Every day and each season is different: There is always something changing in the garden, something blossoming and something new sprouting. All these changes present new challenges to think about how to best prepare for the next season. What continues to surprise me is that no matter how much time I dedicate to the garden, there is always more work I could do!”
Volunteer gardening can be daunting for first timers. After 15 years, Kini has some advice for new volunteers: “Don’t be afraid of trying. If you’re not sure about a plant or pruning something, you can always do some research on wonderful apps (too many to mention to single out one).” She added, “I enjoy the old-fashioned way of researching books but my favorite resource: ask other Riverside Park gardeners. But overall, just try, dig into the soil, get your hands dirty, feel the earth… you’ll feel good.”
Kini values the community that gardeners experience. She says, “The Conservancy has created a strong community by bringing all of us together in different forums and ways to contribute to the enjoyment of this unique and marvelous space in New York City.”