CSSMA INSPIRATIONS vol. 129: The Story of Peck Slip Park feat. Mary Decker

JOIN US ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH FROM 3PM TO 5PM FOR A FREE BACK TO SCHOOL CONCERT IN PECK SLIP PARK!

For  today’s edition of CSSMA Inspirations, we sat down with Peck Slip Park volunteer, gardener, and Lower Manhattan community advocate Mary Decker.

In  this interview we discussed this Saturday’s free Back to School concert (featuring performances by CSSMA students!), as well as the history of the park, and the recent park rejuvenation project.

Enjoy!

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Mary Decker, Peck Slip Park Volunteer

Mary Decker has been a Lower Manhattan resident since 2016. Following her recent retirement, Mary decided to turn her passion for gardening into a volunteer position at Peck Slip Park, she greatly enjoys the satisfaction of getting her hands dirty in the park!

Located on Peck Slip between South Street and Front Street, the park was founded in 2020 but, according to Mary, there were a few issues with construction and management at the start. “The city put the park together about 4 years ago but there was no irrigation and no policing of dogs and protection of the plants and pretty soon everything just sort of died”. That is when her neighbors Carolyn Miller and Eric Himmel stepped up to bring the park into a new era.

Working in partnership with the NYC Parks Department, the pair compiled a team of volunteers to help maintain the park and bring life back to this Lower Manhattan green space. “They were quite happy to accept our co-stewardship in revitalizing the park. The main contribution that our team has done is to water on a regular basis. There is water in the park but it's not an irrigation system and with the hot summers it has been necessary to water almost daily. This allows the plants to grow and thrive”.

The park is now planted as a native pollinator garden, much to the joy of our local bees and butterflies. In the coming year, they hope to raise enough money to install an irrigation system that will help sustain their hard work. 

As of 2023, Peck Slip Park is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by “Friends of Peck Slip Park, a community organization that welcomes members, volunteers, and donors”. Their mission is to be a “vital public green space in the heart of  the South Street Seaport, a neighborhood with few parks and open play areas for children.”

Before and After Pictures of Peck Slip Park

On Saturday, September 14th at 3pm, Church Street School for Music & Art and Peck Slip Park are partnering up to host a free Back to School concert in the park. Featuring performances by CSSMA students, this concert will serve as our first performance of the new school year as well as the park’s first live music event. 

“We're super thrilled to have Church Street performing at our first ever music in the Park event.” Mentioned Mary. “Many people know about the school due to its long-time existence in Lower Manhattan. The programs are just perfect for our mix of kids and adults.” Through this concert, Friends of Peck Slip Park and Church Street School for Music & Art hope to bring the community together while also bringing awareness to CSSMA and the newly renovated park. 

When we asked Mary about plans for the park she spoke about future  educational programs. “We're hoping to create events for school children in the neighborhood to introduce them to the concept of native gardens and pollinator gardens and their benefit to the environment.”

Before and After Pictures of Peck Slip Park

Thank you to Mary Decker for taking the time to speak with us about Peck Slip Park. We are very excited for all that is to come in this amazing local green space, including this weekend’s musical showcase!

We hope you will join us in the park on Saturday between 3pm and 5pm for an afternoon of community and music. Stop by to enjoy the performances and learn more about everything to come this Fall at Church Street School.