Yesterday, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso pledged $20,000 toward repairing and saving the Magnolia Tree Earth Center, founded in 1972 by “the tree lady” of Brooklyn, Hattie Carthan.

“Hattie Carthan recognized that taking care of our environment was a collective act of love for one another and the neighborhoods we call home,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “This isn’t just about Hattie’s legacy of environmentalism, it’s also about what drove her advocacy: community power, nature as a force for the education of our young people, and our right to breathe clean air, find solace on a hot summer day, and walk streets lined with the same beauty that sits in the soul of Brooklyn. If we all pitch in, we can deliver on Hattie’s vision for our borough and help Magnolia Tree reach its full potential.”