FHGT 2025 Year In Review
The Forest Hills Green Team has had an active 2025. We have done numerous beautification projects
and cleanups in our community. We have actively engaged in advocating for legislation on the City and
State level by meeting with legislators; by attending rallies and presenting at community forums We
have educated students about climate change and developed contacts at various local schools. We
realize that we cannot do this work alone, so we developed numerous partnerships to enhance and
magnify our impact. Here is a month-to-month summary of all we have accomplished:
January 2025
Eric Arnum and Mark Laster did a presentation about Climate Change at the Q300 School in Astoria to
celebrate a young man’s Bar Mitzvah.
Mark Laster, Dan Miner and Eric Arnum attended a conference on Carbon Dioxide Removal. The basic
concept is to develop technologies to remove CO2 from the environment. They are working with Chris
Neidl, who has been involved with this for many years.
Mark Laster was invited to join the Queens Solid Waste Advisory Board and was accepted to the Trash
Academy.
Mark Laster joined a group organized by Food and Water Watch who met with Senator Comrie to get his
support for the “Bucks for Boilers” bill.
February 2025
Eric Arnum; Mark Laster and Dan Miner met with Chris Neidl to discuss Carbon Dioxide Removal.
Forest Hills Green Team was one of the leads for the Breaking Bread Building Bonds initiative.
Eric Arnum represented the Forest Hills Green Team at the annual Civics gathering organized by the
Forest Hills Asian Association.
March 2025
Mark Laster was interviewed by NY1 and quoted in the Gothamist advocating the re-opening of the
Food Scrap Drop Off site in the Forest Hills Greenmarket:
Compost drop-off sites return to NYC as curbside collection of organic waste stalls - Gothamist
Mark interviewed in news report video.
Mark Laster served on the Host Committee inviting people to celebrate the Fiftieth Anniversary of
Queens Community House, which was celebrated in May 2025
Mark Laster graduated from the Trash Academy
Eric Arnum and Mark Laster were invited by Queens Borough President Donovan Richards to meet with
a group of organizations to discuss sustainability for Queens.
April 2025
Mulch was delivered and spread on the Forest Hills Green Team’s Yellowstone Boulevard site/
At the Forest Hills Green Team’s April meeting, we heard a presentation about Queensway.
Eric Arnum took a group of Forest Hills High School students to the Columbia Youth Climate Summit
where they were awarded a grant to do work in their school.
Mark Laster represented the Forest Hills Green Team at a budget briefing about Community Composting
organized by the Save Our Compost Coalition to the members of the City Council.
Dan Miner did a presentation about Carbon Dioxide Removal to 350NYC.
May 2025
The Forest Hills Green Team, in partnership with MetroVillage, CB6, AM Hevesi, Senator Addabbo and CM
Schulman, organized a clean-up along Metropolitan Avenue.
Karen Zapata, Director of Education and Youth Services for Queens Borough President Richards, invited
Eric Arnum and Mark Laster to present at a Virtual Parent Advisory Committee meeting with
representatives of local schools.
Eric Arnum and Mark Laster did a presentation about climate change at PS 174.
At the May meeting of the Forest Hills Green Team, we heard a presentation about QueensLink.
The Forest Hills Green Team endorsed Paul Pogozelski for the City Council 30 seat, formerly occupied
by CM Holden.
June 2025
Dan Miner led a clean up of our Yellowstone Boulevard site.
Eric Arnum and Mark Laster tabled at a Climate Fair at MELS High School
Forest Hills Green Team was one of the lead organizations for the No Kings in Queens rally, one of thousands of protests as part of the ationwide ‘No Kings’ movement, covered in QNS.
The No Kings in Queens rally was also covered in the Queens Chronicle.
Forest Hills Green Team was one of the lead organizations for the Breaking Bread Building Bonds
luncheon.
July 2025 and August 2025
The Forest Hills Green Team was one of the lead organizations for the follow up to the No Kings in
Queens rally, which was the Kings against Queens Activism Summit, which was attended by over 30
Queens organizations and drew over 100 participants.
September 2025
At the Forest Hills Green Team September meeting, we heard a presentation about the major issues at
Rikers from a social worker, Justyna Rzewinski
"Why I Blew the Whistle on Extreme Confinement on Rikers Island" | The Marshall Project
Anisia Ayon and Mark Laster tabled at Metro Village’s Community Day.
Dan Miner led a clean-up at our Yellowstone Boulevard site
Tian Tian and Mark Laster have been attending meetings of the Green Coop Council
Anisia Ayon and Mark Laster tabled on the Open Street along Austin Street
Opinions mixed on Austin open street | | qchron.com
October 2025
Dan Miner and Mark Laster co-led the Marshals Team for the second No Kings in Queens rally:
Three minute video of the Nov. 18, 2025 No Kings 2 Rally in Forest Hills, NYC
Mark Laster worked with the Queens SWAB in organizing a public hearing regarding the New York City’s
Solid Waste Management Plan.
The Forest Hills Green Team was one of the sponsors of the “Trick or Street” activity on the Open Street
in Forest Hills.
November 2025
Eric Arnum and Mark Laster met with a group of students from Queens High School of Science
Dan Miner and Mark Laster did a Daffodil Planting at PS 174 in conjunction with students.
Just Salad held their ribbon cutting and Grand Opening Week where they, in conjunction with Cord
Meyer, donated $500 to the Forest Hills Green Team.
New Just Salad location in Forest Hills celebrates grand opening with ribbon-cutting ceremony – QNS
December 2025
Alyse Konigsberg, Janet Slater and Mark Laster planted Daffodils at our Yellowstone Boulevard site
The Forest Hills Green Team was one of the lead organizations for the Breaking Bread Building Bonds
luncheon, which drew close to 100 people who spoke three different languages.
* * * * *
Though we cannot do all this work without the support of all of you, we would like to highlight the
people and organizational partners that have made this year a success.
Daisy Alter; Eric Arnum; Anisa Ayon; Jeanne Boyarsky; Rev.Jeffrey Courter; Martin Curtet Alyse
Koenigsberg; Laura.Menikoff; Bob Newell; Sheila Shapiro; Janet Slater; Tian Tian;
Marieh Zanzal.
Archbishop Molloy High School (staff and number of students who volunteered with us);Big Reuse;
Climate Can't Wait; Commonpoint Queens; Earth Citizens Club of Queens; Food and Water Watch;
Forest Hills Asian Association; Forest Hills High School Youth Informed; Friends of MacDonald Park;
Friends of Yellowstone Park; Fridays for Future; Green Coop Council; Indivisible Jackson Heights;
Let's Talk Democracy; MetroVillage; Neigbors for a Safer Austin Street; New York City Commission for
Human Rights; New York Communities for Change; New York City Campaign Finance Board; New York
City Parks Department; New York City Sanitation Department; Open Plans; Partnership for Parks; PS
174; 112 th Police Precinct; Queens Climate Project; Queens Community Board #6; Queens Community
House; Queens General Assembly; Queens Solid Waste Advisory Board; Save Our Compost Coalition
We acknowledge the support of our elected officials: Borough President Donovan Richards;
Councilmember Lynn Schuman; Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi; Senator Joseph Addabbo; former
Councilmember Costa Constantinides,
We hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season. As we move into 2026, we have the following plans:
1. We will continue our beautification and clean-up activities
2. We are working to schedule more school presentations.
3. We will continue our advocacy of legislation to fight climate change
4. Since this is an election year, we will explore ways to assure candidates who support our
priorities are elected
5. We will continue to fight for our Democracy
We do all this work on a limited budget. Though we are not a 501(c)(3), please consider donating to support our work.
Forest Hills Green Team | fhgt.org | local environmental group | New York.