Say ‘bahhh” for the Town of Hempstead’s Mulchfest

The Town of Hempstead’s Mulchfest is 4 years strong, and last week, officials gathered at the Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve in Merrick to announce this year’s festivities — and who this year’s event would benefit.

Mulchfests are events or programs organized in some communities where Christmas trees are collected from residents after the holiday season. Instead of discarding the trees as waste, they are recycled by turning them into mulch. The collected trees are chipped, and the resulting mulch is often used for various purposes, such as landscaping, gardening, or erosion control.

The town’s Mulchfest took place at Baldwin Park on Jan. 13 and 14. Town of Hempstead workers took the trees from residents and then processed them to create mulch. Mulchfest is a sustainable way to repurpose Christmas trees and promote environmental conservation by reducing waste and providing a valuable resource for landscaping purposes.

Supervisor Don Clavin announced this year’s event alongside Town of Hempstead council members Laura Ryder, Tom Muscarella and Dorothy Goosby and Town Clerk Kate Murray.

And for the second year in a row, leftover mulch is given to Levy Park’s most famous residents — a heard of Nigerian Dwarf goats. Christmas trees, despite all their piney needles, are quite the delicacy for the goats. The original herd of goats was joined by new additions in 2023, as well as some sheep.

“We’ve had such rewarding feedback from people — people who have one, either taken their Christmas tree and use it in their yard and repurposing it and doing what’s great from them,” Clavin said. “Or secondly, donating it right down here. These goats are treasured at the Levy preserve. Residents love to come down and say hi to them every morning.”

Clavin said Pat’s Farms, a grocery store in North Merrick on Merrick Avenue, donated excess trees this year, and it did last year.

“I want to thank all the residents because we do a lot of fun things in the Town of Hempstead, and this is definitely one,” Clavin added. “This is an opportunity for the residents who want to do something great environmentally, or give back to the community, and see a little joy — because it’s not just the goats that appreciate it.”

If residents want to turn their trees into mulch for the goats, but were unable to attend the event, they can also bring them to Levy Park. During the winter, the park is open to 4:30 p.m. daily and weather permitting. It’s located at 1600 Merrick Road in Merrick.

Clavin encouraged residents to make use of the park, and take in all it has to offer.

“You’ll see residents down here year round,” he said. “You have beautiful views of the city, beautiful views of the water, and it’s part of the beauty of Long Island and most importantly, you can come visit the goats.”