Ten Broeck Mansion Gardening & Community Days 2026

Give back to our community: from gardening to picking up sticks, there are so many ways to help maintain our 4 acres of gardens!

Join us for community gardening and clean-up days on the grounds of the historic Ten Broeck Mansion. Help pick up trash and debris, remove invasive plants, tidy gardens, gather sticks and branches, rake leaves, bag collected material, and plant historic and indigenous plants and bulbs. Your help keeps the gardens open to the community and provides a safe, inviting setting for our 100% free family education programs.

Who can participate:
- Individuals, families, and friends, including teens and children ages 8 and up.
- Community groups, including neighborhood associations, clubs, schools, and churches or other places of worship.
- Businesses and organizations can sponsor a Garden or Clean-Up Day. Sponsorship can include a monetary donation, supplies, and/or a group of volunteers. Volunteer groups typically participate for 1.5–2 hours, with longer times available. Sponsors receive a custom Certificate of Appreciation and exclusive social media coverage of their support.

2026 schedule:
- Friday Garden Days: First and third Fridays, 9:30–11:30 am. Focus on light gardening, including planting, mulching, weeding, and thinning plants. Gardeners of all abilities are welcome; training is available for those new to gardening.
- Saturday Clean-Up Days: First and third Saturdays, 9:30–11:30 am. Focus on grounds clean-up, trash and stick pick-up, and light raking. All abilities are welcome.
- The first garden and community days will be on the second Friday and Saturday of the month: April 10 and April 11.

2026 wish list:
- Contractor (trash) bags
- Multi-packs of garden-weight gloves
- Trash grippers
- Heavy-duty, new or like-new garden trimming or pruning shears

Please email us about these and other garden needs.

Special projects for 2026 include invasive plant species removal, erosion control, caring for the sidewalk herb garden, and other projects.

What to know:
- Gloves are provided, or you may bring your own. Please dress appropriately; no open-toed shoes or sandals. Hats and sunscreen are recommended. Bring long pants for work on slopes; boots are required on slopes.
- Children ages 8–16 must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times and may not work on slopes or along roads. Participants ages 16–18 may work independently but need a parent or guardian’s written permission; forms are provided at check-in. Forms are also available in advance by request at [email protected].
- Light refreshments are provided. Please bring your own water bottle if possible to help cut down on plastics.
- There is no public restroom for this program.
- Free parking is available in the off-street lot off Livingston Avenue. Use 136 Livingston Avenue for GPS directions.

Participants are asked to agree annually to the ACHA safety guidelines. Release forms will be provided at the event. Safety guidelines include reporting safety issues and hazardous items to ACHA staff, working in a safe area, using appropriate gloves and footwear, and following staff directions. Heavy-weight gloves should be used to pick up metal, wire, or glass. Notify staff if you find needles or medical waste.

Volunteer Team Leaders

The Albany County Historical Association (ACHA) is looking for team leaders for garden and community days held on the first and third Fridays and Saturdays, April–October. ACHA provides leadership and safety training.

Team leaders help manage supplies, attendance, and safety-form registration; guide volunteers to projects; provide hospitality; and monitor safety. Team leaders agree to attend an in-person training and read and model the behavior in the Code of Ethics and Landscape Safety Agreements.

Qualifications include receiving ACHA safety training, attending two or more garden or community days, and having a positive outlook and passion for the environment and community.

To learn more, contact [email protected].