Parks and playgrounds offer relief to city residents from the glass and steel and the hard edges of city life. They also renew the environment by cooling and filtering the air and absorbing carbon in the atmosphere. And, of course, they are venues for exercise and play.
To renovate existing parks and playgrounds and create new
ones from vacant lots, Isles works with children and adults to plan improvements for open space in their communities — by planting trees and gardens, painting murals, creating memorials, building playgrounds, or setting aside passive
parks. Isles then supports the construction and maintenance of these open spaces.
Projects may involve volunteers from corporations and organizations like Wyeth Corporation, Bloomberg, or Princeton University; students from area high schools; congregants of faith organizations; and members of garden clubs and other community groups.