Van Cortlandt Park

Through Students Uplifting Ancestral Spaces (SUAS), we practice ongoing ecological stewardship at the burial grounds in Van Cortlandt Park. Our work centers on tending the land through biweekly service projects focused on removing invasive species, strengthening native growth, and cultivating pollinator habitats. 

We intentionally plant medicinal and pollinator species such as bee balm and blunt mountain mint—flora historically used in African healing traditions and vital to sustaining local ecosystems. These plantings serve both environmental and commemorative purposes, restoring biodiversity while honoring the knowledge systems carried by those connected to this landscape. 

In collaboration with the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and community partners, we approach the burial grounds as a living site that requires sustained care. Through seasonal planting, soil tending, and maintenance, students engage in hands-on stewardship that affirms dignity, continuity, and shared responsibility for preserving this space for future generations.