Trails Day sponsored by NYC Parks, hosted/funded by Friends of Alley Pond Park and City Parks Foundation
Our Estuary Day in Oakland Lake became Trails Day due to rainouts in September 2024. Trails Day was successfully held on Jun 1, 2024.
Leader
Lorraine Engenito
Location
56th Avenue and Cloverdale Blvd Oakland Gardens, NY 11364
About the project
Estuary Day at Oakland Lake will be held on Sep 1, 2024. , With the Lake's diverse ecosystem and quiet appeal we anticipate users from the entire NYC area. While participating in our local Estuary Day celebration this September, Friends of Alley Pond Park (FoAPP) encourages the community to discover the critical connection between the Alley Pond Park and its estuary, along with the importance of clean, local waters. Participating partners included NYC Parks & Recreation, the Urban Park Rangers, Alley Pond Environmental Center, the NYC Department of Sanitation, and local and regional environmental groups. The money raised will allow FoAPP to increase outreach efforts through educational material and related giveaways, particularly to children.
Promoting community awareness of the importance of clean water and the protection of estuaries also promotes a vested interest in responsible use by parkgoers. To build additional awareness, volunteers will offer a wildflower tour, a birding nature walk around the lake, a project featuring monarch butterflies, and canoe rides on the lake, with fun and games for children. A variety of community groups will join in our fun and offer education about our estuary.
The Steps
1. Professionally print flyers to be distributed throughout Queens to schools, and community members, as well as electronically via social media. We would distribute to local politicians to insert in their e-newsletters (July or August).
2. Place an order for children’s prizes (July or August).
3. Purchase water and snacks for partners (September).
Why we‘re doing it
This project will help prevent avoidable issues in our neighborhood. We hope to continue to promote awareness of the importance of clean water alongside the protection of estuaries in our community by educating the public about how to avoid preventable issues (pollution, dirty water, harm to waterfowl and wildlife, etc.). Clean water is critical for a balanced, healthy environment and this goes hand-in-hand with the protection of estuaries in our community.
Friends of Alley Pond Park’s mission is to “sustain and improve the park to benefit visitors, wildlife, and the community. We support the tradition of stewardship, history, education, recreation, and the arts.” Volunteers will be offering activities such as a native plant tour in the wildflower meadow, a bird-watching journey around Oakland Lake, and a look into the life cycle of Monarch Butterflies. We will offer canoe rides so that community members can get a more personal encounter with the nature that surrounds us.
We will join NYC Parks & Recreation, the Urban Park Rangers, APEC, and other environmental groups in presenting this celebration.