On Sunday afternoon, September 15, New York State Parks partnered with Audubon New York to host the second annual Latino Conservation Week event at Sunken Meadow State Park attended by hundreds of patrons. The goal of the event was to increase accessibility of coastal education and outreach messaging, including Audubon New York’s shorebird conservation outreach to the Latine community on Long Island. Towards this goal, four Spanish language interpreters lent their services to make this a bilingual event.
Continue reading Sunken Meadow and Audubon NY Celebrate Latino Conservation WeekCategory Archives: Stewardship
What To Do During Wildlife Encounters
If you have ever been out enjoying New York’s great outdoors, chances are you have encountered wildlife. From chipmunks in the picnic grounds to bald eagles flying overhead, New York’s state park system provides over 350,000 acres of habitat that is home to hundreds of species of wildlife. These animals are important natural components of New York’s ecosystems.
If you are out hiking, biking, paddling, camping, hunting, or any other outdoor activity, there are some steps you can take to keep both you and wildlife safe.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Keep your ears and eyes sharp while outdoors, and watch where you put your hands and feet.
- Don’t feed wildlife. This disrupts their natural feeding habits and can lead to human-wildlife conflicts if the animals learn to take food from people. Always store your food properly. Never leave food unattended.
- Stay on designated trails.
- Always keep pets on a leash to protect them from any encounters.
- Respect wildlife and give them space. When outdoors, remember you are in their habitat. If you are lucky enough to see an animal, remain at a safe distance.
Read on to learn more about a few specific animals and how you can stay safe if you encounter them.
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Trash Talk: All In On Waste Diversion At Green Lakes
You may have already known that cardboard boxes and cans can be recycled into new products, but did you know that your hot dogs and hamburgers can be too?
On July 1, Green Lakes State Park in Fayetteville launched a large-scale pilot waste reduction initiative, featuring food scrap composting, improved signage, public education events and coordination between regional staff and staff on the ground, including and the newly created sustainable operations team.
Dutch Royalty Visit Schuyler Mansion, Talk Climate Change
On June 12, New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation proudly hosted their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands; Minister of Foreign Trade Liesje Schreinemacher; Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the US Birgitta Tazelaar; Consul General of the Netherlands in New York Ahmed Dadou; and Cultural Attaché Monique Ruhe at Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site. The group visited as part of their U.S. tour celebrating cultural ties and reinforcing economic opportunities, and Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado helped us welcome them.
As part of their visit to New York, their Royal Majesties visited with next-generation environmentalists to engage in conversations about the impacts of climate change and positive actions that could be taken, both here and in the Netherlands, to foster climate resiliency in communities.
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Volunteers Awaken “the Force” on I Love My Park Day
The Force was with our intrepid volunteers and friends on Saturday, May 4, 2024, as the 13th I Love My Park Day took place across New York. More than 150 state parks, historic sites, and public lands welcomed thousands of volunteers to help rake and plant flower beds, clear trails, paint benches, build birdhouses, clean up beaches and public spaces, clear away invasive species, and get the parks looking fantastic for the busy season ahead.
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 