It’s the most sparkly time of the year! It’s the holiday season and the grand finale of the year of wellness at New York State Parks and Historic Sites. All year long, we’ve come together to improve all aspects of our well-being, build community, and connect to nature and history. We celebrated the holiday season the same way, with handcrafted experiences designed to bring people together to make memories without breaking the bank. Our gift to you is a look at the holiday and winter festivities at state parks and historic sites all across New York. Thank you for making us part of your year-end traditions!
Every June, the Progress Pride flag flies over parks and sites in the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s system in a gesture of hope and of welcome. It’s a signal to all New Yorkers and visitors that their place in our shared history and natural environment is recognized and valued. And it’s a reminder that at our state parks and sites, all are welcome here.
Pride Month 2023 got off to a glorious start on Thursday, June 1. State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid raised the Progress Pride flag over Thacher State Park in Voorheesville and took a moment to share this message:
Commissioner Kulleseid raising the Pride flag at Thacher State Park on Thursday, June 1, 2023to celebrate and honor LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
Staff from Thacher and from Albany’s Public Affairs team joined in the celebratory start of the month, many dressed in Pride gear. Over in Western New York, staff at Niagara Falls State Park also raised the Pride flag in recognition of Pride Month on Thursday.
Did you visit a New York State park or historic site last year? Maybe you plan to this year?
For nearly a century, New Yorkers and visitors around the world have enjoyed the great outdoors at New York State parks and historic sites. For everything these properties have given to us, we now invite you to give back and help ensure that future generations have the same access.
On Saturday, May 6, 2023, join us in celebrating the 12th annual ‘I Love My Park’ Day — an event in partnership with Parks & Trails New York; the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; and the Department of Environmental Conservation. This is the largest statewide volunteer event to enhance parks, historic sites, and public lands across the State, and registration is now open.
“Our volunteers are crucial in making our state park system the very best in the nation and we look forward to welcoming thousands of volunteers for I Love My Park Day again this year,” said Erik Kulleseid, Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Last year, more than 5,000 volunteers gave back to our parks and public lands, planting more than 250 trees, creating and updating more than 1,000 gardens, and filling nearly 600 bags of garbage.
Volunteers from 2022 and 2021 making repairs, spreading mulch, planting flowers and painting restrooms.
You and your family and friends will have the opportunity to participate in rewarding cleanup events at over 120 state parks, historic sites, and public lands all across the state. Here’s a quick look at only some of the properties where you can volunteer across the regions:
Participate in various gardening projects at the public gardens in Bear Mountain State Park in the Taconic Region.
Mulch trails, help remove litter, and participate in general park cleanup at Bethpage State Park in the Long Island region.
Assemble Adirondack chairs, spread gravel, spread mulch, and help with tree maintenance at FDR Four Freedoms State Park in the New York City region.
Replant flower beds and planters and weed out gardens around the Culture Center at Ganondagan State Historic Site in the Finger Lakes region.
Participate in trimming and cleanup work on the disc golf course at Joseph Davis State Park in the Niagara Region.
Clean up the beach, camping sites, and horseshoe pits at Hamlin Beach State Park in the Genesee Region.
Help spruce up the land by planting trees and wildflowers, improve trails, and rake leaves at Max V. Shaul State Park in the Saratoga/Capital District region.
Take part in spring garden preparation, as well as weeding and trimming bushes at Robert Moses State Park in the Thousands Islands Region.
‘I Love My Park’ Day participants wearing t-shirts given out at previous events.
Registration is now open for sites across the State. But don’t wait! Volunteer spots will fill up quickly. We thank you for being responsible stewards so future generations can enjoy these special natural resources for centuries to come.
“I Love My Park Day is a great opportunity for New Yorkers to give back to our incredible parks and public lands,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “I encourage New Yorkers to sign up and volunteer at a participating park, historic site or trail in their area to ensure future generations can continue to enjoy these amazing natural resources.”
This week we celebrate Earth Day! The first Earth Day was held in 1970 to draw attention to ongoing environmental issues in the United States, such as water and air pollution. Since then, Earth Day has become a global event held every April 22nd in honor of protecting the environment. With over 350,000 acres of park land and waters, NY State Parks play an important role in the protection and stewardship of New York’s natural ecosystems. If you would like to join in the celebration and participate in hands-on Earth Day activities, check out the list below for a sampling of Earth Day events held in State Parks across the state! If you can’t make any of this week’s Earth Day events, join us for Arbor Day programs next week and I Love My Park Day on Saturday, May 7th!
Long Island
Brookhaven National Lab Climate Van Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center Friday, April 22, 2022 09:00 AM – 04:30 PM This pioneering mobile laboratory consists instruments used in their climate research to measure atmospheric variables. Come explore and get a glimpse into the science of forecasting atmospheric conditions. The talks will be on Zoom as well as in person.
Protect the Pollinators Event Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center Saturday, April 23, 2022 12:00 PM Build your own bee or insect house; Guided tour of our Pollinator Garden; Springtime Storytime; and Pollinator Relay Races
Earth Day Celebration Project Connetquot River State Park Preserve Saturday, April 23, 2022 09:00 AM In celebration of Earth Day, please join Friends of Connetquot to plant native plants and ferns along the main road to the Clubhouse. Meet up by the Kiosk in the main parking lot starting at 9 am. Please dress appropriately and bring gloves. To register, please visit www.friendsofconnetquot.org.
Earth Day Hike Hallock State Park Preserve Saturday, April 23, 2022 09:00 AM – 11:00 AM Celebrate our earth home by taking a 3 mile hike through the trails of the Preserve observing all that nature can share with us! All programs meet in the upper parking lot unless noted. Programs led by MaryLaura Lamont. Call for details, reservations at (631)315-5475. Snow/rain cancels programs!!!
Earth Day Festival Hempstead Lake State Park Saturday, April 23, 2022 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM The event will include alternative energy activities, up-cycling t-shirt into aprons, make native pollinator seed bombs, and more!
Come to Hempstead Lake to up-cycle a t-shirt!
Niagara
Earth Day Walk Buckhorn Island State Park Friday, April 22, 2022 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Happy Earth Day everyone! Joins us for a relaxing walk through the woods and along with Niagara River. For information and registration call (716) 282-5154
Arbor Day Walk DeVeaux Woods State Park Friday, April 29, 2022 01:00 PM – 02:30 PM Happy Arbor Day! Enjoy a walk through old growth trees. Registration required, please call (716) 282-5154.
Thousand Islands
Celebrate Earth Day! Point Au Roche State Park Saturday, April 30, 2022 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Celebrate Earth Day with us! Go on a Scavenger Hunt! Play some Earth Day themed games! Plant a seed to take home! Help clean up the Park! Activities available 10am-12pm. All ages welcome!
Earth Day at Zoo New York Minna Anthony Common Nature Center Saturday, April 23, 2022 10:00 AM – 03:00 PM Come join the Earth Day celebration at the Thompson Park Zoo! Learn about the natural world around you and the importance of protecting our natural resources. Discover new places and ways to enjoy the outdoors. There will be numerous family friendly activities and many different organizations at the event, including the Nature Center! For additional information, please call the Thompson Park Zoo at (315) 782-6180. Preregistration recommended. Please call (315) 482-2479 to register. Face covering encouraged when indoors.
Arbor Day at TILT’s Sissy Danforth Rivergate Trail Wellesley Island State Park Saturday, April 30, 2022 10:00 AM – 02:00 PM Celebrate Arbor Day and the Thousand Islands Land Trust’ (TILT) 9th Annual “For the Trees” Celebration by planting trees at the S. Gerald Ingerson Preserve along the Sissy Danforth Rivergate Trail. Bring the whole family to get their hands dirty! There will be numerous family friendly activities, workshops, games, and exhibits from TILT and many different organizations, including the Nature Center! For more information, please visit tilandtrust.org or call (315) 686-5345. Preregistration recommended. Please call (315) 482-2479 to register. Face covering encouraged when indoors.
Trees and Climate Point Au Roche State Park Saturday, April 30, 2022 02:00 PM – 03:00 PM Join the park naturalist to explore trees, their important role in the ecosystem, and what they do for us. How can trees help with climate change? What can we learn by studying tree rings? What threats do trees face? Also, learn about Wangari Maathai, a very inspiring conservationist and activist, and how we can follow her example to help trees! Please note this will be an indoor program.
Finger Lakes
Beach Cleanup Event Sampson State Park Friday, April 22, 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM Looking for a good way to give back to your community this Earth Day? Come out to Samson State Park from 12:00pm to 4:00pm on Friday, April 22nd and help us clean up trash and debris along the beach front and cobble shoreline of Seneca Lake. Did you know that the beautiful and State Threatened grows right here at Sampson? Twinleaf is just one of the unique and important species that call Sampson State Park home. Come help us protect this important ecological community and learn about conservation efforts around the state! Feel free to bring work gloves, or borrow ours! Meet us near the beach and look for the FORCES table!
Saratoga/Capital Region
Earth Day Clean Up Saratoga Spa State Park Friday, April 22nd, 10:30 AM Celebrate Earth Day at Saratoga Spa State Park with our most recent park partner, the Children’s Museum at Saratoga! We will work together to make the park a little more beautiful. At 10:30AM on April 22nd, we will meet at the Lincoln Bathhouse where the Museum’s new Nature Backpack program will be demonstrated. At 11:00AM everyone will head out to help clean up one of the park’s many pathways. Come share in the reward of making a greener, cleaner world! Gloves and bags will be provided. No registration necessary.
Trout Discovery Day Grafton Lakes State Park Thursday April 21, 2022 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM Grafton Lakes State Park is hosting its annual Trout Discovery Day. As the weather gets warmer it is the perfect time to stock long pond with trout. The DEC will be providing trout and Grafton will be providing activities. Come on your own or bring out the whole family, Trout Discovery Day is the perfect event for all ages. Enjoy trout shaped treats, crafts, and educational booths highlighting the wonders of trout! Learn about their habitats, school programs and micro and macro invertebrates. Come help to stock our ponds. The event will be held on April 21 from 11am-1:30 pm, $2 cash per child, ages 6-15. Ages 5 and under and adults are free to enter. DEC will bring trout at 11:30 am. Park at Rabbit Run.
Earth Day Festival Grafton Lakes State Park Friday, April 22, 2022 5:00 PM-8:00 PM Join Grafton Lakes for a family friendly Earth Day festival. Learn about the migration of monarch butterflies, the importance of pollinators, the impacts of invasive species, and much more. Partake in activities, demos, and crafts. This year’s Earth Day theme is to Invest in Our Planet’s Future. Each one of us can make a positive impact from the small to the tall. No registration required. The Festival will be held Friday, April 22nd from 5-8pm. The charge for the festival is $3/person cash, ages 5 and under free.
Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 as an act of support for environmental protection. Now, more than 50 years later, Earth Day events are attended by over a billion people worldwide. What better way to celebrate this year than to visit your local Preserve!
Immerse yourself in nature and stop by “education stations” along Brother’s Path from 10 am – 1 pm to learn about topics such as clean water initiatives, sustainability, native plants and pollinators, wildlife conservation, and more!
Start your own native plant garden with our seed planting activity, which will take place every half hour from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm beside Swan Lake. (While supplies last.)
Learn about birds of prey and get up-close and personal with a few of them in a LIVE demonstration from 1 – 2 pm on the Overlook trail. (Please note: no dogs or horses will be allowed on Overlook during this time.)
Participate in a “BioBlitz” to learn more about biodiversity within the Preserve and contribute as a citizen scientist by logging your observations using the iNaturalist app. We’ll meet at the Swan Lake kiosk at 2 pm and venture from there.
Cost: FREE! No registration required. You may want to bring cash for raffles and merchandise. Proceeds support the maintenance of our beautiful carriage roads and landscape. Appropriate for all ages. Rain date: April 24
Get outside to a State Park this New Year’s Day! New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) is putting RECREATION at the top of this year’s New Year’s resolution list with First Day Hikes. Now in its 5th year, First Day Hikes are a great way to help you get your New Year’s resolutions started on the right foot.
On January 1st State Parks is hosting 41 First Day Hikes in parks and historic sites across the state from eastern Long Island and Staten Island, to the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Erie, and much more. Hikes range from accessible, level walks; a leisurely stroll across the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge, explorations of historic landscapes or quiet forest; dog-friendly rambles, mountain hikes, family-orientated activities and more. If there is snow, bring your skis or some parks have snowshoes you can borrow.
During your hike you’ll be able to meet new people, see new places, spend time with family and friends, get a bit of exercise, and enjoy time outdoors. Could there be a better way to spend the first day of 2016?
Remember to dress in warm layers, wear appropriate footwear, and bring water and a snack for your group. Most hikes range from one to three miles in length.
Remember your camera and please share your photos on State Parks’s Facebook Page!
Click here for a complete listing of “First Day Hike” events and registration guidelines.
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