Discovery Day

DATE AND TIME: Jun 26, 2016 11:00am

 

Freshkills Park will offer a Discovery Day event on June 26^th from 11 am to 4 pm. During this free public event, 700 acres of the normally closed site will be open for a one-day opportunity to discover the unique experience and views the park has to offer. Bicycling, guided tours, artist-led activities, kayaking, and a photography competition will be available.

Discovery Day June 26th Schedule

Visitors of all ages can bring their own bicycle or borrow one at the park to bike across five miles of paved roadway, including a three-mile loop along meadows and wetland ponds. NYC Audubon, artist Eva Neves, and DSNY and NYC Parks staff will lead tours. Susan Mills of UnCommon Pages will lead bookmaking workshops. Food trucks will also be at the park during the event.

Kayak Staten Island will lead two tours along the creeks at Freshkills Park. Pre-registration is required for kayak tours and registration is now sold out.

Photographers are invited to take photos at the event and submit them to “A Fresh Look: Freshkills Park Photo Contest.” Winning portraits of Freshkills Park will be published in the Staten Island Advance and displayed at the Staten Island Arts Culture Lounge.

A free shuttle will make trips to and from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George (Ramp E, Taxi Stand) during the event. Parking will be just outside Freshkills Park in the lots near 350 Wild Avenue in Staten Island. From there, visitors can take a free shuttle bus or walk or bike one mile to the main event area.

At 2,200 acres, Freshkills Park is almost three times the size of Central Park and the largest park to be developed in New York City in over 100 years. It also has a significant history as the site of the former Fresh Kills Landfill, which was the largest landfill in the world before closing in 2001. Since then, the landfill has been covered with layers of soil and infrastructure, and the site has become a place for wildlife, science, education, and art.  As the park is built in phases, free tours and events provide early access for learning and recreation opportunities.

Presented by NYC Parks, NYC Department of Sanitation, and the Freshkills Park Alliance. For more details follow @freshkillspark.

Interested in volunteering? Get involved and make a difference.

Photo by Dimitrios Papanikos.