Tags: volunteer

Hi! My name is Gaby Kucher and I am the new LEAF (Learning, Explore, Activate, and Foster) Coordinator, part of City Service Corps! I’m a long-time Staten Island resident and a student at Brooklyn College completing my Bachelor of Science in Earth and Environmental Science.

On behalf of the Freshkills Park Alliance and NYC Parks, we want to thank you- our volunteers- for the energy and committment you provided over the past year.   Knowing that everyone is balancing multiple priorities, it is incredibly meaningful to have had so much help from our volunteers and friends.

The wide, open grasslands of Freshkills Park serve as an important habitat to a variety of wildlife. One species that depends on these areas is the American kestrel – the smallest member of the falcon family. These birds nest inside cavities of isolated trees scattered throughout open fields, and feed by swooping down to capture prey among the grasses such as large insects or small animals.

Are you or someone you know an experienced kayaker looking to volunteer this year? If so, we are currently encouraging capable individuals with enthusiasm for Freshkills Park to volunteer during kayak tours!

Volunteers will be responsible for assisting NYC Parks staff with water support during kayaking trips along the site’s tidal waterways.

At Discovery Day on Sunday October 1, over 700 acres and eight miles of trails at Freshkills Park will open for a day of activities and recreation opportunities. This free event is a chance to explore the normally closed park and enjoy the unique landscape and spectacular views the project has to offer.

Written by Susannah Aziz.

Many New Yorkers benefit from the great parks and preserved nature settings throughout NYC for recreation. After spending several years at home raising my young children and relying heavily on so many of the beautiful parks to entertain them, I realized how truly valuable they are.

On a recent, sunny Saturday, six enthusiastic Citi volunteers cleaned up the Main Creek kayak launch at Freshkills Park. This volunteer project was part of Global Community Day, the organization’s annual day of service where tens of thousands of Citi employees, along with their families and friends, come together as a global volunteer team.

In spite of slightly chilly temperatures and some dramatic weather, Freshkills Park volunteers helped host 1,500 people at the May 15th Discovery Day. Visitors, who got to experience the Park in a variety of different ways, were awed and inspired by the landscape. 

The Freshkills Park staff is gearing up for its 2016 season and we cannot wait to welcome our volunteers back to the Park for weed warrior days, special events, and park beautification efforts.  As the volunteer program grows, we are looking for feedback from past volunteers about your experience at the park – why you do it, what works well, and where we might be able to improve.

This year, more than 900 people applied for a position with New York City’s Parks Fellowship & Conservation Corps. The increasingly popular program is a 40-week public service commitment in which individuals are assigned to divisions throughout the agency to help protect and enhance New York City’s parks and natural resources.

As Freshkills Park’s programming season is getting underway, so is its volunteer program. From an informational meeting in March to the park’s upcoming Discovery Day, things are just heating up!

March 19th marked Freshkills Park’s first Volunteer Informational meeting at the College of Staten Island.

One bright and sunny Saturday last month, volunteers from various parts of Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan came together to weed, rake, and restore plantings around Freshkills Park’s own Schmul Park in the Travis neighborhood.

Schmul Park was once an unimproved cement lot and scuffy playground on Freshkills Park’s northwest side.