Tags: volunteers

Beautiful sunny weather and clear blue skies provided the perfect conditions to welcome visitors to Freshkills Park on June 30 for the first ever Open Hours. As construction continues in North Park Phase One, this event allowed hundreds of visitors the chance to see the rolling hills and diverse wildlife of Freshkills for themselves before the park can officially open.

Thanks to everyone who volunteered at Freshkills Park in 2017! This year, nearly 200 volunteers contributed over 500 hours of community service with Freshkills Park. These activities ranged from removing invasive plants during neighborhood park cleanups to assisting visitors at Discovery Day events.

On Sunday April 9, volunteers had the chance to go behind the scenes and visit Freshkills Park for a hike and information session. It was a beautiful sunny day with clear blue skies and perfect temperatures for walking.  The green grasses were just starting to emerge, the blossoms were opening on the Callery Pear Trees, and the ospreys had returned to their nests after wintering in warmer places.

Written by Ingrid Florentino, Volunteer Outreach Intern.

It has been more than 15 years since the Fresh Kills Landfill received the last barge of garbage, and its closure was a victory for the borough of Staten Island. Today, the landfill is in the process of becoming a park and several sections of Freshkills Park are already open to the public.

As NYC Parks and the Freshkills Park Alliance work to transition the former Fresh Kills Landfill to a 2,200 acre park, the role of volunteers becomes more and more essential. Each year, we host multiple Discovery Days and cleanup events which would not be possible without the amazing support of our growing community of volunteers.

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 Saturday April 16, 2016, twenty-five energetic New York Cares Volunteers arose early and took the bus from Manhattan to Staten Island to help the Freshkills Park Team get ready for spring.

One group removed the disheveled piles of dead grasses from Schmul Park and left behind a carpet of mulch through which peeked  small clumps of new green growth.  

The Freshkills Park Office has started planning for the 2016 season and we’re excited to welcome new and returning volunteers to our growing community.  Your help during public events will make it possible for thousands of people to visit and learn about closed sections of the park.

It’s been an amazing year at Freshkills Park.  We have accomplished so much!

2015 by the numbers

Over 10,000 people experienced Freshkills Park this year, whether visiting the park during our new Discovery Days, special events, and programs or participating in presentations around the City.