I Love My Park Day
I Love My Park Day on Saturday, May 7, 2022
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Join us for the 11th Annual I Love My Park Day on Saturday, May 7, 2022. Parks & Trails New York (leaves DEC website), in partnership with DEC and New York State Parks hosts I Love My Park Day, held the first Saturday in May, and attracts thousands of volunteers from across the state to participate in cleanup, improvement, and beautification events at New York State parks, historic sites and public lands. Join us to celebrate New York's park system and prepare our public lands for spring by cleaning up park lands and beaches, planting trees and gardens, restoring trail and wildlife habitat, removing invasive species, and working on various site improvement projects
Participants are encouraged to Love Our New York Lands all year by practicing Leave No Trace TM principles and by recreating safely, sustainably, and hiking in suitable conditions based on weather and experience level.
Find a location near you:
Capital Region/Northern Catskills
Eastern Adirondacks/Lake Champlain
Western Adirondacks/Mohawk Valley
(Please note: All registration links leave DEC website)
Region 1 - Long Island
Upper Twin Pond, Wantagh - Event has been moved to Saturday, May 21 due to inclement weather
Registration is full
Participants will enjoy a scenic walk around one of Nassau County's top freshwater fishing locations. Work will involve a light trash pickup. Bags will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring sunscreen, water and work gloves or some other type of light garden gloves.
Region 2 - New York City
Norton Basin Natural Resource Area at 10 a.m.
Queens
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Parking is available on Healy Avenue and the facility entrance is marked by DEC signage. Volunteers will be planting shrubs and trees as well as trail and beach clean up.
Region 3 - Lower Hudson Valley/Catskills
Catskills Visitor Center at 9:30 a.m.
Mt. Tremper, Ulster County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Join us on Saturday, May 7, for some fun outdoor volunteering at the Catskills Visitor Center in Mt. Tremper, NY! Meet at the Visitor Center's main building. Volunteers will have the choice to work on a native tree and shrub plantings or a trail work project. Bring clothes and shoes you don't mind getting dirty!
Registration is required and all participants receive a free volunteer t-shirt. Lights snacks and water will be provided, though participants are encouraged to bring their own refillable water bottles and a packed lunch. Please call 845-688-3369 with any questions. Rain date will be Saturday, May 14.
Kenneth L. Wilson Campground at 10 a.m.
Mt. Tremper, Ulster County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the pavilion in the day use area for general facility cleanup of the campground, raking, campsite cleanup, and garden maintenance.
Stony Kill Farm and Environmental Center at 10 a.m.
Wappingers Falls, Dutchess County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Volunteers can park in the lot across from the big red barn and meet in the
Region 4 - Capital Region/Northern Catskills
North-South Lake Campground at 10 a.m.
Haines Falls, Greene County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the campground entrance booth to help prepare the campground for the upcoming season. Volunteer activities will include gardening, planting, and general campsite cleanup.
Five Rivers Environmental Education Center at 9 a.m.
Delmar, Albany County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet under awning between Visitor's Center and Guided School Program building. There will be staff to welcome and guide you to registration area when you park. Check-in for this event is at 9am. We will provide light refreshments and do a group photo at 9:15. Everyone will head out to their projects by 9:30 a.m. and work until approximately 12 p.m. The Visitor's Center is open for public enjoyment throughout the day. Thanks for joining us! Please bring loppers, pruners, and handsaws. We have some gloves but extra are welcome.
Region 5 - Eastern Adirondacks/Lake Champlain
Crown Point State Historic Site at 10 a.m.
Crown Point, Essex County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet outside the museum building located by the main parking. Activities include shoreline cleanup in the morning; campsite cleanup, raking, trash and brush removal, and setting up picnic tables for the camping season in the afternoon; and Leave No Trace education and activities. Gloves, garbage bags, rakes, and refreshments will be provided.
Ausable Point Campground at 9 a.m.
Peru, Clinton County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the parking lot near beach. Volunteers will be doing general campground maintenance and raking throughout the campground
Eighth Lake Campground at 10 a.m.
Inlet, Hamilton County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the campground maintenance garage for campground cleanup and beach cleanup
Fish Creek Pond Campground at 9 a.m.
Saranac Lake, Franklin County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the campground entrance booth for debris pickup, raking, painting throughout the campground.
Frontier Town Campground & Equestrian Area at 9 a.m.
North Hudson, Essex County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the campground entrance booth to build bat and birdhouses and pollinator garden planting.
Hearthstone Point Campground at 10 a.m.
Lake George, Warren County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the campground entrance booth to help prepare the campground for the season by participating in campsite cleanup, trash and limb pickup, raking, day use area and beach cleanup, and flower-bed cleanup.
Lake George Battlefield Day Use Area at 10 a.m.
Lake George, Warren County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Two projects will be going on at this location.
1. Meet at the parking lot near the entrance booth for a cleanup around statues and grounds of the facility.
2. Enter Lake George Battlefield Park through the gate/kiosk on the east side of Fort George Road. Proceed down the park road to the sheltered pavilion where parking is available. This is the annual cleanup of the Battlefield Park historic areas. After meeting at the pavilion, volunteers will be able to select among spots within the park where they'll work.
Lake George Battlefield Park at 10 a.m.
Lake George, Warren County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
After meeting at pavilion, volunteers will be able to select among spots within the park where they'll work.
Luzerne Campground at 10 a.m.
Lake Luzerne, Warren County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the campground entrance booth for campsite cleanup, raking, tree planting, trash and brush removal, and setting up picnic tables for the camping season.
Meadowbrook Campground at 9 a.m.
Ray Brook, Essex County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the campground cabin for debris cleanup, raking, and painting throughout the campground and at the campsites to prepare for the upcoming camping season.
Northampton Beach Campground at 9 a.m.
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Mayfield, Fulton County
Meet at the campground entrance booth for brush and trash cleanup throughout the campground.
Paul Smith's College VIC at 9:30 a.m.
Paul Smiths, Franklin County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the front desk inside the VIC for Board Walk cleaning including sweeping and powerwashing on the Barnum Brook and Boreal Life Trail, replacing the retaining wall on the trail next to the building
Region 6 - Western Adirondacks/Mohawk Valley
Conifer-Emporium Conservation Easement & Cranberry Lake Wild Forest at 10 a.m.
Clifton, St. Lawrence County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Participants should meet at the Lost Pond trailhead parking area, off from the Columbian Road. This large parking area is also known as the upper parking area for users of the Cranberry Lake boat launch, provides spill-over and long-term parking. Volunteer activities include trail maintenance including blow down removal, side cutting, cleaning of water bars, sign installation, and kiosk improvements.
Cranberry Lake Campground at 9:30 a.m.
Cranberry Lake, St. Lawrence County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the campground entrance booth. Volunteers will be preparing the campground for the upcoming season by picking up debris and planting trees.
Nicks Lake Campground at 10 a.m.
Old Forge, Herkimer County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the campground maintenance garage for a spring campground cleanup.
Upper and Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area at 10 a.m.
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meeting at Upper and Lower Lakes WMA Shop parking lot and heading to Jones Rd (gated road just south of shop on west side of SH68) to start weeding for a habitat improvement project. There will be a post with pink flagging on entrance to Jones Road for latecomers. Sandy turtle nesting sites have been created in the past seven years at Upper and Lower Lakes WMA to benefit rare turtles. Each year, the weeds need to be removed before the nesting season commences to make the areas suitable for turtle nesting. This year, volunteers will be maintaining electric fences that will be turned on in mid-May to protect turtle eggs from predators. It is likely that participants will see hatchling painted turtles emerging from the sand while we are weeding.
Region 7 - Central NY
Labrador Hollow Unique Area at 10 a.m.
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Fabius, Onondaga County
We will meet in the parking area on the South side of Labrador Cross Road, Tully, NY. (Town of Fabius, Onondaga County). Cross Road connects with Markham Hollow Road, to the West, and with NYS Rt 91, to the East. Volunteers will assist with tree planting, litter collection, and vegetation pruning along boardwalk trail. Please bring garden gloves. Additional pruning shears would also be helpful.
Rogers Environmental Education Center at 10 a.m.
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the Visitor Parking lot for trail trimming, mulching, flowerbed maintenance, painting, sweeping, and general maintenance. Please bring water and a snack for yourself along with a hat, appropriate footwear and sunscreen.
Region 8 - Western Finger Lakes
Hemlock-Canadice State Forest at 9 a.m.
Towns of Livonia, Conesus and Springwater, Livingston County; towns of Richmond and Canadice, Ontario County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
We will meet between the north boat launch and south canoe launch. The exact location is just south Holmes Road which is a dirt road. Volunteers will be cleaning up the road between the two boat launches and lakeshore on the east side.
Bare Hill Unique Area at 1 p.m.
Middlesex, Yates County
Meet at the parking area at the end of Van Epps Road on Bare Hill Unique Area for garbage removal and clean up of trails.
Wheaton Hill at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 8
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Springwater, Livingston County
Meet at the Wheaton Hill trailhead parking lot (at approximately 42.65823, -77.56397) on the north side of Wheaton Hill Road, and overspill parking on the grass at the south side of the road. Volunteer activities include trail cleanup and grass cutting
Montezuma Audubon Center at 9 a.m.
Savannah, Wayne County
Montezuma Audubon Center 2295 State Route 89, Savannah, NY 13146. Volunteers will work in a forest habitat to remove invasive plants (bush honeysuckle and garlic mustard) and plant native vegetation (oak, maple, and pine seedlings).
Region 9 - Western New York
Boutwell Hill State Forest at 9 a.m.
Cherry Creek, Chautauqua County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the DEC parking area at the intersection of Lewis and Ruttenbur roads, Sinclairville, NY. Volunteers will participate in general spring trail cleanup on horse trails. Activities include picking up sticks and limbs on the trail, putting up trail markers as needed, Painting hitching posts and kiosks at the parking areas. Weather dependent trail project- the "steps" need repair to fix muddy approaches. this activity will include raking and/or shoveling gravel , tamping gravel and installing geo-cloth.
There will also be a snowmobile trail maintenance project with Cherry Creek Sno Goers, more specifics to be announced at the event, as well as a general trail maintenance project with the Boutwell Hill Ski Club. When signing up please indicate which club you wish to help with: CCETS, Boutwell Hill Ski Club, or Sno-goers snowmobile club.
Palmer's Pond State Forest at 1 p.m.
West Almond, Allegany County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the Palmers pond parking area at the end of Gietner Forest Road, town of West Almond. We will split up from there for various projects. Volunteer activities include trail clearing, trimming, installing hitching posts for equestrian use, campsite cleanup around Palmer's Pond, and remarking trails with trail markers. Volunteers will be put into groups and assigned a team leader, various sections of trails will be worked on depending on how many volunteers attend the event. Volunteers may want to bring bug spray as mosquitos and ticks can be in the area. Volunteers may also want water and a light snack.
Phillips Creek State Forest at 1 p.m.
West Almond, Allegany County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the large parking area at the Phillips Creek ski and equestrian trailhead. Volunteer activities include signing trails, trimming back limbs, picking up debris from the trail tread on trails 1, 2, and 3.
Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center at 10 a.m.
Depew, Erie County
Keep the Earth Day spirit alive by caring for our trails on I Love My Park Day. Projects will include activities like raking and lining trails, picking up trash, removing unwanted plants, and planting native species. Families, scouts, corporate groups and other organizations welcome. Small groups will be working on projects starting at different times, and you will register for your preferred start time. Each group will work for one to two hours. Participants are encouraged to bring their own tools.
Turnpike State Forest at 1 p.m.
West Almond, Allegany County
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Meet at the equestrian camp area on Stewart Forest Road, on Turnpike State forest. Volunteer activities include clearing trails 4 and 5 of sticks and debris, putting up new trail markers, tidying the camp area.
Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area at 8:30 a.m.
Register on Parks & Trails NY's website.
Volunteers should meet at the Forty Road Parking Area located at the end of Forty Road in the Town of Persia, adjacent to Cattaraugus Creek. Volunteers will be doing a general cleanup at the Fort Road Parking area and nearby trails. Clean up could possibly include work in the creek if conditions permit.
