Hauppauge, NY - May 2, 2017 - Today, Suffolk County Legislator and Parks Committee Chair, Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) kicked off the inaugural county-wide “A Park a Day in May” Challenge designed to encourage Suffolk residents to visit, enjoy and help promote the diverse recreational facilities available at Suffolk County’s many parks.
Using social media to spread the word, Hahn will highlight a park a day for 31 days during May. She is challenging county residents to visit each of the parks highlighted sometime during the spring or summer; take and post a “selfie” that identifies which park they are visiting, and post using the hashtag #APADIM to their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. “We have an amazing park system in Suffolk County that provides our residents with nearly limitless recreational opportunities to get out in nature at very little cost,” said Hahn. “Not only will the “Park a Day in May” Challenge give people a roadmap for exploring our majestic natural landscape, but it also gives them the opportunity to celebrate that journey of exploration with their family, friends and neighbors.”
Forsythe Meadow County Park on Hollow Road, Stony Brook is the first park Hahn will highlight during the month-long challenge. Hahn personally advocated for the addition of a parking lot to facilitate access to the park, and helped design the 1.25 mile walking trail through 36 acres that includes meadows, wooded hills, gently sloping valleys and a bamboo forest, as well as an elevated view of Stony Brook Village and the harbor visible during the winter months. Each day in May, Hahn will highlight another park, choosing parks from around the county, from the Nassau border to Montauk and from the North to South shores. In 2016, Hahn conducted a similar challenge that primarily focused on parks within District Five, the legislative district she serves. “Residents of my district really took up the challenge last year, so I am excited and hopeful that throughout Suffolk, families are going to get into the spirit of the challenge,” said Hahn.
Through the Park a Day in May Challenge, Hahn hopes to enlist scores of Suffolk residents in raising awareness about Suffolk’s parks. “Our County parks and beaches are the natural resources that define our quality of life and make Suffolk unique, and we must do everything we can to keep them clean, safe and accessible to local residents,” said Hahn. During recent months, Hahn led an effort to expose illegal dumping in some county parks and provide stiffer penalties for such abuse.
Hahn was tapped in January of this year to chair Suffolk’s Parks and Recreation Committee, after serving as an active member and vice-chair of the committee for five years. In her role as chairperson, Hahn is focused on protecting the County’s more than 46,000 acres of parkland from illegal dumping and misuse, while also increasing ways for the public to utilize and enjoy these sites.