Governor Cuomo Announces Thousands Of New Yorkers Participate In Sixth Annual "I Love My Park Day"

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.

Photo by: Pat Arnow, licensed under CC-BY ASA 2.0 Generic.

• Enhance the preservation, stewardship, interpretation, maintenance and promotion of New York State parks, trails and State historic sites;
• Increase the sustainability, effectiveness, productivity, volunteerism and fundraising capabilities of not-for-profit organizations that promote, maintain and support New York State parks, trails and state historic sites; and
• Promote the tourism and economic development benefits of outdoor recreation through the growth and expansion of a connected statewide network of parks, trails and greenways.

• Friends of Schuyler Mansion: $30,000 for two reproduction Brussels carpets to be woven for two very significant rooms within Schuyler Mansion -- the Best parlor, in which Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler were married, and the Dining Room, at which table dignitaries such as Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and George Washington were entertained.
• Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association, Inc.: $29,710 to increase organization's capacity to reach out and increase membership and volunteer base in Columbia County.  

• Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum: $5,798 to study, document, research and host tours, produce a general Chittenango Landing tour, and create materials and videos for outreach and museum education.
• Friends of Fort Ontario, Inc.: $1,986 to create an indoor and outdoor Membership and Volunteer Recruitment Events booth.
• Friends of Lorenzo: $15,427 to develop an institutional plan that will effectively and strategically support the organizational mission over the next 3-5 years.

• Friends of Ganondagan: $19,239 to develop interpretive programming and events that feature Iroquois White Corn from an agricultural, traditional and food perspective.
• Friends of the Genesee Valley Greenway, Inc.: $41,310 to develop a new responsive website including an interactive Genesee Valley Greenway map with social media integration, and rack cards to help promote the Greenway and new website.

• Friends of Connetquot, Inc.: $17,535 to develop new educational programs for the Mill Museum, videos, and brochures to complement the completion of the Nicoll Grist Mill restoration.
• The Caumsett Foundation, Inc.: $25,000 to adapt the former carpenter's shop for use as two environmental/education classrooms.
• Walt Whitman Birthplace Association: $25,000 to modernize exhibit space by adding Walt Whitman themes, including Whitman’s formative years, gender equality, and Paumanok ecology, plus emphasize Whitman as the Poet of Democracy and add newly acquired artifacts.

• Friends of Philipse Manor Hall: $14,875 to purchase audio-visual equipment and launch an oral history project at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site. The collected interviews will expand the oral histories on view as part of the current Immigration Exhibit as well as supplement future exhibits and programs with first-person narratives to promote the understanding of history in a human context.
• The Little Stony Point Citizens Association, Inc.: $50,000 to replace an existing storage shed and create new space to support volunteer activities at Little Stony Point State Park.  The accessory structure will provide space for meetings, event planning and support, equipment, materials, and volunteer amenities plus a covered porch for hikers.
• Walkway Over the Hudson: $12,500 to revise and improve organization’s successful Walkway LOOP map produced in 2009 to account for new important trail connections and features, and to place a spotlight on the exciting new multi-modal trails that are proposed for the Mid-Hudson Valley Region.

• Friends of Gantry Plaza State Park: $20,000 to refresh the signage system throughout Gantry Plaza State Park and to give the park's 20 year old signage a fresh and unified look.  

• Friends of the Nature Center: $39,475 to build two new state of the art exhibits that will be located at the entrance of the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center. One exhibit will be dedicated to Minna Anthony Common’s contribution to the nature center and the second exhibit will be an interactive trail map that details the 13 trails located at the Nature Center.
• John Brown Lives!: $48,000 to strengthen the foundation of the organization and help cultivate sustainable, widespread and dedicated public and private support for John Brown Farm State Historic Site.

• Friends of Greater Two Rivers State Park: $7,500 to assist with the administrative and legal fees needed to secure 501(c)(3) status, along with the costs associated with completing a consultant-facilitated organizational assessment and resulting plan.
• Friends of Robert H. Treman State Park: $10,625 to restore and paint the exterior of the Old Mill, including the removal of paint, patching and light carpentry repair, priming and painting, and restoring wooden windows.
• Friends of Chenango Valley State Park: $11,020 to purchase 14 pairs of children’s snowshoes for winter activity programs and build a new backstop and fencing for a Field of Dreams.

• Friends of Knox Farm State Park: $25,000 to replace the original slate roof of the 100 year old historic Main House at Knox Farm State Park, which is now used as an event center for weddings, public events and fundraising activities.

I Love My Park Day and The Park and Trail Partnership Program complement Governor Cuomo’s commitment to revitalizing and transforming the State park system through his NY Parks 2020 plan,  a multi-year commitment to leverage $900 million in private and public funding for State Parks from 2011 to 2020.