Happy Earth Day! Image Credit: CityLand.
Today, April 22, 2022 is Earth Day, and the Parks Department is celebrating with a series of events for New Yorkers citywide. Between today and May 1st, these events focus on sustainability and encourage New Yorkers to get outdoors.
The 2022 theme for Earth Day is “Invest in Our Planet”, emphasizing the importance of taking action to address climate change. The Parks Department has provided a list of steps New Yorkers can take to help the planet here. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of Arbor Day, a national celebration of nature that encourages the planting of trees to improve the planet, celebrated this year on April 29th. To learn more about the history of Earth Day and Arbor Day and how it has been celebrated in New York City, click here.
Between today and May 1st, the Parks Department will host a variety of tree plantings, educational workshops, nature hikes, volunteer events, and programming for children citywide. A full list of events can be found here.
Some highlighted events include:
Cunningham Park Tree Planting – Cunningham Park, Queens. Friday, April 22nd 10 AM – 1 PM. Volunteer to plant trees in Cunningham Park; volunteers will be trained in proper planting techniques. Volunteers are encouraged to come in sturdy shoes and clothing that can get dirty.
Earth Day Celebration Hike – Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan. Friday, April 22nd, 1 – 2 PM. Coinciding with Kids Week for Spring Recess, families can bring their kids to Inwood Hill Park for a nature hike led by Urban Park Rangers.
Earth Day Ecology Hike – Owl’s Head Park, Brooklyn. Saturday, April 23, 1 – 2 PM. The Urban Park Rangers will lead a walk exploring the local nature of the park.
Arbor Day Tree Planting – Conference House Park, Staten Island. Friday, April 29, 1 – 2 PM.
City Nature Challenge: Arbor Day Tree ID – Crotona Park, Bronx. Saturday, April 30, 1 – 2 PM. As part of a friendly competition between cities around the world, participants will walk the park to collect tree data to see what city is the most biodiverse. Participants are encouraged to download the iNaturalist app to collect data.
For more information about any of the highlighted events, please visit the linked pages above.
Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue stated, “Our parks and trees are the lungs of the city, and Earth Day and Arbor Day remind us that it’s important to preserve, restore, and care for them. At Parks, we are committed to doing our part in greening the planet for current and future generations. This year, we encourage all New Yorkers to connect with nature, volunteer to plant a tree, or simply step into a park and take a deep breath of appreciation for the natural world around us.
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the CityLaw fellow and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)