ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced that several New York State agencies and their partners will celebrate a series of stewardship events, and she is urging New Yorkers to participate.
According to a press release, the stewardship events will be part of the Love Our New York Lands Stewardship Days.
They are meant to help enhance parks, historic sites, environmental education centers, campgrounds, state forests, wildlife management areas, and a variety of public lands. Service projects hosted during these events will raise awareness and visibility of the State’s expansive outdoor recreation assets and provide opportunities for volunteers to plant trees, restore habitats, and engage with their local communities throughout the year.
“New York’s natural beauty is unmatched, and with a record number of visitors continuing to take advantage of the world-class outdoor recreation opportunities our state has to offer, we have a responsibility to preserve these outdoor spaces for future generations to enjoy,” Hochul said in the release. “I encourage all New Yorkers to get offline and get outside – to connect in person, give back, and help protect the lands we love while strengthening the environmental and cultural legacy of our state.”
Love Our New York Lands encourages year-round stewardship and provides visitors with the knowledge to reduce their impact, engages users to practice sustainable and safe recreation, and helps all visitors feel welcome while visiting state lands. Launched in 2020, the campaign reminds visitors to be respectful of other visitors and to protect the land in these shared public spaces.
The stewardship volunteer initiative is operated in partnership with Parks & Trails New York, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks), Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and Canal Corporation.
The 2025 Love Our New York Lands days kicked off with Canal Clean Sweep from April 18 through 20, and will be followed by I Love My Park Day on May 3, Adirondack and Catskill Park Day on Sept. 6, and finally Wildlife Day on Oct. 4.
To help achieve Hochul’s initiative to plant 25 million trees by 2033, up to 2,500 tree seedlings from the DEC’s Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery will be made available to plant at I Love My Park Day.
Registration for the May event is currently open. This is the largest single-day statewide volunteer event that enhances the State Park system and DEC public lands, with volunteers participating by cleaning up debris, planting trees and gardens, restoring trails and wildlife habitats, removing invasive species, and working on various site improvement projects. Visit https://ift.tt/3wGIfhs to sign up and participate.
Adirondack and Catskill Park Day and Wildlife Day will highlight the state’s uniquely protected Forest Preserve lands in the Catskills and Adirondacks and wildlife conservation efforts and wildlife-associated recreation. More information will be available at https://ift.tt/dHF72e0.
“State Parks are welcoming more visitors each year–88 million visits across 250+ sites in 2024 alone. If only a fraction of those visitors attend a Love Our New York Lands volunteer event, we can make a real difference. Stewardship helps park goers feel connected to their environment and their community. PTNY is encouraged to work alongside agency partners committed to making their sites more enjoyable, accessible, and inviting to people of all backgrounds. We’ll see you out there!” Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Paul Steely White said in the release.
The stewardship days are in line with Hochul’s ongoing commitment to expanding access to outdoor recreation.
The Fiscal Year 25 Enacted Budget included $300 million in capital funding to invest in park improvements, which includes $100 million for the celebration of the New York State Parks’ Centennial. Hochul also launched a new $150 million NY SWIMS capital grant program to expand access to safe swimming opportunities for New Yorkers, address equity gaps, and provide resources for communities facing extreme heat.
Additionally, the Fiscal Year 26 Executive Budget proposes $200 million for State Parks to invest in and aid the ongoing transformation of New York’s flagship parks and support critical infrastructure projects throughout the park system.
The Governor’s new Unplug and Play initiative also earmarks $100 million for construction and renovation of community centers through the Build Recreational Infrastructure for Communities, Kids and Seniors (NY BRICKS), $67.5 million for the Places for Learning, Activity and Youth Socialization (NY PLAYS) initiative helping New York communities construct new playgrounds and renovate existing playgrounds; and an additional $50 million for the Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) initiative supporting municipalities in the renovation and construction of swimming facilities.
More information about the Love Our New York Lands campaign is available at https://ift.tt/5V3T7tG.
