Parks in Syracuse and Central New York are looking for volunteers to help with tree planting and other site improvements on Saturday. Called I Love My Park Day, it’s New York’s largest single-day volunteer event. Cleaning up trails, restoring habitat, and removing invasive species are among the projects. Many area State Parks such as Green Lakes, Selkirk Shores, and Pixley Falls State Parks along with local and county parks are in need of volunteers.
I Love My Park Day will unite thousands of volunteers across New York to participate in various site improvement projects. An estimated 4,000 volunteers will take part in the event on May 3. Organized by Parks & Trails New York in partnership with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the event is an opportunity for volunteers to give back to their favorite public lands.
Across more than 140 events, volunteers will help clean up parks and shorelines, plant trees and gardens, restore trails and wildlife habitats, remove invasive species, and support other site improvement projects. This year, as part of the state’s 25 million trees by 2033 initiative, 1,300 tree seedlings from the NYS DEC Saratoga Tree Nursery will be available for planting at I Love My Park Day sites across the state.
In its 14th year, I Love My Park Day helps protect the state’s natural resources by engaging volunteers in beautification and restoration projects. The event provides the knowledge necessary to reduce environmental impact and helps make all visitors feel welcome while visiting state lands.
Central NY Events
- College Hill Park: 10 AM - 2 PM, planting annuals and cleaning up around the garden.
- Proctor Park: 9 AM - 12 PM, spring cleaning.
- Pixley Falls State Park: 10 AM - 12 PM, trail cleanup.
- Thornden Park: 9 AM - 12 PM, planting lilacs and maintaining rose beds.
- Gilbert Lake State Park: 8 AM - 3:30 PM, painting, general grounds cleanup, flower bed cleanup, and trail maintenance.
- The Rogers Center: 10 AM - 3 PM, trail pruning, log removal, trail mulching, and garden preparation.
- Selkirk Shores State Park: 9 AM - 12 PM, planting flowers, raking campsites, painting, planting trees, and trail work.
- Fort Ontario State Historic Site: 9 AM - 12 PM, raking, sweeping, gardening, window washing, and painting.
- Green Lakes State Park: 10 AM - 12 PM, invasive species removal, raking, laying sod, and tree planting.
- Onondaga Park: 9 AM - 12 PM, playground mulch spreading.
- Barry Park: 9 AM - 12 PM, playground mulch refresh.
- Hanover Square: 10 AM - 12 PM, planting flowers, mulching, and other park improvements.
For more information and to view the full interactive map of event sites, visit PTNY.org.
