Help CPF continue our legacy of enriching and improving parks and communities across all five boroughs of New York City. CPF is a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
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| NYCares and APA b Jules |
@newyorkcares @cpfnyc @greenshoresnyc No stopping our volunteers, amazing job #Astoria Park : @APAlliance Days! http://t.co/bq0vMBiiYk
— AstoriaParkAlliance (@APAlliance) March 29, 2014
TY @newyorkCares @NYCParks Green Teens, BK Tech - Civic Leaders + New Comers HS #Astoria Park ... dozens http://t.co/EiPM12ZYdA
— AstoriaParkAlliance (@APAlliance) March 30, 2014
'Pleased to report about the fantastic clean-up completed in Astoria Park with the assistance of the Green Teens out of the ARROW Recreation Center. The Astoria Park Alliance hosted 9 green teens, 6 of whom were completing their very first project. Along with the regular volunteer group all participants were able to accumulate up 90+ bags of leaves along the park. The Green Teens received fantastic reviews for their bagging enthusiasm, ability to follow instructions and overall fantastic attitude on what weather wise was a dreary day. Thank you...'
It's a great morning at #Astoria Park! We'll be here until 12:30 along with @APAlliance and @NewYorkCares, so come on out! pic.twitter.com/Vw9aCH1dhZ
— Costa Constantinides (@Costa4NY) March 15, 2014
(@Costa4NY) March 2014
Join me this Saturday at 10:30 at the Astoria Park Alliance's Volunteer Day! http://t.co/6bv8aWug1q
— Costa Constantinides (@Costa4NY) March 13, 2014
'Yes, Kim! The raking and the compost and mulch prevented any erosion on this corner. We will plant some Lariape to keep the soil from washing away. '
Thank you all for the excitement. @TrendsNewYork: Mitchell Silver, @mitchell_silver is now trending in #NY http://t.co/Ek39RPcAwS york
— Mitchell Silver (@mitchell_silver) March 21, 2014
In a speech on urban planning in London last year, Mr. Silver said that in planning he used the “3 E’s — the environment, economy and equity,”
the British newspaper The Guardian reported.
“We can’t have parks that are so underfunded,” he said, “that people can’t have a good experience there. And unfortunately, that’s the case in many parts of the city.”
...
“I am a planner,” he said. “And as a planner, I look at parks very differently.
Parks do not sit in isolation.”
Mr. Silver said a park system is “vital to a healthy and prosperous city.” He pledged to work with “all New Yorkers in all boroughs in all neighborhoods.”
A new leader for NYC Parks, by @lisanyt - New Parks Dept. Leader Shares de Blasio’s Goal of Addressing Inequities http://t.co/lR9ek8AGeZ
— New Yorkers 4 Parks (@NY4P) March 22, 2014
In case you missed @PSteely on @CitibikeNYC on @WNYC's @BrianLehrer this morning: (starts 8:18 mins into the segment) http://t.co/d2r6L2xmZ2
— TransAlt (@transalt) March 21, 2014
@APAlliance Hi Astoria, I am so touched you favorited what I made for Central Park. I hope you like this. ♥ Andrew pic.twitter.com/A0s6Set7mX
— Andrew Lipsky (@AndrewLipsky1) March 16, 2014
With panelists including: NYC Department of Transportation, Community Board 1, Transportation Alternatives, 114th Precinct,
and Make Queens Safer.
With a special appearance by DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.
Hosted by: Congressman Joe Crowley, Council Member Costa Constantinides, State Senator Michael Gianaris, and Assembly Member Aravella Simotas.
RSVP by calling 718-274-4500 with your name, email, address and phone number
Revitalize #Astoria Park http://t.co/4uCvIiO7qL via #sharethis Back soon this Spring Mar 29 w your luv @apalliance
— AstoriaParkAlliance (@APAlliance) March 15, 2014
Revitalize #Astoria Park March 15 @apalliance @greenshoresnyc http://t.co/HwXyM9MTJB #volunteer #newyorkcares
— AstoriaParkAlliance (@apalliance)
Astoria Park Alliance, located in Astoria, is a volunteer organization established in 2006 to promote and provide greater and safer access to Astoria Park and its shoreline along western Queens. To better serve local and international visitors, the alliance works closely with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Partnerships for Parks, Greenshores NYC, the 114th precinct, and numerous businesses and institutions. Its mission is to “beautify, enhance, and encourage greater community involvement within Astoria Park.”
... “On the day to day, Liam and his team are really outstanding and up to the task,” said Councilman Mark Levine, who is chairman of the parks committee. “So I don’t think the department is suffering in the operational sense. But there are many policy questions, like how to deal with the conservancies and issues of inequity, which are complicated and political and require permanent leadership to address.” ...
“I’d certainly like to see a parks commissioner who is sensitive to the urgency of outer-borough park needs,” said Eric A. Seiff ... “The big events are cranking up, the ball fields are opening and the beaches need to be ready,” said Mr. Benepe, now a senior official at the nonprofit
Trust for Public Land . “Getting up to speed with all that is not going to happen easily.”
The parks budget will also be debated this spring. Mr. de Blasio has released a preliminary city budget; a more detailed plan is due in April.
New Yorkers for Parks, an advocacy group, voiced frustration at the continued vacancy in the commissioner’s office. “Now is the time when we’d like to be working with the parks commissioner to develop funding priorities,” said Tupper Thomas, the executive director. “It’s tough to advocate for a better budget without those priorities in place.”
Each spring, volunteers spend one Saturday removing invasive species, picking up litter, repainting benches, planting, and clearing out old growth from our urban green spaces. ...
Become a Team Leader by creating a team of 5 to 50 people, and then encouraging your friends, family, co-workers, or anyone else to join that team.
New York Cares Day Spring will take place on
Saturday, April 12th.Registration for individuals to participate in New York Cares Day Spring is now
Monarch migration season is here again. Have you spotted any monarchs on the wing? http://t.co/Mgr578XpZq pic.twitter.com/zeEkvT9gRa
— Central Park (@CentralParkNYC) September 9, 2014
#Fact: Adult female butterflies taste flowers with their feet. More: http://t.co/yRL6ZYLdDd #LearnAboutButterfliesDay pic.twitter.com/m90WDLBP9i
— NYC Parks & Rec. (@NYCParks) March 14, 2014
The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) may seem to be one of the most delicate creatures alive. But despite its frail appearance, every year the monarch makes a long and perilous journey thousands of miles south to escape the harsh winters of the North. While on this journey, the monarch can often be seen resting in the butterfly garden at Fort Greene Park.
The monarch butterfly begins its migration in September and travels for 30-45 days. Monarchs originating east of the Rocky Mountains and as far north as Canada make their way to the quiet, cool mountains of the Transvolcanic Region in central Mexico, about 60 miles west of Mexico City in the state of Michoacan. Migrating monarchs can be observed along the City’s beaches and coastal parks. Monarchs from New York City travel as much as 2,100 miles, averaging 50 miles a day, to reach their destination by the end of October. Resting in the chilly treetops, the butterflies hibernate for four months, covering oyamel fir trees (Abies religiosa) in thick layers that resemble black and orange leaves. During this period, the monarchs sit quietly with their wings folded, living off of fat reserves.
When the weather warms, usually in March, the monarchs come out of hibernation and mate. After mating, they begin their return trip to the southern United States. There they lay their eggs on milkweed (Asclepiadaceae) plants and die, entrusting their offspring to fend for themselves. The milkweed is an important food source for monarch caterpillars. As the larvae gorge themselves on the leaves, they accumulate the milkweed’s toxic cardiac glycosides and become poisonous to birds and other predators. An unknowing bird that tries to eat a monarch soon finds out how distasteful these butterflies are and vomits it up, and the bird learns to avoid the monarch’s distinctive colors. Many other species of butterfly, such as the harmless viceroy (Limenitis archippus), mimic the colors of the monarch with the hopes that predators will avoid them too. After about a month of feeding, the caterpillars pupate and metamorphose into adults. The adult monarchs continue the journey north and also lay eggs. By late June, the third generation of monarchs reaches New York City, and, by August, their offspring reach Canada. This fourth generation spends its time storing energy from nectar so they can make the long journey to Mexico in September. How monarchs are able to navigate their way across unfamiliar terrain is unknown. Some speculate that the butterflies rely on the earth’s magnetic field for guidance, while others believe that the directions are embedded into the monarch’s genetic code. Whatever the reason, the monarch remains one of the City’s most beautiful and enchanting sights. While monarchs are usually attracted to large fields containing milkweed, many can be seen in New York City parks because of selective plantings like those at the butterfly garden in Fort Greene Park.
Ready for spring? Tag @bklynbotanic and use #SpringCountdown for photos taken from Mar 1-20. http://t.co/qwVC9uFnKT http://t.co/huio5qfS0Q
— Brooklyn Botanic Gdn (@bklynbotanic) February 28, 2014
Greetings from The Astoria Park Alliance, Martha and Jules!
Our next meeting is Tuesday night at 6:30 pm in the basement of the Steinway Reformed Church on the corner of 41st Street and Ditmars Boulevard.
The Astoria Park Alliance is creating a stronger organizational structure in order to support a more inclusive, greener vision of Astoria Park. We value your talent, input, and passion. We share your love of Astoria Park. We haven't seen you at a meeting in a while, and we miss you!
- CUP - NY4P
- Volunteer dates March 15 and March 29
- New York Cares Day April 12
- ...
- Set working meeting agenda for next meeting (5)
- Weekend Walks - DOT
- Meeting Reports:
- NY4Parks Charybdis Playground survey report
- Going Green in Queens [2014 Sept. conf.]
- Bike Lane CB comms meeting
- ...
Working agenda
- ... Draft 2014 APA calendar [Events and Volunteers] ...
[March/Spring fundraising]
When families move to Astoria, they often stay there.
It’s venerable place, where longtime residents sip coffee at cafes with neighbors, enjoy outdoor meals where they’re known by name, and the rattling of the elevated N and Q trains along 31st Street eventually just blends in with the surroundings. And of course, there's the neighborhood park – Astoria Park – where the views of Manhattan from the historic 1936 Astoria Pool are framed by the sweeping archways of the R.F.K. and Hell Gate bridges. It's unsurprising that so many have been here for so long.
“I moved here 20 years ago and I’m still new,” said Martha Lopez-Gilpn, the Co-Chair of the Astoria Park Alliance.
While she may feel like she has only just arrived, Lopez-Gilpin has already made an enormous impact on the neighborhood. In 2006, ...
