Willow Lake reopens for first tour

Led by three Parks Department Urban Rangers, Councilmember James Gennaro and Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Conservancy president, Patricia Dolan, were joined by 25 hardy hikers on Sunday, January 21 to be the first group to explore the Willow Lake Natural Area of the park in about ten years.
According to Dolan, Gennaro convinced the Parks Department to begin repairs on the bridge last summer after inspecting its hazardous, burned-out condition which had caused the Parks Department to keep the area closed for many years.
The hikers were among the first to venture into the 80-acre area since the Parks Department completed their repair of the bridge at the north end of the lake.
Despite frigid temperatures, the enthusiastic group made the trek in search of birds such as the Tundra Swan. Unlike their human counterparts however, the birds were sensible enough to hide from the cold in the reeds and trees that border the lake, and so the party had to settle for sighting several pairs of robins and some kingfishers.
“Now that the bridge is safe, we are looking forward to the Parks Department opening the natural area on a regular basis for tours and other controlled visits,” Dolan said.
The Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Conservancy is an independent group that supports the park. “These 80 acres of the Park are unique in the city and must continue to be protected,” Dolan said.
Dolan’s fellow trailblazers included several directors of the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Conservancy and the balance were nature-loving members of the public. “We escaped the wind,” Dolan said, “But it was bitterly cold. Despite that, we all had a wonderful walk and look forward to the next one on February 25.”