College Point residents descended on a waterfront park last weekend for a day of family fun.
The Family Earth Fair, held by local nonprofit Coastal Preservation Network (CPN), drew a crowd of over 150 people MacNeil Park on June 3, according to founder Kathryn Cervino. The free annual event featured a number of family-friendly activities and environmental education and community service opportunities.
The nonprofit partnered with a number of local organization to bring in unique attractions. Families observed underwater life in the form of robotic fish from New York University’s Robotics Lab, interacted with live animals from the Alley Pond Environmental Center and kayaked in the East River with HarborLab.
Attendees were also taught how to compost by the Queens Botanical Garden, participated in Art in the Park with ARTbeat5 and climbed an NYPD rock-climbing wall. Families also enjoyed performances from the Puppetmobile, live music and food.
Founded in 2002, the volunteer organization is dedicated to restoring northeast Queens’ coastal environments and waterfront park through action and advocacy. Rooted in its mission, volunteers also conducted beach cleanup and restoration efforts and handed out re-usable tote bags during the event.
“Our goal as an organization is to try to improve the environment and educate our community on small moves they can make in their daily lives to help the planet,” Cervino said. “So many times people feel overwhelmed by the amount of problems with the environment. But there are moves we can make to make a difference.”
View more photos from Sunday’s event in the gallery below.
