The Friends of Alley Pond Park and the NYC Parks Department will be holding a special event at Oakland Lake and the nearby fields celebrating Estuary Day on Sept. 17.
The event, which will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to park along 233rd Street.
There will be several different activities available to provide entertainment for attendees. Among the activities are canoeing, nature walks around the lake, an art project and hikes to the giant tulip tree in the area. In addition to providing entertainment, the event aims to educate people of all ages about nature and estuaries such as those found at Oakland Lake.
Multiple local elected officials are expected to be in attendance, including Councilwoman Linda Lee and state Senator Toby Ann Stavisky.
While the event has taken place near the Alley Pond Environmental Center in the past, that won’t be the case this year due to ongoing construction at the Alley Pond Environmental Center.
This event helps to further the missions of NYC Parks and Friends of Alley Pond Park to preserve nature in the area and help it flourish. Friends of Alley Pond Park also organizes planting, painting and other stewardship projects with volunteers, schools and scouting groups.
The shoreline, ravines and side slopes of Oakland Lake were repaired in 2011 as part of a capital improvement project. Additional work done during that project included thousands of new trees being planted and storm sewers being installed to better control storm water runoff, prevent erosion and improve the water quality of the lake. Three paved fishing pads and canoe launches with boulder seating along the shoreline were also added.
