Creating Experiences

Westchester Parks is much more than a collection of facilities; it is about creating experiences for people who live, work and play in Westchester, and helping them to improve the quality of their lives. Throughout the year, our calendar of events is full of activities and programs aimed at enriching the lives of Westchester residents. It’s almost impossible to list all of them, but here are some highlights. 
 

• The Screening Under the Stars outdoor film festival continues to be a summer favorite, attracting more than 25,000 attendees since its premier in 2004. In 2006, the movies were Madagascar and Big. In 2007, we showed Night at the Museum and Happy Feet at Kensico Dam Plaza and Charlotte’s Web at Tibbetts Brook Park. Screenings were such a success that we adapted the concept on a smaller scale for some of our pools and other parks. Meanwhile, local municipal parks departments around the county, picking up on the popularity of Screenings, have also started their own outdoor movie events.

• The Battle of the Bands program was so popular at the Westchester County Center that we expanded it to Playland amusement park in Rye. The bands comprise young people 15 to 20 years of age, who were selected by audition CDs. The winning band receives a grand prize trophy, six hours of free recording time and a $200 gift certificate from Sam Ash Music. Winners are invited back to perform on Playland’s Music Tower Theater in front of a live audience.

• “Keep It Simple” workshops premiered in 2006 to give our customers short-cuts to the challenges of everyday life. Workshop topics ranged from eating healthfully, to how to travel with children, to starting your own business.

• The summer Open Gym program gave young people a wholesome alternative to hanging out in the streets. Teens socialize, work on athletic skills, and stay physically active in a safe, drug-free and alcohol-free environment. During the program, teens can have fun in air-conditioned comfort while they shoot hoops, play chess or other board games or compete in various recreational activities.

• The Mamapalooza festival debuted in 2006, featuring moms who perform in bands comprising women, along with moms who are authors of books for both children and adults. The event featured a concert on the main stage at Kensico Dam Plaza by mom musicians and their bands. It also included a fitness festival with exercise demonstrations and workshops, along with exhibitors, including craftspeople, artisans, poets and writers. There was also a host of activities and entertainment for children of all ages throughout the day.
   

Back To Nature

Conservation activities and programs are an important part of our mission to make Westchester a great place to live. Environmental conservation is a responsibility we take very seriously and our programs to preserve the environment and to bring nature closer to our customers reflect that.

• Our conservation programs have made nature and the environment accessible to the public through Conservation Cafe programs and Conversations on Conservation. Topics such as Canada geese control, managing deer populations and the environmental impacts of road salt were covered in these workshops.  Standing room only audiences of many groups of stakeholders have benefited from the vast body of knowledge that expert speakers and panelists bring to these programs.

• A new task force has been formed to deal with issues caused by the burgeoning population of white-tail deer in Westchester. The group is studying current research on deer population, including deer counts and other data, to develop a strategy that county parks staff, municipal officials and private property owners can use in the management of deer-related problems

• We inventoried, catalogued and studied wildlife throughout Westchester through a variety of programs. 

• We joined forces with the County Planning Department in sponsoring a Land Use Symposium for more than 150 students from 12 high schools from around the metropolitan area. The 2007 installment of this popular program had students participating in an urban planning charrette and studying land use techniques.

• The Children’s Summer Ecology Program camps gave nearly 2,000 young people a close up look at their environment and an understanding of the natural world during 2006 and 2007.

• Close to 30,000 people a year attended horticultural schools, flower shows and workshops at Lasdon Park.
   

Bronx River Parkway Reservation

The Bronx River Parkway Reservation, Westchester’s oldest park, is an 807-acre greenway that was created as an adjunct to the Bronx River Parkway, which runs from the Bronx border to the Kensico Dam in Valhalla in the heart of Westchester. The reservation is a great recreational and environmental resource. Throughout the year we sponsor conservation efforts to preserve and enhance its environment, as well as events that bring the reservation closer to the public, especially young people.

• In 2006, we forged new alliances with regional conservation groups including the Bronx River Parkway Reservation Conservancy with the goal of building grass roots and official support throughout the metropolitan area in the efforts to restore the Bronx River.

• In 2007 a key new segment was added to the Bronx River Pathway between Harney and Crane roads in Scarsdale. This link now allows cyclists, hikers and joggers to go from Bronxville to Hartsdale on the popular path.

• Also in 2007 a new footbridge was built on the pathway in the Garth Woods section and dedicated to the memory of Lowell Tooley, a president of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation Conservancy and a treasured friend of County Parks.

• A new section was added near the Westchester County Center in White Plains so users can stay on the pathway rather than using the streets while going through White Plains. 

• We brought together 14 local governments including New York City and New York State in an agreement to clean up the Bronx River.

• Events on the Bronx River Parkway Reservation included the Westchester Marathon, the Bronx River Festival, the Bronx River flotilla, the Fishing Derby, which raised awareness about the river with the young people in our community.

• More than 800 species were identified in the first Bronx River International Bio Blitz.

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Report from the Commissioner 2006-07

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