Everybody's Job
EVERYBODY'S JOB
Events
A fundamental goal of
the Parks Department initiative remains getting people who live or work
all along the waterway to see themselves, even in a small way, as
environmental stewards of the river and the reservation. Over the years,
the programs to involve and inform the community about the importance of
the reservation have continued to increase. In October of 2004, the
first Bronx River Festival, replete with environmental exhibits and
educational presentations was held. The event was an excellent way to
raise awareness about the river and reservation with the general public,
beyond those normally involved with conservation efforts. More than
1,000 people attended the event.
In the spring a number of events involved the community,
including and most importantly, young people, tomorrow’s generations.
The annual Bronx River Flotilla
and Scavenger Hunt was held as a joint event with the Bronx River
Alliance, whose members represent Bronx constituencies. The annual
Fishing Derby, co-sponsored by Fuji Film and Wal-Mart, attracted entire
families with their young children. The Friends of Westchester Parks
funded the stocking of the river in advance of the event.
The highly popular Bike & Skate Sundays in May, June, September and October attracted thousands of Westchester residents including many families with young children enjoying a healthful day outdoors. The Bike & Skate course begins at the Westchester County Center in White Plains and runs south to Scarsdale Road in Yonkers, a 14-mile round-trip.
Volunteering
In 2004-05, there were many opportunities for 
volunteers
to do their part in the efforts to revive the river and reservation.
Grass-roots volunteering is at the heart of the efforts to restore the
waterway. Public agencies alone cannot do the task.
In April, the Parks
Department’s annual “Pitch in for Parks” volunteer spring spruce
up day was held in parks around the county and hundreds of participants
rolled up their sleeves to clean up the river and the reservation.
The Bronx River
Conservancy, the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County (FCWC)
and volunteers under Thatcher Drew conducted site-specific vine-cutting
projects with volunteers all along the Bronx River corridor.
In March and April, a
third season was launched of Canada geese egg addling to address the
problem of a large permanent resident population of these birds, once a
migrant species. Goose droppings are a nuisance and the aggressive
Canada geese force out native waterfowl and wading birds from the
reservation. The addling may have had an impact because in late spring
fewer goslings were reported. The return of Wood Ducks could also be a
sign that the addling efforts are working.
Four Boy Scout troops
in Scarsdale have “adopted” a length of the reservation, that runs
through their town, to clean up four times a year. The Boy Scouts set an
example of environmental stewardship for other county residents.
More than 100 volunteer Streamwalkers surveyed the area and provided vitally needed “snapshots” of the health of the waterway, its surroundings and its wildlife. The Streamwalkers checked the environmental status of 25 different sites. The teams were trained by Bronx River Parkway Reservation Senior Curator Jeff Main.
