Below is a list of our major accomplishments over the years. We welcome members and volunteers to help us continue our support!
Donations from Friends
• Food collections for local food banks and Parks food collections MLK Day
• After the Fire through Gansevoort Fire Dept.
• Honorary and memorial contributions for deceased Friends, spouses, newborns and retirement
• Books for Little Free Libraries
• Other local nonprofit organizations – North Country Wild Care
Funding and Hands-On Work
Purchased AND:
• Built owl enclosure with added features specific to each owl
• Built snake enclosure
• Built 5 raised beds
• Re-built and painted the wooden benches around the beach house and concession stand
• Built the bird wing span item on the side of the NC
• Re-built the bridge between MLSP and back pond
• Installed 4 Little Free Libraries
• Installed 2 boot cleaning stations, including signage
• Established, revived and planted 4 gardens at MLSP,
• Established 3 gardens at Grant Cottage and started a wildflower field at Grant Cottage
• Repair Ice Fishing equipment
• New filters, lights and other equipment for the turtles
• Glass display cases in the Nature Center
• Taxidermy animal mounts
• Laptop for personal observatory dome
• BBQ grill for events
• Installed dog waste stations
• Built all new shelving in the Friends room
• Purchased new refrigerator
• NatureFest funding average $4k for each event, 20 years running
• TV in the Warming Hut
• Built and installed Osprey Nest
• Built the bird blind at Mud Pond
• Installed several benches for ILMPD
• Purchase, install split rail fence at boat launch
• Donate, renovate planter bed in front of concession, 3 sisters garden
• Supply multiple hot water beverage urns and insulated beverage cambos
• Build and install arch lighting for bridge during holiday luminary walks
• Serve thousands of hot dogs and accompaniments
• Regular landscape maintenance throughout the park by green team
• Design, build, maintain website
• Maintain Facebook
• Maintain database (Little Green Light) and Mailchimp
• Luminary Walk arches, warming hut treats
• Memorial Plaque and bench program, 14 to date
Community engagements/Outreach
• Volunteers worked a booth at SGF Community Day
• Tabled at Skidmore Environmental conference
• Tabled at Eastern Mountain Sports
• Tabled at Wilton Preserve events
• Work booth space at Adirondack Expo weekend in March
• Canoe Planter Project – cleaned, transported 8 canoes to local youth sites; paid for and provided all supplies for painting engaged the community, schools and clubs to paint canoes for the Canoe trail
• Table the community booth at Saratoga Race Course
• Established a benches and plaque program
• Help organize and assist scout projects lean-to, foot bridge,
Grants
• Bridge – PTNY
• Split rail fence – PTNY
• Kayak racks – PTNY
• Kids crafts – Stewart’s Shops Holiday Match
• ADA approved playground equipment – PTNY
• ADA approved beach mats and adaptable wheelchair – PTNY
• Winter hats and gloves for Schenectady Fishing Club – Stewart’s Shops Holiday Match
• 4 Little Free Libraries
• Raptor enclosure in nature center – Stewart’s Shops Holiday Match
• Board of Directors capacity building, strategic planning, marketing
NYS Park and PTNY Engagement
• Attend Park Advocacy Day in Albany, multiple years
• ILMPD
• PTNY Leadership
• PTNY Regional Friends Meetings
Collaboration and Support provided to Park Staff
• Ice Fishing
• Conservation Field Day
• NatureFest
• ILMPD
• PRISM invasive training and invasive removal in several areas of the park
• Woolly Adelgid inspections in the park
• Trail Stewards
• Trail work
• Full Moon hikes
• First Day hikes
• Astronomy hikes and presentations
• Post park events on Friends website, Instagram and Facebook
• Post Park calendar on Website
• Docent at the Warming Hut on weekend and winter park events
• Collect books and restock the warming hut library and the Little Free Libraries
• Outreach for volunteers to help in the park from Skidmore, SGFHS, local scout troops, church groups, local civic groups
• Outreach and tabling at local events, Saratoga PLAN, Wilton Wildlife and Preserve, Grant Cottage,