In Case You Missed It!

PTNY supports Friends groups in many ways. From events such as I Love My Park Day and Park Advocacy Day to funding opportunities such as Park and Trail Partnership Grants, as well as workshops, resources and technical support, PTNY has your back! In the past year we have been especially busy working toward even more ways to support Friends groups across the state. Let’s recap some of these initiatives of the past year.

Park Advocacy Day 2021 was held on Thursday, March 4, 2021 and consisted of 25-30 virtual legislative meetings with key legislative members and leaders. PTNY staff and staff of our partner, the Open Space Institute, led seven teams of five to six participants who were invited based on legislative district, parks region, and experience in previous Park Advocacy Days. All participants participated in a prep session, which included talking points, team rosters, contact information, schedules, flow of meetings, etc. We also heard from State Park Commissioner Erik Kulleseid, and Senator Jose Serrano, about the importance of the day and our advocacy efforts.

I Love My Park Day celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2021 and, despite some unique challenges created by ongoing social distancing guidelines, PTNY and our partners at State Parks and DEC, provided over 5,000 opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to enhance, beautify and steward our precious natural places.

2021 also saw another round of Park and Trail Partners Grants to Friends Groups of parks, trails, historic sites and DEC sites in New York State. Since our first round in 2016, we have awarded 141 grants, with 166 going to groups associated with state parks and historic sites and 22 going to DEC-affiliated groups. In total, PTNY has awarded $3.6million in funding through the Park and Trail Grant Program. Round 7 applications are currently under review.

Now, we have launched the Friends Group Gateway, powered by Parks & Trails New York, to further support Friends groups and better protect the parks, trails and public green spaces that we all love in New York State. The Gateway launched in January 2022 and it includes an array of integrated tools for supporting your Friends group, including a member database and directory, a resource library (reports, recordings, templates, etc.), and discussion forums for you to collaborate with other groups on specific topics, plus a number of other services.

But accessing the Gateway and these resources is just the beginning. We are providing members a suite of other benefits that Friends groups can use to expand their reach and impact. Whether leveraging our social media expertise, launching an online advocacy campaign, or identifying best practices in our members-only development workshops, we are creating the tools you need to enhance your organization. You can learn more about the Friends Gateway and the benefits of becoming a member here.