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Park Advocacy Day

This photo captured the energy and enthusiasm within the Egg on Tuesday- thank you for being such a smart, talented, genuine, and passionate group of advocates. Every year, we know we can count on you to speak eloquently and passionately about this work. Even during difficult times, you show up every day to make a difference at your site, in your community, in your region, and across the state.

With the help of Friends groups, agencies, and other key stakeholders, we have come a long way in the last nineteen years. Thanks to your grit and staying power, and with financial support offered through EPF programs like the Park & Trail Partnership Grants, Connect Kids, and Municipal Parks, we’ve been able to make a huge difference for New York’s public lands.

That said, we know we can’t be complacent. We need to keep banging the drum!

 

While Park Advocacy Day is still fresh in mind, please find a minute to:

  • Sign [and share] our sign-on letter advocating for a $4M Park and Trail Partnership Grant program within a $500M Environmental Protection Fund.
  • Share any notes (written or photo) or follow up items that came up during your meetings (email to [email protected]).
  • Share photos (email to [email protected])
  • Share over social media using #ParkAdvocacyDay2025
  • Tag Parks & Trails New York and Open Space Institute
    • Instagram: @ParksTrailsNewYork/@OpenSpaceInstitute
    • Facebook: @ParksTrailsNY/OpenSpaceInstitute

With two extra minutes, you can help maximize our collective impact!

  • Share our advocacy agenda with your members and followers.
  • Direct your members and followers to write to their legislators using our talking points.
  • Stay in touch with the legislators you met, and those that represent your district:
  • Send personal notes to the legislators you met with on Tuesday thanking them for their time and sharing more information about your site in the context of our asks.
  • Invite legislators to your upcoming events, including I Love My Park Day.
  • Share your Park Advocacy Day experience in the Friends Forums on the Friends Gateway or connect with other advocates on your team.
  • Or email us over a “testimonial” we can share.

What’s next?

  • Parks & Trails New York will be sending a follow up email to all the legislative offices, reiterating our main asks.
  • When the one-house budgets are released we will send out an update and offer some guidance on how you and your group can help us make one more push to get our asks over the finish line.
  • Keep an eye out for I Love My Park Day host registration information on March 3, 2025

 

Park Advocacy Day 2024

 

In 2024, we set out with a goal to gather 100 advocates at the state capitol to celebrate the 100th birthday of New York State Parks & Historic Sites and we were blown away by how many of people traveled across the state to speak on the value of our public lands to our state’s decision makers.

With more than 130 advocates representing nearly 50 Friends groups and a dozen partner organizations, we were able to meet with over 80 legislative offices throughout the day - more than double our impact from 2023!