Action! Roll 'em!

In April 2016, the Friends of Chenango Valley State Park were awarded the Stewardship and Public Access Capacity grant through the Park and Trail Partnership Program (PTPP). The PTPP is a $500,000 capacity-building matching grants program funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund and administered by Parks & Trails New York (PTNY) in partnership with the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP).

In eight short months, the Friends have tackled their ambitious project goals, are are nearly finished with the three projects that were the focus of their grant: purchasing equipment for an movie theatre, building recycling bins, and purchasing new display shelves and lighting for the new Interpretive Center.

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The Friends purchased the outdoor movie theater system in May 2016 and have been able to host many movie nights. The addition of an outdoor movie theater provided an enhanced experience for campers as well as an opportunity to draw in local residents into the park. The movie nights were a tremendous hit and helped build the visibility of the Friends group, promoting stewardship of the Chenango Valley State Park and drawing in new members.

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The Friends also received funds to purchase materials to build three recycling stations for the camping areas throughout the park. The group saw a real need to have larger, more visible recycling areas to prompt people to recycle. Along with building the recycling bins, the Friends decided they would sort through the three new bins and redeem the cans and bottles for revenue. The revenue generated from the recycled cans and bottles would go towards building additional recycling bins for the camping areas and funding interactive displays for the Interpretive Center. Through this novel approach, the group was able to build an additional three recycling bins, making a total of six recycling bins in the park.

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Lastly, the Friends group received funding to build new shelving, display tables, lights, a computer and printer, and a toddler table for the new Interpretive Center. The current location of the Interpretive Center is not ADA compliant, therefore it will be relocated to a refurbished building that will be compliant. In the second half of the grant period, the Friends will be working on purchasing the lighting and shelves, then assembling it in the new space. The computer will be used for developing environmental education programs by Binghamton University FORCES students.

The Friends of Chenango Valley State Park is a group comprised solely of volunteers, with no paid staff. PTNY is proud to highlight the Friends group and their ability to enhance their park while promoting the importance of stewadship.


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