NYC PARKS CELEBRATES FIRST YEAR OF PARTNERSHIP WITH NATURAL AREAS CONSERVANCY IN TOUR OF PELHAM BAY

NYC Parks today celebrated the first year of its partnership with the Natural Areas Conservancy (NAC) in a walking tour of the city's largest and most ecologically diverse park, Pelham Bay. Parks staff joined Natural Areas Conservancy board members and members of the public to tour the park's forests, wetlands, and coastal areas. Their tour ended with a reception at Pelham Bay's historic Bartow-Pell Mansion.

"We are pleased to count the Natural Areas Conservancy as a partner in our efforts to restore and preserve our city's natural areas," said NYC Parks Commissioner Veronica M. White. "Thanks to our collaborative work this past year, our natural spaces are better understood, better appreciated, and better protected. I encourage New Yorkers of all ages to visit our parks and enjoy the beautiful natural scenery that they have to offer."

The Natural Areas Conservancy was formed in 2012 to oversee the restoration and coordinated management of the City's 10,000 acres of natural areas, which together provide an important ecological benefit. In its first year, the NAC has initiated a citywide ecological assessment of the city's natural areas, sponsored the production of beach grass to stabilize dunes for coastal resiliency, carried out a study of community attitudes towards green spaces in the Jamaica Bay neighborhoods, and increased the scope of the City's wetland restoration efforts.

The 1.5 hour tour traveled through the Twin Islands, an area famed for its salt marshes, its rich Native American history, and its views across the Long Island Sound. Twin Islands also marks the geologic and ecological intersection between the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Tours through Pelham Bay Park are regularly available, free, and open to the public. For more information, visit nyc.gov/parks.