By Lauren Young
Staff writer
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Environmental Education Center at Green Lakes State Park in Fayetteville was held on Friday, Oct. 12, unveiling the $6 million center as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $16.9 million transformation of Central New York’s most popular State Park.
Several hundred sixth graders from the Syracuse City School District played around the beachfront of Green Lakes on Friday morning as several local elected officials, Central Regional State Park Commission members and community members discussed the importance of environmental education for children and thanked all the members who made the project a reality.
At the beginning of the 2017 summer season, Cuomo announced major improvements to Green Lakes State Park, supported by an investment from the NY Parks 2020 initiative and supporting “Central NY Rising,” a regional blueprint to generate economic growth and community development.
Supported by a $500,000 grant from the Central Regional Economic Development Council, an old 1940s boat house was moved back from the water’s edge and converted into an environmental education center, featuring an indoor classroom/multipurpose space, kitchenette, restrooms, an outdoor classroom, lakefront boardwalk, canoe/kayak landing, a boat rental booth, storage racks and a fishing pier.
“It’s important to talk about the future — their future, our future, the future of our environment, our stewardship of our parks and national environmental, and that’s what the kids are going to be learning here today,” said State Parks Regional Director Rob Hiltbrand.
Hiltbrand said there were dozens of people who were key members in the project, including Town of DeWitt Supervisor Ed Michalenko, Village of Fayetteville Mayor Mark Olson, the Town of Manlius Parks & Recreation, Town of Manlius Supervisor Ed Theobold and board members Sara Bollinger and Karen Green. He then welcomed the “person who strived to make all this happen for us”: State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey.
“I want to thank you for your leadership, your perseverance, your vision,” said Harvey. “This Green Lakes has truly transformed since 2012,” she said, and nearly $13 million has been invested into the park that accumulates about 71 million visitors per year.
“There will be more to do, but this educational center and whole new entryway surrounding the lakes [is] kind of a capstone to the big vision — and the big vision was that we were going to touch everything to make it a better, deeper, more wonderful place for all of our visitors and all of our children, and understand the nature that’s here,” said Harvey.
These other additions, like renovating the park entrance, golf course clubhouse, Pine Wood Campground and cottages, as well as adding new signage, cottages and land, will be “sustainable for the future,” she said.
“This particular nature center wasn’t about building some new glitzy building; it was moving and rebuilding the historic structure that was once here, so our natural history and the history of all these buildings and their integrity are completely intact,” said Harvey.
Harvey said the initiative started with schools, like in the City of Syracuse, that serve communities where access to parks is limited.
“Your delegates here today, every one of them, gave to this project,” she said, naming support from Senator Dave Valesky, Senator John DeFrancisco, Assemblyman Al Stirpe, Assemblyman William Magorelli and Assemblyman Bill Magee.
“It’s just unusual to have such great unity, such great giving,” said Harvey.
According to Harvey, approximately 20,000 children visit the park every year.
“This educational center…was part of a larger, grander vision of our Connect Kids program,” a field trip refund grant program that provides free transportation and programming to all Title 1 schools to connect schoolchildren with nature and history.
“In this case it took a village, a neighborhood, a town, a city, a county, a state and then all the communities within that,” she said.
Neil Murphy, Chair of the Central Regional State Park Commission, said it was “a tremendous day” to celebrate the center’s opening and the impact of environmental learning on children.
“This is a tremendous day — it’s a celebration of a dream,” said Murphy.
Interacting with nature, said Murphy, has proven to elevate mood and self-esteem, reduce anger, and provide positive effects on cognitive function, along with many social benefits.
“Congratulations to everyone; it’s a great accomplishment,” said Senator John DeFrancisco.
“It’s a remarkable facility, always has been,” said Senator Dave Valesky. “It’s been improved, and we leave it for the next generation and the generations after.”
Assemblyman William Magnarelli reminisced about his times at Green Lake as a “North Side kid,” and said that he hopes children will have “as much fun” as he did when he was their age.
“This is just a beautiful, beautiful, park, and I’m just happy to be a part [of it] with all these other fellas here, bringing this to fruition and making sure our future generations are going to have as much fun as I had here at Green Lakes,” said Magnarelli.
“My wife and I spend a lot of time at Green Lakes — we hike these trails, usually on a weekly basis, and it’s been a pleasure watching the whole transformation,” said Assemblyman Al Stirpe.
Visit the new Environmental Education Center at Green Lake State Park, located at 7900 Green Lakes Road in Fayetteville.
