Bigbelly Trash Cans Installed in Hunters Point South Park

A momentous day on the LIC waterfront! Bigbelly trash cans have arrived! The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy is thrilled to announce that 4 Bigbelly trash cans were installed in Hunters Point South Park on Tuesday, July 21. These cans are the first installation of a total of 7 that HPPC purchased for the park - the other 3 are expected to arrive by early August. 

These solar trash compactors can hold 5X as much garbage as a standard trash can and use solar power to compact the garbage. The units are fully enclosed and have a hands-free foot pedal, which enables us to:

• reduce/eliminate overflowing trash cans

• prevent windblown litter within the park

• provide patrons of the park a cleaner environment

• prevent rodents/other animals using the trash can as a buffet

• reduce plastic bag usage by 5X - hundreds of bags saved per year

• offer patrons a hands-free option

• divert more labor hours to other higher-value tasks within the park vs. trash collections

We hope the addition of these cans to our waterfront parks will do all of the above and keep our neighborhood clean. We also ask that you continue to do your part if you are using our parks - ensure that your trash is placed into one of the garbage cans, or consider taking it out with you to reduce the burden of our dedicated, yet over-worked, park staff.

Thank you to NYC Parks and Bigbelly for working with us on the purchase and install of these units.

You can also read more in this LIC Post article “New Smart Garbage Cans Installed at LIC Waterfront to Tackle Litter Problem”

Art Along the Waterfront

Here at Hunter’s Point South Park and Gantry Plaza State Park we have been honored to work with local artists and organizations to bring art to the LIC waterfront. Besides being home to permanent art installation “Luminescence”, numerous public art pieces have been on display throughout our waterfront parks over the years.

“Luminescence” by Nobuho Nagasawa is a permanent art installation in Hunter’s Point South Park. The piece is composed of seven domed sculptures arranged in a semi-circle that mirrors the round edge of the shoreline. Each dome is integrated with phosphorus, which absorbs sunlight during the day and creates a glow-in-the-dark effect at night. The domes represent different phases of the moon, and the placement of the work represents the relationship between the phases of the moon to the tides of the East River. Watch this video to learn more about “Luminescence”. 

We have been honored to host a few Sing for Hope pianos. Sing for Hope places artist-designed pianos throughout parks and public spaces in NYC for anyone and everyone to play. Once the installation is over the pianos are donated to public schools around the city.

Xaviera Simmons’ “Convene” was shown along the East River in HPSP in 2018. This temporary installation is composed of canoes that both abstractly and explicitly evoke national flags relevant to the demographic makeup of Astoria and LIC. Queens is the most ethnically and linguistically diverse urban area in the world, and this installation showcases and celebrates our diverse community. This piece was commissioned through Sculpture Center’s Public Process, an education program for high school students. 

“Convene” by Xaviera Simmons

In 2016 LIC Landing hosted “Meridian (Gold) by Mika Tajima. This interactive sculpture was an “illuminated plume of water vapor whose color shifts between magenta and pale cyan.” The changes in vapor color directly corresponded to real-time price fluctuations of gold.

Explore the East River

Hunter’s Point South Park lines the coast of Queens along the East River. Keep reading to learn more about the River’s ecosystem and relationship to our waterfront parks!

The East River connects two parts of the Atlantic Ocean, the Upper New York Bar on the south end and the Long Island Sounds towards the north end. The East River changes its direction of flow frequently, and is subject to strong fluctuations in its current, which are accentuated by its narrowness and variety of depths. Since it is mostly salt water that flows through the East River, it is not technically a river, but a tidal estuary. Because of its varying degrees of salinity, the river is able to support a very diverse fish population. The East River is home to many different aquatic species, including striped bass, American eel, flounder, perch, and blackfish. The East River has also become home to one of the most harmful invasive species; the European green crab. The green crab reproduces rapidly and is a prominent predator. Throughout the 20th century, the green crab was responsible for a drastic decrease in clams, oysters, scallops, mollusks, crustaceans and other marine invertebrate populations, species critical to oxygenating and filtering the waterway. One individual green crab can consume over 40 clams per day!

Fish of the East River - Image Source

Because of Hunters Point South Park’s waterfront location, the river is just as integral to the park’s design as the on-shore landscape. Tidal salt marshes form a grassy fringe near river mouths, bays, and along coastlines protected from the East River. Hunter’s Point South Park contains 1.5 acres of tidal marsh which fill in with water twice a day during high tides. There are four different types of grasses planted in the marsh: low marsh grass (spartina alterniflora), high marsh grass (spartina patens), little bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium), and beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata). These grasses are planted where they are based on where they would be found naturally. Each has a different preference for factors such as water inundation level and frequency, salinity, nutrient availability, and soil type. Each species of grass is salt tolerant, meaning they can withstand, without significant adverse effects, moderate or high concentrations of salt in water on their leaves or in the soil within reach of their roots. This is important as the East River contains brackish or semi-salty water. Tidal marshes provide many ecosystem services; serving as a habitat for many native species, including migratory birds and keystone species such as ribbed mussels, shielding land from storm surge and sea level rise, preventing shoreline erosion, and absorbing excess nutrients that would lower oxygen levels in the sea and harm wildlife. 

Tidal Marsh At High Tide

Tidal Marsh At Low Tide

Rip-rap is another resilient design feature of the park that functions as a line of defense for the coastline against the ever-fluctuating East River. Rip-rap is a permanent, erosion-resistant ground cover of large, loose, angular stone. Most of the shoreline of Hunter’s Point South Park and Gantry Plaza State Park is lined with rip-rap, which protects the park and neighborhood from water erosion, absorbs and deflects the impact of storm surges and waves, and maintains water quality by preventing the settling of sediments. 

Rocky rip-rap lines the coast, protecting the shoreline from erosion.

Green Infrastructure & Hidden Sustainability in Hunter's Point South Park

Hunter’s Point South Park was built with sustainability at the forefront of its design. here are some hidden sustainable features and uses of green infrastructure you might not have known about:

The turf oval in Hunter’s Point South Park serves dual purposes. Not only is it a fun playing field for sports and activities, a viewing spot for our outdoor movies and an ideal sunset-watching spot, but it also can hold up to 600,000 gallons of water, protecting the neighborhood from possible storm surge. New York City uses a combined sewage system, meaning it collects both rainwater and sewage, which can easily overwhelm the system and result in flooding. Any efforts to absorb rainwater and prevent runoff help to minimize the threat of flooding. The turf oval retains water and helps to alleviate pressure on the city’s water system. 

Another piece of green infrastructure is the pavilion that houses LIC Landing. The roof above the Landing provides a shady spot to enjoy a snack, wait for the ferry, or just enjoy the view. The structure is also designed to collect rainwater which is reused for irrigation, and has solar panels that provide energy for much of the lighting in the park. This greatly reduces the park’s water and energy usage. 

Next time you take a seat on one of the park’s wooden benches or chairs, know you are sitting on Kebonized Southern Yellow Pine! The wood used to make the outdoor seating throughout our park was specially made non-toxic, sustainably treated wood. Kebony’s technology offers an alternative to hardwood, which has a much larger environmental impact. More information on the Kebonization process can be found here. 

Announcing 2020's Virtual Summer Kids Program

"Summer Kids," hosted by Hunters Point Parks Conservancy and Gantry Parent Association is returning for its fifth year, this time in a virtual format. The program will run from July 6 through August 14 and will feature five free activities for children each week; once per day Monday through Friday at 11:00am. All programs will be live to emphasize participation and interaction. While all events are free, pre-registration for each event is required. Register here: https://forms.gle/KtkNRQN746GFwGU97

This year’s lineup will bring back many of the popular programs from past years, including music with local stars Andy & Suzanna, Jiggy Tots with McManus Irish Dance, Children’s Yoga with Yogi Beans and Tots Sing and Play with Teaching Artist Collective, and weekly puppet shows with WonderSpark Puppets.

The classes will be hosted through Zoom and the link will be sent out to all registered participants in advance of the program. Once you register once for a particular class you do not need to do so again.

Current schedule:

• Monday: Music with Andy and Suzanna (Ages 0-6)

• Tuesday: Children's Yoga with Yogi Beans (Ages 3-10)

• Wednesday: Jiggy Tots Irish Dance (Ages 2+) (NOTE: This class will not be taking place on August 5th)

• Thursday (NOTE: On July 23 & August 13 the program will start at 11:30 instead of 11): WonderSpark Puppets

• Friday: Tots Sing and Play with Teaching Artist Collective (Ages 0-6)

Links will be sent one hour before class - if you register less than one hour before class you will not have access to that week's class and will receive the link the next week. Please reach out to info@hunterspointparks.org with any questions or concerns

Thank you to our sponsors, NYC Ferry, Hunter's Point South Living, ProHEALTH Dental, NYC Department of Youth & Community Development and Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.

REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/KtkNRQN746GFwGU97

Conservancy to Host Virtual Fitness Classes in Partnership with 4 Local Fitness Studios

Starting the week of June 15, The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy will be hosting 4 free fitness classes every week for 6 weeks. The program may then extend longer, depending on the state of public health in New York City. All classes will be held via Zoom and are free, but pre-registration is required. Interested participants can Sign up for classes here.

This program would not be possible without the generous support of Weill Cornell Medicine Primary Care - Long Island City

The Conservancy is proud to work with 4 Long Island City based fitness studios on this program - Sophie Walters Fitness, Westside Pilates LIC, barre3 LIC, and Cosmic Fit Club.

The classes will be hosted through Zoom and the link will be sent out to all registered participants in advance of the program. All classes are meant for all skill levels and backgrounds.

This program is currently scheduled to run from June 16 - July 24, with a possibility of extension beyond that.

Current schedule:

Tuesdays - Zumba with Sophie Walters Fitness - 6:00 p.m

Wednesdays - Pilates with Westside Pilates LIC - 10:00 a.m.

Thursdays - Barre with barre3 LIC - 6:00 p.m.

Fridays - Yoga with Cosmic Fit Club - 1:00 p.m.

Hunter's Point South Park featured on CBS This Morning Segment: The Parks that Protect Cities from Flooding

See the piece at the link below, which includes a tour of the park and interview with park designer, and friend of the Conservancy, Tom Balsley

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/the-storm-resistant-parks-that-fight-the-impacts-of-climate-change/

Free Summer Events are in Full Swing

June marks the start of our busy event season in Hunter’s Point South Park and we look forward to seeing an active park all summer long. See below for what you can expect in the park this summer and make sure you stay updated by signing up for our newsletter and following along on Facebook.

• Zumba - Monday nights at 7pm

• Yoga - Tuesday nights at 7pm and Saturday mornings at 10am

• Pilates - Sunday mornings in June at 10am

• Volunteer Gardening (Gantry Plaza State Park) - every 2nd and 4th Saturday at 10am

• Watercolor Paint nights - every other Wednesday at 6:30pm at LIC Landing

• “Live at the Landing” Concert series - every other Thursday at 6pm

• CinemaLIC Movie series - June 22, July 18, August 8, September 7

Stay tuned for Summer Kids (co-hosted by Gantry Parent Association) kicking off in July as well other special events throughout the season

Sign up for the 4th Annual LIC Post Waterfront 5K!

Join nearly 1,500 runners and walkers on the morning of June 1, 2019 on the most beautiful 5K course around! The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, LIC Post, Woodside-Sunnyside Runners, and Run LIC have once again teamed up to plan this 5K run/walk through the beautiful Hunters Point neighborhood and waterfront of Long Island City. The course begins and ends on Center Blvd. at Hunter’s Point South Park, taking you along Vernon Blvd. to the Queensboro Bridge and then back along the water through Gantry Plaza State Park. Following the run, there will also be kids dashes down Center Blvd. for kids ages 9 & under.

This event serves as the largest fundraising for the Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, with all funds raised being used to put on 150+ free events in the park and towards park maintenance projects. We hope to see you on the course on June 1!

Sign up here: https://elitefeats.redpodium.com/june-1-2019-lic-post-waterfront-5k

Enter our Winter Photo Contest!

The Conservancy has launched our first ever winter park photo contest! We all know how beautiful the LIC waterfront can be in Spring, Summer, and Fall, but the Winter is often overlooked. Capture the beauty of Gantry Plaza State Park and Hunters Point South Park during the winter months for a chance to win a $50 gift card to LIC Landing by COFFEED.

Participants can enter by emailing a photo to info@hunterspointparks.org, or posting on social media and tagging the Conservancy Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. 

Submissions are due by Friday, March 1.