Westchester Parks Foundation, the only organization dedicated exclusively to promoting and supporting Westchester County Parks, resumed its lake revitalization project for the third year at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers. The endeavor is part of a multi-year project that will use a specially designed mechanical harvester to clear the ten-acre lake of invasive species.
Since the Mechanical Harvester has cleared the lake for two years, visitors can notice the difference in the species not populating as much during its grow season. Extra sets of hands will be needed this year in addition to the machine to help in hard-to-reach areas to accomplish the same result. As a result, thirty local high school/college students will be on site for two weeks as part of a dedicated Green-ternship program at Tibbetts. Interns will work in canoes and on land hand-pulling the aquatic invasive species, Water Chestnut from the lake.
The Green-terns will also learn why invasive species are an issue for our ecosystem, the importance of stopping the spread, engage the community volunteers on-site, and meet other students interested in caring for our environment. This internship provides students an opportunity to connect and develop a network amongst each other, while serving the greater good of their local community and environment. They will also gain valuable field experience that will broaden their prospective career opportunities and build resumes for those pursuing a purpose driven career.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “Tibbetts Brook Park is one of the county’s most utilized parks and preserving it is important to residents who visit now and to those who will visit for years to come. The addition of the Green-terns this year is exciting as they will learn the necessary steps to care for the park and its ecosystem and in turn educate others.”
The project started July 2018 and is part of a planned effort to sustain the lake over the course of the next few years, and ultimately restore it to its original state and for recreational use. The work this summer continues to be made possible by a multi-year grant from Xylem Inc, a global water technology company located in Rye Brook, and G.A. Fleet, a Westchester based water infrastructure provider. This grant is the part of a long-term partnership between the organizations whose mutual goal encompasses the health of parks and waterways. Since the clean-up started in 2019 over 9 acres of Water Chestnut was removed by the machine and 28,527 pounds by teams of volunteers, including employees from Xylem and GA Fleet.
Joe Stout, Executive Director of WPF stated: “We are thrilled that Xylem and G.A Fleet continue to support our work to revitalize the lake and to make a difference in the community. We have done a ton of work to help remove invasive species from the lake these past two years, but we still have more to go and thankful to have the help of our local high school and college students who want to make a difference in the community they live in.”
Joe Vesey, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer of Xylem states: “Multi-year partnerships like this one are so essential to creating sustainable change — working together across local government, companies, nonprofit organizations, and community members. It’s great to have our colleagues and partners come together as engaged volunteers to solve water challenges in their own community, right here in Yonkers. It’s the kind of thing we’re so privileged to be a part of, around the world, working to make water more accessible, affordable, and to make our communities more resilient to climate change.”
Tibbetts Brook Park is critically important to the community in Yonkers, as one of the largest parks in New York State’s fourth largest city. Additionally, parks and waterways serve an important role in urban areas to give residents access to needed green space. Westchester Parks Foundation’s efforts at the lake will eventually bring this area back to regular use over the next decade.
Westchester County Parks Commissioner Kathy O’Connor said, “The 161-acres of Tibbetts Brook Park is one of our most popular parks, featuring trails, picnic areas and the pool. Thank you to the Westchester Parks Foundation for another year of work to keep the park’s ecosystem healthy, making the park one of the most enjoyable places for residents.”
The Foundation’s mission is to engage the public to advocate for and invest in the preservation, conservation, use, and enjoyment of the 18,000 acres of parks, trails, and open spaces within the Westchester County Parks system. For more information about Westchester Parks Foundation, visit www.thewpf.org or follow them on Facebook.com/WestchesterParksFoundation and Instagram @thewpf.
