The Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Conservancy

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Gates Open to Willow Lake August 18, 2010 Parks Opens the Gates to Willow Lake Photo by Daniel Avila On August 18, Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Council Members Karen Koslowitz and James Gennaro, members of the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Conservancy and community members cut the ribbon on new gates that will serve as a formal entrances to Willow Lake. Thanks to allocations of $200,000 from Council Member Koslowitz, $150,000 from Council Member Gennaro and $35,000 from Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the decorative gates provide entryways to the public for guided tours of the lake. In addition, the FMCP Conservancy has secured funding to build a bird blind in the area and create a garden at the entrance of Mauro Playground. Currently, Parks' Natural Resource Group is restoring Willow Lake so access is limited, pending the project's completion. The restoration project of Willow Lake began in Spring 2009, and includes the removal of phragmites and other invasive plants, amending soil, and planting almost 13,000 native trees, shrubs and wildflowers to improve biodiversity, hydrology, and ecosystem function around the lake. The Willow Lake Reforestation project is being done in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Protection and the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2011. "Best Of" Skate Park Breaks Ground Near Unisphere" Courtesy of K. Jacob Ruppert Esq.  April 4, 2010     Earlier this week, construction got started on a new skate park near the 1964 World's Fair site in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The 16,000 square foot course, which is being built above the old Astral Fountain, will feature elements from around the city: "Original Brooklyn Banks 9-stair replica rail; Union Square rail/steps Police Plaza 7-stair rail/various stairs; Ziegfeld ledge; Chrystie Park ledge; Exchange Place street gap; JFK Banks; Con Ed Banks; Pyramid ledges; Flushing Meadows Park ledge-over-the-grate replica." The skate park is being created in anticipation of a skateboarding competition, the Maloof Money Cup that will take place June 5 and 6. The Maloof Money Cup donated the park through the NYC Parks & Recreation Department's Adopt-a-Park program, and Joe Maloof, whose family owns the Sacramento Kings basketball team, said, "New York was first on our list of expansion markets because its the headquarters for skateboarding on the East Coast and is home to some of the most iconic skate spots in the world. With the Brooklyn Banks now closed for four years and the Unisphere set to close indefinitely, the timing was perfect for us to bring the Maloof Money Cup to New York City."   New bird watching shelter built     Queens Courier,  Wednesday, May 20, 2009 2:33 PM EDT   When a group of Queens civic leaders organized the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Conservancy in 2002, they made promoting the park’s unique environmental features a major priority. Since then, they’ve been working with Estelle Cooper, the park’s administrator, to improve the second largest park in the city. On Saturday, May 9, the group dedicated their first “bird blind,” an environmental observation post in the park. The small wood structure was inspired by similar blinds at Gateway and Alley Pond Parks. “The Conservancy is tremendously grateful to the New York City Environmental Fund for funding this very special structure,” said Conservancy founder and former chairman Richard Hellenbrecht. The structure, and another to be erected at nearby Willow Lake, were designed by Kew Gardens Hills resident Ed Fischer.   The conservancy works with the Urban Parks Rangers on monthly tours of the Willow Lake natural area, numerous model shoreline restorations and an environmental education project at Meadow Lake. Shown here, conservancy members discuss environmental progress.     L-R Ed Fischer, Pat Dolan Pres FMCP, Tony Avella, Councilman Photo by Jim Jaffe L-R NA, Matt Symons Park Mgr, Estelle Cooper Deputy Park Commissioner John Lieu Concilman, James Gennaro Councilman Photo by Jim Jaffe L-R Ed Fischer, David Kulic Treasurer FMCP, Pat Dolan Pres FMCP Deputy Park Commissioner, Matt Symons Park Mgr Photo by Jim Jaffe

Queens Greening/2009 featured a  workshop on the ecology of Meadow Lake and Willow Lake sponsored by the Conservancy. Dr. Peter Schmidt of the Queens College school of earth sciences was the presenter L-R Richard Hellenbrecht, Dr. Peter Schmidt, Patricia Dolan, David Kulick   Ducks enjoying the spring weather on March 29

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City seeks grant money to fix World's Fair landmark New York State Pavilion

BY NICHOLAS HIRSHON
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Wednesday, September 17th 2008, 9:25 PM

Hagen for News
 

The New York State Pavilion, with its space-age design, was built for 1964 World's Fair but now sits in disrepair.

After decades of neglect at the New York State Pavilion, the city wants the 1964 World's Fair icon added to the National Register of Historic Places, making it eligible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in rehab grants.

The move follows months of activity at the long-decaying structure, where workers lowered broken, loose elevators in July and are now patching concrete on the three towers and the columns of the Tent of Tomorrow rotunda.

"It's really an exciting time for the pavilion," said John Krawchuk, the city Parks Department's historic preservation director. "We're very positive about its future."

Preservationists praised the city's quest for state and federal funds, which may help pay for efforts to stabilize the pavilion and save a terrazzo map of New York State on the rotunda floor.

The state Historic Preservation Office - which approves sites for the register - called the pavilion a "nationally significant resource" in a 2003 letter to the city, and is "interested" in listing it, spokesman Dan Keefe said.

But Queens civic leader Greg Godfrey wondered why the Parks Department didn't push for city landmark status, which would bar major alterations and demolition at the pavilion.

"It doesn't make much sense," said Godfrey, president of the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park World's Fair Association.

Krawchuk responded that city landmarking is "always a possibility," but takes much more time and effort than applying for the national register.

The city Landmarks Preservation Commission is reviewing the pavilion, said agency spokeswoman Lisi de Bourbon.

Designed by famed architect Philip Johnson, the pavilion's space-age design made it an unofficial symbol of Queens - along with another 1964 World's Fair relic, the Unisphere.

But the impressive edifice fell into disrepair after the fair ended in 1965, with vandals picking away at the New York State map and cracks developing in the towers and columns.

Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council, said the city's move to put the pavilion on the national register signaled sincere interest in restoration.

"People have been talking about wanting to save it since pretty much the World's Fair," Bankoff said. "I would view it as a step in the right direction."

Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Dedication of a Sign at Meadow Lake by Senator Frank Padavan  June 10 2008

Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (Meadow Lake)
Local Boy Scout Troop with Senator Frank Padavan helping clean up Meadow Lake May 17 2008

Conservancy and Park Celebrate Earth Day With a Canoe Ride

Earth day was celebrated by the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Conservancy along with the Urban Park Rangers and the citizens of our community by attending a "Canoe Ride" at Meadow Lake, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Under the supervision of  Sergeant Howward Kreft who is the supervisor of the Queens Urband Park Rangers, memmbers of the Queens community A canoe ride. Sunday morning at 11:30 members of the Queens community and their children gathered at the southern end of Meadow lake and signed up for a canoe ride the first ever given in celebration of "Earth Day".

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Waiting for the canoe ride	Signing Up	Checking things out
Handing out Life Vests	Showing how to adjust Life Vest	This is how you paddle
Oops the canoe rolls over	All is well and now in the water	Another successful lanuch
Isn't the lake wonderful???		Dave Kulik "Treasurer" FMCP soncervancy in Kayak

Park Rangers Take Residents Out For a Canoe Trip!
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Photo by Edward Fisher

Photo by Edward Fisher

Photo by Edward Fisher

During the later days of August, our Flushing Meadows-Corona Park rangers took residents of our fair borough of Queens out in canoes and led them paddle their way from Meadow lake (formerly the "Blue Lagoon" of the World's fair to Willow lake which is on the other side of Jewel Avenue and in the Federal Wildlife preserve.. The canoes and paddles and life jackets were supplied at no cost to those who participated in this event. During the fall months we should have some outings for "Bird Watchers and Leaf Peepers". These events will be announced here as well as on the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Conservancy site.. www.fmcpconservancy.org

 

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