Blogging About Our Park

Protecting Parkland: Save Golden Pond

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:15:13 GMT

Learning to Advocate for Improvements

Golden Pond After Ida. South-western walkway September 2nd, 2021 day after Ida hit NYC

Care and Repair Needed for Golden Pond

Golden Pond in Crocheron is the jewel of Bayside. Sitting at the end of 35th Ave, the pond provides natural areas landscape, wildlife viewing, and fishing areas. Friends of Crocheron has been advocating for a Natural Areas Restoration of the pond before it was decimated by Ida in September 2021. Local journalist Katherine Donlevy wrote Ida ‘mudslide’ into pond piques concern about the incident and interviewed Dana Gumb, who is a volunteer of Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park along with the Chief of the Staten Island Bluebelt, a large water project in Staten Island to manage flooding. Dana is quoted as saying:

“The mudslide situation is a dramatic instance where you have material lowering the depth, making the pond more shallow. The pond water heats faster [when it’s shallower]. The sunlight penetrates the full depth of the pond. The warmer the water, the less oxygen, so the less marine life can survive there, and there’s less food for wading birds ... You’re talking about a whole ecosystem that’s being degraded by it being filled with sediment.”

In the summer of 2025, Emilia, a local GS, chose to do her Silver Award to study and help clean up damage from Ida. Her work found that the debris from the mudslide and retaining wall had lowered the depth of the pond and had raised the water temperature. These changes to Golden Pond disrupt what Prudue University, More than just a puddle, (2021) calls the "balance between nutrients, plant growth, fish populations, water chemistry, sedimentation and other factors must be maintained to maximize the health and utility of a pond."

Citizen Scientist Research, Summer '25

Emilia's study ( research deck and New York Post article ) showed us that the pond's depth fell dramatically, and since shallow water warms faster than deeper water, we can assume that there is now less marine life in the pond. Along with depth calculations and a cleanup with trail maintenance, Emilia took readings of the pond water quality in the morning (around 7 am).

Results show that the depths of the pond have changed by as much as 7 feet and 3 inches. Now the pond is a maximum of 2 feet deep - leaving little space for plants and wildlife to live. We are pleased to have had the pleasure to connect Emilia with our resident conservationist, Dana Gumb, and also Michael Feller, former Chief Naturalist of NYC Parks from 1987 to 2014 and current Chair of Conservation for Friends of Alley Pond Park. Michael was one of two local environmentalists Emilia worked with to measure the depth of the pond. Emi also worked with Friends of Crocheron to bring together stewardship & trail work experts to lead a volunteer event, to cleanup around the pond and protect the pond from future erosion.

GS Emi & ASYLU Pond Cleanup . End of summer 2025, Emi brought together NYC Parks Super Steward John and SCA Trail Maintainer Julian to work with ASLYU to repair the trail after heavy rains and cleanup the pond and repair the trail.

More Debris Has Caused the Lower Water Level

In 2021, Hurricane Ida caused extensive damage to Crocheron Park. FEMA repairs to the destroyed paths from Ida only just began this past January. Anyone that has been to Golden Pond knows that it sits at the bottom of the Big Sledding Hill, and has a steep hillside with homes along the ridge. These homes have retaining walls that create 15-25 foot high walls, allowing the residents to have a flat backyard or deck.

Effect of a Ida on Golden Pond . Use arrow on graphic to slide back and forth to see impact of flooding. Interactive graphic representation of the influx of retaining wall backfill and garbage that now litters the pond.

We can estimate that 22.2 cubic yards of gravel with a backfill, with a weight of 50,418 pounds, emptied into the pond, essentially the force of water from north of the pond, from drain and low point on Corbett Ave. At an estimated 40 feet wide and 15 feet high, the 600 square foot wall spewed the sand, gravel, rebar, piping, and mess from the backyard shed that also collapsed into the park. Calculations made using two different construction calculators, omnicalculator.com and inchcalculator.com .

All of that material emptied then into the park, much of it then entering into the pond. This resulted in an extraordinary reduction in depth of the pond, along with literally tons of man-made unnatural material now in settled at the bottom of the pond. Material left in the park continues to fill Golden Pond due to ongoing erosion from rain/snow.

Failed Retaining Wall - Video of Ida Damage. Video taken a week after Hurricane Ida September 2021, showing the failed retaining wall its debris spread throughout the park, just south of the pond.

Bottom of a Funnel

The topography surrounding Golden Pond feeds the pond during rain events through surface water run off into the pond. From DEP maps that Dana acquired can see that there are a few drains that enter the pond, but we are waiting to hear back from DEP concerning a study of these drains, if they can be operation again to help reduce runoff (and erosion) into the pond.

Queens County Topographic Map. topographic-map.com

Blown Off Manhole Cover After Ida. One of five manhole covers that were pushed off due to super surge of water into system during Ida.

When it rains or snow melts, water travels across the ground's surface and reaches a body of water, like a lake, river, or the ocean. Surface runoff occurs when water is unable to penetrate the ground due to cement, over saturation, or even undersaturation (like during droughts). It is most visible during heavy rain events. It is a usual occurance in urban areas where manmade surfaces reduce water's ability to saturate the land and it pools into puddles, or rushes down catch basins.

In March 2026, Community Board 11 hosted Rafael CP Santo, who is in the Master of Urban Planning program at CUNY Hunter College. His presentation, Problematic Flood Zone Locations in CD11Q, is part of the NYC Community Planning Fellowship 2025-2026. While Rafael's work focuses on protecting homes and businesses, not measuring damage to green spaces, the work can also be used to push for environmental justice to protect our pond. The pond is shown to be at one of the lowest water levels along with having a greater risk of flooding, even flooding into the Cross Island Parkway.

The following map of catch basins shows why water rushed into the park, along with topography of the area, the lack of catch basins in the neighborhood to the west and clearly too few catch basins in the area to the south. Similarly, there are not enough rain gardens to collect water as well, shown in the second graphic of green infrastructure, showing that about three quarters of CD11Q does not any green infrastructure project. In his conclusion, Rafael states that this is a gap in services should be addressed to better serve the district.

Catch Basins – Runoff Collection Map - Problematic Flood Zone Location Map Queens Community Board 11. By Rafael C.P. Santos,

Green Infrastructure Map - Problematic Flood Zone Location Map Queens Community Board 11. By Rafael C.P. Santos,

What Makes a Pond Ecosystem Healthy?

Golden Pond is a kettle pond, formed from the remnants of the glacier, fed by streams and groundwater. It is part of our critical environmental infrastructure. It collects and stores rain water from man-made drains, through natural springs, and overflow from heavy rains. It is also connects to Little Neck Bay through a weir at its eastern end.

While Golden Pond is surrounded by unnatural things like roads and cement backyards, it has extensive wildlife that supports migrating birds, fish, turtles, frogs, and various pollinator insects. Plant life around the pond includes jewelweed, cattails, water lilies, and a weeping willow. Unfortunately, fishermen have said that the carp in the pond kick up sediment on the bottom of the pond, lifting up silt particles to create a muddy pond. This reduces the sunlight that can penetrate the layers of the pond, as ponds with low water quality may not have any plants living in it at all. This is the 'muddy puddle' syndrome which Dana spoke about in 2021. Below is an example of a healthy pond.

An Example of a Pond Ecosystem . Diagram courtesy of Purdue Pesticide Programs. Purdue University .

According to Purdue University, "to promote healthy fish populations, 15-20% of a pond should contain submersed vegetation." The extremely shallow depth in Golden Pond means that the water will be warm, with less or no cooler space for plants and wildlife. Without deeper water for fish, amphibian, and insect habitat, there is not really any place to provide refuge from cold temperatures in the winter. The below figure from USDA Chapter 11 Ponds and Reservoir s shows "the recommended minimum depth of water for ponds if seepage and evaporation losses are normal." These depths allow the pond ecosystem to function properly, as "fish need areas 2 to 6 feet deep for feeding and nesting."

Recommended Minimum Depths of Ponds and Reservoirs . USDA Chapter 11 Ponds and Reservoirs.

The US Natural Resources Conservation Service. USDA. (2021) , states in Chapter 11 Ponds and Reservoirs that " a variety of water depths are needed to provide the greatest diversity. Deeper water provides habitat for fish. " It goes on to state that logs provide sunning opportunities for amphibians and turtles.

The Pond Habitat - Exploring Habitats UC Marin Master Gardeners. YouTube .

Emi's research touched on that fact that warmer temperatures allow algae blooms to thrive. In addition, she states that "low turbidity levels that allow more sunlight to penetrate the water, and excess nutrients. The mean temperature over 7 weeks over [summer 2025] was 78.8 °F. I have spoken with Parks about the pond since fall of 2020 and they have been proud of the fact that the pond does not have algae blooms, as nearby ponds have had major issues with it. The pond compensating well under unfavorable conditions does not mean that it is doing okay. We need to act in order to save the pond for future generations.

Stewarding for Next Generation

During one of our cleanup events, NYS Senator John Liu spoke about his childhood memories fishing for sunfish in Golden Pond and Oakland Lake. Other families share with us that they moved to Bayside because of the park and Golden Pond. We continue to work with NYC Parks and local elected officials to advocate for the parkland.

Golden Pond is a key part of our community's landscape and our shared cultural heritage. We continue to enjoy the pond and benefit from living near beautiful body of water. It is important that we steward so the future generations can enjoy this natural space as well.

1891 Map Showing Golden Pond. Map of Flushing, closeup of insert showing the oblong pond.

The failed retaining wall is the area where the most erosioin has occured, leading to extensive debris to enter the pond. This area is shown here in 1934 with a depth of 7 feet, which was largely unchanged in the 1969 records that Emi used, thanks to the Bayside Historical Society's archive. It is now 6 inches at its lowest.

1934 Park Map & Insert of Golden Pond .1934 Map by NYC Parks showing the planting plan around the pond. The hoover shows the detailed view of the pond, and the extremely steep slope along the northern side. Image is NYC Parks & Recreation.

Other Types of Kettle Ponds - LI Coastal Plain Ponds

Steve Young's presentation on the natural kettle ponds of Long Island explore the unique features, plants, and wildlife the make up our unique landscape. Similarly to Golden Pond, these ponds are under threat from habitat degradation. You can also seem more on Coast Plain Ponds at NY Natural Heritage Conservation Guides .

Long Island's Coastal Plain Ponds: A Unique Ecosystem Under Threat. Long Island Natural History Conference. YouTube .

Bayside Flooding Town Hall

Date: March 23, 2026 | 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Location: Redeemer Lutheran Church Gymnasium

Jessica Burke – Founding President, Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park

A Bayside resident since 1989, Jessica Burke attended PS 41, where she developed an early interest in environmental sciences. She was especially influenced by Mrs. Cilmi, whose demonstration - carefully slicing an apple to illustrate the fragility and scarcity of Earth’s resources - left a lasting impression.

In the summer of 2020, Jessica founded Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park to help clean up and restore this local treasure. She also created a historical archive to connect the community through their shared cultural heritage. Since then, Jessica has used the organization as a platform to advocate for increased city funding for parks while opposing the allocation of public funds to private organizations that manage parklands without the same transparency required of NYC Parks. She has provided testimony before the City Council in support of these efforts. Jessica holds an M.A. from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and is the author of When the Well Runs Dry: Ethics and the Privatization of Water , a work that deepened her commitment to preserving public resources, including her local park.

Easy Tips and Recommendations for Eliminating Plastic from Your Life - from a 10 Year Enthusiast

Sun, 21 Dec 2025 01:50:05 GMT

Easy Tips and Recommendations for Eliminating: Plastic from Your Life - from a 10 Year Enthusiast

By now, we all know that plastic is harming us and our planet. We also know by now that recycling plastic is largely an illusion.

Recycled plastic costs more than virgin plastic because the expansion of virgin plastic production is keeping the prices of new, virgin plastic low. (1)

The “Zero Waste” lifestyle offers hope of a future not poisoned by this toxic material. By refusing single use plastic and instead using sustainable and reusable materials we can create a better future for us and our planet.

Consider decentering yourself as a being who can take any resource available and instead centering the planet as an ecosystem that depends on your stewardship.

Around 33 billion pounds of plastic enter the ocean every year. This is the equivalent of dumping two full garbage trucks of plastic in the ocean every minute. (2)

As a person who has been aspiring to be Zero Waste for over 10 years, I have learned some really simple alternatives to single use plastic. Keep in mind that being 100% plastic free is not possible in the decade that we live in. Using up the plastic we already have and not producing more is a good idea for the planet.

Being Zero Waste is a labor of love; a big part of which is bringing your own reusables from home.

Reusable food containers Over the years, I have experienced restaurants and other food places begin to accept the use of reusable containers. Some places like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts will only accept their own branded cups for some silly reason. Materials like bamboo, aluminum and stainless steel are great lightweight and sustainable alternatives to plastic.

Tip : Ask restaurants that you frequent what size container they use for takeout, then buy that size glass container.

Tip: Cotton tote bags are cute for carrying your reusables to restaurants.

3-Cup Glass Container

3 PC set Bamboo Utensils w/ Sleeve

16 Ounce Stainless Steel Cup with Lid

Detoxify Your Home

Cleaning Did you know that you can use bar soap to clean everything from your floors to your hair? Brands like Dr.Bronner’s Castille Soap bars are designed to be used for cleaning yourself and everything else. This eliminates plastic bottles in your bathroom and under your kitchen sink. The ingredients and fragrance are all natural and don’t poison the air and water as you clean!

Dr Bonner's Soap

Tip: Fill up a container with warm water and roll a bar of soap around in it for a little bit and you’ve got liquid cleaner for surfaces, toilets and dishes. You can also lather a sponge or rag directly with the bar of soap.

Laundry Powdered laundry soap is a widely available alternative to detergent liquid that comes in plastic containers. White vinegar can be found in glass bottles and can be used instead of fabric softener. Liquid laundry detergent can be bought at bulk refill stores.

Tip: Pre-treat stains with bar soap before throwing in the wash as laundry powder isn’t the best at removing stains. I use black coal tar soap.

Fossil-fuel based fibers account for over two-thirds (69%) of textile production, with a projected increase to 73% by 2030. (3)

Clothing Clothing made from natural fibers like hemp, cotton, linen, silk and wool breathe easily and are not toxic. Bamboo is now also used to make wonderfully silky, breathable and warm clothing.

Tip: Hang up clothing that is made of synthetic material so as to keep microplastics from shedding into the atmosphere.

About 35% of “primary” microplastics in the oceans (excluding “secondary” microplastics that come from the breakup of bigger plastics) comes from the laundering of synthetic textiles. (4)

Cosmetics Makeup in zero-waste containers is widely available online and at natural grocers. My favorite zero-waste makeup brands are DabHerb, Fat and the Moon, and Aether Beauty.

Dab Herb Cosmetics

Lush Cosmetics offers high end (and wonderful smelling) package free and low-waste packaging soaps, deodorants, lotions and other cosmetics.

According to the American Dental Association , one billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away each year in the United States, creating 50 million pounds of waste. (6)

Oral Care Boar bristle toothbrushes are very firm, last a long time … and are not made out of plastic! Toothpaste tablets offer powerful cleaning, often come in sustainable packaging and can be bought at bulk refill stores.

Boar hair bristle and bamboo toothbrush Toothpaste tablets

Tip: Soak boar bristle toothbrush for 30 seconds or more before using to soften the bristles.

Tip: Bite toothpaste tabs in half as they are very powerful and produce a lot of foam.

Plastic Free Cooking and Eating

Package Free Food There are more stores than ever that sell common food items like grains, dried legumes, granola, and even oil in bulk. Just bring your own containers and get as much as you need. Along with the many benefits of shopping at the farmer’s market, it is a good way to get your fruits and veggies without packaging.

Cookware Avoid non-stick cookware as it contains PFAS (forever chemicals) that get scratched and leak into food AND are an environmental nightmare to manufacture. (5) With the right technique, cast iron, stainless steel, ceramic and glass cookware are good alternatives to non-stick pans.

Food Storage Glass and aluminum containers are better for storing food than plastic because when hot food touches plastic, plastic leeches.

Miscellaneous

Stationary & Shipping Kraft paper tape can be used on cardboard boxes and paper. Just wet the adhesive side and lay down.

Kraft paper tape roll

Tip: Cut pieces from the roll and keep handy in different locations for use when needed.

Consider what our ancestors did 100 years ago before the invention and widespread use of plastic. We don’t need to choose convenience over our health and the health of our planet.

Roxann Valdes

Roxann is a member of Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park.

Sources

1. Sanzillo, Tom, et al. Impact on Virgin vs. Recycled Plastics Prices and Implications for a Production Cap. Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, 22 Nov. 2024, [Link]

2. Lau, Winnie W. Y., et al. “Evaluating Scenarios toward Zero Plastic Pollution.” Science , Sept. 2020, [Link]

3. Trunk, Urska, et al. Fashion’s Plastic Paralysis: How Brands Resist Change and Fuel Microplastic Pollution . Changing Markets Foundation, Sept. 2024, [Link]

4. Boucher, Julien, and Damien Friot. Primary Microplastics in the Oceans: A Global Evaluation of Sources . International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 2017, [Link]

5. https://www.thenewlede.org/2025/09/california-cookware-pfas-ban/

6. https://plasticmakers.org/brushing-away-plastic-waste/

Support Open and Public Recreation in Crocheron

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:29:08 GMT

Sign our petition to keep tennis and pickle ball courts truly public!

UPDATE 11/20:

Thank you to everyone for voicing your view on the proposed bubble - we are thrilled to say NYC Parks Concession actually made an error and is looking for a food/beverage concession not to enclose the courts and privatize recreation . We were also told that the RFP does not mean a proposal will be chosen. This type of concession is something that our group would support, as it is not traditional work done by NYC Parks and would be a value add for recreation. We do hope that these funds go to NYC Parks directly, especially as Parks still receives less than 1% of the City budget (other US city parks get 2-3%).

The NYC Parks Concessions Unit had a miscommunication and presented the idea of the bubble in error. Within 3 hours of our group reaching out Wednesday morning, the Queens Borough President Richards' Office Parks Liaison, Laura, had not received the 40 days notice of the RFP and helped to unravel the issue, that it is for a food concession. The CB11Q informed me that they had been working with Councilwoman Paladino, who is also opposed to this type of construction.

Thank you to everyone that signed and shared, amazing to have over 630 signatures online in just a few days, added to paper signatures we have 670! Our organization will be e xploring the option to request that Crocheron & John Golden Park to be designated as a Scenic Landmark by the NYC Landmark Preservation Committee . If you are knowledgeable about the Landmark Preservation process, a great writer or researcher, or know someone that is, please get in touch with us.

We are grateful to everyone who signed, shared, commented, and helped us to show that our community would prefer not to have a bubble. Thank you! And thank you to the officials and their dedicated staff, especially the QBP Parks Liaison Laura for her quick action.

North Eastern Queens has some the best parks in New York City, these open secrets include Crocheron's Tennis & Pickle Ball Courts. People come from across Queens and Nassau County to enjoy the publicly run courts with free pickle ball courts and reasonably priced tennis. Our local Councilwoman, Vickie Paladino, has given the park large amounts of capital and discretionary funding (including for the recent renovation of the pickle ball courts). Arguably, The City of New York, along with, NYC Parks Concession, has greatly undervalued the park. Funds and attention from NYC Parks goes to flagship parks, but now is now looking to use Crocheron as a vehicle to generate more income for the City.

The NYC Parks Concession team, on behalf of the City's economic portfolio looks to squeeze more out of our park. This is after years of work on Crocheron's paths being kicked down the line. For 3 years, it has been 'it will be next season,' our district has some of the largest parks in Queens, but we have just o ne gardener. It is egregious of the City to propose this without putting the necessary work into the park. In addition, money generated from NYC Parks' Concessions go back to the City's general fund ( The Center for an Urban Future, 2025 ).

Comparative Courts in NYC - Pricing People Out

While some Community Boards, like CB 1 in Astoria ( Queens Chronicle 10/30/25 ), have worked with the community and asked NYC Parks for this type, the Community Board's Park Committee Members were largely opposed to this, especially as it was a 40 day courtesy notice.
Nearby indoor bubbles, such as in Alley Pond, charge $31-$67 per hour for court use, prices that make recreation unaffordable for many local families and seniors (please note that Alley Pond is the comparison that NYC Parks Concession used during the meeting).
It took years for neighbors of the Queensboro Oval courts to bring back fair pricing, Market rate allowed pricing to go as high as $255 an hour in 2017 ( NY Post, 2017 ).
Leasing the Queensboro Oval to a private operator became so bad that a CM Ben Kallos has a whole page about the fight to regain some control of the bubble ( BenKallos.com ).
The McCarren Park residents were also against the proposed bubble, also on their newly renovated courts ( Brooklyn Paper, 2011 ). 2024 pricing from the McCarren Park Tennis's website (ty internet archive) shows that it is between $45 and $90 for an hour ) - current pricing unavailable on the McCarren park Tennis website or on NYC Parks Website . McCarren Park Tennis is open from 6 am - 12 am everyday , which if mirrored in Bayside, would greatly impact the neighborhood.
McCarren Park Tennis Bubble was given a public hearing - why are we no longer afforded that right?(Brooklyn Paper, 2011). Instead the CB11Q and Oueens BP are given 40 days notices that the RFP will go out.
Crocheron does not need a bubble over its courts, as some City neighborhoods may see a bubble barrier to keep players from a polluted environment, a positive mentioned by a New Yorker in the 2019 Parks Committee Meeting . Crocheron is in the middle of a lush parkland, acres away from the nearby highways, with hundreds of trees cleaning the air.

Preserving Crocheron's Historic Charm

Bubbling over the tennis and pickle ball courts will greatly alter the park landscape. How could it not? It is basically inserting a large white bubble that will be visible from much of the park. The RFP will also include the ability to reimagine he park's Tennis House is historic, built during the 1930s New Deal construction of Crocheron. NYC Parks Concession did not note any limitation to the reconfiguring of the interior of the Tennis House. In fact, the Tennis House was recently painted as well, after what was probably over a decade of not being used. Like the courts, recently refinished work paid by the tax payers is being auctioned off in the RFP process.

1936 photograph of the Tennis House from the courts. Courtesy of NYC Parks Archive.

An article about the opening of the park in 1937 mentions that the tennis house had a large lounge and showers. While this is long gone and replaced with offices, the interior area has had some utilizations by the public. The large center meeting place for a lecture, yoga, and to host the On This Land historic photographs of the park.

In a couple of years some offices will soon be empty, as the workers are moving to the to be renovated building in O'Rourke Park. Instead of looking to use those spaces for public good, the City would rather use them as part of the lease for the concessions. NYC Parks Concessions also had no idea or restraints on what the proposed concession vendor could do to renovate the place. New Deal Era buildings, which are candidates for being Landmark Status Structures, have not yet been designated as such. On the accord, the park itself should receive landmark status, just as Bryant Park did in 1974 ( Untapped New York, 2011 ).

Environmental and Landscape Changes

Crocheron's Courts are flanked by various trees. Large northern red oaks, hawthrones, and maples provide shade, beautiful views, and a relaxing atmosphere. When we spoke with pickle ball players on the 15th, they expressed their distain for the project that would close them in. One man predicted that the trees would be cut back and possible down, a thought that we did not have as there was no site visit by CB11Q with NYC Parks. NYC Parks Concession did not mention any of these changes, however, they hide behind the RFP which will allow potential vendors to reimagine the courts as they wish. See more on the tree map created by NYC Parks.

These trees provide a beautiful view from the courts, especially during autumn. Often trees are just collateral damage for projects that can afford to pay to replace them.

Sign Petition to Keep Our Park Publicly Manage and Open!

Please sign the petition to tell our elected officials and NYC Parks Concession to keep Crocheron publicly run and open! Our tax dollars recently went to thousands in renovations for the courts, newly sealed, with pickle ball nets and lines too. Finally, the NYC Parks Concession system is set up to enrich the city's larger general funds. It does not go back into NYC Parks and especially not Crocheron's.

1936 photograph of the Tennis House from inside the park, with courts in background. Courtesy of NYC Parks Archive.

Protecting Parkland: Learning About Climate and Flooding Events

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 15:19:22 GMT

Learning to Advocate for Improvements

Recent Flooding Events

Bayside is a community that has grown up along the water, drawing a diverse population that enjoys being part of Long Island's coastal communities. Recently, the New York City area has seen an increase in heavy precipitation events, in large part thanks to warming oceans and the city's heat island effect. On July 15, 2025, heavy rains left 2 dead in New Jersey ( NY Times, 2025 ), about two weeks later, August 1, Bayside was inundated with 5 inches of rain and flooding along major intersections and roadways ( ABC News, 2025 ) . This blog looks to explore the history of flooding in Bayside , including the 1933 flood photographed below, and in honor of Banned Books Week - we will use the Internet Archive to learn from the banned climate.gov website.

Source- TikTok, @stevebarren @lisad426 @bossli1312 @lcando503 @whatisnewyork

Historic 1933 Flooding in NYC

Remnants of Hurricane hit the Bayside area hard. A year later, the New York Times wrote about the extreme rains, stating: "The September rainfall of 10.09 inches was nearly three times the September normal and the greatest for the month since 1882, when 16.85 inches fell." ( NY Times 1934 ).

Courtesy of Queens Public Library. Borough President of Queens. September 15, 1933. Flooding on Northern Boulevard. Gelatin silver print

These flooding events had a large impact on the city but the rarity of the flooding caused it the need to be forgotten. These images are eerily familiar to the above videos from the same intersection 90 years later.

NYC's Subtropical Climate Shift

In 2020, the National Weather Service determined, using the Köppen climate classification as a guide, discussed the need to reclassify New York City as a humid subtropical climate zone. The Köppen climate classification system divides the climate into five categories: Tropical, Dry, Temperate, Continental, and Polar. This system is based on temperature and precipitation patterns and is widely used to understand weather.

New York City, after years of being considered a humid continental climate, now sits within the humid subtropical climate zone. The classification requires that summers average above 72 degrees Fahrenheit - which New York’s have had since 1927- and for winter months to stay above 27 degrees Fahrenheit on average. The city has met that requirement for the last five years, despite the occasional cold snap. And the winters are only getting warmer ( NYTimes 2020 ). The homepage of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in March 2020 highlighted " Earth just had its 2nd-hottest February on record ."

The Urban Heat Island Effect causes the city to be a few degrees warmer than surrounding areas. This is especially evident during the winter, when it is warmer due to buildings, roadways, and human activity.

The following video was produced by geologists and provides a helpful overview.

Video by Geodiode - The unique man-made climate of New York City

NYC Government Review Impacts of this Change

In 2020, the New York City Council held a session titled Climate Change Impacts on New York City’s Stormwater Management, featuring Angela DeLillo, Deputy Commissioner of Wastewater Treatment. It focused on how the city’s infrastructure must adapt to increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather patterns. The full video and transcript are available here .

During the session, DeLillo noted, “In 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reclassified New York City from a coastal temperate zone to a humid subtropical climate zone - a recognition that we now live in a different world than we were in a few decades ago.” This reclassification underscores the reality of our climate and the urgent need for updated municipal planning and environmental policies.

Government agencies such as the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice, and the City Council have since intensified efforts to build resilience into city systems - but it is clearly not enough and not being done quickly enough. Things like upgrades to stormwater infrastructure, expanded green roof and permeable surface initiatives, and the integration of climate projections into zoning and building codes are being done. Resource management and infrastructure must change to address this shift from a temperate to a humid subtropical classification. Climate change is now directly shaping local governance, urban design, and resource management.

Climate.Gov - a 'Banned Book'

As it is banned book week, exploring a banned climate website helps us to understand about the science surrounding our NYC climate. While the climate.gov transfers you to noaa.gov/climate - the Internet Archive is a tool which allows you to go back in time to learn about climate. I have termed the Internet Archive, and its Way Back Machine, as 'Freedom of Information Act request without the paperwork." It is kind of like CCTV, as it is recorded and a source of proof to show actual events which occurred.

Very Heavy Precipitation is the term used to describe the unusual super heavy rain events we have been having in New York City. As neighbors are building french drains to solve their problem, the city is clearing out catch basins so water has a place to go. At Crocheron Park, Golden Pond and the surrounding wetland has been inundated with flooding due to overwhelmed catch basins.

National Climate Assessment, Heavy Downpours. "Percent changes in the annual amount of precipitation falling in very heavy events, defined as the heaviest 1% of all daily events from 1901 to 2012 for each region. The far right bar is for 2001-2012. In recent decades there have been increases nationally, with the largest increases in the Northeast, Great Plains, Midwest, and Southeast. Changes are compared to the 1901-1960 average . (Figure source: NOAA NCDC / CICS-NC)." https://web.archive.org/web/20240331233626/https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/our-changing-climate/heavy-downpours-increasing

National Climate Assessment, Heavy Downpours. "The map shows percent increases in the amount of precipitation falling in very heavy events (defined as the heaviest 1% of all daily events) from 1958 to 2012 for each region of the continental United States." https://web.archive.org/web/20240331233626/https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/our-changing-climate/heavy-downpours-increasing

More Persistent Rain and Flooding - What to Do

As New Yorkers, it is our responsibility to understand what we can do to mitigate flooding. This is not only to protect ourselves and our property but to protect our city's infrastructure and environment. One way to do this is to work with Friends of Crocheron or another local environmental group to advocate for the City to address these issues.

Below is an aerial view of the pond with emphasis added by Emi McKinney, a local Girl Scout and Citizen Scientist who studied the pond over the summer of 2025 and presented research to the community. See the research here and New York Post article here .

According to Emi, the environmental monitoring data that she collected shows water quality of the pond has significantly deteriorated in recent years. More than half of the pond has lost between 48% and 93% of its original depth, with areas that once measured 4 to 7 feet deep now reduced to only 6 inches to 2 feet! In addition to reducing depth and potential for plant life, this severe shallowing has contributed to recurring harmful algae blooms which further degrading water quality. The pond is one of a few fresh water pond in Queens, and the lack of depth reduces its effectiveness in managing stormwater, which helps protect Cross Island Parkway. During flash floods and heavy rainfall, ongoing mudslides continue to deposit sediment (and the debris left from construction of private retaining walls) into the pond, accelerating its infill and worsening overall conditions.

How can we fix this? First the city needs to address infrastructure improvements to the local catch basins, which are not prepared to protect against climate change. Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park is blessed to have retired professional among our committed volunteers (Dana, Mike Feller, Margo, and John to name a few). They have met with Parks multiple times to tour the area to see the effect of erosion from heavy rains. Through this dialogue, the team has proposed solutions, like to check if existing DEC piping is still working, creating terracing along the south side of the park and check dams to stop the flow of debris into the pond.

Jessica Burke – Founding President, Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park

Parks Don't Just Happen (Part II)

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:49:41 GMT

Learning from Our Park's History

This series continues as our national parks and necessary environmental laws are being systematically, yet chaotically, dismantled. Parks don't just happen - they require us (the people!) to work with one another and elected officials/civil servants to protect, grow, and develop this critical public good.

This second entry looks at how park stewardship helps create communities. Civic engagement and social capital help elected officials and civil servants protect parks. This series 'Parks Don't Just Happen' continues to use Friends' Park Archive to further advocate for parks!

The history of Crocheron & John Golden Park is a wonderful demonstration of how parks give people a reason to engage in civic groups and reinforce social bonds. The parkland is part of our shared cultural heritage, creating a shared bond that connects community members to each other, our past, and the future. It is also a reminder that parks are a place for all people - and it is our responsibility to be good stewards.

1934 - April 2nd - Photograph of workers dredging Crocheron Lake. NYC Parks.

Advocacy for Public Parks by Local Stewards

At their best, governments support democratic institutions which ensure that all people have access to free and fair elections, ways to voice their opinion at 'town halls,' and are able to access independent journalism. Thomas Hobbes, a key figure in modern political philosophy, believed that the government itself meets the definition of a public good. The elected officials and civil servants' oversight of public goods, laws and maintaining order. Governments help to ensure ways for people to communicate and connect with one another to steward public goods, like parks.

As we all know, getting the attention of government officials can take a lot of work or networking to get your case heard. The first Parks Don't Just Happen series looked at the people's input into the creation of the Crocheron & Joh Golden Park. We are jumping ahead to the 1970s to look at Bayside residents' stewardship of the parkland. Along with Glenn Heller, whose tenacious work to clean up the pond lead to its dredging and rehabilitation in 1972, other people have worked to steward the parkland.

Civic Engagement and Social Capital

Stewardship of parks, especially Crocheron & John Golden Park, we see the collection community action and voice to protect parks and open spaces. Community advocacy for budget cuts, advocacy for environmental cleanups, or infrastructure repair. An example of this in action are recent developments for the park, including generous funding for the gazebos and playground from Councilwoman Paladino, with additional support from Queens Borough President Richards.

Social capital is the thing that helps promote this civic engagement. Robert Putnam's research explores the trend in American towards individualism and how it is eroding the social capital which connects one another ( Robert Putnam, 2000 ). Anyone that has been to one of our park events knows that Friends is much more than just a cleanup group, we look to find ways to connect people to with one another, engaging events, while advocating for our beautiful parkland.

What is Social Capital?

Social capital is defined as the various networks of relationships between and among people who live or work in a particular society, it enables society to function effectively.Robert Putnam an American political scientist whose extensive work exemplifies the important connection between political systems, institutions, and various behaviors that we undertake in society (2000) . Putnam includes this s ocial capital overview on his webpage , to inform the reader about social capital's important feature being networks that connect people to one another.

Social capital not only creates positive feelings through connections with people, but also specific benefits such as "a wide variety of quite specific benefits that flow from the trust, reciprocity, information, and cooperation associated with social networks. Social capital creates value for the people who are connected and – at least sometimes – for bystanders as well." Meaning that the value that social capital creates not only benefits those who are connected but can extend to helping bystanders too. The multiple channels which social capital works through includes the flow of information, norms of reciprocity, collective action, along with broader identities and solidarity.

Civic Engagement and Environmental Groups

1972 - Restoring Crocheron Pond. Long Island Daily Press. Queens Public Library.

Civic groups focused on environmental stewardship show how social capital directly benefits our parks. By coming together for a common cause, these groups both improve our parks and strengthen the community networks that support them.

Like many parks, Crocheron & John Golden Park have thrived due to community engagement - and these efforts also strengthened the social networks and social capital within the community.It has been found that civic groups for environmental purposes are highly engaged while participation in other groups has fallen. It has been shown that the combination of working towards a collective goal, opportunity to lead events, and effecting real change ( Maryland Sea Grant Reprint, 2011 ). In addition, a recent publication from the Trust for the Public Land (TPL) describes the unique ability for public green spaces to unify people ( Trust for Public Land, 2024 ).

According to Urban Land Institute, "Parks are hubs that bring people together - not only by attracting residents and visitors, but also by drawing community members to participate in park programs or to volunteer their time" ( 2005 ). The unique place where parks fit into the community creates an opportunity for programs to bring people together.

Glenn's campaign for the pond clean-up began in the 1970s, but even back to the 1960s, the neighborhood was demanding the City repair to the deplorable conditions. Groups like the Little League and other sports teams joined the call for safeguards, like traffic control and lighting. While this article did not mention the pond, one can imagine its condition.

1960 - July 16th - Clean-Up Demanded in Bayside's Crocheron Park

Glenn's work caught the attention of numerous newspapers and magazines, even featured in Life Magazine. His work and coordination with City Agencies and locals allowed him to achieve the awesome feat of cleaning up the pond. I’m a bit envious that he faced fewer permit hurdles than we would today as we work on a similar project post-Ida!!

1972 - De-polluting a neighborhood pond. Life Magazine.

At just 23 years old, Glenn, a college student who lived at 31-21 214th place, worked through red tape and bureaucratic hurdles to clean out the pond. One can assume the college student wanted to do this as a summer project, but it seems like the red tape caused him to miss the start of the semester, we do hope that his professors were understanding! Ready to take on the project himself, he found help in neighborhood kids, from 9- to 16 years old, who worked with to clean up the pond. Even the FDNY came out to support, providing their hose and access to hydrants to refill the pond. A true community effort all around!

1972 - September 19th . Student's Reflections on Lake Make It Sparkle Again. Daily News. Queens Public Library.

Finally, in 1973, major repairs began in the park, thanks to a federal grant matched by city funds. The biggest part of the project is "will be the draining of six-foot-deep Goldfish Pond so that its earth retaining wall can be reinforced by interlocking stones called rip-rap." The article goes on to start that the ducks who call the 400x175 foot pond home will be relocated. One can assume that the drainage from the previous year showed Parks Department some issues that needed repair.

1973 - September 17th, Crocheron Park improvements may finally get started. Long Island Press. Queens Public Library Archive.

1975 - March 3rd. Somebody Should Clean Up Mess, Why Not Me?' by Glenn Heller - Press and Sun-Bulletin.

Final Thoughts

Parks don't just happen - there are heaps of people that put in work and network to make improvements we enjoy today. This is done by connecting with one another and demanding that public parks are invested in. Parks are not just places to play and relax, but they are also places for civic engagement. In fact, the photo below from the 2000 yearbook for PS41 shows the school children walking to support March for Dimes in Crocheron Park, when I still had blonde hair.

2000 - The March of Dimes event with PS41. PS41 Yearbook, Class of 2000.

Trust for Public Land's report states that 91 out of 100 parks in cities provide places for civic engagement, like protests or voter registration. "These efforts engage people as citizens and thereby revive the democratic ideal of the public square." They go on to preach what Friends of Crocheron has been practicing, seeing parks as a neutral zone that can help repair the "frayed social fabric" by creating opportunities to bring people together over our shared ownership of NYC Parks ( Trust for Public Land, 2024 ). As we live in an area that is a mix of people, Friends is proud to continue our work using this beautiful place to bring us together.

For more on building social capital, please see the Aspen Institute 2006 Toolkit .

Jessica Burke – Founding President, Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park

Since then, Jessica has used the organization as a platform to advocate for increased city funding for parks while opposing the allocation of public funds to private organizations that manage parklands without the same transparency required of NYC Parks. She has provided testimony before the City Council in support of these efforts. Jessica holds an M.A. from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and is the author of When the Well Runs Dry: Ethics and the Privatization of Water , a work that deepened her commitment to preserving public resources—including her local park.

Parks Don't Just Happen (Part I)

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 01:18:57 GMT

Learning from Our Park's History

In light of recent events, we are drawing from our park archive and local library archives to learn more about parks as public goods. The first thing we will look into is how civic engagement helps to ensure proper management of parks. This series 'Parks Don't Just Happen' will use Friends' Archive to further advocate for parks!

The history of Crocheron & John Golden Park is a wonderful demonstration of how civil society is responsible for both creating and protecting public goods. The parkland is part of our shared cultural heritage, creating a shared bond that connects community members to each other, our past, and the future. It is also a reminder that parks are a place for all people and it is our responsibility to be good stewards.

1934 - April 2nd - Photograph of workers demolishing wall at Crocheron Lake. NYC Parks.

Public Good and Public Parks

Our Parks in NYC and around the USA 'don't just happen' - public parks take work from both civil society and government entities. The push for the old Crocheron Estate to become a park was made - an expensive investment that could have been more real estate for developers. Luckily, everything aligned to giv e our neighborhood a refuge.

What are public goods?

A service or product (like fire departments, education, and parks) that is provided to members of a society, usually owned/managed by the government and provided for through taxation. Much like today, the social contract between people and their elected officials about how to best manage our public goods, is a constant conversation, or maybe a push and pull, to determine what is best. What remains true is that public goods remain publicly owned - even when the management of the public good is carried out by the private sector. When the private sector carries out management of public goods, it is known as a public private partnership, which requires both transparency and checks to ensure management in the public's best interest. These agreements are becoming more common as neoliberal policies promote privatization of public goods. The below image, modified from Public Goods in Everyday Life by June Sekera to improve clarity, helps to illustrate this dynamic relationship.

Illustration is modified version from Public Goods in Everyday Life by June Sekera .

Stewardship Protection for Our Pond

These 1908 articles showcase civil society's power in organizing and petitioning to keep overzealous government administrators from damaging a public good. While the Health Department ordered the owners of the Crocheron Lake to drain it as it was deemed a mosquito breeding ground, local residents opposed the drainage.

Neighbors referred to it as: "The destruction of the most romantic spot in the vicinity." Residents went on to say that filling in the pond would cause injury to their property value "and tend to reduce the location to the ordinary level and mediocrity common to all suburban sections." As we know, Bayside is anything but an ordinary suburban area. The article also states how Crocheron Pond is a point of drainage for the surrounding environment. The area had natural springs which flow through the pond and into the bay. As one of the lake's neighbors stated, we are "delighted at the civil pride manifested" by the community surrounding the lake. Luckily, their advocacy saved the pond from being filled in.

1908 - February 1st - Must Drain Lake at Old Crocheron Site. Brooklyn Times Union.

1908 - February 3rd - Will Fight Removal of Romantic Lake. Brooklyn Times Union.

Real Estate: Ready to Divide

While Bayside residents of the early 1900s did not have to worry about neoliberal agenda playing fast and loose with the privatization of public goods - titans of industry and real estate were still looking for their cut of our little community by the bay.

Real estate and tax maps from the early 1900s depict the area where Our Park is currently. Instead of acres of parkland, the area is divided up into parcels of land. The 1909 map shows that the City expected they would be able to drain the lake,whereas Oakland Lake is shown on the larger version, an assumption that the NYC Health Department's 1908 recommendation was carried out. It also shows that, as of 1909, the City did not have any unified plan to purchase the land surrounding the former Crocheron House. Instead, it shows the area broken up into a grid, ready to be developed for real estate.

1909 - Bayside Map of Third Ward. G.W. Bromley & Co. (Publisher) - Queens Public Library.

The following shows the 1930s-1950s shows the Halleran Agency's real estate map of the Flushing area. While this map shows Crocheron Park, it assumes that John Golden or his heirs would sell his property. Instead, Golden bequeathed the 17-acre estate to the city "for the use and enjoyment by the young people of the community of all races and creeds in a manner similar to that in which I made this property available for recreation and community acts during my lifetime." An amazingly generous gesture by a man affectionately known as Mr. Bayside.

1930s - 1950s - Map of Flushing & vicinity. Creator: Halleran Agency.

Advocacy to Purchase Land for Public Park

1922 - Looking East across Mickle Pond (current Golden Pond) and across Little Neck Bay Towards Little Neck. Queens Public Library Archives.

By the early 1900s, the Bayside Community became accustomed to enjoying the green space, lake, and bay access at the end of 35th Avenue. Above shows the park a little over a decade after the Crocheron House burned down. Along with using the natural area as a refuge, the land became a refuge for people looking to build an encampment, as seen in the distance in this photograph. By 1911, the community began to vocalize their desire for a public park - and by 1923 the City was prepared to purchase the property!

1911 - January 11th - Will Consider Parks Plan. Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

1911 - February 15th - Bayside Wants a Park. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

1923 - July 12th - Ancient Tweed 'Refuge' to be Sold. Brooklyn Times Union.

By the mid to late 1920s, The Chamber of Commerce of the Borough of Queens (present day Queens Chamber of Commerce) focused their May 1926 publication on Parks, and the inequity in the borough's parkland compared to other boroughs in the City.

1926 - May - Queens Borough Needs More Parks. Queens Borough New York City. Published by The Chamber of Commerce of the Borough of Queens. Queens Public Library Archives.

Ten days before Black Thursday (October 24, 1929) the below article called out Queens Borough's Lack of Parks, staring that at 1,200 acres of parkland would be more than doubled by the addition of parkways and small parks. The author outlined the increase in population that is expected in Queens over the next decade, that is calling for more parkland to be set aside before the cost become too large.

1929 - October 14th - Queens Borough's Lack of Parks. [publication unknown]. Queens Public Library Archives.

Work and Funding for Crocheron Park

Once the City purchased the land it could then work on obtaining the necessary funding to develop it into a park. In a 1931 article titled "C.C. Committee Backs Mile Pond Park Plan," Queens Park Commissioner Albert Benninger asked the "committee to support his appeal to the Board of Estimate for $400,000 to change Crocheron Park in Bayside form [sic] a "partial and costly nuisance" to a beautiful recreation place." The article states that the Chairman and other committee members gave the Commissioner and people of Bayside "every assistance" to achieve this goal.

By 1933, the Queens Park Commissioner continued his mission that Parks provide for all people of Queens. Laying out his argument for parks that the streets are no longer safe for children to play, citing hundreds of letters from residents and civics groups, and giving credit to "the taxpayers who so generous permit the department to the use of their land. The cost for the work, was little or nothing, as Emergency Labor was used in every instance."

1933 - April 8th - Generous Citizens Are Helping. Visiting Editor, Albert C. Benninger, Queens Park Commissioner. Long Island Daily Press. Queens Public Library Archives.

1934 - April 2nd - Photograph looking west at the Construction of a path in Crocheron Park, with PS41 in background. NYC Parks.

Jessica Burke – Founding President, Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park

A Bayside resident since 1989, Jessica Burke attended PS 41, where she developed an early interest in environmental sciences. She was especially influenced by Mrs. Cilmi, whose demonstration—carefully slicing an apple to illustrate the fragility and scarcity of Earth’s resources—left a lasting impression.

2024 Year in Review

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 00:35:24 GMT

A Year of Developments and Community Impact

After over 4 years of work to preserve and conserve the parkland, our volunteers and leaders continue to work towards a number of goals. We wanted to take moment to share some highlights from the past year - and sneak peek at what is to come from us in 2025. We are also happy to announce that Matt Symons, our NE Queens Park Administration, was deservingly promoted to Deputy Chief of Operations for Queens! Our group met with Liz Asaro, who is our new NE Queens Park Administrator, and we are excited to work together to continue our mission to improve the park.

Parkland Developments

We are ecstatic to have helped advocate and support initiatives with NYC Parks for the improvement and development of the physical parkland. These include an amazing $388,500 from Councilwoman Paladino to restore both of our nearly century-old Twin Gazebos , which have fallen into disrepair and became safety hazards. Our beautiful and diverse tree canopy was expanded with dozens of trees were planted by Forestry - thank you to Dana for providing some insights into the parkland through conversations and site visits with Parks. Interested in more? Check out his 2022 blog Conceptual Plan for Tree and Shrub Planting in Crocheron . Dana and his volunteers’ work on the Wildflower Meadow has achieved designation by NYC Parks as a Pollinator Place! It is located between the two ball fields on 35th Ave - check out more here .

Parkgoers also attended a Community Input Meeting for the renovation of O’Rourke Playground , thanks to the amazing support for our park after the 2023 commitment from Councilwoman Paladino and QBP Richards to provide a combined $6.7 million for the total rebuild of the playground. Additionally, we have good news, Parks is set to begin the path construction work in Winter/Spring 2025 - the online tracker is here . We also look forward to the installation of two interpretive boards , one about pollinators and another about our trees, graciously funded by Councilwoman Paladino and a grant from CitizensNYC, respectively.

Annual Events

Friends continued to host annual events and brought new events as well as partnerships with new organizations. Thanks in large part to our resident yogi, Ambeka, we hosted our 2nd annual International Yoga Day - bringing together over 25 yoga enthusiasts! This is a wonderful expansion of the free yoga classes that Ambeka leads in Crocheron Park, and at Commonpoint Bay Terrace during colder months, all through ShapeUp NYC. Then in July, we had the Friends’ 4th annual John Golden Day , with a history tour led by our Urban Park Rangers. See more on our history exhibit here . We are thrilled to have partnered with Sage, a GS, for her Silver Award to promote the conservation of fireflies, the Event: “Where Did the Fireflies Go?” We also had a number of cleanups and watering events, including the Cord Meyer Park Cleanup and City of Water Day Cleanup. Thank you to our amazing volunteers for their hard work!

New Events & Partners

Some new events and partners from 2024 include a fall Forest Bathing event with Linda Lombardo, 18 participants enjoyed finding tranquility through connection with our trees. We are also excited to begin work with the Oakland Gardens branch of AYLUS , as they helped to steward the Mrs. Cilimi Pollinator Garden , their work focuses on watering and weeding the garden plots.

We started the school year with a weekend of two free kids events, both held in O’Rourke Playground. Mad Science was a hit! Thank you to our Premier Sponsor Cord Meyer Development for allowing us to bring events like this to the park! In November, we hosted a Tree Appreciation Day , partnering with Bartlett Tree Experts , who hosted tours, gave away over 300 trees to the local community , took down a dead tree and pruned another. Thank you to the Urban Park Rangers , Student Conservation Association , and local environmental organizations for supporting the day! Jessica and volunteers received Citations from NY State Assemblyman Ed Braunstein and NY State Senator John Liu for collective effort to conserve the beautiful parkland. Check out more event photo here!

Little Library

Fiscal

Along with funding events and administrative needs, we are pleased to have used funds in our account to sponsor two volunteers for the Citizen Pruner Course - we now have 3 Citizen Pruners that are also volunteers of Friends! Our group also aims to shop locally where and when available - doing so we kept more than $3K in our community and LI , including $1,600 to local food establishments! Thanks to volunteers keen eye for promotions and partners, like Innovative Promos that provide a nonprofit discount , we saved over $325 !

Thanks to the very fair agreement with our fiscal sponsor, FJC - A Foundation of Philanthropic Funds, we only spent $152.78 to maintain our nonprofit status! This is great as we do not have capacity to obtain 501C3 status on our own. This is far below the average rate for fiscal sponsorship. FJC charges a low fee of 4-5% and they allow our group to keep interest made on our funds. This is in comparision to other fiscal sponsors charge an annual 10% fee and the interest from their hard earned funds is kept by the Foundation - and this is a similar agreement that does not provide any further help or assistance... Luckily ours operates differently and is very nonprofit Friendly!

2025

Things are bubbling! Our upcoming events calendar is as exciting as 2024’s! FoCGPP is energized by the opportunities that these initiatives and new collaborations present. We need volunteers to continue our work. The main tasks that we need help with are as follows:

The Golden Pond Restoration Project
Gardening Crew for Mrs. Cilimi Pollinator Garden

We also updated our events calendar , so look out for more about Forest Bathing on April 27th , International Yoga Day on June 21st , and John Golden Day on July 19th .

Join Us & Advocate!

These achievements were only possible thanks to our committed members, volunteers, and supporters. As this year begins, we are faced with new challenges and routine funding needs that come with NYC’s backwards budget. Less than 1% of funding for Parks, while other cities in US Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago allocate 1.5% to 4.0% . And an unfair percentage goes to ‘flagship’ parks and large conservancies, missing neighborhood parks. NY4P . We invite you to join us in this vital work to support the jewel of Bayside!

We are pleased to continue to see high numbers visiting our website's Contact Your Elected's Page . We recently added Governor Hochul's information and hope that you will make your voice heard, issues do not need to be park based.

We are excited to work with new members and continue our mission to advocate for the preservation and improvement of our beautiful parkland. Thank you for your continued dedication to Our Park! Fill out our volunteer interest form to learn more!

Little Library: Giving Tuesday with Friends

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:39:31 GMT

Bring a Little Library to Crocheron Park – Help Us Spread the Joy of Reading!

Join the 2024 Friends of Crocheron Giving Tuesday

Crocheron Park, located in Bayside, Queens, is the heart of our community—a place for families to gather, enjoy nature, and make memories. But there’s something missing. A Little Library. We are excited to announce our fundraising campaign to bring a charming, little book exchange to Crocheron Park, thanks to the efforts of Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park. We need your help to raise $515.79 to make this project a reality! Together, we can make sure that stories, ideas, and inspiration are easily accessible to all.

What is a Little Library?

A Little Library is a small, self-sustaining book exchange where community members can take a book, leave a book, or simply browse, and enjoy. These tiny libraries are designed to bring books directly into neighborhoods, offering free access to literature for everyone. The concept is simple yet powerful: to share the love of reading with others and create a sense of community around stories. Whether it’s a children’s picture book, a novel, or a cookbook, Little Libraries have something for everyone.

These community-driven libraries started as part of a grassroots movement in the U.S. back in 2009. The original idea was the brainchild of Todd Bol in Wisconsin, who built a small wooden box in honor of his mother—a teacher and lifelong reader. What began as a single box has blossomed into an international movement, with Little Libraries found in neighborhoods, parks, and street corners all over the world. T oday, The Free Little Library organization states that t here are more than 150,000 registered Little Free Library book-sharing boxes in 120 countries worldwide.

Why a Little Library at Crocheron Park?

Crocheron Park is a place of beauty and recreation, but for many families in the surrounding community, access to books can be difficult. Our park is conveniently located between two public libraries, for some residents, visiting these libraries isn’t always feasible due to distance, work schedules, or other obstacles. A Little Library in Crocheron Park will provide free access to books for all park-goers, offering the opportunity to borrow a book while enjoying the outdoors or relaxing on a park bench.

For many children, the Little Library will serve as an introduction to the world of reading, sparking imagination and encouraging lifelong learning. For adults, it’s a chance to discover new books, explore different genres, or find resources to enhance personal growth. Whether it’s a picture book for a child, a new recipe to try, or a novel to enjoy, our Little Library will provide something for everyone.

The Impact of Your Donation

Our goal is to raise $515.79 to fund the creation and installation of a beautiful Little Library at Crocheron Park. This will cover the cost of materials and the construction of the library. We will be procuring our park's Little Library directly from The Free Little Library , the nonprofit that brings little libraries to communities around the world.

How You Can Help

Share in the Magic of Books

Books have the power to transform lives, broaden perspectives, and ignite creativity. By supporting this Little Library, you’re helping to create a space where every visitor to Crocheron Park can immerse themselves in the enchanting world of stories, explore new ideas, and foster a love for reading.

Together, we can make Crocheron Park a place where imagination knows no bounds, and every person can find a book to call their own.

Join us in bringing the magic of reading to Crocheron Park. Donate today and help us build a Little Library that will inspire and delight for generations to come!

Crocheron Arboretum Part II: John Golden

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 01:30:01 GMT

Trees of John Golden Park

Lindsey Marino - grew up in Queens and is a Board Member of Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park.

The trees that encompass the Level 1 Certified Arboretum within our 62-acre park are made up of more than 30 species and 500 trees. As the 46 th largest park in NYC (for perspective, there are almost 2,000 parks in NYC), the vastness of our trees reflects the incredible stewardship that makes public parks happen. Trees can remain when all else changes, as their longevity can outlive lifetimes. Most trees live to become centenarians, and some are verified to be thousands of years old. This is in part due to their ability to replace damaged or lost organs (both in and out of the ground) and a divided vascular system that can allow part of a tree to survive if the whole one cannot. Take a look at some of our life-long friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park here !

Saucer magnolia, Magnolia soulangeana

Considered the most common and popular magnolia, this deciduous tree can grow up to 25 feet tall with a canopy of similar size. Fragrant flowers (to 8” across) bloom in early spring (late March to mid-April ) before the foliage emerges. Flowers are pink with white interiors. Sparse numbers of additional flowers may bloom sporadically later in spring on new growth, but the later flowers are usually less vigorous and less colorful than those of the primary bloom. This tree is only 200 or so years old, as it is the hybrid of two magnolia trees, the Magnolia denudata and the Magnolia liliifera , both native to China. Etienne Soulange-Bodin, a French retired cavalry officer of Napoleon’s army, was the first to breed to two trees. The genus name “magnolia” derives from 17th century French botanist Pierre Magnol. Hybrids today feature flowers in various shades of white, pink, rose, purple, magenta, and burgundy. Source: Missouri Botanical Garden .

Japanese pagoda tree, Styphnolobium japonicum

Despite its name, the Japanese pagoda tree does not come from Japan, but originates from China. Also called the Chinese scholar and the Honey tree, they usually grow between 25-35 feet tall but can sometimes reach heights of up to 100 feet. This tree is not long-lived, carrying an average lifespan of 35 years. Some identifying characteristics are its oval-shaped leaflets, wavy ridged gray-brown bark, and shiny green twigs. The tree’s distinct green compound leaves, which range from 6-10 inches long and contain 7-17 oval leaflets, are sought after for their beauty. The tree’s flowers are white, pea-like, and hang in 12-inch-long panicles. They bloom during summertime and are known for their fragrance. Source: North Carolina Extension Gardener .

Norway spruce , Picea abies

The fastest growing of all spruces, this large pyramidal tree is found all over the U.S., but is native to Europe, growing from Norway in the northwest and Poland eastward. Despite this, the name is a bit misleading. This tree grew in Eurasia, the Black Forest, and other parts of the continent long before making its way to Norway around 500 B.C. The Norway Spruce grows to an average of 60 feet with a trunk diameter of 3-5 feet. Due to its close relation to the Siberian Spruce , they hybridize naturally and freely with each other. This spruce also has the largest cones of any other spruce, reaching 4-6 inches in length. Norway spruce trees support a wide variety of wildlife. They are important as winter cover for animals and provide a solid roosting foundation for owls and hawks. Squirrels also prefer the seeds of Norway spruce pinecones over other spruces. This spruce species lives to about 100 years.

Source: ArborDay.com Shop | Wikipedia.

Sawtooth oak, Quercus acutissima

The Sawtooth oak is native to Japan, Korea, China and the Himalayan Mountain range, but found its way into the Eastern part of the United States in the 1920s including Florida, Missouri, New York, Alabama, and Pennsylvania. These trees reach a mature height of about 70 feet with a trunk diameter of about 5 feet. They are durable and can adapt to a wide range of soil and climate conditions. Sawtooth oaks produce acorns at a very young age, providing food for many kinds of wildlife, especially wild turkeys. However, the bitterness of the acorns makes it less desirable, usually only being eaten when other food sources have run out. This oak probably derives its name from the distinctive sawtooth-edged leaves it produces. These trees grow at a faster than average rate, which helps it compete against native trees. Due to this, the Sawtooth oak is seen as an invasive species in some areas and states, such as Louisiana. Source : Wikipedia .

Bitternut hickory, Carya cordiformis

Native to North America, this large tree is best reserved for larger landscapes and spaces. Reaching a mature height of 60-70 feet with a 25–35-foot canopy, these trees have a crown of ascending branches and a lower canopy of dangling branches. As a member of the Walnut family, it is related to other Hickory and Walnut trees. As the name suggests, the nuts from these trees are bitter, and ill-fit for consumption. As one of the fastest growing and largest hickory, it is also the shortest-lived hickory, living to about 200 years. The dark brown close-grained hardwood is highly shock resistant which makes it excellent for tools. The Latin name “condiformis” refers to its heart-shaped leaves.

Source : USDA Forestry Services .

Crocheron Arboretum Part I: John Golden

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 13:44:55 GMT

Trees of John Golden Park

Lindsey Marino - grew up in Queens and is a Board Member of Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park.

Osage orange, Maclura pomifera

Located along the southeast side of John Golden Park, along the north side of the 33 rd Avenue parking lot, our Osage orange trees had once been specifically placed to create a natural border between the old estates of the early 1900s. These mulberry family members reach an average height of 50 feet and grow inedible “oranges” green in color and coarse in texture. Named after the Midwestern Osage Nation, they would use the bark of this tree to make bows and tools, as the wood is resistant to decay. For that reason, early pioneers also used the wood from the Osage tree to make wheel rims for horse drawn wagons and fencing. Osage orange trees have an average lifespan of 120 years. Source: USDA, Plants.

Cornelian cherry, Cornus mas

Part of the dogwood family, the Cornelian cherry grows between 15-25 feet tall and spans out 15 feet wide. The genus name, Cornus , derives from the Latin word cornu , which means “horn.” This is due to the strength and density of the wood. These trees bloom in small yellow flower clusters in early spring and in the late summer, producing edible fruits that turn red as they ripen. Although Americans consider the Cornelian cherry to be ornamental, ancient Greeks harvested these cherry-like fruits for 7,000 years as food and are still eaten in parts of the world. Cornelian cherries live between 100-200 years.

Source: University of Washington Botanic Gardens and Uncommon Fruit Observations from Carandale Farms .

Pin oak, Quercus palustris

These oak trees are considered medium-sized, reaching a height between 60-70 feet tall, with a 30–40-foot canopy. Due to its shallow root system, these oaks are tolerant to relocation, and are therefore commonly used for landscaping. The characteristics of the Pin oak set it apart from other oaks. Aside from growing relatively faster than other oaks, it does not have heavy horizontal branches. Instead, it has many slender branches that arch out, with the lower branches bending down. While many oaks can live for several centuries, the Pin oak’s lifespan is only 100-120 years. However, like all the other oak trees in our park, they flower acorns. Source: Wikipedia .

White pine, Pinus strobus

As the official state tree of Maine and Michigan, these pines are treasured as an American staple. As the largest conifer (cone-bearing tree) in the Northeast, it can grow to be 100 feet tall and its trunk can have a diameter of 3-4 feet. White pines do shed some, but not all its needles every winter. Once covering much of the area, only 1% of old-growth forests remain in the Northeast after most were cut down from centuries of logging. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the lumber from these pines were used for paneling and flooring in colonial homes. As a main character in the Pine Tree Riot , it played a significant role in the events leading to the American Revolution, as English officers would mark the largest of the pines and reserve them exclusively for the British Royal Navy. When unmanipulated, White pines live to be around 200 years old.

Source : Wikipedia and New Hampshire PBS .

Maidenhair tree, Ginkgo biloba

Our Ginkgo tree is the oldest in our park. At 150 years old, it overlooks the John Golden ball fields, standing at 82 feet high and 33 feet wide in canopy spread. Known as a magnificent piece of our park’s heritage, it has long been associated with William M. Tweed, the notorious Tammany Hall "Boss", who hid at the Crocheron House hotel after escaping from Ludlow Street Jail. Playfully labeled as the last surviving witness to Tweed’s great escape, our beautiful Ginkgo can be considered a witness tree!

The oldest tree in our park also happens to be the oldest surviving tree species to ever exist, having remained mostly unchanged for some 200 million years, outliving the dinosaurs by 135 million years and counting. China had been cultivating Gingko trees since the 11th century when they made way to Europe in the 1750s and then to America not longer after that. Looking to the rings of Gingko trees in China, these trees are known to live for thousands of years. Put simply, these trees are not genetically programmed to die. However, in the fall, its fan-shaped bright green leaves turn yellow, and then drop all at once toward the end of the season.

The outer part of the seeds on Gingko trees have a very distinct smell. There are several theories as to why, but it’s proposed that the smell had attracted dinosaurs to consume and discharge the Ginkgo berries, helping to spread the seeds. Gingko trees reach a height of 50-80 feet and span 30-40 feet wide.

Source : Yale e360 and Science.org .

Meet Our Yoga Instructor Ambeka

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 21:40:59 GMT

Free Yoga in Our Park

Since 2021, Ambeka Khadse has been hosting free yoga in Crocheron Park. We are grateful that she stumbled upon our group and offered to bring our community together! She was awarded the 2022 John Golden Community Spirit award for her bringing these classes to Bayside.

Each year, Friends of Crocheron's free gentle yoga classes return to the field across from the Tennis House! Registration is required, via crocheronpark.org/yoga .

Ambeka is also an instructor with NYC Parks Fitness hosting classes weekday evenings in Crocheron Park as well. Check out the NYC Parks Fitness page for scheduling and to register.

For more on Ambeka, follow her instagram .

Read on to learn more about Ambeka and why she volunteers her time to bring her passion of yoga to Our Park Community.

Hello! My name is Ambeka Khadse. I was born in Queens, NY, grew up between Queens and Long

Island, and now live in Bayside. I completed my 200Hr Yoga Teacher Training with Yogaworks in 2019, and practice taught friends through 2019 & 2020 (via zoom). I began teaching monthly community classes with @friendsofcrocheron in 2021, and have joined New York City Parks and Recreation as a yoga instructor offering weekly Thursday evening classes as of June 2023.

What drew you to Yoga?

I was introduced to yoga in 2005 at my gym, as part of my wellness routine. I began practicing daily in 2008 as a complement to running, and by 2011 yoga was my main passion. Being able to challenge

myself daily, and seeing progress in my strength and flexibility kept me coming back, along with the

escape it provided at times of stress.

How do you motivate yourself when feeling lazy?

Our bodies tell us what we need and while we may not be able to listen all the time (ie – if we’re tired,

but still need to go to work), I try to listen when I can. What this means is that when I'm feeling lazy after work , I go home and watch tv, or sit in a chair and read my latest book. When I wake up unmotivated on a Saturday, I may walk to my local coffee shop and sit there for a bit doing nothing. Other days the walk over reenergizes me a, or I wak up ready to tackle all my errands. At the end of the day we need to find a balance, which includes accepting the at 100% motivation at all times is not realistic and a ‘lazy’ walk in the park can at times bring us much more calmness and fulfillment than a cardio-yoga class or a run

may.

What do you do when you are not teaching Yoga?

I have a degree in Industrial-Organizational psychology and have been working in the training / talent development field for the past 15 years. Outside of corporate life, I enjoy readying, traveling, and photography. Some of my favorite books are Leopard at the Door, The Alice Network, A Rive in the Darkness, and The Storyteller’s Secret.

I dove into photography in 2020, learning more about the camera I had purchased a few years back for my travels. As I began practicing with manual captures, I explored the nyc parks, photographing the wildlife and nature around us.

And traveling… that’s been a passion of mine throughout my life, having been exposed to the idea at a

young age. For me the joy of traveling is about getting to see new people, places, and learning about

different cultures, expectations, and norms. Every country has its own rhythm, and the variety of cities

within each country add their own unique beat as well. Some of my favorite experiences have been to

Indonesia, Mara & the Serengeti, Hoi An, Spain, Hawaii, and Jordan.

URBAN TREE CARE: First, Do No Harm.

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 21:32:10 GMT

Subject: Tree Mulching

Carsten Gleaser, a Queens resident and independent consulting arborist. He has over 25 years of education, training and experience providing Arboricultural Consultations on a broad range of matters. From experience in Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, Horticulture, Instructor/Lecturer, to Depositions & Expert Witness. In 2004, Carsten received his Doctorate from CUNY Grad school in Biology speciality in the Plant Sciences and Urban Woodland Ecology. He worked in NYC Parks for 12 years, first as a Horticulturist/Arborist then as Director of Organic Recycling Program for Brooklyn Forestry. Carsten's knowledge of horticulture and arboriculture, and his time in Parks, makes him a wonderful Friend of Our Park and community of street trees.

There is no question that woodchip mulching of new and existing trees in the urban landscape can benefit tree establishment and health for the short and long term- if applied properly. Throughout the tree-lined streets of residential Queens, I and others have increasingly observed the application woodchip mulch in excess to what is needed to benefit the tree. Or other trees where wood mulch has been degraded and never replenished as reasonable tree care would periodically demand. However it is the excess application of mulch that can harm trees and even killing them that is the purpose of this article. It is the difference between a happy tree and a poor tree. See Figure 1.

There are nu merous American National Standards that have been developed for the care, treatment and management of trees, vegetation and soils within the landscape. These standards have been developed over decades and are contributed to by industry experts and practitioners in the Tree Care Industry, revised periodically by new tree research findings. Those experts have worked with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop acceptable standards and Best Management Practices (BMP) for use by professionals, hobby gardeners and others in order to best optimize the Tree’s Needs. Wood mulching and mulch objectives for trees and shrubs are located within the ANSI A300 Part 2 SOIL MANAGEMENT: a. Modification, b. Fertilization and c. Drainage. After all, mulching your tree, shrubs and other garden vegetation is an activity that specifically addresses soils, the biota within the soils and organic matter.

The objectives of mulching with woodchips are many;

· Inhibits weed growth,

· conserves soil moisture,

· moderates soil temperatures,

· prevents the compaction of soil (and tree roots),

· prevents erosion,

· encourages beneficial micro-organisms,

· inhibits certain root pathogens and disease,

· improves the vigor and growth of trees.

Just how much mulch should I be applying around trees?

Here are several pointers and standard recommendations for placing woodchip mulch around trees;

1. Types of mulch (wood preference and if single or double ground) and the methods of application shall be specified to meet the mulching objective.

2. When selecting the type of mulch, consideration should be given to tree species, soil conditions, irrigation practices and the presence of pathogenic fungi.

3. Fresh and partially decomposed wood-chip mulch from trees should be preferred when the objective is to improve soil structure and increase organic matter (greater than ¾-inch average wood size).

4. Pervious sheeting or fabric should not be used under the mulch when the objective is to improve soil structure and increase organic matter.

5. Mulch should NOT be place against tree trunks.

6. Mulch should be applied over as much of the root zone as practical.

7. At its basic application, mulch should be applied and maintained at a depth of 2-4 inches around the tree pit area and a 1-ft radius distance away from and off of the tree bark and tree flare.

Brought to my attention by the Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park is the over-mulching of many curbside street trees in their planting pits. This is not an isolated incident and has been observed in many other communities with newly installed street trees. Tree and landscapers under contract or in agreement with the NYC Parks Central Forestry and other agencies for street tree installation are required to maintain and deliver a level of care to newly installed trees during their 24-month mandatory warranty period. Bear in mind, over-mulching of trees is unacceptable and it is not tree care- it is tree abuse. Over-mulching will kill trees. It is one of the many forms of abuse and harms that we continue to see perpetrated against young public trees that are attempting to establish themselves in the landscape- even by those we would expect to be in the know- the landscape professionals.

What are the immediate consequences to trees when over-mulching?

There are several health and structural consequences to trees when wood mulch is misapplied;

Mulch Volcanos. The most destructive of the over-mulching practices that I have observed is a practice known as Mulch Volcanos. The piling of wood mulch against tree bark tissue at the tree base known as the root or basal flare that is intended to be dry cannot survive a continually moist environment and must be able to "breathe" through pores called "lenticels. The death of the tree trunk inner bark occurs when piling mulch directly against the stems/trunks of trees (as well as shrubs) at and above the basal flare of the tree. Visually look for the presence of a root flare, as this basal flare may be erroneously buried deeper under soil beyond the wood mulch layer. With a rake, promptly knock down the excessive mulch and pull it back the mulch away from touching any part of the tree flare and trunk. Remove from the planting location any excess mulch that is greater than the advised 2-3 inch mulch depth. If the tree is in an open landscape, spread the mulch to past the tree drip-line (the tip of the outer most edge of the tree branch). See Figure 2, an example of a Mulch Volcano.

Oxygen Starvation.

The root cells of unseen tree roots require oxygen to respire, to develop, grow and to function. Fine tree roots absorb moisture, acquire soil nutrients and transfer them via xylem tissue to other tree parts. When mulch is applied too deeply over the tree rooting area, tree roots are known to suffocate because of diminished gas exchange or hypoxia. Suffocating tree roots leads to a diminishment of overall tree health and even tree death, if uncorrected. Oxygen starvation can also be attributed when overwatering trees. A similar consequence can occur when trees are installed in a location that has poor water drainage, forcing trees during rain events to remain submerged under water- also creating a hypoxic condition for the tree.

Tree Disease.

Long periods of excessively high moisture level can cause an increase in the presence of wood pathogens such as decay and disease, as well wood boring insects. Most fungal and bacterial diseases require moisture to spread and reproduce. Trunk diseases will gain a foothold in the moist, decaying bark tissue under the mulch and occur unseen. Once established, the disease organisms ultimately invades the inner bark, disrupting the flow and storage of sugars produced during photosynthesis (starving and finally killing the plant). This is followed by a secondary invasion by bark beetles and borers that are attracted to stressed plants and that expedite tree death. Many tree health issues such as branch die-back have their origin from problems with tree roots.

Drought Condition.

When irrigating a newly installed street tree it is absolutely critical for the first 3 years (known as the Period of Establishment) to ensure adequate moisture gets to the entire tree root ball and not just the wood mulch atop of the root ball. The failure to ensure adequate moisture gets to the tree root ball may just deliver enough water to soak the wood mulch yet never permeating to the lower soil level and germinating tree roots. This can and will lead to severe drought-stress conditions for the tree and lead to tree death- even though one believes to have adequately irrigated the tree. One field study revealed that mulch placed over the root ball intercepted most irrigated water causing a drier root ball and resulting in tree stress and reduced survival. This was in contrast to light applications of water of those trees with no mulch covering the root ball with improved tree survivability (E.F. Gilman and J. Grabosky, 2004). With that, tree watering events especially for the first growing season requires that you saturate the area immediately atop of the buried tree root ball and inside the tree soil saucer during scheduled weekly watering events. For this reason mulch should be pulled back from the trunk at least 12 inches (24-inch diameter circle) allowing water to freely permeate into the root ball.

See Figure 3, an example for one of several newly installed NYC street trees in Bayside, New York, where amid the July-August 2022 heat wave and drought, absent follow-up care with irrigation and the application of beneficial mulch forced many of those trees into drought stress and death.

Excess Heat.

Wet mulch layers piled up next to the trunk may begin to heat up when the bark begins to decompose. This scenario is similar to composting, where temperatures within inner mulch layers may reach 120° to 140° F. This high heat may directly kill the inner bark/phloem of young plants, or may prevent the natural hardening off period that plants must go through in the fall in preparation for the winter. If the trunk flare tissue is not sufficiently hardened off before freezing weather arrives, the tissue may die, the roots may not receive adequate amounts of photosynthetic sugars, and the plant will ultimately decline in health.

Stem Girdling Roots (SRG).

Upper secondary roots that develop in reaction to the suffocating lower primary roots will drive havoc on tree health. Secondary roots trend to grow in multiple directions (up, down and back toward the tree stem) rather than outward and away from the tree root ball. With that, secondary roots can cross each other, circle back and in the process create a condition known as Stem Girdling Roots (SRG). It is a defect created principally during tree gorwing and cultural practices. SGR originate in poor and deficient arboricultural treatments starting from its years in the tree nursery, and continued into tree installation at the planting site. It is during the planting that presents an opportunity to correct the conditions that lead to SGR before the tree goes into the ground- such as measuring proper tree planting depth and an acceptable wood mulch depth.

See Figure 4. SRG is an outcome of several factors- poor nursery culturing practices, improper planting depth and / or excessive wood mulch application over a period of a few years- until tree death.

Over-mulching remains an attention grabber for tree enthusiasts, because it prompts a greater question about what entity provided the oversight and supervision during tree installation for compliance to the NYC Parks Central Forestry contract specifications- or not at all. The Tree Care Industry ANSI Standards as discussed earlier typically find their way into contract specs to stipulate the Best Management Practices (BMP) for all sorts of tree care, including mulching depth. If oversight was not provided by a Certified Arborist or Forester trained and skilled in the installation and care of young trees, there is a 51% likelihood that tree installation was non- compliant and thereby may have a range of conditions that can lead to poor health and tree defects in later years.

Intervention by those educated in the Care of Trees, when wrongs are being imposed upon new trees, or blatant abuse- is one way to ensure our communities remain treed and to develop the long-lived beneficial canopies that we seek from them.

___________________________________________________________________________

E.F. Gilman and J. Grabosky 2004. Mulch and Planting Depth Affect Live Oak Establishment Journal of Arboriculture 30: 311-317

Figure 1. Proper Mulch Application around tree base.

Figure 2. Mulch Volcanos

Figure 3. NYC street tree stressed

Figure 4. Stem Girdling Roots

Hip to Hip 2022 Shakespeare in Our Park

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 01:57:53 GMT

Meet Us Across from Golden Pond!

Source: Friends of Crocheron, Hip to Hip's 2021 Twelfth Night Performance

Hip to Hip Theatre Company moves through Parks in NYC to bring Shakespeare to New Yorkers!

This is the 15th year in which Hip to Hip Theatre Company's has been in production! We are excited to have them returning to Our Park and hope to see you out there! These plays are wonderful examples of how parks bring people together and foster imaginations. According to their website, Hip to Hip Theatre Company's operations are based on the following:

"Theatre is a celebration of community spirit.
Great plays and performances have the power to change lives.
Theatre should be accessible to the widest possible audience.
The values of theatre contribute to the cultural, ethical and moral
life of the community."

Previous p roductions include:

Antony & Cleopatra (2021)
Twelfth Night (2021)
Troilus and Cressida (Winter 2020)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2019)
Richard III (2019)
Henry IV, Part 2 (2018)
All's Well That Ends Well (2018)
Henry IV, Part 1 (2017)
Measure for Measure (2017)

Source: Friends of Crocheron, Hip to Hip's 2021 Anthony & Cleopatra performance

Summer 2022 @ Crocheron

Much Ado About Nothing
Thursday, August 4th at 7:30 p.m.

A comedy of love and confusion, this story makes love triangles seem simple.

Adventures of Pericles

Thursday, August 11th at 7:30 p.m.

A long and tumultuous journey home, Pericles experiences all the drama in this tragicomedy.

2022 Hip to Hip Theatre Company

Antony & Cleopatra

Source: Production Photos by Julian Voloj

Twelfth Night

Source: Production Photos by Julian Voloj

Winter Tree Identification: Crocheron & John Golden Park

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 00:20:52 GMT

Leafless but still very much alive and distinguishable from one another

Excerpt from "Winter Tree Identification: Crocheron & John Golden Park"

By NYC Parks Ranger Sal Asaro

When we think of trees, the imagination conjures towering woody spires supporting dense green umbrellas of leafy canopy to shade us as we pass beneath them, often preoccupied with our ground-level lives. To those of us who enjoy looking up and trying to discern one tree from another, looking at leaves is our first inclination. They come in hand-held size with a diversity of distinct shapes and colors, sometimes even tastes and smells. But New York City was built in a temperate deciduous forest, where for several months on-end the majority of our trees are bare and leafless.

To many people, identifying a tree without its leaves seems a daunting and arduous task, but just like recognizing a person by their voice or their footsteps rather than looking directly at them, so too can recognizing a tree by its branches, bark, or other characteristics that persist through the coldest months provide us with a more intimate familiarity with our steadfast, photosynthetic companions. In the guide that follows, we will examine ways to identify some of our local trees during winter, when most

Notes on Terminology

Botanical language overall is notoriously dense, extensive, and full of technicalities concerning minutiae. However by not concerning ourselves with leaves at all we truncate quite a bit of these terms upfront, and by providing visual references limiting ourselves to some of our local specimens we can focus on the basics: buds, scars, branching patterns, fruit/nut/seed types, bark, and overall growth habit (silhouette).

Bud scars : During spring and summer when a branch grows longer, it grows from its terminal buds. A bud scar is a mark left on a branch where its growth was paused for the winter season. Each year a branch gains another bud scar.

Leaf scars : are where a leaf once grew but fell off of a branch. This calloused junction, once healed over, can scar in any number of species-specific shapes. Branching: can be either "opposite" meaning that from a main branch there will be two smaller branches diverging at the same spot (node) resulting in a + " shaped junction; or they can have "alternate" branching, with one branch at a time diverging, left then right then left then right etc.

Branching : can be either "opposite" meaning that from a main branch there will be two smaller branches diverging at the same spot (node) resulting in a "+" shaped junction; or they can have "alternate" branching, with one branch at a time diverging, left then right then left then right etc.

Oaks Genus: Quercus

Northern Red Oak Quercus Rubra - our most prominent native oak, a trademark of our old growth forests. A large tree with a rounded crown of stout, spreading branches. Acorn is 5/8 to 1 1/8" with a saucer-shaped cup covering less than 1/3 of the acorn, with overlapping scales.

Willow Oak Quercus phellos — Many slender branches, ending in "pin" like thin twigs, with notably distinct willow-like leaves. Even when older it will often have small branches close to the bottom of the trunk, independent of its larger main crown. Acorns 3/8 -1/2" and nearly round, saucer shaped cup. We are just outside of its native range, this tree is more likely to be found growing naturally in New Jersey south to Florida.

Pin Oak Quercus palustirs - Very conical crown with slender "pin" - like branches. Its lower branches dropping downward. Acorns 1/2" and neary round, saucer-like cup, tapering to the base.

White Oak Quercus alba - Widespread, rounded crown with near right-angled branching and a trademark "belt" of worn-looking bark on the trunk. Acorns are elongated with non-overlapping scales on the cup, and are not stalked. These are the most palatable acorns to animals, with far less tannins than that of the previously mentioned.

Conceptual Plan for Tree and Shrub Planting in Crocheron/John Golden Park

Sun, 20 Mar 2022 16:22:19 GMT

Conceptual plan recommends planting new trees now that can replace those arboreal elders

Excerpts from "Conceptual Plan for Tree and Shrub Planting in Crocheron/John Golden Park"

Prepared by Dana Gumb (January 10, 2021)

Crocheron Pa rk benefited from an extensive tree planting project maybe about 10-15 years, shown on the attached map of the Park. John Golden Park is the focus of this conceptual plan because it has not seen any new plantings in a very long time. Bud O’Rourke Playground, adjacent to the Park and P.S. 41, has in recent years been hit hard by windstorms that have downed many of its trees. Because the playground is now looking rather barren of trees, this conceptual plan proposes the replanting of three empty tree pits there.

Some of the mass planting sites might lend themselves to the installation of shrub groups. For example, Site #3 at the east end of the parking lot in the park is where a few old Hawthorn trees forlornly stand in a compacted dirt island between two asphalt pathways. This location in the center of the Park could be beautified with shrub planting protected by low welded wire fences. The attached view of such fencing in Central Park shows how beds of shrubbery can be protected. Another picture from The Ramble in Central Park illustrates the same fence being used to protect tree plantings.

This conceptual plan also proposes potential sites for mass tree and shrub plantings. Most of the mass planting sites are in Golden Park behind the backstops of the four baseball diamonds. My highest priority sites would be sites #8, 9 and 10 under “Potential mass planting sites.” Site #8 is especially barren because a Norway Maple and Kentucky Coffee Tree both went down recently in that area. Site #9 is in the vicinity of the very old magnolia trees which are next to the flagpole and comfort station. Those old magnolias could be joined by some young magnolia tree plantings to add to that grove. Site #10 just behind the ball field back stop is also a very open area suitable for specimen tree planting. One of the Park’s American Elm trees stood there before it died of Dutch Elm disease. Planting a new disease resistant elm would bring back that majestic tree to the park.

This conceptual plan suggests possible species for specimen trees, evergreen trees, understory trees and shrubs. These suggestions are made in the spirit of adding diversity to the Park’s vegetation. The large planting effort in Crocheron maybe a decade ago brought large numbers of species like Red Bud, Willow Oak and Amelanchier to the Park. This new planting effort primarily in Golden should bring new species to the Park. Diversity in species adds to the Park’s interest and serves an ecological function since a vegetative monoculture or depauperate ecosystem is vulnerable to attacks by pests or disease. Native species with value for wildlife should be used whenever possible to add to that ecological function.

The Parks Department’s topographic survey for the southern part of Crocheron Park, dated November 5, 1934, lists trees and some shrubs that existed in the Park at that time. Some of them such as Beech, Spruce and Walnut are no longer living in the Park. Bringing them back would help to restore species diversity.

22 Steps for Our Park Stewardship

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 03:36:36 GMT

How would you start a volunteer park organization?

22 Steps to Creating a Friends of Group

Among the chaos of 2020, Green Responders came out to support their parks and gardens in New York City. NYC community was using the spaces the most the Parks budget was cut. This thrust responsibility upon residents that came together to step up. These community groups also stepped into a space of providing services, community events, and positive traditions during time when everything was shutting down.

This blog started as a way to help onboard of new interns and volunteers. Some of the information is specific to a start up organization or to the unique path that our group has taken. Others is general to all organizations or park groups. Paying homage to the show Friends, which influenced the coloring of our logo, these are titled as "The One ....." There are 22 Steps below, since it is 2022!

1- The One with the Reason

There will always be a reason to get out there to support improvement in your community. You only need to look. The first thing that I saw was overflowing garbage cans, The second is broken glass. Having monthly cleanups allow us to make a difference in litter removal.

This photograph of glass in the park is from July 2020.

Thank you to NYC Parks for support, we had our first cleanup on August 30th 2020!

2- The One with Connections

Having a Matt Symons as a park Park Administrator has been amazing for our group. He wants to see more amenities and support for this park. In a 2015 QNS article, he explains that his position is as a community liaison to help encourage volunteer participation. He is also a liaison with community boards and elected officials. Matt was an NYC Urban Park Ranger for 14 years -providing him with skillsets and knowledge that NE Queens Parks benefit from. Matt says that “I think it’s always important…to develop a sense of stewardship with the public, so we want people to feel engaged and interested and to feel that the parks belong to them,” Symons said. “It’s not the city owns the parks and they just visit them, but the parks are something that belong to them.” We are fortunate to have his dedication to NYC Parks and our programming is only possible because of Parks like Matt!

3- The One with the Name

Names are important! The organization originally played with the idea of being Crocheron Park Alliance, using that as an email for a few weeks. Luckily my conversation with Matt Symon's and her research on NYC Volunteer groups led us to decide on Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park. Overtime, this has become shortened to Friends of Crocheron.

4- The One with a Mission

Chris and I created the original mission and refine it during the Fall of 2020. The mission continued to be refined by our growing membership during the Winter of 2020 and then with the NY Law School Legal Clinic into Spring of 2021. Some things remained the same, focusing on conservation of the parkland, preservation of the park's history, and being nonpartisan - we have expanded our mission and work to include more community events. In the Winter of 2021, we also created bylaws and then refined them with NY Law School Clinic. We are very gracious to NY Law School Legal Clinic for their work with us on this process!

The mission of Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park is to promote the preservation and enjoyment of Crocheron Park and John Golden Park, to sponsor educational, cultural, and community service events for the park, and to raise funds for the restoration and enhancement of the park in the community-oriented spirit of John Golden.

Nonprofits are a bit like a perpetual start up. Using our nonprofit business plan as a baseline that we refine overtime. We work with our volunteer and members as different project ideas arise.

NYC Get Food Community Food Giveaway for a Free Farm Stand in Crocheron.
Our free yoga classes where Ambeka volunteers her time for over the Summer and Fall.
Collaboration with NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers to request events in Our Park.

Our leadership and members are able to talk with Matt Symons and NYC Parks to see if projects are feasible at Our Park. Conversations help direct what works for Friends' volunteers and what Friends needs to advocate for in order to support NYC Parks. These conversations and discussions help us to plan we can do now, what we can do later, and realize what may always be a bit of a dream.

Just some of the amazing folks from our 2020 and 2021 events in Crocheron & John Golden Park.

5- The One with the Logo

With a loose background in graphic design, I created the logo in Microsoft PowerPoint in August of 2020. It took a bit of time and fiddling to figure out the best representation for the park group.

One of the mock up logos with a graphic of a gazebo. Another is a mock up of a duck, with a leaf image for the wing. Also played around a bit with using the classic I Heart NY.

PowerPoint provides limited graphic capabilities, but I still wanted to bring color/life to the logo. So I included the rainbow Friends to make the logo happier and more appealing. The word Friends is also 7 letters, the same as ROY G BIV. It also came from the 90s TV show Friends set in NYC - and their love of Central Perk.

6- The One with Community

Getting in touch with the community happens in a number of ways. We have met some members through existing relationships with NYC Parks, those who know Matt Symons. I used my personal connections, got my friend Chris involved to help plan and host events. For new community members and connections, I made contact with them through messaging possibly supporters on Instagram page, using a search for #crocheronpark and #johngoldenpark. Aside from meeting people in the park or neighborhood, Chris and I set up an outreach table during events. We also use our web presence and continue to interact with people on it.

Through these routes, we are able to connect with various professionals that share our love for Crocheron & John Golden Park. These volunteers have taken the time to not only come out to events, but their support and guidance helped us direct our activities.

7- The One with Something Different

Our park is unique and different than other parks in NYC. Like many parks in Queens, we have a diverse population that enjoys the beautiful park. We also have many people interested in learning about our local history, as the Bayside Historical Society is a major cultural institute of NE Queens. This passion for history fits into my background in history and working at archives too. With the support of NYC Parks, I began to explore the history of Crocheron Park and realized that it is a rich source of community pride. This additional focus on the history of the parkland is something that helps us connect with one another over our shared cultural heritage. Working with NYC archives, community members, and local historians allows us create more support for the park by creating educational programming.

Creating the tour brought me to connect with Charlotte Megill Hix FGB, a genealogist, historian, and descent of the Crocheron family. She wrote a blog entr y for us on July 2021. We are grateful for Ms. Hix's time and energy working on the research in the 1970s and revisiting it for Friends' history tour. We are also grateful to staff at local archives and NYC Parks that have helped us create a digital archive and historic tour of Crocheron & John Golden Park.

1870 Bay Side, Queens, Census listing Joseph Crocheron and Mary Crocheron as Hotel Keepers.

8- The One with the Maps

A map lets us show off different things in Our Park.

Since Our Park is large, at 62 acres it is the 12th largest in Queens, I decided to make a park map that would fit our needs. The one that is featured by NYC Parks, although good for their needs, is not as detailed as we would like for our work. The above maps were created using the NYC Parks map of the area as a template. NYC Parks staff along with volunteers and members helped create and/or fine tune the maps as well. Thank you to Dana for his work on the Tree Map and the corresponding Tree Tour during the 2021 John Golden Day. These maps are very simplistic and do not use specialized technology that can create more dynamic maps.

9- The One Where We Research

There is a lot of information out there to help support the process of growth. Aside from mentors and leaders that are in our area that help us, I also research into Parks. This is important to continue to learn about the area you are serving. There may be things that others overlook or something that a lot of groups do because it works! Many parks are regionally managed. This means that things are different in your park or area compared to one in another borough or district. And learning from parks in different states or countries can help expand your knowledge of what makes local parks thrive. Plus, it never hurts to ask your Park Administrator if something is feasible.

Central Park Institute video on their Volunteer Horticulture groups

10- The One with the Posts

Now a days, posting online is a given. Do not forget to post on physical bulletin boards and street posts. Post updates on social media, a website blog (like here!), updating a website, and online calendars helps to spread the word about your group. Sometimes journalists pick up this story too.

Ask supporters to like and share our posts. With our professional photographers attending many volunteer events, we are able to post visually engaging images. We also ask incoming volunteers how they heard about us so that we can better director our outreach.

11- The One with a Website

Creating a website and securing a domain is something that we did to help us with outreach. I secured the domain and created the website. I have some background in webpage design and website builders, so it was a bit easier for me to get things going. This decision was made for a number of reasons:

Not everyone is on social media, this allows more volunteers and supporters to learn about us , especially as we increase our SEO (search engine optimization).
We were looking to have a platform to better interact with the community.
The website allows us to provide an experience for visitors, to learn more about the park, what we do, and future events that the park will have. Tracking how many people view the website and what pages they do allows us to better interact with the public.
Having a website helps us improve communications with supporters. For example, we use our website crocheronpark.org/ as the base for communication. It acts as a 'tiny url' or 'bit.ly' in many ways. We can direct volunteers to our registration page using the /reg - so it is attractive and easily fits on flyers. We can also use url redirect to send visitors to an external donation page.

Video from Queens StartUp, web designer Erica Heinz.

12- The One with Flyers

A friend with a background in graphic design helped me to create the flyers. We use a simple layout for monthly events. Having the information clearly laid out means that volunteers and supporters can easily read and know what is what. The format is not too crowded and fits into our branding of 1980s computer graphic chic. Since October 2020, we have been changing the color of the upper background, depending on the season of the clean up or the type of event. Being new elements into the flyers and working on branding as we are going allows us to try things out.

13- The One with Literature

This has been a great way for us to connect with your community and give them a way to share events at the park. Along with having a web presence and flyers, we use a newsletter and brochures to keep our community involved in actives in Our Park. We also have a separate updates for Friends members to fill them in on updates and get their feedback.

The newsletter promotes our monthly volunteer events and highlight things that are happening in Our Park. NYC Parks and the local rep for City Council 19 representative, Paul Vallone (who was term-limited out at the end of 2021 after 8 years), have been extremely supportive of these events at Crocheron & John Golden Park. Our Park had a number of movie nights and widely attended performances of Shakespeare by Hip to Hip Theatre. These newsletters are great ways to connect with people that are not frequently on social media - and a great way to get people to check out the website. We also use them to communicate local happenings in the community.

For print literature, I often use Microsoft Office. Other similar groups use Canva or Photoshop. It is relatively easy to construct flyers using the templates. I have found that professional photographs from events and a logo helps to create an engaging brochure.

14- The One with the Helpers

We like to call our volunteers helpers - but as an organization, we also need helpers! These are folks that help their community by building up and mentoring others. These helpers are from other organizations and government offices - and they come in various sizes and shapes. These are partnerships and collaborations that help us to build our organization's capacity, improve our connection with community member, and better communicate our mission to decision makers. See our partnerships page for more information on these organizational partners.

15- The One with a Tagline

Parks Don't Just Happen

Tell your story with a short slogan. Volunteer Greg, came up with the slogan ' Parks Don't Just Happen' to help us tell the story of Friends stewardship and the history of park stewardship in the community. As a hashtags #parksdontjusthappen is featured in all of our posts about the park. Each one tells the story of how parks happen - through volunteer efforts, requesting for NYC Parks to have work done, and outreach to make parks happen.

#crocheroncritters is volunteer Jan came up with. Jan is a a birder and has helped us to connect with Queens County Bird Club. The hashtag will be featured in a campaign in the future to help promote the park's diverse wildlife.
#crocheronkids is a concept that volunteer Jeff came up with. He saw how great events are for families and thought that including Crocheron Kids within flyers and newsletter is important.
#crocheroncanopy is an alliteration, the one that I came up with, that helps to explain a unique feature of Our Park. At 62 acres, there is a diverse tree canopy, we look to explore this more in the future!

16- The One with The News

Local news journalists have been extremely helpful in covering our events and sharing important information. We are grateful that our community does care about Our Parks, so local journalists are often interested in covering the events. Doing something different and something unique is also a great way to get attention of a larger audience.

We are fortunate to have journalists cover our events from the first go. Coming about during a pandemic means that the need for good news and an in-person event were rare. This stories and short video interviews help to explain our mission and what we are doing to the community.

17- The One with the Business Plan

Who? What? Why? When? And How? - Oh and how much?! Always how much.

Knowing where your volunteers are coming from, what tools you have at your disposal, and where your group looks to go ensures that you will have the confidence to succeed. Sometimes it is easy to get the outcome that is desired - other times, there is a longer chess game that goes into it. Educating yourself is always the first step in any of these conversations. Seeing and ceasing on opportunities allows the group to grow and become better known to the community. Not everyone is interested in the same thing and trying different angles will allow the group to find a way in.

Friends of Crocheron has expanded our mission to include wider support for the community during COVID. Using the parkland as a gathering space, volunteers have stepped up to instruct free yoga before monthly events or a popup free farm stand with GetFood NYC's free food giveaway program. As with life, the pivot is critical for long term success. If there is a change in organizational direction, be sure to use it to the advantage and seize on another opportunity or angle to effect change. There are many ways to plant a garden. It takes time to get it just right, and even then, a new friendly neighborhood gardener can come in to bring you to another plateau.

John Golden Day is one important addition to the business plan. It is our signature event that we will have yearly. It came about through research for our history tour, looking into primary sources from NYPL from their John Golden Papers Collection. This research made it clear that we look to recreate the community spirit of John Golden. Along with celebrating John Golden Day, we created the John Golden Community Spirit Award to hand out annually. Our first year we gave the award to our volunteer Ambeka, who brought free yoga to the park! This is something that was on the business plan before Ambeka thought to reach out and offer to share her professional zen knowledge with our park community.

18- The One with a Survey

New Yorkers For Parks provides groups with great information about how to start park groups. Among them, they suggest to create a park survey. Through our 2021 survey we have been able to collect information about park users' demographics, their concerns, what kind of parks amenities they use or would like to see improved, and what events they are interested in bringing to the park. You can see the survey results in our blog .

Along with a survey, we have membership meetings and speak with the community members at the monthly events. We have quarterly meetings and are open to new members. We look to work with folks to find more ways the community would like to improve Our Park.

19- The One Where We Raise Funds

Working in NYC allows us to have access to a number of nonprofit organizations that are looking to do good work. These groups create different opportunities given the community they are looking to reach and what their own mission is. Friends has worked with a few of them, from foundations that provide grants, crowdsourcing platform, help with capacity building, or provide fiscal sponsorship for our program.

Having a solid mission that to believe in and support of community helps to create fund opportunities. If you create a sponsorship packet, you also need to have knowledge of what you are able to sell, like how many followers on social media, analytics from the website, and using connections that you have to make more.

Grants

Applying for grants seems daunting. Sometimes they are. A trick that can be helpful is to save all of your grant applications and pending application answers for future reference.

In-Kind Donations

Requesting in-kind donations from local businesses starts with writing a letter. I created a simple letterhead. Local businesses have provided us with gifts for volunteers, gloves for cleanups, and free raffles to fill out John Golden Day. We would not have been able to put on all events without their help!

Fiscal Sponsorship

20- The One with Cool Shirts

A unique design can set a shirt or flyer apart. We put an ad on Taproot Foundation for a pro-bono graphic designer and received a couple of responses. One, Marta Aleksander was a great fit for our project. Over a month, she designed the below, sending us updates and asking for what we are looking to show off. Of course the paths themselves are a major attraction at the park. We highlight the connection to the Greenway, but you need to walk your bike down some stairs to meet up with it. The sports fields are often in use with soccer, tennis, baseball, and basketball. For our animals, we have red-eared slider turtles, hooded merganser ducks, and red tailed hawks that help keep the squirrel population in check. This design also shows off some of our beautiful trees, many of them are centers of the landscape views, as well as the diversity of our community.

21- The One with the Testimony

Making your voice heard is an important part of being an advocate for public spaces. City Council Hearings may be a bit intimidating at first, so I started by talking with your local Community Board. Give them a call and ask to sign up to speak at a Park Committee or Full Board Meeting.

I was able to testify a few times in 2021. First 2021 during a park committee meeting I was asked to introduce myself. Along with testifying at the Community Board 11 meetings, I have testified at the City Council Parks Committee Meeting. During this testimony I spoke about the lack of funding for large parks like Crocheron Park, limitations of public private partnerships, and need for more recreation programming for in NE Queens.

I spoke with current City Council Member for CD 19, Paul Vallone's staff about this issue in April 2021. Unfortunately, there have not been enough capital funding to the park in recent years for the 62 acre park.

22- The One with a Long-Term View

While we are ecstatic to see changes right away, we understand that many goals are long term. Our work with NYC Parks is not only to request repairs for things in the park but also to help create support for larger capital projects. Some projects, like Golden Pond Cleanup, have budgets have been drawn up. While others, like repair of the paths, has become such a problem that many parts of the paths are set to be fixed under State of Good Repairs.

Others major project need more community support to bring the necessary attention to the needed repairs:

The Buz O'Rourke Playground is one area that ne eds a repair, the playground is over 20 years old and has numerous hazards for children and adults.
The view out to Little Neck Bay from the Gazebos is another area that we are looking for an ecological restoration. This would help climate invasive Norway maples while planting native species that help prevent erosion.
A new need is the cleanup of the debris left by a failed retaining wall surrounding the pond. This disaster, caused by heavy rains during Ida in September 2021, has left hundreds of pounds of sand and other debris in the forest floor and pond. Neither Parks nor the private home owner's insurance have fixed the problem.

We look forward to continuing to work with community members to advocate for our beautiful 62 acre parkland. Thank you to NYC Parks for their ongoing support in elevating the parkland and brining more amenities to the community. Thank you to our members, leaders, volunteers, and supporters for their ongoing work to help support our mission to conserve, improve, and bring historical programming to the parkland! We could not do anything without each of you!

Jessica Burke, founded Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park in 2020, in response to the New York City government's budget constraints and to prevent disrepair to The Park during an unprecedented time. Growing up in Bayside, her fondest childhood memories are of PS 41 Field Days on the John Golden ball fields. She obtained a Master's in International Crime and Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and has a background in history, sociology, and computer graphics.

Friends of Crocheron First Annual Daffodil Project

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Sat, 23 Oct 2021 14:30:10 GMT

A Living Memorial to Victims of 9/11 - Program by NY4P

Photo by Friends of Crocheron, Spring 2021 event with ANIBIC

For 20 years, the Daffodil Project by New Yorkers for Park s has given New Yorkers a way to connect with one another by creating a living memorial to victims of 9/11. The daffodils in New York City are seen by many as living symbol of hope.

Daffodils Symbolism

The daffodil is a symbol of hope, joy, rebirth and new beginnings. They are typically the first flowers to bloom after winter thaw, bringing excitement and gratitude for the coming spring.

Thank You to Our Community Partners!

We received 1,200 bulbs from New Yorkers for Parks! Thank you to our community partners and Friends of Crocheron volunteers for your help giving them out and planting these bulbs. Your work will beautify various corners of the community and park with yellow blossoms this spring!

Connecting with the Crocheron Kids!

Many from Friends of Crocheron attended or had kids that played in Crocheron Park. Along with fond memories of enjoy Crocheron Park after school - we had amazing teachers fro PS41 that left lasting impacts on our lives. So it is natural for us to want to go back and give back to this special community!

Thank you to New Yorkers for Parks for creating this event!

450 Daffodil Bulbs Planted in Crocheron!

Friends of Crocheron is proud to help steward the beautiful park! We planted bulbs around the park, near the gazebos, the pond, tennis courts, and also within the the Mrs. Cilmi Garden Bed, that is along the Mrs. Geri Climi Way behind PS 41. This street renamed after beloved science teacher that taught students to love science, respect nature, and to always work towards a world that promotes conservation.

Photos of David and Janet are by MM Photography

Our focus is on areas that have some sun and that are reasonably safe from the lawn mowers. We also look to bring flowers to areas that have not had daffodils in the past. The triangle at the top of the stairs is an excellent example of this. We are also planting wildflowers to active pollinators in this 13'x13' triangle. Please click here to sign up for our upcoming Planting Events on 10/16 & 10/23 in Crocheron & John Golden Park!

Thank you to Matt and Marilyn of M&M Photography for taking this photograph of our volunteers Kappa Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc from St. Johns, Queens. Wonderful job working together!

More Information on New Yorkers for Parks

New Yorkers are lucky to have an active advocacy organization pushing for more funding for NYC Parks. Our 30,000 acres of parkland need to be sustained for the next generation. Please check out the following links to see more from NY4P. NYC Government currently provides less than 1% of funding to parks, relaying on private organizations and volunteers to fill in the gaps. Together with NY4P and other organizations, Friends of Crocheron is advocating for funding that will put NYC on par with other cities like Chicago, that give 2% of city budget to Parks!

How to Plant Daffodil Bulbs

Planting daffodil bulbs provides you and your community with years of yellow flowers. Choosing the right spot, planting the bulbs in the right way, and letting greenery stay for months after the flower fades are key.

Daffodils are not too picky but for best results, you will need an area that has some sun during the spring. Bulbs need to be 5-6 inches down and leave 5-6 inches between the bulbs. A rule of thumb is to have two bulbs widths between each bulb. Turning up the soil and incorporating compost is great to help the roots to spread. Do your best to make sure that the tip is pointed up! Next, you cover the area with soil, pat down the soil lightly, and then water the area after you plant them. Just one watering will do it. These are low maintenance flowers.

Soon you will enjoy the bloom mid to late April. Once the yellow flowers fade, leave the remaining greenery until it begins to turn yellow. These leaves are important to feed the bulb through photosynthesis. You can see here for a flyer on how to plant daffodil bulbs.

Video on Daffodil Bulb Planting

Creepy Crocheron Critters - 80s Horror Films in Our Park

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 16:32:54 GMT

Come Out to Crocheron for Creepy Critters this October!

Photo from Movies Under the Stars showing of Toy Story in August 2021

Do you miss 80s horror films?

NYC Parks and Council Member Vallone have you covered this October with creepy critters from two classic 80s Spielberg horror movies!

Note:

See NYC Parks NYC Drive in Movie and Movies Under the Stars and pages for more informatio n.

These Movies Under the Stars in Crocheron & John Golden Park are not for kids. Both have PG rating, however, rating systems/standards have changed and neither of these are recommended for kids.

Poltergeist

John Golden Parking Lot (Drive In Movie)

October 15

6:30 p.m.

Strange and creepy happenings beset an average California family, the Freelings -- Steve (Craig T. Nelson), Diane (JoBeth Williams), teenaged Dana (Dominique Dunne), eight-year-old Robbie (Oliver Robins), and five-year-old Carol Ann (Heather O'Rourke) -- when ghosts commune with them through the television set. Initially friendly and playful, the spirits turn unexpectedly menacing, and, when Carol Ann goes missing, Steve and Diane turn to a parapsychologist and eventually an exorcist for help.

"They're here!"

"It knows what scares you."

Gremlins

Lawn across from the Pond

October 29th

6:15 p.m.

A gadget salesman is looking for a special gift for his son and finds one at a store in Chinatown. The shopkeeper is reluctant to sell him the "mogwai" but sells it to him with the warning to never expose him to bright light, water, or to feed him after midnight. All of this happens and the result is a gang of gremlins that decide to tear up the town on Christmas Eve.

"First of all, keep him out of the light, he hates bright light, especially sunlight, it'll kill him. Second, don't give him any water, not even to drink. But the most important rule, the rule you can never forget, no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs, never feed him after midnight."

"Now I Have Another Reason To Hate Christmas."

“To understand, one has only to listen.”

Exact time determined by NYC Parks, see NYC Parks for exact time closer to showtime.

Urgent Need to Protect Golden Pond

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 21:42:49 GMT

The Gem of Crocheron is at Risk of Turning into a Mud Puddle

Dana Gumb , a Bayside resident for over 30 years, is Friends of Crocheron's Vice President and Chair of Conservation. He worked for 37 years as an environmental planner in a private consulting firm and for three NYC agencies. He led the NYC Department of Environmental Protection’s effort to create the Bluebelt system on Staten Island. The Bluebelt is a system of ponds, streams and other wetland areas used for flood control purposes. The system features man-made wetlands, specially designed for stormwater treatment. During that time with the Bluebelt program, Dana gained much experience as a land manager of natural areas.

Storm Damage in Crocheron Park from Ida's Floodwaters

Major repair work is required in Crocheron Park, resulting from the fury of Ida’s floodwaters. Two locations require major repair jobs which will have to be accomplished with a capital project, most likely.

Previously Cracked Paths Taken Out by Floodwaters

The first location is the asphalt walkway, south of the Tennis House in the park, which was severely washed out by the storm. The picture below shows the damage there. This walkway will need to rebuilt and the lower portion raised because it chronically floods. Pipes will need to be provided under the new pavement to convey storm water.

Mudslide into Golden Pond

The second location is less visible to the public but much more difficult to resolve. What the park user does see is a mudslide on the south side of Golden Pond which has delivered sediment into the pond. The worst part is up-gradient from the pond into the woods. There you will find rubble, garbage, dirt and other debris that washed out from the backyard of a house fronting on Corbett Road. This is a major mess.

All this debris ended up in the park because the retaining wall on the rear lot line of a house on Corbett failed, sending the fill behind the wall into the park. This house is at a low point in Corbett Road, east of 217thStreet. There is a catch basin in front of the house which obviously could not accommodate the unbelievable rainfall, resulting in the water spilling over into the backyard.

The part of the retaining wall that failed was not constructed with any footing. The water washed out all the fill under the wall where the footing should have been. Consequently, the cinder block wall now precariously spans the gulley created by the storm flow from the street. This is a dangerous situation.

Results of 2021 Park Community Needs Assessment Survey

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 01:02:55 GMT

Friends' First Annual Survey

Community Usage Survey Results Summary

The Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park's 2020-2021 Community Park Usage Survey process combines technical analysis of data with community input. The purpose is to help direct the organization. The design of the process allows the leadership team to have community input necessary to create a strategic business plan that is rooted in the needs of the Our Park Community.

As a key tool for expanding on community participation, the survey allows the park community to anonymously give feedback. By being an online survey, accessible via the organization's website, respondents are allowed to provide feedback on their own schedule. The survey style also allowed respondents the opportunity to answer open ended questions.

The below is a summary of the responses, providing an overview of the park community. This survey was conducted over an nine month period, from December 2020 to August 2021. The survey was available on the Friends' website (http://www.crocheronpark.org/). It includes 110 fully completed surveys.

Data Limitations

The information provided is by participants that chose to respond. These respondents saw a flyer about the survey at either the park bulletin board, local social media groups, Friends' social media pages, Friends' website, Friends' email listserv, or heard about the survey through word of mouth. The survey was only available in English, reducing input from park community members that did not feel comfortable with or were unable to complete a survey in English. Only 13% of respondents identified as Asian or Pacific Islander, compared to the 2020 Census as reviewed by NY4P , which shows a population of 46% in Queens Community Board 11, the CB around Crocheron & John Golden Park.

Percentages

Questions that allow for multiple answers, the percentage is not based on the sum of the answers, but the number of respondents. This means that in some cases the percentage will equal more than 100%.

Key Findings

Parks

Respondents expressed that Crocheron & John Golden Park often helped maintain their mental, physical, and/or social health during the pandemic
Majority of respondents (70%) indicated that it often helped
23% responded that it sometimes helped
Respondents are generally satisfied with the cleanliness of the park
55% saying that it is normally clean
47% saying that it is sometimes clean
6% stated that it is rarely clean
Cleaning/Litter Removal is still a high priority for respondents
54% of respondents still indicate that Cleaning/Litter Removal is a high priority for the park, making it second highest priority as ranked by respondents.

Events and Activities

Vendors in the park
69% of respondents would like to see a weekly Farmers Market in the park with local produce
48% are interested in a Holiday Market featuring local businesses
20% are interested in a Food or Beverage Concessions in the park
Educational and health focused activities
45% of respondents expressed an interest in Educational Programming/Activities
36% would like amenities to expand to include Exercise Stations with Equipment
15% of respondents would like to see Multipurpose Sports Fields, for sports like football and soccer

Future Improvements

Respondents express that improvements to park paths is the main priority. This reflects that 67% of respondents use the park for walking.
Top 5 Priorities for the park

1) 57% Accessibility - Repaving Damaged Paths

2) 54% Cleaning/ Litter Removal

3) 48% Ecological Health of the Pond

4) 46% Tree Planting/ Maintenance

5) 41% Benches/ Tables

I. Respondent Demographics

Figure 1. Question 6 - What is your zip code?

Two-thirds of the respondents (67%) live in Bayside.
One respondent is from Suffolk County. This respondent travels from Commack, NY, zip code 11725, a 30 mile drive over and 30 mins away from the park. This suggests that there is a small percentage of park goers that live outside of Queens and are interested in the Crocheron & John Golden Park.

Table 1. Question 5 - What neighborhood do you live in?

With the results that most respondents live in Bayside, it is no surprise that most respondents travel between 0 and 10 minutes to the park. Of those whose travel time is 10 minutes and below, 38% drive to the park and 35% walk to the park.
Overall, 57% of respondents drive to the park, 40% walk to the park, and 3% ride their bike to the park. We did not include public transportation as an option for this survey.

Table 2. Question 3 - How would you best describe how you identify?

51 out of 110 respondents stated that they have children
11 respondents with children between 0 and 5 years
21 respondents with children between 6 to 10 years
19 respondents with children between 11 to 15 years
6 respondents with children between 16 and 18 years

Table 3. Question 1 - What is your age?

II. Park Useage

Respondents visit the park frequently
38% visit the park weekly
30% visit t he park daily
11% visit t he park monthly
Top 5 Reasons respondents visit the park

1) 67% to Walk

2) 37% to Exercise or Jog

3) 36% Bring their Children

4) 33% Walk Dog

5) 32% Time with Family

Figure 2. Question 10 - Why do you visit the park? (Check all that apply.)

Park Usage During the Pandemic

Our Park has helped respondents maintain mental, physical and/or social health during the pandemic. Based on the survey, 70% respondents expressed that the park was often a source of reprieve during the pandemic and 23% that it sometimes was.

Table 4. Question 12 - During the pandemic, has Crocheron & John Golden Park helped you maintain your mental, physical, and/or social health?

Select Individual Responses:

"My family and I have visited the park more frequently and using it as a great escape personally, and also as a meeting point for safe socially distant visits with friends while enjoying nature. "
"We avoid the playground now."
"We go daily and walk, it’s our family time together."
"I used the park this year as I do every year. But I am used to it being less crowded. This year it was sooo beautiful and comforting to see the park full! People were reallly enjoying it. Plus with the playground closed parents were playing imaginary games with their kids in the grass or on a pie of dirt instead of sitting on the playground benches. It was such a positive experience for me."
"I use it more. I had never been there prior to the pandemic despite living in the area since 1966."
"It hasn't. I was coming almost every day before the pandemic and never stopped."

III. Priorities for Our Park

Increasing Accessibility through Repairs to Damaged Paths is a priority for respondents.

Figure 3. Question 14 - What are your priorities for Our Park? (check all that apply)

Table 5. Question 14 - What are your priorities for Our Park? (check all that apply)

Additional Events

The majority of respondents (69%) are interested in bringing a Farmers Market to the park. This interest reflects the lack of an open air farm market, farm stand, or farm box in the immediate area. NYC Gov's Farm-to-City Data Team shows this information in their graphic on that can be seen here , as of August 2021.

Tabl 6. Question 15 - What are some additional events or activities that you would like to see? (check all that apply)

Select Individual Responses:

"I would really love to see a farmer’s market in the area, and Crocheron seems like the perfect site! If this is something that I can help with in any way, please reach out..."
"Activities for kids and families Post-COVID would be great. Also would love a Farmers Market in Bayside!!!"
"Definitely need a farmers market; I think that would be a huge plus for the neighborhood!"
"Concessions and markets would be amazing!"

IV. Opened Ended Feedback

Open ended comments echoed the responses from main survey - improvements to existing parkland, structures, and amenities as well as to bringing outside vendors into the park.

Other Utilization of the Parkland

"Looking at the views of Little Neck Bay"
"dancercize"
"Transportation to bike from one place to another safely"
"Invasive plant removal"
"Visit with the ducks, look at flowers, look for berries, look for the hawks, watercolor"
"Walking"
"Playground kids sports.tennis,biking,read the paper etcI do landscape projects in the park."

Figure 5. Question 16 - Please, note any ideas for improvements to park features, services and/ or programming. Please be specific.

Select Individual Responses:

Safety:

"We stopped taking our dog to certain areas in the park as trash bins overflow, especially in the summer & after a weekend(particularly by the pond) and the guy would just eat garbage!"
"Signs that explain rules for dogs, too many are off leash limits my access to the park"
"Get rid of fallen trees and branches"
"Right now I am recovering from surgery & use a walker. The surface is rough especially as compared to Alley Pond Park. I have also seen very small children or others including myself trip and fall"
" Trail/path along the lake needs some improvements. flood/very muddy at times. More recycling/garbage sorting stations needed in the park."

Amenities:

"A walking group would be nice. Any physical activities (easy for those 65 and over especially)."
"Maybe a place for live music or films, also some type of cool seating with a. view of the bay!"
" I would love to have some adult (over 40) sports, like volleyball or soccer; definitely would like some live music where people can bring picnic blankets and then there are food trucks/vendors selling food so we can have dinner and music. "
"Concessions and markets would be amazing!"
" Promote more regrowth in the tree groves for a small patch of land for hiking please"

Shakespeare in Our Park! Antony & Cleopatra and Twelfth Night - Friday, August 5th & 19th

Sun, 25 Jul 2021 16:49:47 GMT

Meeting on the Lawn!

Thursday, August 5th and Thursday, August 19th

7:30 p.m.

Source: Demelza Leffert, Hip to Hop Theatre Company

Moving from park to park around New York City, Hip to Hip Theatre Company brings Shakespeare to New Yorkers across the five boroughs.

According to the Hip to Hip Theatre Company's website, its mission "is dedicated to stimulating and developing interest in the theatre arts in underserved communities by providing free, family-friendly, professional productions of popular classics, and free theatre workshops for children, in public spaces."

Established in 2007, the company has grown signific antly in the last fourteen years. The name, Hip to H i p, is for two reasons:

First, "the phrase “hip to hip” is lifted right out of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors and shows our commitment to the plays of Shakespeare;"
Second, "the phrase captures the uniquely collaborative nature of the theatre arts, where a group of artists must stand “hip to hip” to create a unified production."

Previous productions include:

Troilus and Cressida (Winter 2020)

A Midsummer Night's Dream (2019)

Richard III (2019)

Henry IV, Part 2 (2018)

All's Well That Ends Well (2018)

Henry IV, Part 1 (2017)

Measure for Measure (2017)

Summer 2021 @ Crocheron Park

Antony & Cleopatra

Thursday, August 5th at 7:30 p.m.

One fateful meeting reshapes the ancient world when Roman Marc Antony falls like Caesar before him for Cleopatra, the enchanting Queen of Egypt. As civil unrest plagues Rome, this exotic and intriguing tale illuminates the collision of power and passion as empires hang in the balance.

Twelfth Night

Thursday, August 19th at 7:30 p.m.

Love flows freely and confusion runs rampant in Shakespeare’s tale of shipwreck, mistaken identity, and unrequited love. Nobles and servants alike navigate twisted paths on their quests for love and happiness.

2019 Hip to Hip Theatre Company

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Directed by: S.C. Lucier

Featuring: Leah Alfieri, Cal Castaneda, Kendall Devin Bell, Katie Fanning*, Dalton Gorden, Rebecca Wei Hsieh, Kurt Kingsley*, Tristan Land, Axel Marr, Bree Marr, Joy Marr*, Josh Miccio, Austin Nguyen, Anuj Parikh, Sophia Parola, Patrick Singer and Colin Wulff*.

Source: Hip to Hip Theatre Company

Richard III

Directed by: David Mold

Featuring: Leah Alfieri, Cal Castaneda, Kendall Devin Bell, Katie Fanning*, Dalton Gorden, Rebecca Wei Hsieh, Kurt Kingsley*, Tristan Land, Axel Marr, Bree Marr, Jason Marr*, Joy Marr*, Josh Miccio, Austin Nguyen, Anuj Parikh, Sophia Parola, Patrick Singer and Colin Wulff*

Source: Hip to Hip Theatre Company

Tradition of Theatre in NYC Parks

Source: NYC Parks

NYC Parks have been used as a stage for over a century. We are happy to promote and continue this tradition in Crocheron Park. For more information on the history of theatre in the park, visit NYC Parks .

Movies in Our Park! Toy Story 4 - Friday, August 6th

Tue, 20 Jul 2021 15:41:27 GMT

Meeting on the Lawn!

Friday, August 6th

8:20 PM - 10:00 PM

Lawn across from Golden Pond

Toy Story 4 is the latest in the Toy Story franchise! Coming to Crocheron Park Lawn thanks to NYC Parks and Council Member Paul Vallone.

Synopsis:

"Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (voice of Tony Hale), declares himself as “trash” and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep (voice of Annie Potts). After years of being on her own, Bo’s adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they’re worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that’s the least of their worries." Disney.com

Our Favorite Characters Return!

Woody

Jessie

Buzz

Bo Peep

Rex

Slinky

Aliens

Mr. Potato Head

Please remember to check NYC Parks for further information about rules and regulations.

For further information about this event, check out NYC Parks Website .

Joseph Crocheron of Staten Island, New York City, and Bayside, Queens, New York

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 20:32:31 GMT

Joseph Crocheron - and the Crocheron House

Source photo: Bayside Historical Society

Charlotte Megill Hix is a genealogist and historian, author of six books, and countless articles. She has written the The Crocheron Family of Staten Island, New York , published in 1979. In it, she traces the lineage of the Crocheron family, of which she is also a descendent. She is also one of twenty Esteemed Fellows of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (FGBS) . She has assisted Friends in its reconstruction of Joseph Crocheron's past.

Joseph Crocheron, of Staten Island

Joseph Crocheron is a member of the Crocheron family who left Europe prior to 1685 and settled on Staten Island, New York where they remained for many generations. There are members of the family who have gone south and west and a "49er" who went to California and came back. There is a town named Crocheron in Maryland, with a zip code and Crocheron Park in Bayside, Queens, New York. They have been farmers, politicians, merchants, sea captains, seamen, clerks, millers, yeomen, militiamen, hotel proprietor and carpenters. They have contributed to the growth and development of this country as they are a part of its history.

Joseph, an 8th generation descendant of the Staten Island family, was born on 8 May 1824 on Staten Island and died on 18 August 1896, at the Crocheron House in Bayside, Queens, New York. He was a son of Daniel and Mary (Merrill) Crocheron, both of whom were born on Staten Island. Daniel's great interest in horse racing ran the horses Sally Walker and Snowball. Daniel influenced his son Joseph, who became well known as a racer of horses, along with Cornelius Vanderbilt Il and August Belmont. Daniel had entered the grocery business at Graniteville, Staten Island when he reached manhood and continued in this occupation for 50 years. Joseph was a well-known resident of Flushing.

See map for comparison of Staten Island and Flufhing (1776)

Source: NY Public Library

Liquor Businessman, Hotel Keeper, Race Horse Owner

Joseph appears to have spent most, if not all, of his adult life in New York City and Queens. He is found in the 1850 New York City Directory and his business was 'liquor'. In 1860, the New York City Federal census, list him as age 37 and states that he was a hotel manager. The address of this hotel, The Brower House, was 22 West 28th Street, New York City. In 1870, the New York census, Flushing, he appears with his wife Mary, age 37, He was at the Brower House on March 10, 1880 when his father visited him and subsequently died there.

Crocheron listed on the 1860 Census New York County and the 1870 Census for Queens County

Mary and Joseph would also race horses. A 1862 article from the New York Times title "Trotting on the Fashion Course" is about the track in front of Crocheron's Mansion, in what is now Corona Plaza, Queens . This Fashion Course is not what we think of today. It was a race course that was known as the Fashion Race Corner. On 10 April 1861, he and others purchased land in what was then Newtown, now Corona, NY and this property became known as the Fashion Race Corner and the scene of speed contests between trotters, including Dexter, Fiora Temple and others.

Bay Side's Crocheron House

So now onto Joseph and Mary Crocheron and the Crocheron House. During its height, the Crocheron House saw a number of visitors and the growth of the Bayside Yacht club out of it's barn. The Crocheron House has been a part of Bayside lore in many ways, there were also a number of high class clam bakes, hunts, and escapades. To understand the lore of Bayside's Crocheron House, or Bay Side as it was also known at the time, one has to remember the distance between borough in New York City. Manhattan, while only a 20 minute car ride away, was —a journey of several hours by horse drawn carriage, which is how they would be traveling at the time, or —longer by sail boat. The creation of the Long Island Rail Road in the mid 1860s allowed a larger variety of people to come out to the area.

And the area itself at this time — was well, wild. Full of farm land, a few mills dotted Little Neck Bay and Alley Pond, and people enjoyed the escape from crowded, dirty, smelly Manhattan, or New York County. While there are some individual families that are local to Bayside and Flushing, the Crocherons are not one of them. Joseph Crocheron was born and raised in Staten Island in the 1800s. About 1850 the couple, Joseph and Mary, had begin their business venture in Manhattan. By the 1870s the Crocherons had moved to Bay Side, Long Island and became fixtures along the Bay.

Maps from 1891, 1909, and 1909 showing area that is now Crocheron & John Golden Park

Source: NY Public Library

Full view of 1860s and 1870s Census for Joseph Crocheron

The Next Pond Over Great Gatsby In Bayside

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Wed, 12 May 2021 15:33:55 GMT

John Golden's Extravagant Home, a Retreat from Broadway

The home of famous broadway producer and play-write John Golden's is remembered as one of Bayside's finest. Golden purchased the home in 1920 and immediately opened his gates to the community. He made a name for himself in Bayside. Quite literally, as he donated his 19 acre estate to NYC Parks for a community park in Bayside Queens. “For the use and enjoyment by the young people of the community of all races and creeds in a manner similar to that in which I made this property available for recreation and community acts during my lifetime.”

Photo source: Nicholl House - Golden Estate - Flushing May 1936. Queens Library .

Sharing a similar waterfront property along a bay in the Long Island Sound, Bayside and Great Neck have a similar geography and history as the fabled West Egg and East Egg of the F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby. Bayside is situated on the western side of Little Neck Bay, while Great Neck is a peninsula that spans both Little Neck Bay and Manhasset Bay. Both Great Neck (West Egg) and Bayside are just close enough to Manhattan for the glitz, glamor, and business - yet far enough away to enjoy that suburban, or during the 1920s, country life. For the rich and famous of the roaring 20s in New York City, Eastern Queens and Long Island provided fresh air from the factories and tenement buildings in Manhattan, Bayside, like West Egg, also has the Long Island Rail Road.

It would only take 20 minutes for an express train to take you from Bayside to Penn Station. Like Great Neck, Bayside was known for having new money. New money included actors, writers, and for Bayside, a heavy weight champion turned actor, James Corbett. Much like the Gatsby, John Golden, and the home's previous owner Pearl White, came from humble beginnings, by way of the West, to settle in Long Island, NY.

Photo Source: Unknown

Joseph Crocheron is a member of the Crocheron family who left Europe prior to 1685 and settled on Staten Island, New York where they remained for many generations. There are members of the family who have gone south and west and a U49er" who went to California and came back. There is a town named Crocheron in Maryland, with a zip code and Crocheron Park in Bayside, Queens, New York. They have been farmers, politicians, merchants, sea captains, seamen, clerks, millers, yeomen, militiamen, hotel proprietor and carpenters. They have contributed to the growth and development of this country as they are a part of its history.

Joseph, an 8th generation descendant of the Staten Island family, was born on 8 May 1824 on Staten Island and died on 18 August 1896, at the Crocheron House in Bayside, Queens, New York. He was a son of Danie1 7 and Mary (Merrill) Crocheron, both of whom were born on Staten Island. Daniel's great interest in horse racing who ran the horses Sally Walker and Snowball influenced his son Joseph who became well known as a racer of horses, along with Cornelius Vanderbilt Il and August Belmont. Joseph was a well-known resident of Flushing. On 10 April 1861, he and others purchased land in what was then Newtown, now Corona, NY and this property became known as the Fashion Race Corner and the scene of speed contests between trotters, including Dexter, Fiora Temple and others.

Bayside Ladies Are Not "Just Pretty Little Fools"

Daisy's famous line about women only being able to be "pretty little fools" played out in Bayside's history. Along with having women working as actresses and comedians, Bayside also had a number of women that still took on women's traditional domestic roles. Others, made the decision to take on the 'boy's jobs' - and cause quiet the stir.

Pearl White, legendary film and stage actress, was a comedian, stunt woman, and pig lover. In 1920 she sold John Golden her estate before divorcing her husband and moving to France. She was known to stroll down Bell Blvd, with her pet pig. She made over 200 films during her career. Locals say that some were film on her estate and the adjoining Crocheron Park, unfortunately few of her films survived.

Photo Source: Pearl White, 1916. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; neg. no. LC USZ 62 57953.

In the summer of 1922, a number of women stepped out of their role as a 'pretty little fool.' It started with mothers and daughters deciding that work as a caddy is not just work for males. A golf club owner in Bayside made the decision, probably based on economics and publicity more than equality, to allow women to become caddies at his local golf course. The battle between the opposing sides is detailed in newspaper articles. A journalist wrote "[f]rom Bayside comes a storm of protest against their daughters lugging around the heavy sticks and bags of husky golfers." Quotes from local residents and church leaders are featured in the article include:

" "It hurts the school attendance and these girls are needed for domestic help," says the Rev. Charles A. Brown, pastor of the Bayside P. E. Church. "

Articles Source: 1922. Brooklyn Public Library .

Then in Ju ne, Elsie Hudson, former dancer and part of the Weston and Weston duo, left her husband and started working at the Bayside Yacht Club. Unhappy with her husband's handling of their new business venture, she made the decision to leave him for good in the summer of 1922. She found that she made plenty of money as a waitress at the Bayside Yacht Club. Stating that she no longer needs her husband, who she told reporters had a new woman anyway. A love triangle similar to that Daisy's husband, Tom, created with Myrtle, but with a happier ending.

Bayside - Almost Hollywood

Bayside Historical Society's video, Bayside: The Actor's Enclave, reviews Bayside's glamorous history, the almost Hollywood, where the rich and famous enjoyed sailing, clambakes, and parties.

Video Source: Bayside Historical Society .

9 Ways to Coexist with the Wildlife in Our Park

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 01:51:11 GMT

We Can Help Keep Wildlife Wild!

There is a lot of beauty to see in Crocheron & John Golden Park. While we love to see the variety of people and activities, we want to make sure that we are respecting animals homes. We are going to go over 9 Ways We Can Coexist with Wildlife in Our Park! These are from NYC's Coexistence Pledge.

Even though NYC has changed since it was first settled by indigenous tribes, there are still a number of raccoons, fish, birds and animal animals that have adapted to live in NYC. Our neighborhoods have grown up around their homes. And while sharing the city with wildlife is exciting, we need to make an effort to coexist with them.

We can do a number of things to prevent conflicts, making coexistence possible. Below we have outlined the 9 actions that we can pledge to take to improve the lives of wildlife in New York City. Please make the Coexistence Pledge with fellow New Yorkers to help create a safe future for every furry, feathered, or scaled New Yorker.

Photos on this page are by Jan Arzooman , member of Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park

9 Ways to Coexistence with Wildlife!

Do not feed wildlife
Appreciate wildlife from a distance
Call 311 if I see a sick or injured animal
Vaccinate my pets against rabies
Keep my pets leashed and supervised
Pick up trash and litter to keep wildlife habitats safe and clean
Share NYC's parks and beaches with local wildlife
Seal openings in my home or building that wildlife can enter through
Learn more about urban wildlife and urban wildlife issues, and helping to educate others

Helping wildlife stay wild is something that everyone can do. Each one of us can follow the above 9 points. Let's get into each one and why they are so important.

1. Do Not Feed Wildlife

New York Department of Conservation's website , "Do Not Feed Wildlife" gives a great overview of why feeding wildlife has negative impacts.

Feeding wildlife is one thing in life where intentions do not matter, Feeding wildlife creates a number of problems. There is a healthy balance for wildlife population within their habitat. Interfering with the balance of the ecosystem. where abundant geese or waterfowls may lead to an increase in droppings. There is also an increased risk of diseases that animals will spread . When animals are concentrated in a small area, one piece of food can be touched by numerous animals and their droppings. The feces, saliva and urine, are great at harboring infectious diseases. These diseases can sometimes be transmitted to humans.

"Waterfowl like ducks and geese may willfully eat humans foods like crackers, bread, and popcorn. However, these items have little nutritional value and are poor substitutes for their natural foods."

- New York Department of Conservation

Feeding animals can cause malnutrition in wildlife . The kinds of foods that we eat are not a substitute for the natural food source. They are not a healthy diet for wild animals. In addition, by feeding wildlife, they may alter or stop feeding on the variety of foods that they need to eat. This is a variety of natural foods that animals have been eating since before indigenous peoples came to the land. Young animals will be extremely ill effected by eating a diet that is nutrient poor. As the young animal develops, there can be permanent damage in the development of its muscles, bones, and tissues. Learning not to feed normally, young wildlife will be less likely to survive.

We do not want to create unnatural behaviors in wildlife. The grouping together to feed and reliant on an unnatural food source makes that some animals may not migrate when they should. They may also become more aggressive towards one another and humans. Please help keep wildlife wild, and help encourage them to feed in a natural way.

2. Appreciate wildlife from a distance

Make sure that you and your family do not get too close to animals in Our Park. This keeps them safe and it can keep us safe. Some squirrels can give people cat scratch fever, As if 2020 was not bad enough, EcoWatch and other news outlets have reported that the bubonic plague has been found in one squirrel in Colorado.

3. Call 311 if I see a sick or injured animal

Do not assume that NYC Parks knows what is going on. Especially with recent budget cuts, we need to help NYC Parks Staff by being their eyes and ears. This goes for any animal, wildlife or a domesticated/stray animals.

4. Vaccinate my pets against rabies

Prepare for the worst case scenario - vaccinate your pet against rabies every year! Rabies is a terrifying disease and once a pet shows signs, it is often too late. Protect your pet and your family by keeping you animal up to date on his/her vaccinations.

5. Keep my pets leashed and supervised

While there are off leash hours in Crocheron & John Golden Park, we do ask that you supervise your animal. This will keep him or her from terrifying, injuring or killing wildlife.

6. Pick up trash and litter to keep wildlife habitats safe and clean

Come out to volunteer with us! Or bring a bag and a glove with you during your next walk around Our Park. We are looking to make consistent efforts to help clean the parkland of litter and trash. Small bits of plastic may not be an eyesore, they will degrade quicker and animals are more likely to ingest them. In addition, let's look to Leave No Trace when we are using Our Park. Be sure that nothing flys or floats away during your activities.

7. Share NYC's parks and beaches with local wildlife

Well, this one seems simple enough! We enjoy the beauty that wildlife brings to Our Park. It also means that NYC Parks lets trees in some areas of the park naturally degrade. Even a tree that is dead with no limbs, provides a place for woodpeckers to find wood-boring insects, like spiders, ants, and grubs.

8. Seal openings in my home or building that wildlife can enter through

This can also save you from having a profession come to remove animals that begin living in your building.

9. Learn more about urban wildlife and urban wildlife issues, and helping to educate other

You can join Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park as a member to learn more about Conservation. NYC Parks also has a stewardship program . There, you can sign up to learn about taking care of parkland and help NYC Parks do it. Our local environmental center, Alley Pond Environmental Center (APEC) also has classes for children and adults, both in person and online.

We can all do out part to keep NYC wild and safe for all residents!

Wildlife Feeding at Our Pond

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 17:22:37 GMT

Swans, Ducks and Geese

Situated along Little Neck Bay, Golden Pond, also known as Crocheron Pond, is home to a number of species of wildlife. Above is a video of some of the swans, mallard ducks, and Canadian geese feeding in the pond. The moss on the rock was especially tasty for the swans. While the other birds are diving for food. The pond is partially frozen over, so the birds have been hopping from one section of the pond to another.

As you can see, the pond is an area that accumulates a lot of trash. We are working on cleaning up the trash, removing it from both the shoreline and using kayaks. The picture above shows how out of place litter is amongst the flock of mallard ducks.

Reach out to us if you are interested in helping to improve the health of Our Pond!

We also want to keep wild animals - well, WILD! If people are feeding animals, they will begin to expect it and become less fearful of humans. We do not want to change their behavior. Feeding wild animals can harm wild animals that live in Our Park.

Sign NYC Park Rangers' Coexistence Pledge!

Let us do our part to keep NYC Parks wild and safe for all visitors!

Welcoming 2021 with new Registration for Group Clean Ups

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 22:22:43 GMT

Our Green Responders' jobs continue through January!

Welcome to 2021! We are looking forward to continuing to work on restoring and maintaining the beauty of Our Park. First, we have created Group Registration so that we are able to connect with more community members.

As you may remember, in late November 2021, Chris and I decided to put a hold on open registrations for clean up events. We understand that there is a need for these events. So for now, only current members and volunteers that reach out to us directly, are invited to our clean ups. This will help us to adhere to health and safety guidelines. Please fill out our Volunteer Interest Form if you would like to receive emails about events.

More updates to come about new events, programs, and some social media campaigns! We are excited to be working with sponsors that are able to provide us with some gifts for our hardworking volunteers. Thank you for your interest in Our Park!

2020 Highlights: Our Volunteer Photographers and Videographers

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 00:44:21 GMT

Documenting Our Efforts is a Big Job! Thank you for taking it on!

Having professional photographers has been a great benefit for Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park. Along with being able to connect with them on the beauty of the Parkland, a couple have decided to help us out at events. This work extends beyond the event itself. Photographers must go through sometimes hundreds of images. Choose the best ones, edit them, resize them as needed, rename them, all before uploading to a shared drive to share with us.

Along with the work that goes into taking photographs, our photographers have lent their skill to capture key moments in our organization's development. These images allow our volunteers and members access to high quality images of their hard work! Once the images are shared on social media, it shows that they are not #slacktivists but are actively helping out their community!

Looking back at the progress that we have made, being able to have assistance documenting the efforts is amazingly helpful.

A bit about our photographers:

Jan Arzooman: Jan is a local photographer in Bayside, Queens. Aside from her 9-5 job, Jan is a Member of Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park, she is a local bird photographer. Jan's passion for birding is helping to direct the organization's efforts to protect the park's environment for wildlife.

Matt Jakowsky and Marilyn Chapman: This husband and wife duo are volunteer photographers with Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park. They have come out to events on the weekend and have helped out at individual group events, giving The Shield Institute the All Star treatment during their clean up event in November.

Their photographs that they provide us with also allows us to create brochures. Improving our ability to have outreach to possible members, partners, and sponsors.

Click Here to be directed to Jan Arzooman's Instagram profile.

Click here to be directed to Matt Jakowsky and Marilyn Chapman's online portfolio.

2020 Highlights: Hosting NY Senator John Liu

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 21:57:25 GMT

Raking Up Leaves and Reminiscing about Childhood in Crocheron

Our organization had the honor of hosting Senator John Liu at our second to last clean up of the year. He came out ready to work with other green responders. We worked on raking up and bagging leaves in front of the Tennis Courts. This is a specific task that NYC Parks has asked us to do. It is a time consuming task, much of it needs to be done by hand. NYC Parks are unable to use blowers in the area by the Tennis Courts. I was told that the machinery will spread leaves onto the tennis courts.

In between raking up heaps of leaves, Senator Liu spoke with our members about why parks matter. Senator Liu grew up in the area. He has many fond memories of visiting NYC Parks. As a boy, In the video below, Senator Liu talks about how he would visit Crocheron Park and John Golden Park. He also explains how important the park is to our community. That it is our responsibility to ensure that the next generation can enjoy the park too. The Senator knows that #ParksDontJustHappen and it is our responsibility to be good stewards of Our Parkland, not just for our community now, but for future generations!

All photo and video credit to Jan Arzooman , Member of Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park.

Thank you again to Senator John Liu for taking the time out of your Saturday morning to help us clean up Crocheron Park!

2020 Highlights: Hosting Council Member Peter Koo

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 21:57:24 GMT

On December 13, 2020, Council Member Peter Koo came down to the last Park Clean Up. Council Member Koo is the Chair of Parks and Recreation for NY City Council.

Thank you again to Council Member Koo and all of our Members who came out to clean up the park!

It was an honor to be the first to show you around Our Park. I am sorry that we did not explore John Golden more, but we did an amazing job cleaning up these stairs. You were able to see first hand how the NYC budget for NYC Parks and Rec is negatively impacting the park. Not only is there litter, including broken glass, but unsafe conditions are not taken care of. To NYC Parks' credit, they are often on top of requests to clean up glass or fix issues. Our Members and Volunteers know that there is only so much that they can do

So we work extra hard when we are there and communicate with NYC Parks crew to see what we can do to help them.

One project that we have been working on is mulching around the bases of trees. This is allowing us to create a barrier to remove root suckers, or small plants that compete for nutrients with tree's roots. For smaller trees, mulching around the bases of trees helps create a barrier so that the mowers do not run over the plants. Below are photographs of Dana and Jessica loading up wheel barrows

Above photography is credit to Jan Arzooman , member of Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park.

Below is an example of mulching a tree. Drag the arrows in the middle to see the before and after photographs.

Our Community Working Towards Our Fundraising Goals!

friendsofcrocheron@gmail.com (Jessica Burke) — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 21:57:25 GMT

The new season is a great time to give back to Our Park! We are looking for donations to help beatify Our Park! Please consider donating today, click here to be directed to ioby's secure donation site. All donations are tax deductible!

Above photographs are by Jan Arzooman , Member of Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park.

How much are you looking to raise?

We are looking to raise $5,000 for the O'Rourke playground and Crocheron Park garden bed by PS 41.

What area of the park will be improved?

You donation will go towards helping us improve the Buz O'Rourke Playground and the nearby garden bed.

Buz O'Rourke Playground

We are looking to repaint the faded stone facades on the chessboard tables and the children's spray fountains. These were painted after being installed over 20 years ago, in 1999, when the playground received its last major renovation. Since then, only one exhibit has been added. According to NYC Parks, the playground has not seen a major improvement since 2003.

Crocheron Garden Bed

Checking out the area behind PS 41, aka the Crocheron School, 214th Lane, hosts a garden bed. Along with a flagpole, the garden bed has a plaque explaining the dedication of the Park in 1937.

Interpretative Board - Trees

We look to show off Our Park's diverse tree life through an interpretative board. It will explain a few different thing that our members believe in is quality, fun, and engaging science education. Working with NYC Parks, Friends of Crocheron & John Golden Park members will create an interpretive board that will explore a number of Our Park's wonderful trees. They will be able to tour the park and find the trees.

Breakdown of Budget

Interpretive sign ---------------------------------------- $900

Plants (bushes, small trees, bulbs)---------------------- $3,190

Re-painting stone on chess boards ----------------------$400

Re-painting stones surrounding the fountain------------$400

Project supply subtotal before fees------------ -------$4,890

ioby fees---------------------------------------------------$35

Fiscal sponsorship, estimated 3%--------------------------$75

Total to raise------------------------------------------------$5,000

Honoring a Great Teacher

In fact, the 214th Lane is known as Mrs. Geri Cilmi Way This is to honor the late PS 41 science teacher, Mrs. Cilmi. She taught at PS 41 during the 1990s and 2000s. Along with engaging students in the classroom, she created outdoor garden beds in the playground area. The native plants that will be added to the garden bed will help to bring birds to Our Park. This is because the native plants bring more bugs, and birds like to eat bugs!

Blogging About Our Park

Protecting Parkland: Save Golden Pond

Learning to Advocate for Improvements

Care and Repair Needed for Golden Pond

Citizen Scientist Research, Summer '25

More Debris Has Caused the Lower Water Level

Bottom of a Funnel

What Makes a Pond Ecosystem Healthy?

Stewarding for Next Generation

Other Types of Kettle Ponds - LI Coastal Plain Ponds

Bayside Flooding Town Hall

Easy Tips and Recommendations for Eliminating Plastic from Your Life - from a 10 Year Enthusiast

Easy Tips and Recommendations for Eliminating: Plastic from Your Life - from a 10 Year Enthusiast

Detoxify Your Home

Plastic Free Cooking and Eating

﻿ Miscellaneous

Sources

Support Open and Public Recreation in Crocheron

Sign our petition to keep tennis and pickle ball courts truly public!

Comparative Courts in NYC - Pricing People Out

Preserving Crocheron's Historic Charm

Environmental and Landscape Changes

Sign Petition to Keep Our Park Publicly Manage and Open!

Protecting Parkland: Learning About Climate and Flooding Events

Learning to Advocate for Improvements

Recent Flooding Events

Historic 1933 Flooding in NYC

NYC's Subtropical Climate Shift

NYC Government Review Impacts of this Change

Climate.Gov - a 'Banned Book'

More Persistent Rain and Flooding - What to Do

Parks Don't Just Happen (Part II)

Learning from Our Park's History

Advocacy for Public Parks by Local Stewards

Civic Engagement and Social Capital ﻿

Civic Engagement and Environmental Groups

Final Thoughts

Parks Don't Just Happen (Part I)

Learning from Our Park's History

Public Good and Public Parks

Stewardship Protection for Our Pond

Real Estate: Ready to Divide

Advocacy to Purchase Land for Public Park

Work and Funding for Crocheron Park

2024 Year in Review

A Year of Developments and Community Impact

Parkland Developments

Annual Events

New Events & Partners

Little Library

Fiscal

2025

Join Us & Advocate!

Little Library: Giving Tuesday with Friends

Bring a Little Library to Crocheron Park – Help Us Spread the Joy of Reading!

Join the 2024 Friends of Crocheron Giving Tuesday ﻿

What is a Little Library?

Why a Little Library at Crocheron Park?

The Impact of Your Donation

How You Can Help

Share in the Magic of Books

Join us in bringing the magic of reading to Crocheron Park. Donate today and help us build a Little Library that will inspire and delight for generations to come!

Crocheron Arboretum Part II: John Golden

Trees of John Golden Park

Crocheron Arboretum Part I: John Golden

Trees of John Golden Park

Meet Our Yoga Instructor Ambeka

Free Yoga in Our Park

URBAN TREE CARE: First, Do No Harm.

Subject: Tree Mulching

Just how much mulch should I be applying around trees?

What are the immediate consequences to trees when over-mulching?

Oxygen Starvation.

Tree Disease.

Drought Condition.

Excess Heat.

Stem Girdling Roots (SRG).

Hip to Hip 2022 Shakespeare in Our Park

Meet Us Across from Golden Pond!

Summer 2022 @ Crocheron

Miscellaneous

Civic Engagement and Social Capital

Join the 2024 Friends of Crocheron Giving Tuesday

Conceptual plan recommends planting new trees now that can replace those arboreal elders