Programming During Covid-19 Restrictions

#RecreateResponsibly in NYC and Beyond!

 NYCICO will be resuming youth outings in July of 2021.  Current operating guidelines can be found here.  In addition to our trips, we encourage our youth and their families to continue to explore our natural spaces safely- please take a look below for some suggestions! 

Stay safe and take care,

Your friends at NYCICO

https://www.sierraclub.org/atlantic/nyc-ico 

Find us on Instagram! @nycico         

 

Land Acknowledgement: A land acknowledgement recognizes the history of the land on which we live, including those who lived here before us and their circumstances for leaving.  In providing ideas for activities that we are lucky enough to have available to us in and around NYC, we feel it is vital to recognize the indigenous people of the Munsee Lenape tribes who inhabited this land for thousands of years prior to European colonization. The land of the Munsee Lenape was called Lenapehoking, and included the land from NYC to Philly, including all of New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and part of Delaware. The Lenape people were forced in large groups to leave their land and settle in Oklahoma, where two federally recognized Delaware tribes currently reside. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-native-new-yorkers-can-never-truly-reclaim-their-homeland-180970472/ 

 

Safety Guidelines: Outings are always safest with a buddy or group

  • Wear a mask and be sure to maintain at least 6 feet distance from your neighbor

  • Always adventure with another person when exploring in nature

  • When exploring a new park or a new area of your city, be sure to travel with a friend, family member, or group

  • Be mindful of what time of day you are beginning and ending your adventure 

  • Bring along the 10 essentials of hiking: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html 

    • If your cell phone is acting as a flashlight and GPS, you may want to bring along a portable charger

  • Have a concrete plan for how to get back home, especially if you go somewhere where you need to rely on specific bus or train schedules

 

BRONX

Bronx Zoo

Bronx Zoo https://bronxzoo.com/plan-your-visit 

MANHATTAN

Inwood Hill

  • Inwood Hill Park https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/inwood-hill-park 

    • Go for a hike, play a sport, or check out the majestic “Indian caves” of Inwood Hill Park, which  were once used as a seasonal camp by the Lenape people who lived in the region before the arrival of Henry Hudson in 1609. The caves, created by the tumbling of rocks during a glacial retreat more than 30,000 years ago, are a picturesque reminder of the Native people who once lived on Manhattan Isle.

    • Central Park Zoo https://www.centralpark.com/events/central-park-zoo/?occ_dtstart=2020-10-05T10:00 

      • As an alternative, walk by the seals seen from the public pathway at the south end of the park (they definitely like to put on a show!), or check out their virtual cam on the site

    • The Vessel at Hudson Yards https://www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com/discover/vessel 

      • Book online for free! And reserve your free pass at The Highline to walk from The Vessel to 14th street on this public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side where visitors experience nature, art, and design.

    • The High Line - https://www.thehighline.org/

      • Reserve a free timed pass and explore the architecture of New York, beautiful commissioned art and gorgeous skylines that only NYC can provide.  Open from noon to 8pm. 

    • Manhattan Waterfront Greenway - http://www.nyc.gov/html/edc/pdf/greenway_mapside.pdf 

      • This bike/walk path connects the Hudson River Greenway, East River Greenway and Harlem River Greenway.  31 miles in total, it’s a scenic way to circle Manhattan. Points of interest include the Little Red Lighthouse, The Battery and various bridges and water views.

BROOKLYN

Prospect Park

 

GOVERNOR'S ISLAND

Governor's Island

https://www.govisland.com/

  • Take the ferry to Governors Island for biking, Slide Hill, the May Room, historic photo walking tours, GrowNYC’s teaching garden, and Earth Matters NY Compost Learning Center & Soil Start Farm

  • Book a $3 ferry ticket from Lower Manhattan or Brooklyn  in advance here: https://www.govisland.com/visit-the-island/ferry  

 

RANDALL'S ISLAND

Randall's

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/randalls-island/

  • You can walk or bike from the Bronx or East Harlem, or take the M35 bus, to Randall’s Island. Designed by Robert Moses in 1936, it is home to some amazing bike paths and also one of NYC’s largest urban farms

 

 

 

 

 

STATEN ISLAND

Freshkills

Freshkills Park Kayak Tour (https://freshkillspark.org/programs/kayak-tour)

  • Take the Ferry to Staten Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOBOKEN/JERSEY CITY

LIberty

- Liberty State Park https://www.visitnj.org/article/liberty-state-park

- Walk shoreline with great views of Manhattan

- Have a picnic.  

- Bike along shoreline (If you have bikes)

- Palisades Interstate Park Hiking / Biking https://www.njpalisades.org/hiking.html 

 

WESTCHESTER COUNTY

Full map of outdoor recreation areas here. A few of these trails can get picked up from the Bronx border at Van Cortlandt Park!

Old Croton

 

#OnYourBlock - Adventure at Home

Inspired by New York State Adventure at Home 

https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/120387.html

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/adventureny.pdf 

https://www.prospectpark.org/visit-the-park/things-to-do/virtual-prospect-park/ 


Recreation Terms To Know

  • Leave No Trace means that whatever we take with us into nature (food, water bottles, wrappers) we bring back out with us, that we leave what we find (plants, rocks, bark), respect other visitors and wildlife.  

  • Outdoors for All means expanding access to nature for all. Sierra Club Outdoors for All works to ensure everyone has access to the healing power of the outdoors - because access to nature is a human right. Sierra Club’s goal is to work in solidarity and collaboratively to ensure all people feel safe, welcomed, valued, and at home in our parks and public lands. 

  • Forest Bathing or Shinrin-Yoku (“taking in the forest atmosphere”) is a Japanese term that came about in the 1980s. You can practice forest bathing by using your 5 senses to fully experience being in nature.

  • Trail Markers are visual cues that let hikers know that they are on trail, and can sometimes indicate which way to turn. If you are on a city hike (a big walk through NYC that requires good walking shoes and a pack with water and food) street signs are your trail markers.

  • Recreate Responsibly is a guide for getting outside and enjoying nature and outdoor activities while staying safe, and keeping others safe, during the COVID-19 pandemic.