Record-Breaking 2023 Puts Westchester County Parks In The Green

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — When the spring thaw arrives and our fancies turn to leisurely days at our favorite parks, there will be some pleasant surprises in store.

The Westchester Parks Foundation (WPF) says there is a "good" reason behind the noticeable improvements. Due to an unprecedented number of volunteers, the group has announced record-breaking numbers for the 2023 calendar year.

The year-end numbers show a 32 percent increase in the number of volunteer projects and a three-fold increase in the number of trees planted in 2023 funded through partners throughout the year. The extra help allowed the non-profit to complete major cleanup efforts and beautification enhancements in the over 50 parks in the Westchester County Parks system.

Of course, there's no reason to wait for spring to see the difference made at your favorite Westchester park by some of the 3,953 WPF volunteers who spent 12,462.25 hours enhancing Westchester County Parks. The noticeable improvements include 473 completed projects in 38 parks. Among those projects were a record 2,432 trees planted, 22,211 lbs. of aquatic invasive species removed and 7,438 trash items removed from the Bronx River.

Since 2015, over 25,000 members of the community have contributed over 75,000 hours of service to Westchester’s parks.

Westchester Parks Foundation volunteers are students earning volunteer credits for school or religious education requirements, scouts on the lookout for a great project, local businesses interested in a team building activity, or anyone looking to put their skills to good use to help out our county parks.

For more information visit the Westchester Parks Foundation website.

About Westchester Parks Foundation

Westchester Parks Foundation is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, philanthropic organization which provides private support to preserve the county’s park system and improve the quality of life in our communities. Westchester Parks Foundation’s mission is to invest in, advocate for, and enhance the over 50 parks of the Westchester County Parks system.