Central Park

The Daily Plant : Tuesday, May 14, 2002

THE GREAT CENTRAL PARK FIELD DAY

What do you get when you put 550 students in Central Park with over 30 Urban Park Rangers? The answer was realized on Wednesday, May 8, 2002 when the Rangers held their first annual Great Central Park Field Day. Over a dozen park-based educational programs were showcased to the 550 public and private school students and their teachers. Crowning this hugely successful event was an environmentally-conscious performance entitled "The City that Drinks the Mountain Sky" by the Arm of the Sea Theater.

The Urban Park Rangers co-sponsored the event with the Central Park Conservancy, and along with the National Museum of the American Indian and the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary. The goal of the Great Central Park Field Day was to introduce both students and teachers to the wealth of learning to be experienced outside the walls of the classroom. Trees, rocks, birds, ponds – all of these natural elements offer larger lessons in history, biology, ecology, conservation and more. With 20 park-based programs featured throughout the northern half of Central Park, kids learned about a variety of topics including the birds of New York, invertebrates, and Central Park history.

Of particular note were the nine "Natural Classroom" programs offered by the Urban Park Rangers. In cooperation with the Board of Education and National Geographic, the Urban Park Rangers developed these programs to cover an assortment of natural and cultural history subjects. Throughout the school year, these programs bring students into the parks to learn about the worlds of ecology, botany, geology, ornithology, orienteering, the life of the Native Americans, conservation, historic houses, and urban parks. With approximately 12,000 students attending Natural Classroom programs in its first year, the future of these programs, the partnerships formed to create them, and the concept of park-based natural science education looks bright.

The day concluded with remarks from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Christopher Ward and Commissioner Adrian Benepe. Commissioner Benepe explained to the kids just where the days programming could lead them. "I started with the Parks Department in 1979 as an Urban Park Ranger, and it has been exciting to watch the Ranger program grow. Learning about the city’s urban ecology has taught me many valuable lessons. I wouldn’t be standing here today without that base." As the Great Central Park Field Day wound down, the kids were treated to a performance of "The City that Drinks the Mountain Sky" by The Arm of the Sea Theater. The performance, funded by DEP, told the story of water in our area throughout time. The play started in 13,000 BC and covered many time periods along the way to our present day. "The City that Drinks the Mountain Sky" not only possessed an environmental lesson valuable to today’s youth, but kept all the attendees, child and adult alike, greatly entertained.

(Tuesday, May 22, 1989)

In October 1987 Kermit the Frog helped fellow green creature, The Daily Plant celebrate an important milestone—the green newspaper’s 1,000^th issue. Kermit was the guest at the anniversary party at the Central Park Dairy and was appointed "Official Parks Spokesfrog" by Commissioner Stern.

Now we want to return the favor by telling you about the latest exploits of our green mascot. Next month Kermit will start with his alter ego, Jim Henson, in "The Jim Henson Hour."

"I think housework is the reason most women go to the office."

(b. May 14, 1919)

Know Before You Go

Harlem Meer Center (formerly Lasker Rink)

Harlem Meer Center