Mine Kill Hosting I Love My Park Day on May 2

Please join Parks and Trails New York, the Friends of Mine Kill and Max V. Shaul State Parks and thousands of volunteers from across the state on Saturday, May 2nd, 2015, from 9am to 3pm, for a great day of fun and service during I Love My Park Day.  Participants will have the opportunity to make a difference at one of the best kept secrets in the northern Catskills –Mine Kill State Park.  To pre-register, please go to http://www.ptny.org/ilovemypark/ , go to www.nysparks.com or contact the Mine Kill office at (518) 827-8690 for more information.

Mine Kill State Park is located in the scenic Schoharie Valley overlooking the New York Power Authority’s Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Project.  The reservoir provides excellent fishing and boating opportunities.  The eight miles of trails, including trails from the Park to the NYPA Visitor Center such as the nationally designated Long Path, are great for hiking, biking and birding.  Cascading 80 feet through a narrow gorge is the picturesque Mine Kill Falls for which the Park is named.  Mine Kill also features the only 18-hole/36-basket, permanent disc golf course at a state park in the Saratoga-Capital Region.    

During I Love My Park Day, volunteers will plant shrubs and trees as part of a beautification of the park entrance and picnic areas, thanks to generous contributions from Home Depot of Oneonta, NY. Participants can also join forces for some much needed trail maintenance along the eight miles of trails in addition to the newly constructed disc golf course.  Assistance is also requested along the Blenheim-Gilboa Reservoir to help pick up trash and debris along the waterfront. Volunteers are encouraged to bring work gloves, a water bottle and comfortable clothing. All other tools and equipment will be provided by the park.

There will also be a picnic barbecue with hot dogs, hamburgers, and refreshing beverages sponsored by Stewart’s Shops.  The barbecue is free to all I Love My Park Day volunteers!  Other snacks and vegetarian options will be provided by the Friends of Mine Kill and Max V. Shaul State Parks.  Registered volunteers will receive complimentary Stewart’s Shops refreshments as well as a commemorative I Love My Park Day 2015 t-shirt and other free giveaways.

I Love My Park Day is coordinated at the statewide level by Parks and Trails New York in partnership with New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Friends groups and park staff will oversee cleanup, improvement and beautification projects and work alongside volunteers.  

I Love My Park Day is sponsored statewide in 2015 by LL Bean, AT&T, Brookfield, the Corning Incorporated Foundation, The New York State Business Council, Price Chopper and America’s Best Value Inn.  Locally, I Love My Park Day at Max V. Shaul is sponsored by the Friends of Mine Kill and Max V. Shaul Group, Stewart’s Shops, Home Depot- Oneonta and the Schoharie County Soil and Water Conservation District.

About Friends of MK & MVS State Parks: The Friends of Mine Kill & Max V. Shaul State Parks are proud supporters of preservation, education, and recreation at the parks. We volunteer often at the parks, and assist in programming and development of the parks for present and future generations. Our group is open to everyone who enjoys Mine Kill and Max V. Shaul State Parks, and we hope that you will join us.

About PTNY: Parks & Trails New York is the leading statewide organization working to preserve and enhance a network of parks, greenways and trails for all New Yorkers for generations to come. Since 1985, our influential reports and advocacy efforts have been critical to keeping parks and historic sites open and protecting New York’s natural, recreational, cultural and historical resources. For more information, visit www.ptny.org.