Members of the Millbrook Garden Club and the Garden Club of Orange and Dutchess Counties will be joining thousands of volunteers across New York State (NYS) on Saturday, May 4 at the City of Poughkeepsie and the Town of Lloyd to celebrate “I Love My Park Day” and to enhance Walkway over the Hudson which is part of New York’s parks, historic sites, greenway trails and other public lands.

The Friends of the Walkway nonprofit organization is dedicated to supporting and improving Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park. The linear park spans the Hudson River between the Town of Lloyd in Ulster County and the City of Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County. Known as “The Great Connector,” the bridge literally and figuratively connects people, places, and generations.

“Our partners at the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic do a wonderful job keeping the Walkway clean, safe, and beautiful throughout the year,” said Lori Robertson, Executive Director, Friends of the Walkway nonprofit organization. “On ‘I Love My Park Day,’ we’re glad to pitch in and volunteer to lend a hand beautifying our unique park space for our visitors.”

Walkway over the Hudson is the nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and improving Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park. The linear park spans the Hudson River between the Town of Lloyd in Ulster County and the City of Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County. Known as “The Great Connector,” the bridge literally and figuratively connects people, places, and generations.

“Garden club members are delighted to join many other New York State volunteers on I Love My Park Day, which is a perfect opportunity to clean up our favorite parks and shorelines, plant trees and gardens, restore trails and wildlife habitat, remove invasive species, and work on various site improvement projects,” said Pam Scott, Chair of the Conservation Committee at the Millbrook Garden Club.

“The Garden Clubs welcome the opportunity to inform the public about the benefits of planting Native Plants for Pollinators,” added Michele Lindsay, Vice President of Orange and Dutchess Garden Club.

After a one-hour docent-led walking tour of the Walkway on Saturday morning, garden club members will break off into small groups to help the Walkway Over the Hudson prepare its garden beds for the spring season. Tasks will include weeding, pruning, planting, mulching, and watering.

The Millbrook Garden Club and the Garden Club of Orange and Dutchess Counties will be donating native pollinator plants, such as Woodland Sunflowers (Helianthus Divaricata) and New England Aster (Symphyotricum Novae Angliae) as well as seeds and seedlings of Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon Hirsutus) for planters located near the entrance ways to the park. This joint initiative dovetails beautifully and naturally with the recent resolution from New York State Assembly creating New York State’s Native Plant month.

Both the Millbrook Garden Club and the Garden Club of Orange and Dutchess Counties are active members in Zone III of the Garden Club of America whose mission is to bring clubs together to cultivate the bond among people, plants, and the environment. One of its main goals is to restore, improve, and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and action in the fields of conservation and civic improvement.