Where can you learn about the wonders of nature and get to experience its glory at the same time? Southeast Brooklyn’s recreational gem, Shirley Chisholm State Park, is rapidly growing in popularity. Proof of the park’s success was in the hundreds of residents who joined NYC Urban Park Rangers and the National Park Service for the first “Wildflower Festival” along the Hendrix Creek Road patio on Sunday, August 28th.
Youngsters enjoyed flower-making arts and crafts activities and chose from a mélange of free books from the organization, “Brooklyn Book Bodega.”
Christine Gallo, who spearheaded the literary resource, told the Canarsie Courier that giving away books implores children to read.
“We believe every house should have at least 100 books,” she said. “For three years, we’ve been partnering with different professionals, including teachers, who donate books to our events and we hope this encourages others to read more often.”
Children also enjoyed an interactive puppet show, called “Plight of the Pollinators,” a whimsical story about a human who turned into a bee and learned about the fascinating species. Children learned about the life of “busy bees” and took part in the educational play.
Other festivities included a bike swap, wherein visitors, mostly youths, brought in their old bikes and got a new bike for free. The bike library, which is an ongoing service at the park, was also in full swing for those who wanted to borrow a rugged set of wheels to take on the rocky nature trails – which can’t be found anywhere else in Brooklyn.
If you’d like to learn about other free programs at the park, or just check out the awesome ecology that inhabits the dozens of acres of open land, visit their Instagram platform @shirleychisholmstatepark.
