FRIENDS OF HAMLIN BEACH STATE PARK

Participated in Park Advocacy Day in Albany with 130 other Friends group members to advocate for increased financial support for New York State parks. Secured induction of Hamlin Beach State Park into the Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame in 2023 and established the Sandstone Heritage Award to promote appreciation of Medina Sandstone.

Engages in fundraising and grant writing to support the preservation, conservation, and development of Hamlin Beach State Park, including acquisition of equipment, supplies, and funding for educational and recreational programs.

Hosts a range of educational events including Crayfish Crawl, Winged Wonders bat survey, Great Lakes Ecology program, and guided nature walks such as “Seasonal Saunter,” “Discover the Amazing Wonders of Devil’s Nose,” and “Full Moon Phenology.” Offers a homeschool ecology series with tiered programming and co-hosts family programs for children under 8 with NYS Parks and Hamlin Public Library. Presents educational displays at schools and community events.

Organizes annual events including First Day Hikes on January 1 with over 100 participants, “Salute to America” with a children’s sandcastle contest, concert, and fireworks, and the 2024 NYS Parks Centennial celebration featuring a non-competitive sandcastle contest. Co-hosted the Teddy Bear Picnic at Hamlin Public Library and participates in Hamlin Wheelfest to engage the community and recruit members.

Monitors bluebird and purple martin populations annually at Hamlin Beach State Park and Lakeside State Park, maintaining 39 bluebird nesting boxes and three purple martin condos (totaling 42 units) at Hamlin and additional boxes at Lakeside. Conducts weekly monitoring of bluebird nesting activity from April to August, reports data to the NYS Bluebird Society, and recorded 103 successful bluebird fledglings in 2022. Cleans and repairs nesting boxes after each season.

Coordinates annual volunteer efforts including beach cleanups, trail maintenance, tree planting, shelter cleaning, kiosk upkeep, garden weeding, and campsite setup. Organizes participation in “I Love My Park Day” each May with approximately 100 volunteers contributing to large-scale park improvement projects. Contributed thousands of volunteer hours to beautify the park and maintain infrastructure.

Installs and maintains accessible park features including stone dust paths, Mobi mats, 21 accessible picnic tables, and an accessible platform at Yanty Marsh. Led efforts to repair and stabilize the shoreline after storm damage in 1973 and constructed park infrastructure historically during the CCC era, including roads, trails, shelters, and seawalls. Reclaimed 90 acres of swamp land and built six buildings between 1935 and 1941.

Collaborates with park staff to preserve Yanty Marsh, including constructing an 1,830-foot protective wall after 1998 storm damage and developing the Yanty Creek Nature Trail in 1977 as an accessible, self-guided trail with interpretive signage. Maintains pollinator gardens with milkweed, Purple Coneflower, and other native species to support Monarch butterflies, bees, and birds.

Constructs and sells wooden bluebird nesting boxes and assembly kits with instructions; also creates free grab-and-go craft kits for children, including rock painting and birdfeeder making activities, distributed annually to campers and visitors.