LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Alley
Pond Environmental Center on June 20, 2016

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize those
individuals and organizations within the great State of New York that
are dedicated to the vital work of environmental protection; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 40th Anniversary of the Alley Pond Environmental Center, to be
celebrated at its Green Gala on Monday, June 20, 2016, at Flushing
Meadows-Corona Park, Flushing, New York; and
WHEREAS, This year's distinguished honorees include: Kevin P. Lynch,
Veteran Labor Organizer and Official, Green Leadership Award; and Irene
V. Scheid, Executive Director of the Alley Pond Environmental Center,
Environmental Education Award; and
WHEREAS, The Alley Pond Environmental Center (APEC), a nonprofit envi-
ronmental education organization, is dedicated to educating children and
adults in the New York metropolitan area, protecting and preserving
Alley Pond Park, open spaces and waterbodies, and advocating for
sustainable environmental policies and practices; and
WHEREAS, Just a few steps from the bustling traffic of Northern Boule-
vard, the Alley Pond Environmental Center is a gem of the natural world
in the middle of northeastern Queens; this vital organization is situ-
ated within Alley Pond Park, where over 635 acres of forests, meadows,
ponds, and fresh and salt water marshes are home to more than 300
species of birds and other wildlife; and
WHEREAS, Visitors both young and old of the Alley Pond Environmental
Center can walk its wetland and forest trails, observe the animals and
plants, listen to the quiet, enjoy the changing seasons, and understand
our essential connection to wild nature, even in this busiest of cities;
and
WHEREAS, The Alley Pond Environmental Center was not always the
protected natural environment it is today; in previous decades, wetlands
were considered to be wastelands and many were filled in to make way for
road construction, farming, flood control and other activities; and
WHEREAS, The acres of salt marsh where APEC is now located became
dumping grounds for debris from the construction of the Cross Island
Parkway in the 1930s and the Long Island Expressway in the 1950s; into
the early 1970s, this neglected area remained in horrific condition,
subjected to a constant bombardment of dumping; and
WHEREAS, By the early 1970s, a new understanding of the importance of
wetlands was developing, and a group of determined educators and activ-
ists envisioned the damaged landscape bordering the Cross Island Parkway
as a wildlife refuge and living lab for environmental education; and
WHEREAS, As a direct result of grassroots organizing and a partnership
with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the Alley
Pond Environmental Center was established within Alley Pond Park in
1972; just two years later, the Parks Department created the Wetlands
Reclamation Project and began rehabilitating the natural wetlands of the
park; and
WHEREAS, In 1976, APEC moved to its present location in the park, on
Northern Boulevard, into a building that was formerly used as a furni-
ture store; the tremendous efforts of the founders was rewarded in 1979,
when APEC was designated a National Environmental Study Area; and
WHEREAS, The spirit and dedication of APEC's supporters through the
years have been instrumental to its growth into a beloved community
resource and regional education center; and

WHEREAS, In the years since its inception, the Alley Pond Environ-
mental Center and its programming has grown by leaps and bounds; from a
few classes each week in a small, stone park building, APEC now hosts
more than 60,000 visitors each year; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, school programs serve students from the five
boroughs of New York City as well as Nassau and Suffolk counties, and
public programs are available for visitors of all ages; and
WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon all citizens to recognize and applaud
the efforts of organizations and individuals such as the Alley Pond
Environmental Center who work tirelessly on behalf of protecting our
natural surroundings for the benefit of present and future generations
of New Yorkers; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Alley Pond Environmental Center
on June 20, 2016; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Alley Pond Environmental Center, Kevin P. Lynch and Irene
V. Scheid.