Senator Martins Announces State Funding For Herricks Pond Park Improvements

     Senator Jack M. Martins (R-7th Senate District) announced that he has secured state funding for Nassau County to make new improvements at Herricks Pond Park in New Hyde Park.

     Herricks Pond Park is a four acre passive park located at the corner of Herricks Road and Searingtown Road. In addition to being a passive park open to the public, it is also used by the Herricks School District as a hands-on learning tool to teach students about ecosystems and the importance of protecting the environment.

     “Further enhancing Herricks Pond Park will benefit residents, students, and the environment as a whole.  Working in partnership with Nassau County and the Herricks School District, we’re not just beautifying a park; we’re improving a living ecosystem that is an invaluable learning tool for local students,” said Senator Martins.

     Herricks Pond Park underwent the first phase of an improvement project as part of the 2006 Nassau County Environmental Bond Act.  Phase I included construction of a paved walkway, observation/fishing pier, educational seating area, a bus drop-off zone, removal of invasive vegetation and installation of native plantings designed for a pond environment.  A second phase was planned to complete the walkway circumventing the pond, remove the remainder of the invasive plants, install additional native vegetation, and stock the pond with native warm water fish species. 

     The funding secured by Senator Martins will allow Nassau County to complete the Phase II improvements.  According to Nassau County, work is expected to begin in the spring and be completed by the end of the summer.

     “This is great news for Nassau County, the Herricks School District and the New Hyde Park community as a whole,” said Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano. “In Nassau County, we are focused on making our communities a place where people choose to live, work, and raise their families, and parks play a key role in doing just that.  I thank Senator Martins for securing funds for this project.”

            "We are extremely grateful to Senator Martins for his efforts in obtaining funding for improvements to the Herricks Pond Park. The enhancements to the Park will certainly enhance the community's enjoyment of this beautiful oasis.  In addition, the Park will  provide a true living classroom where our students can learn valuable lessons about the environment, ecosystems and a variety of indigenous species of plant life. The educational benefits for our students in Herricks are enormous," said Herricks School District Superintendent Dr. Fino Celano.

            "A heartfelt thank you to Senator Jack Martins for helping both me and Herricks Public Schools champion efforts to secure the $100,000 New York State Grant to continue the work at Herricks Pond Park for the environmental education of K-12 students. We are grateful that Senator Jack Martins has successfully advocated for providing an outdoor classroom, a glacial kettle pond, which will enrich students' Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning," said Susan D’Andrilli, a fifth grade teacher at Center Street School who helped spearhead the original project design.