Nyack Beack Trim the Trails Event - 6 November, 2009

'Lumberjack' festival to be held at Nyack Beach State Park

Laura Incalcaterra
lincalca@lohud.com

UPPER NYACK - It's probably the ultimate in "green" recycling.

Take a dead or downed tree, use a two-man saw and traditional tools to craft a rustic bench, then place the seating in a public setting.

Volunteers plan to build six Knickerbocker benches Nov. 14 when the Trim-a-Trail festival takes place at Nyack Beach State Park.

The event is a bit of a "lumberjack" festival and follows on the heels of two successful winter ice festivals at the adjacent Rockland Lake State Park.

The activities are meant to be family-friendly and to connect people with the state parks, as well as celebrate the heritage of the area, said Tim Englert, development specialist for the Palisades Interstate Park Commission.

The commission and Keep Rockland Beautiful have worked together to organize the festival. The commission oversees Nyack Beach and the adjacent Hook Mountain, as well as Rockland Lake.

Keep Rockland Beautiful provides environmental education in classrooms, organizes annual cleanups of roadsides and waterways and supports beautification projects throughout the county, among other efforts.

Teams of volunteers will clear six areas between the 4.75-mile trail that runs up to the Dutchtown section of Ha-verstraw. They'll remove invasive species, collect trash and prepare each site, Englert said.

On the upper plateau of the park, which is accessed via the traffic circle near the park's entrance, a portable saw will be set up.

Dead or downed hardwoods from the state parks will be cut in half at the "saw mill," then bases made to create benches. Traditional wood-working tools will also be used.

Members of the Artists in the Parks organization will have their works on display, which will also be for sale. Members have helped raise about $5,000 for the benefit of the parks in the past year or so, Englert said.

The park's historic powerhouse will also be open to the public. Visitors can feast on "lumberjack" pancakes or chili and hang out by the giant fireplace, which will be lit for the occasion .

All of the food will be served in compostable containers, Englert said.

Visitors can also check out the woodwork inside the building, where historic articles telling the story of the effort to save areas that became state parkland will be displayed . Upstairs, Eastern Mountain Sports representatives of will explain how equip- ment works and how to stay warm while outdoors in winter.

Around 3:30 p.m., the State Workers, whose members are actually employed by the state, will perform. They use musical instruments of their own making, all using recycled materials.

Ted Sestak, den leader for Weblos Den 1 of Nyack-Valley Cottage, said members of his den would participate. The fourth- and fifth-graders will clear a site, then get a chance to use some of the tools and help make a bench.

Sestak said the boys would learn more about caring for the environment, get a chance to be outdoors and help raise money for the betterment of the parks.

He's personally looking forward to the festival because it will give him a chance to spend time with his son, Jack. He hoped all the boys will find the experience memorable.

"It'll be something you can always come back to," Sestak said. "The kids can say, 'I helped build that.' "

Englert has successfully organized the annual Knickerbocker Ice Festival, which was held the past two winters at Rockland Lake and was intended to honor the ice industry that once thrived at the site, embrace the role the arts play in the betterment of the parks and provide an activity for families.

Additional Facts
Trim-a-Trail
The Palisades Interstate Park Commission and Keep Rockland Beautiful will host the Trim-a-Trail festival from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 14 at Nyack Beach State Park, North Broadway in Upper Nyack.
Volunteers will clear debris from trails and make benches at a portable "saw mill." The sawing will begin at 9 a.m.
Artists in the Park will display their works, which will be for sale to benefit the parks.
A "lumberjack" meal of pancakes or chili will be available all day. The cost is $5 per person and includes a drink. There is no parking fee.
The State Workers, who perform on instruments made of recycled materials, will play about 3:30 p.m.
Visitors are encouraged to wear flannel and suspenders and other "lumberjack" clothing to the event.

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