Organization Details:

The mission for the Gateway National Recreation Area VIP Program is to link individuals, groups, and the park in the preservation and advancement of the park's resources, while fostering an environment of collaboration and mutual understanding.

Volunteers will be trained to serve effectively and to support the primary goals and objectives of the park to improve resources, provide for safe and enjoyable visits, and to enhance park programs.

Description and/or History:
Gateway NRA is a patchwork park whose 26,000 acres are divided into four units around New York Harbor: Breezy Point on the Rockaway Peninsula; Jamaica Bay; The southeastern shore of Staten Island; and Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Together they offer beaches for swimming and fishing; miles of bike paths and nature trails; dozens of ballfields; one of the finest bird sanctuaries along the Eastern seaboard; and natural areas to enjoy and more importantly, from which to learn.
In the late 1960's, Gateway National Recreation Area was merely a dream held by a few citizen groups, the National Park Service and a number of elected officials, most notably the late Congressman William Fitts Ryan of Manhattan. During his distinguished career, Ryan had devoted himself to working for the people of New York, but his legislation to establish a national park in America's largest metropolis was his greatest success. The creation of Gateway opened a new frontier for the Park Service. Carved from land that was once the property of the State of New Jersey, New York City, the Army and the Navy, Gateway offered inner-city millions of recreational, cultural and educational programs all within an hour of their doorstep. At the same time, Gateway presented the Park Service with its greatest challenge: creating harmony between man and nature in an area of intensive use.

Contact person: Marisol Soto, Volunteer Resource Coordinator, (718) 354-4564, (email)

Address:

210 New York Avenue Staten Island, NY 10305 (See a map)

Directions:

Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Staten Island Railway,   Walk distance (in minutes): 20   Nearest Bus Stop: S51 and S53, 5-10 minute walk