By Deputy County Executive Lisa Chimera

On April 22, we celebrated Earth Day, and I had the pleasure of participating in several events, including a clean-up at Black Rock Canal Park with other Erie County employees. I also presented awards to the winners of our Western New York Stormwater Coalition’s Rain Barrel Painting Contest. These were designed by local K-12 classes, and it was so wonderful to celebrate their hard work. We also recognized several local groups with our Erie County Environmental Management Council’s Environmental Excellence Award.

Climate resiliency is always top of mind in county government. I regularly participate in meetings with our Erie County Green Team, and in March our Department of Environment and Planning debuted the county’s draft Community Climate Action Plan. The plan is open for public comment through June 18. To read the plan and submit feedback, visit erie.gov/climateaction.

As we hang up our winter coats and turn the corner into spring, I know many of us are ready to enjoy the outdoors. We are so fortunate to have such wonderful Parks and Recreation facilities here in Erie County. Earlier this month, we opened our county’s newest inclusive playground at Emery Park in South Wales. In addition to being fully accessible to children and anyone else with a disability, these playgrounds allow for everyone to play together. As part of a $3.5 million investment, Erie County will soon have these wonderful and popular facilities at each of our Heritage Parks. It is such a joy to watch children of all levels of ability play together.

Our park rangers have also been hard at work preparing our campgrounds, shelters and trails for the busy spring and summer months. If you do make a reservation please be mindful to leave the area or shelter as you found it and to take everything with you. This goes for our entire parks system. It is so important to keep these natural areas beautiful and litter-free. The plants and animals that call our parks home will thank you! On that note, we also ask that if you enjoy the park with your dog, that you clean up after them and always keep them safely on a leash. We have wonderful events that our rangers work very hard to put on each month. From bird watching to searching for fossils, there is truly something for all ages! To learn more about ranger lead events, or to make a reservation, visit erie.gov/parks.

Another thing many of our residents look forward to this time of year is the start of golf season! Annual passes are now on sale. You can find information and daily updates on course conditions at erie.gov/parks/golf.

This is a wonderful time of the year, full of new life and great hope. With our county’s green initiatives, I am truly hopeful for the resiliency of our local climate. I hope everyone has the opportunity to enjoy our parks this spring. Whether you are planning to visit an inclusive playground, rent a campsite, or hit the links, our rangers are ready to welcome you back.