Baisley Pond Park in Queen, New York, United State

Where can you gaze at turtles peeking out from under lily pads, join a cricket game, or play on newly renovated playgrounds…all within a stone’s throw of a bustling international airport? Southeastern Queens’ Baisley Pond Park in New York. An expansive 110 acres, the park offers amenities for naturalists and athletes of all ages. With millions of dollars recently allotted to enhance the park, as well as an initiative to promote and bring new programming to parks in the area, Parks and Recreation is pleased to announce Baisley Pond Park as August’s Park of the Month.

The selection of Baisley Pond Park for this honor speaks volumes about the superb greenspaces in southeastern Queens

said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “With our ongoing initiative to promote parks in southeastern Queens, we take the diamonds—Baisley Pond Park, Brookeville Park, Idlewild Park and Springfield Park—from the rough. At Baisley Pond Park in particular, we are incredibly grateful for recent funding for improvements from City Council Member Thomas White, Jr. and Borough President Helen M. Marshall.”

Council Member White has long been committed to Baisley Pond Park, having funded the construction of Mother Carter Garden in honor of community icon Laura “Mother” Carter, as well as renovations to several of the playgrounds in thepark during the 1990s. He also recently allotted $2.5 million for future projects. Borough President Marshall also contributed $700,000 for new pathways last year.

The improvements benefit a park that has served the southeastern Queens community for close to 90 years. One of the oldest artificial bodies of water on Long Island, 30-acre Baisley Pond was created in the 18th century when farmers dammed three streams to power a grain mill. The pond andpark are named for David Baisley, a local farmer who owned the land and who operated the mill in the early 19th century.

The park remains a vital natural habitat for many species of plant and animal life.

Besides its abundance of lily pads, the pond is home to bullfrogs and multiple species of turtles—red-eared sliders, snapping turtles, and musk turtles. Eight varieties of dragonflies and a spectacular array of bird life including Canadian geese, coots, herons, and egrets also thrive in thepark.
Although rich in flora and fauna with ample facilities, the park has not hosted major events in recent years. Parks hopes that its new initiative to increase event programming throughout southeastern Queens will start a new trend—beginning with the first-ever Southern Queens Gospel Fest. The Gospel Fest will debut in Baisley PondPark on Saturday, September 30, 2006 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Those interested in registering a choir or receiving more information about the event should call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov/parks.

Park of the Month introduces some our greatest parks and greenspaces to curious New Yorkers and visitors alike.

Source : nycgovparks.org