New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut BRINGING THE OUTDOORS CLOSER TO HOME IN 2026 AND BEYOND
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Connecting everyone to the outdoors in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut Access to nature isn’t a luxury; it’s essential. You make it possible for Trust for Public Land to protect and create community-centered outdoor spaces that improve health and wellness, increase climate resilience, and bolster social connections. You help TPL advance this important work through on-the-ground project delivery and comprehensive systems change across the country. In the last year, we have made incredible strides in the region. We conserved iconic landscapes that define our communities. We advanced trail and greenway efforts to connect communities to each other and to the places they love. We opened new community schoolyards and broke ground on a new park to improve health and well-being. We built strong partnerships with local organizations and supported park advocates as they advance the policies and funding needed to build robust park systems.
As we celebrate all we have accomplished, there is more work to be done. The need for equitable access to nature continues to grow, and so do the challenges and opportunities facing our health, climate, and communities. With your continued support, we can rise to meet this moment. Thank you for joining us as we connect everyone to the outdoors. With gratitude,
Everything we do reflects our shared commitment to support both people and the places that matter most to them. 2 |
Walker Holmes Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Region
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Community Schoolyards Meeting Community Needs
Schoolyard transformation at P.S. 224X in the Bronx. PHOTOS BY MADDALENA POLLET TA; ALEX A HOYER
Every child deserves access to safe, welcoming outdoor spaces that support learning, health, and well-being. Yet many children live in neighborhoods and attend schools with little access to nature, quality play spaces, or nearby parks. That’s why for 30 years TPL has worked hand-in-hand with children and families to transform schoolyards into vibrant community parks that meet their unique needs.
New York Across New York City, residents are feeling the effects of climate change: Extreme heat, destructive flooding, and more frequent and severe storms. That’s why we plant 20–30 trees per schoolyard and add green infrastructure, increasing the shade canopy and capturing rain. The results mean schoolyards combat the urban heat island effect and help reduce flooding. On average, our schoolyards in New York City capture 1 million gallons of stormwater annually. This year, we celebrated the opening of a total of six new schoolyards in spring and fall 2026: P.S. 57X, P.S./I.S. 224X, and P.S. 146X in the Bronx; P.S. 380K in Brooklyn; and P.S. 69Q in Queens.
New Jersey In Newark, schoolyards offer students and families an easy place to connect with nature and spend time outdoors. Responding to Newark residents’ desires and 4 |
needs, TPL is incorporating community gardens into schoolyards across the city. These schoolyard gardens help reduce food insecurity and related health risks. They also encourage cognitive, physical, and social development. Teachers integrate garden programming into art, math, science, and history lessons. And students can get their hands dirty and interact with nature. Most excitingly, these vibrant and plant-filled schoolyards are inspiring a whole new generation of nature-loving kids and are creating a community of environmental stewards. In addition to our work at individual school sites, we are advocating for new policies so that districts, agencies, and other organizations can more easily fund, build, and maintain parks and community schoolyards across the country. For example, over the past year, TPL has partnered with Camden County to explore a countylevel ballot measure to fund these projects.
Look for an update on this ballot measure and others at tpl.org/2026-ballot-measures.
Sparking a Schoolyard Movement Our community schoolyard movement is spreading outside of the U.S. as well: Inspired by our program, elected officials in cities as far away as London, Paris, and Seoul are exploring ways to model their own schoolyard greening efforts after TPL’s schoolyard success.
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From the Students TPL’s community schoolyards invite students to become junior landscape architects through our participatory design process, during which they get to work directly with industry professionals on their vision. Students identify challenges, dream big, test ideas, and gather feedback from classmates and neighbors to shape the final designs that transform schoolyards into greener, healthier, and more welcoming places. The results are both imaginative and deeply practical. From coast to coast, TPL and our local partners are bringing joy, togetherness, and climate resilience to students and neighborhoods, one community schoolyard at a time.
5th grade Charlotte says about a pink basketball court designed to give girls a space to confidently play:
3rd grade Kamali says about a pollinator garden:
“[The garden smell] makes my nostrils say, ‘This is nature.’ I’m breathing in nature.”
“It just makes me comfortable, and it makes me happy. And it makes me, honestly, believe in myself, because I’m not alone on this court.”
5th grade Sebastian says about seeing his completed schoolyard transformation:
“I felt really accomplished after I helped design it. It was like, ‘Yeah, I did that.’” 1st grade Jack says about the mushroom stepping stools that reflect the neighborhood’s past as woodlands:
“We use them for hopping on. We can go one by one by one by one and sometimes we skip one or two.”
Student speaker at the opening celebration for P.S. 57X in the Bronx. PHOTO BY ALEX A HOYER; ABOVE: Students jump on mushroom stools at P.S. 229 in Queens. PHOTO BY CARIN VAN DER DONK
Note: Student quotes, except for Sebastian, were published in the New York Times, What Happens When Kids Design Playgrounds? by Winnie Hu in June 2026.
Broadway Park in Newark, New Jersey Broadway Park is a two-acre plot of land in Newark’s North Ward and has been unused for as long as most residents can remember. Since the early 1980s, the city and residents have wanted to turn this former auto garage into a vibrant green space. TPL is helping the city and residents make this dream a reality. During the design process, TPL worked with students at nearby schools, as well as local community organizations and partners in the neighborhood, to create a design that incorporated everyone’s ideas. In June, we broke ground on this reimagined park. The new park will have a community garden, a meditation area, a musical play area, an exercise area, a large lawn for outdoor movies or performances, a splash pad for hot summer days, and a playground with a slide embedded into the slope of the land.
After 20 years of organizing community members around their love of parks, Donna Kirkland is retiring from TPL. From intern to senior director of community engagement in Newark, Donna opened doors for community groups, strengthened neighborhood connections, and helped secure resources that brought community visions to life. She helped ensure that Newark residents shaped the future of their own neighborhoods by lifting the voices of locals. Through Donna’s leadership, TPL helped foster lasting community partnerships, including the formation of park “friends groups” and United Parks As One (UPAO), which continue to advance park stewardship, youth programs, and community organizing in Newark. “You know, nothing happens overnight,” Donna says of her work at TPL. “But I can say, in Newark we planted seeds and they’ve blossomed.” Donna truly embodies TPL’s community-at-thecenter spirit and has mentored many staff members whose roots are firmly planted in our land-for-people mission. We are so grateful for Donna and her tremendous impact in Newark and across our organization.
We anticipate celebrating the park opening in summer 2027.
Barringer High School in Newark, NJ. PHOTO BY ROBERT YOUNG
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As part of our continuing Newark Park Equity Project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and co-led with United Parks as One (UPAO), TPL continues to encourage local organizations to host community events at local parks, such as farmers markets, health fairs, and neighborhood nights out.
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In neighborhoods across the country, parks serve as essential community infrastructure, improving quality of life for people of all ages and backgrounds. By engaging community members through planning and design, TPL ensures that parks become welcoming spaces where people feel a sense of ownership, belonging, and pride. The result is not simply a new or refreshed park, but a stronger, healthier, and more connected community.
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Welcoming Parks, Thriving Neighborhoods
Creating the Conditions to Close the Park Equity Gap Parks are essential and dynamic spaces; investments in these green spaces reflect the core values and goals of a community. But it is difficult to identify which investments are needed. That’s where TPL’s ParkScore© index and Park Equity Accelerator initiative can help! TPL’s ParkScore index evaluates the park systems of the 100 most populous cities in the U.S., using advanced mapping, with ratings based on five equally weighted factors: access, acreage, investment, amenities, and equity. This free, data-driven tool provides communities, park professionals, and city decisionmakers with the information they need to help close the park equity gap. The rankings also help garner media attention for TPL’s mission, highlighting the why of parks: health, equity, community, and climate. Guided by ParkScore data, we can recommend strategic approaches for civic leaders to make targeted, datainformed investments and identify the parks and neighborhoods most in need, improving a city’s overall parks system by targeting investments to reduce park inequities rather than reinforce them.
We Grow Camden TPL is partnering with residents, community organizations, and the City of Camden to grow a healthier, more resilient urban forest where it is needed most. In 2026, the initiative reached an important milestone as implementation accelerated with the planting of more than 380 trees across five public parks and a neighborhood street median. These new trees are part of a long-term vision to plant more than 3,000 trees throughout Camden, expanding tree canopy, improving neighborhood health, and creating greener public spaces for future generations. Nearly 200 residents and over 150 employees from Campbell’s and Subaru joined the planting days. In a city that has long faced environmental and public health challenges, expanding the urban forest is an investment in both climate resilience and community well-being.
As part of our Park Equity Accelerator (PEA) initiative, TPL provides select cities technical assistance and data resources to address their park equity issues. In Connecticut, Bridgeport and New Haven were selected as part of the third cohort of PEA cities. In Bridgeport, we are creating a standardized framework for assessing the quality, amenities, and equity of the city’s parks to guide priority improvements and future developments. In New Haven, we are identifying and developing policies and practices to improve the Parks Department’s ability to invest in park maintenance, engagement, and improvements. We Grow Camden tree planting day. PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
Trails & Greenways
Ride the East bike event in May 2026, cohosted by TPL and the East Coast Greenway Alliance, on the Air Line State Park Trail (North). PHOTO BY JARED BELTZ FOR BELTZ CREATIVE
Whether linking neighborhoods within a city or connecting communities across an entire region, trails and greenways connect people to the places that matter in their lives. They provide opportunities for recreation and exploration, support healthier lifestyles, strengthen local economies, and connect neighborhoods to schools, businesses, parks, and public lands. TPL works with communities and partners to create and protect trail networks that expand access to the outdoors and strengthen connections between people and place. These investments create lasting benefits for residents and visitors alike.
QueensWay In the densely populated borough of Queens, the Rockaway Branch rail line has sat idle for 60 years, and residents have few options for accessing nearby parks. We are transforming this 3.5-mile stretch of abandoned railway, spanning nearly 50 acres, into the QueensWay, a culturally vibrant, automobile-free, destination greenway connected to parks, gathering areas, businesses, and transit. 8 |
After years of advocacy from the community, the first section—the five-acre, 0.3-mile Metropolitan Hub—is now fully funded and moving toward construction. Groundbreaking is anticipated in winter 2027, with construction expected to take approximately two years. We will continue to engage the community through tours, community cleanups, birding events, and tabling at neighborhood events and public spaces.
Long Island Greenway In late 2020, the State of New York provided a way for anyone to hike or bike its vast expanse almost entirely— almost. Despite two routes totaling 750 miles, the Empire State Trail stopped short of Long Island. Between Manhattan and Long Island’s tip near Montauk, not far from some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, there was still no trail. It’s this glaring omission that TPL’s Long Island Greenway proposes to remedy. Running nearly 200 miles from Manhattan to Montauk, the Long Island Greenway will provide 27 communities with greater access to green space and connect to 26 existing parks, all while offering New Yorkers an escape
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into nature. And it will link residents of Long Island, including those in Brooklyn and Queens, to the Empire State Trail. Construction on the first section, which links Bethpage State Park to Brentwood State Park, will begin in winter 2027. This is the first phase of this multiyear effort. Watch this video to learn more!
Patriots’ Path in Morristown, NJ Thousands of people enjoy exploring the 75-mile Patriots’ Path trail network each year. The trail stretches across Morris County, connecting parks, open spaces, recreation facilities, and historic sites along paved paths and hiking trails. However, some segments of the trail are underutilized due to a lack of signage, limited maintenance, and perceptions of inaccessibility. To help unlock the full potential of the trail network, TPL is revitalizing a 1-mile section that runs along the scenic eastern shoreline of Lake Pocahontas, where a perceived lack of access discourages public use. The improved segment will create a welcoming space that encourages recreation, connection, and community pride. Through inclusive engagement and community-centered design process, we aim to create a trail experience that is safe, welcoming, and meaningful for all who use it.
Bridgeport Seawalk in Bridgeport, Connecticut Championed by the community, the Bridgeport Seawalk is a coastal greenway with signature park spaces that will reconnect neighborhoods to nature and to each other. When the entire 20-mile project is complete, it will unlock public access to the shoreline for nearly 40,000 largely low-income residents living within a 10-minute walk. We have three efforts underway to bring this vision to life: two are nearing construction (Sliver by the River and Yellow Mill Channel) and a third is in early community engagement and design (Bostwick Greenway).
TOP: New Bridgeport Seawalk logo unveiled. BOTTOM: Lake Pocahontas from the Patriots’ Path. PHOTOS BY TPL STAFF
TPL has engaged over 2,000 residents in communitydriven activities as part of the Waterfront Advisory Board with the goal of connecting the Bridgeport community to the outdoors and each other. We also launched a contest to select the new logo for the Bridgeport Seawalk, receiving over 200 design submissions and over 1,000 public votes to select the winning logo.
MORE TRAILS TO COME! River Rock Connector Trail in Buffalo, NY: We are working to transform an underutilized freight rail corridor and surrounding streets into a 5.1-mile shared-use trail that connects four underserved Northwest Buffalo neighborhoods to parks, the waterfront, the Empire State Trail, and everyday destinations. Binghamton Rail Trail Loop in Broome County, NY: We are working with local partners to build a continuous, accessible trail network in Broome County by linking existing trails with a 12-mile loop.
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Protecting Cherished Landscapes TPL works with landowners, communities, public agencies, and partners to protect the lands that matter most. From forests and rivers to working lands and recreation areas, these efforts help expand public access, strengthen climate resilience, and protect natural resources that support both people and wildlife. Together, we are ensuring that cherished landscapes remain healthy, accessible, and protected for years to come.
Rabbit Hole Farm in Newark, New Jersey Over the last decade, community members transformed Newark’s Rabbit Hole Farm from an abandoned lot into a dynamic, volunteer-led urban sanctuary. The farm shares its harvest—peaches, paw paws, cherries, hazelnuts, melons, squashes, collards, and herbs—with multigenerational community members and provides them with artistic and cultural programming. TPL helped Rabbit Hole Farm gain ownership of the farm site and now we are working together to raise funds to support facility improvements and increase programming. Nearly 9,000 Newark residents live within a 10-minute walk of this incredible community-led organization.
Camp Laurel in Lebanon, Connecticut For decades, the 350-acre Camp Laurel has allowed its campers quintessential camp experiences like hiking and swimming, but more importantly, the opportunity to build confidence and foster empowerment while connecting to the beautiful Connecticut outdoors. The camp is located between Mono Pond State Park Reserve and the forested Air Line State Park Trail, and it is home to the headwaters of the Ten Mile River. Today, TPL is working to protect these cherished childhood memories and help create new memories for the entire town. With the help of our partners, Camp Laurel will be protected in fall 2026 and will provide unparalleled recreational access for the entire community.
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Rabbit Hole Farm in Newark, New Jersey. PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge in Westbrook, Connecticut TPL has a 20-year history of protecting land at Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, totaling over 100 acres since 2002. Now, we have a pressing opportunity to enlarge the Refuge once again by protecting an additional 20-acre lowland forest as part of the Salt Meadow Unit before it is purchased by developers. The land to be added will provide a critical sanctuary for migratory birds. It also provides essential buffers against flooding and storm surges and will expand access to nature for neighboring communities. This effort is part of a bold vision to protect the health of Long Island Sound by preserving natural landscapes that improve climate resilience, protect clean water, and sustain wildlife. With only 20 percent of the state’s coastline in public ownership, safeguarding remaining undeveloped shoreline is more urgent than ever.
Nelson Augustus Moore Homestead in Berlin, Connecticut Nestled along the scenic and historic High Road in Berlin, Connecticut, sits the home and former farm of a prolific and renowned painter, Nelson Augustus Moore. Moore’s paintings reflect the deep inspiration he found in these very fields, cliffs, wetlands, and woodlands.
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His former homestead offers a striking mosaic of rolling meadows, cliffs, wetlands, and forested landscapes— critical habitat and a legacy of a passionate naturalist that must be protected. With the support of the community and local partners, TPL is working to protect the property and preserve the historic farmhouse to provide new opportunities for recreation, education, and connection so that, just like Moore’s paintings, this land can continue to inspire generations to come.
Murray Farm in Orange County, New York Over 3 million visitors explore the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT) each year, including roughly 3,000 who attempt to hike the trail in its entirety. For decades, Jim Murray—one of the original 1989 AT thru-hikers known as “Backpack Jim”—has welcomed hikers to rest, swim, and experience the trail’s unique sense of community on his 80-plus-acre family farm. With the Murray family, the National Park Service (NPS), and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, TPL is working to permanently protect Murray Farm and Jim’s legacy. Protecting this land will allow for a much-needed trail
APPALACHIA UNITED OUTDOORS Together with a coalition of over 40 regional partners, TPL is leading the Appalachia United Outdoors (AUO). This transformative, multistate initiative aims to strengthen local economies through outdoor recreation in Alabama, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee, with a focus on economically distressed and at-risk areas, where outdoor access and its health and economic benefits are often least available. Initial efforts are already underway, including Murray Farm. To learn more about this program, visit tpl.org/appalachia-united-outdoors.
realignment from a flood-prone swamp and conserve this ecologically important land. We are proud to play a role in making the farm and the AT accessible to everyone.
Murray Farm in Orange County, New York. PHOTO BY TPL STAFF
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THANK YOU for helping create parks, protect special places, and connect more people to the outdoors in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and beyond.
NEW YORK OFFICE 632 Broadway, Suite 902 New York, NY 10012
Join us Your gift ensures everyone has access to the outdoors. Every park we create, schoolyard we transform, trail we extend, and landscape we protect is thanks to supporters like you. tpl.org/donate
NEW JERSEY OFFICE 60 Park Place, Suite 901 Newark, NJ 07102 CONNECTICUT OFFICE 470 James Street, Suite 7 New Haven, CT 06513
Jennifer Paprotna Region Director of Philanthropy jennifer.paprotna@tpl.org 917.960.4658 Amanda Kutner Director of Philanthropy amanda.kutner@tpl.org 973.241.4993 Rachel Ciborowski Associate Director of Philanthropy rachel.ciborowski@tpl.org 332.245.2832
COVER, L ARGE: © JARED BELTZ FOR BELTZ CREATIVE; TOP TO BOTTOM: © ALEX A HOYER; © KRIST YN MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY; © RICH FREEDA; THIS PAGE: © GARY JUDKINS / PIVOT L ANUGAGE MEDIA