Rensselaer students and staff participated in a citywide cleanup project, at Prospect Park this past weekend, in celebration of Earth Day. The project, one of many throughout the city of Troy, was held in conjunction with the Friends of Prospect Park, a conservancy dedicated to preserving and maintaining the historical park.
The park was designed by Rensselaer’s first African-American graduate, Garnet Douglass Baltimore. Opening in 1907, the park has provided the residents of Troy a place to refresh their spirits while enjoying outdoor activities for over 100 years. Participants spent the day raking leaves, and doing general spring cleanup projects, and all enjoyed discovering the beautiful vistas. Many were impressed to discover all that the park has to offer with its playgrounds, tennis courts, picnic areas, and trails, according to project coordinator Christopher Nolin, director of community and state relations.
The group also received a brief history of the park by the Friends of Prospect Park president Peter Grimm, director of university events.
Read more about Garnet Douglass Baltimore in Rensselaer magazine: http://www.rpi.edu/magazine/winter2005-06/features/feature3-pg1.html