On Sunday, August 10th, 2025, AYLUS Oakland Gardens held their 186th event at Crocheron Park at 214-41 34th Ave, Bayside, NY 1136. The event was from 8:30 to 12:00. For this event, AYLUS Oakland Gardens worked alongside Friends of Crocheron, Girl Scouts, and Students Conservation Association to improve Crocheron Park’s Golden Park.
At the start of the event, Emi, the event organizer from Girl Scouts, introduced Jessica from Friends of Crocheron and Julian from the Student Conservation Association. Then, the members were divided into three separate groups and tasked with different activities. One group went with Emi and Julian to the back of the Golden Pond. The path is unstable because of the recent downpours, causing mud and organic material to land on the path. This group was tasked with removing weeds from underneath the beaches near the beginning of the path. Then, the group went to collect gravel that had piled up on the path. This was done because the Park doesn’t want the loose gravel to flow into the Pond and cause it to be even shallower. Since having a shallow pond can have negative effects on the organisms already living in the Pond. Also, the members used the collected gravel and tamped it into exposed soil on the path. This prevents the path from being washed away by the rain as easily. Lastly, this group went to some wooden planks on the path that were built on top of mud puddles. Due to the rain, the organic material got stuck underneath the plank and prevented water from flowing underneath the plank. The organic material was quite packed underneath the plank, making it difficult to remove. So AYLUS Oakland Gardens members worked together to dig little tunnels that went underneath the plank, which allows water to flow through the tunnel and into the pond. We used our communication skills to say when help was needed and warn others about their surroundings. There was another group that was edging the pavement at the front of the pond. They used shovels and brooms to move the weeds into plastic bags. The last group was tasked with trash collecting. This group would walk around the park and look for any trash on the paths or use nets to fish out trash that was floating in the pond.
During this event, some members saw a Blue Grey Heron. Seeing the Blue Grey Heron near the pond shows that picking up trash near the pond and into to pond wasn’t just about the appearance of the pond or park. It was about providing a safe environment where native animals can call the pond or park their home. AYLUS Oakland Gardens members work together to not only leave the park better than before, but also help protect the homes of the nearby animals. These events provide a great way for members to go outside and enjoy nature, while also preserving it. It also out members to experience things that they don’t get to see daily. Like seeing a Blue Grey Heron out in the wild, as it is often seen in the city.
So we want to thank Emi for allowing us the opportunity to work alongside her and support the cause of bettering our community. We also want to thank Julian and Jessica for teaching us how to protect our local parks. Also, we appreciate the munchkins and coffee that you guys brought; it was like a little boost to finish the event with a bang. Thank you to all the members and volunteers who came to the event despite the hot weather.
Our Volunteers:
1. Jia Qi Liu (Angela): 3.5 hours
2. Vicki Lin : 3.5 hours
3. Hong Hao Liu (Alfred) : 3.5 hours
4. Maggie Liu : 3.5 hours
5. Stephanie ShiRan You : 3.5 hours
6. Ioknor Lin : 3.5 hours
7. Ioklee Lin : 3.5 hours
8. Iokseng Lin : 3.5 hours
9. Benny Yeung : 3.5 hours
10. Patrick Yeung : 3.5 hours
11. Mohan Luo : 3.5 hours
12. Cynthia Shi : 3.5 hours
13. Tiffany Kong : 3.5 hours
14. Kaden He : 3.5 hours
15. Sophia Lu : 3.5 hours
16. Danny Lin : 3.5 hours
17. Alexander Lu : 3.5 hours
18. Bowen Chen : 3.5 hours
19. Yifei Mei : 3.5 hours
20. Ashlee Chen : 3.5 hours
21. Fayee Chen : 3.5 hours
22. Tyrone Li : 3.5 hours
23. Teng Yu : 3.5 hours
24. Yue Yu : 3.5 hours
25. Eric Zheng : 3.5 hours
26. Yilin Peng : 3.5 hours
27. Linke Peng : 3.5 hours
28. Anthony Lin : 3.5 hours
29. Zhuoning Li : 3.5 hours
30. Zihan Shi : 3.5 hours
31. Nathan Jin : 3.5 hours
32. Evan Li : 3.5 hours
33. Jayden Wang : 3.5 hours
34. Matthew Lin : 3.5 hours
35. Aiden Lin : 3.5 hours
36. Brandon Lin : 3.5 hours
37. Ryan Chen : 3.5 hours
38. Derek Chen : 3.5 hours
39. Dylan Chen : 3.5 hours
40. Terrence Cao : 3.5 hours
41. Kaisa Wu : 3.5 hours
42. Sophia Xu : 3.5 hours
43. Anthony Xu : 3.5 hours
44. JieRui Liu : 3.5 hours
45. Austin Li : 3.5 hours
46. Ryan Wu : 3.5 hours
47. Albert Tang : 3.5 hours
48. Yuyan Fan : 1.5 hours
Parent Adviser Team:
Fannie Li: 6 hours
Karen Liao: 6 hours
Faye Liu: 6 hours
Report Written by: Vicki Lin
Reviewed by: Jia Qi (Angela) Liu
