STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Greenbelt expanded its boundaries Friday. Not through land acquisition, but through Women Greening the Globe, a symposium linking the stories of women who helped establish it with the work of women in the city and around the world to improve the health of their communities by addressing environmental issues.
The names of Greenbelt activists Gretta Moulton and Kathleen Vorwick were invoked along with national activist Winona LaDuke, a Native American advocate and writer, and Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai of Kenya.
"We are connected to these women around the globe," said Steven Cain, executive director of the Greenbelt Conservancy, host of the symposium.
Women from nonprofits, Parks Department and academia shared insights from their own accomplishments and dreams in the local sphere.
At the gathering of over 100 women and a handful of men at the College of Staten Island, participants spanned the generations and ranged in interest from students who "stumbled in" to those already deeply immersed in environmental issues.
Aurelia Casey, a biology major at CSI, is a member of Student Conservation Association, a partner of the National Parks Service, that provides involvement in service projects across the country.
"I would love to build an urban farm geared to inner city kids. They learn better and behave better when they have hands-on learning," said the Port Richmond resident.
Keynote speaker Sally Williams, a Greenbelt advocate for four decades, traced the history that wove urban planning in anticipation of the Verrazano Bridge, children's environmental education and opposition to the planned Richmond Parkway slicing through the heart of the Island.
It is a history book ended by the lives of two women, leaders in preserving and maintaining the Greenbelt. Gretta Moulton, a Scout leader and activist, persuaded the city to purchase High Rock, which fueled opposition to the Richmond Parkway and the establishment of the Greenbelt. She died in 1971. Kathleen Vorwick, a president of the Greenbelt Conservancy, did everything from archiving and mapping projects to brokering the agreement to save Pouch Camp from sale to developers. She died in December.
Attention to detail as part of women's work was a theme that Susan Donoghue continued. As president and administrator of Prospect Park, she has followed in the footsteps of women who began a grassroots community effort in the 1970s sitting around the kitchen table because "it was really not OK that the park next to them was in such bad condition."
The transformation from scary to welcoming has been led by women, said Donoghue. She has overseen the most recent projects -- historic preservation of Music Island, development of Lakeside, a recreation facility and the ongoing cleanup after Hurricane Sandy.
"I have never been to Prospect Park, but I definitely want to go now," said Mary Delaney, a St. Joseph Hill senior with aspirations for a career in an environmental field. As a volunteer with the Greenbelt Conservancy, she is very familiar with the Island's parkland.
"Getting down in the dirt is my favorite part. I have done tree planting, invasive weed removal and filled 40 bags of trash from LaTourette Park near Cosco," she said.
Ayamma Williams, a sophomore at CSI majoring in geology welcomed an environmental event on campus. She hopes to reinvigorate the campus garden by involving dorm students in tending during the summer.
"What if they could get work in the garden and get food there, instead of having to go to the store. And what if the lunchroom used produce from the garden? How would that affect how it tastes and how much it costs?" said the Brooklyn resident.
Students from other schools included Wagner College and St. John Villa.
"This is perfect - empowering women, spreading knowledge," said Lucy Farfan-Narcisse, a Port Richmond resident pursuing a masters in liberal arts studies at CSI with a thesis on sustainable farming.
Afternoon speakers included Marielle Anzelone, director of NYC Wildlife Week and PopUp Forest creator; Beryl Thurman, director of the North Shore Waterfront Conservancy; Laura Truettner, manager for Park Development at Freshkills Park, Linda Cox of the Bronx River Alliance and Deborah Popper, Great Plains Restoration Council and CSI professor of geology.