As soon as I heard about Hastings’ Bloomberg Philanthropies' Youth Climate Action Fund grant, I knew I’d want to create a project based on kiosks for the Hillside Woods. I’ve volunteered with the Hillside Woods Restoration Project for more than four years, and I’d been hoping for the chance to do a kiosk project for a long time! I even attended the unveiling for the Restoration Project’s first Hillside Woods entrance kiosk at Chemka Pool in 2020. 

Given the opportunity, I decided to apply for a YCAF grant to install kiosks at two different entrances to the woods, complete with map signs to display, and leveraged monies raised from Hastings High School's One Acts productions over two years to pay for a third. The High School One Acts is an entirely student-led theater production I founded with my classmate Lionel Muench in 2022.

I selected the locations for the new kiosks primarily for their popularity among visitors to the woods. Kiosks benefit the public in four categories: educational, conservational, quality-of-life, and aesthetic. In terms of educational benefits, the new kiosks will allow for the clear display of information about native plants and animals that inhabit our ecosystem, as well as restoration efforts that are going on to improve the woods. 

In terms of conservational benefits, kiosks allow us to advertise the need to keep dogs leashed, stay on paths, refrain from littering, and so on. Displaying this information clearly will contribute to the healthy upkeep of the woods. 

In terms of quality-of-life benefits, the new kiosks are fitted with clear, updated maps of the Hillside Woods and Park, with art designed by graphic designer and Hastings resident Adam Hart. These maps make navigating the woods easier, especially for non-local residents who are unfamiliar with the space. 

Finally, in terms of aesthetic benefits, the kiosks are well-designed, made of high-quality maple and oak wood. They officialize entrances to the park in a way that is nice to look at and pass by. 

I’d like to express my gratitude for the invaluable help and support of Mayor Armacost, Village Manager Mary Beth Murphy, Recreation Assistant Lisa O’Reilly, Conservation Commission Chair Haven Colgate, Parks Superintendent Aaron Podhurst, Shawn Saunders, Devon, and the rest of the Parks and Rec Staff, Brian Woods of DPW, Cat McGrath, Adam Hart, Village Clerk Anthony Costantini, DPW Superintendent Michael Gunther, and Kendra Garrison, Superintendent of Parks in Dobbs Ferry. 

Procedure

1. First, with the help of Haven Colgate and Cat McGrath of the Conservation Commission, I selected ideal locations for new kiosks based on space, soil depth, and for their popularity among visitors to the woods. 

2. Then, I selected and purchased the physical kiosks from TimberHomes Vermont.

3. Next, I worked with Adam Hart, a graphic designer and Hastings resident, to update his map of Hillside Woods and Park and design a sign that would fit the new kiosks. 

4. After that, I purchased the signs from SignExtreme, a sign production business located in Sleepy Hollow. 

5. When the kiosks were completed, TimberHomes shipped them from Vermont to Zinsser Field, and the Department of Public Works helped unload them with a forklift. 

6. I went to Saw Mill Supply, a Hastings masonry business, to purchase gravel and sonotubes (large cardboard cylinders) for the installation. 

7. The Parks Department, Haven, and I spent the day installing. Tough soil and rock meant we needed to employ the assistance of DPW’s Brian Woods and his excavator expertise, for which we were very grateful. 

8. Finally, I went in with a leaf blower and a rake the next day to clean up displaced topsoil and, with the help of a ladder, I installed each roof. 

Numerical Output Summary

• Three 6’6’’ tall mini kiosks, made of white oak, locust, and pine wood sourced in Vermont 

• Three 2’ x 3’ map signs with art designed by Hastings resident Adam Hart

• Three official, educational, and aesthetically pleasing entrances to the woods, benefiting hundreds of Hastings residents each week!