Van Cortlandt Park Alliance

Reimagining Memorial Spaces: A Black History Month Conversation
2026-02-23 18:30 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Join Van Cortlandt Park Alliance for a live, virtual conversation with designers Immanuel Oni and Jeremiah Olayinka Ojo exploring the project, Reimagining the Enslaved African Burial Ground in Van Cortlandt Park, and the importance of working thoughtfully with memorial spaces.
As part of Black History Month, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance invites you to a live, panel-style conversation reflecting on Reimagining the Enslaved African Burial Ground project and the broader responsibilities, challenges, and possibilities of working with memorial spaces rooted in Black history.
This conversation will focus on process, examining how artists, designers, and communities engage with sites of memory, trauma, and legacy, and why intentional, community-centered approaches matter when shaping public spaces of remembrance.
The discussion will be moderated by VCPA’s Arts Integration Strategist, Ashley Hart Adams, and feature designers Immanuel Oni and Jeremiah Olayinka Ojo, who are currently working on the project, Reimagining the Enslaved African Burial Ground in Van Cortlandt Park.
The event will be hosted live on Zoom. Admission is free and open to the public. The conversation will be recorded and later published on Van Cortlandt Park Alliance’s YouTube channel.
RSVP Now.
Panelists:
Immanuel Oni is a first-generation Nigerian-American artist and space doula based in New York City, originally from Houston, TX. His work explores loss, legacy, and place through themes rooted in Black and Indigenous life, death, and diaspora.
Using spatial justice design and visual storytelling, Immanuel Oni repurposes public infrastructure, natural elements, and mobile spaces to prompt community dialogue, healing, and ritual. His work has been presented internationally in Venice, Hong Kong, and Lagos.
He has been a Fellow with Design Trust for Public Space, Culture Push, and New York for Culture & Arts, and has received awards from the New York State Council of the Arts and the Architectural League of New York. His public art commissions include the Chrystie Street African Burial Ground Memorial Installation and the New Jersey Monument to Migration and Labor (Southern Region). He is a former Director of Community Design at NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and an Adjunct Professor at Parsons School of Design. He is also the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Liminal, a nonprofit working at the intersection of art, unity, and space.
Jeremiah Olayinka Ojo is an artist, entrepreneur, and educator committed to empowering African diasporic communities through art, community development, and business education. He is the Founder of Creative Milieu, a global art business advisory firm, and Ilèkùn Wa (Our Doors), a community-centered artist advisory for visual artists of African descent.
With over a decade of experience, Jeremiah is a sought-after expert in arts and business management, offering insights into artist career development, business strategies, and arts education. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Georgia State University and a Master’s in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, and has lectured at institutions including Columbia University.
Black History Month events are part of Van Cortlandt Park Alliance’s REIMAGINING initiative. In partnership with the Design Trust for Public Space and Immanuel Oni, Liminal Sp, VCPA invites the community to reimagine the park’s Enslaved African Burial Ground site as a memorial space that fosters long-term healing and restoration. This project is supported by a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation.

Black History Month: Enslaved African Legacy Tour
2026-02-28 11:00 - 12:30
A guided walk that will enlighten participants on the true history that shaped Van Cortlandt Park.

Join VCPA’s Arts Integration Strategist, Ashley Hart Adams, on a guided walk that will enlighten participants on the true history that shaped Van Cortlandt Park.
For approximately 200 years, the Van Cortlandt family plantation relied upon the labor of enslaved people, as did many plantations and farms in the north. Enslaved Africans, their descendants, and Indigenous people were vital to colonial New York’s economy, growing, harvesting, milling, packing, and shipping the wheat that would be a staple export out of New York harbor. This tour will stop at several sites within the park that are daily reminders of their labor and lasting legacy.
This walk will include uneven surfaces so please wear hiking shoes. Bring water and a snack.
The walk will be approximately 90 minutes long with stops throughout to talk.
RSVP Now.
Black History Month events are part of Van Cortlandt Park Alliance’s Reimagining initiative. In partnership with the Design Trust for Public Space and Immanuel Oni, Liminal Sp, VCPA invites the community to reimagine the park’s Enslaved African Burial Ground site as a memorial space that fosters long-term healing and restoration. This project is supported by the Mellon Foundation.
This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Bronx Parks Speak Up
2026-02-28 11:00 - 17:00
Bronx Coalition for Parks and Greenspace’s
32nd Annual Bronx Parks Speak Up
THE POWER OF PARKS: Funding the Future
Lehman College Faculty Dining Room, Music Building
WORKSHOPS/PANELS:
• Activating Bronx Parks through the NYC Green Fund
• Getting from Greenway to Waterfront: Gateways and Bridges of the Harlem Riverfront Greenway Plan
• The Importance of Community Gardens
• Lowering the Temperature with Nature: Prioritizing Parks for the Future
• Meet Our Urban Forest Stewards
• Pelham Bay Park Access Study: Public Input Workshop
For more information, visit: https://www.bronxspeakup.org/
RSVP Now.

Forest Fridays
2026-03-06 09:00 - 12:00
Winter is the most critical time to save the forest floor! Join us to remove invasive Bush Honeysuckle, Multiflora Rose, and other invasive shrubs while the native plants are dormant.
By clearing these shrubs now, we immediately flood the forest floor with winter sunlight and remove the chemical barriers that stop our native trees from growing. Your hard work this March directly prepares the soil for the return of spring wildflowers and oak seedlings.
Meeting at the Van Cortlandt Golf House.
RSVP Now.

Forests Uptown Series
2026-03-12 17:00 - 18:00
Thursdays at 5pm
Join Riverside Park Conservancy and Van Cortlandt Park Alliance for our hybrid lecture series on our urban forest. All talks are free & open to the public, including time for a Q&A & discussion.
March 12: Winter Tree Identification
March 19: Forest Assessments in NYC
March 26: History of NYC Wildfires
RSVP Now

VC Nature Group Walk
2026-03-15 10:00 - 11:30
Take a slow walk in the park and learn about local flora and fauna with naturalist Debbi Dolan. Debbi has a wealth of knowledge about nature, plants, and wildlife that she enjoys sharing.
Sunday March 15 meets at the Nature Center at 10 a.m. for our Spring Equinox walk in Tibbett Meadow, along the Mill Pond, and marsh.
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VC Nature Group
2026-03-20 14:00 - 15:30
Take a slow walk in the park and learn about local flora and fauna with naturalist Debbi Dolan. Debbi has a wealth of knowledge about nature, plants, and wildlife that she enjoys sharing.

Friday March 20 meets at the Stables parking area at 2 p.m. for a Northwest woodlands/Vault Hill walk.
RSVP Now.

Spring Kickoff Hike
2026-03-28 10:00 - 12:00
Join us for a start of Spring nature hike! Lace up your hiking shoes and come out to enjoy the changing of seasons.

This guided adventure will cover approximately 3-4 miles over the course of 2 hours with a few hills along the way. Enjoy fresh air, scenic views, and the chance to connect with others while exploring the beauty of Van Cortlandt Park.
RSVP Now.

Saturday Stewardship Event
2026-03-28 10:00 - 13:00

Urban Environmental Challenge
2026-03-29 10:00 - 12:00
Run the trails you love. Van Cortlandt Track Club has hosted this classic park race for decades, and a portion of proceeds goes to the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance to support trail maintenance. 10K race for adults and kids races too. Register today.

Birding with NYC Bird Alliance
2026-04-11 09:00 - 10:30
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and NYC Bird Alliance invite you to join us during 4 weekend mornings of birding in the park this spring.
Explore Van Cortlandt Park’s ecologically diverse grounds and celebrate a long tradition of birding in the park. We will look for various species of resident and migratory birds and discuss a wide range of avian topics. Each walk will be led by a NYC Bird Alliance (formerly NYC Audubon) guide.
Advance registration is required. You must register separately for each date you would like to attend.
Birding sessions meet at 9am on the following dates:

Saturday, April 11
Sunday, April 26
Saturday, May 16
Sunday, June 14

Note: We do not provide binoculars and suggest that attendees bring their own.
Want us to continue birding programs in the future? Please make a donation during checkout. All donations made will be used to continue birding programs.
As space is limited, if you are not able to attend please let us know ASAP so we can fill in your spot by emailing info@vancortlandt.org.
These birding events are generously supported by NYC Bird Alliance.
Photo by Jack Rothman

Tree Identification Walk
2026-04-11 13:30 - 15:30
Put your ID skills to the test and have the opportunity to ask the experts!

Think all trees look the same ? Think again! Join us for an in-person tree identification walk in Van Cortlandt Park hosted by Riverside Park Conservancy and Van Cortlandt Park Alliance where we will be identifying common New York trees. We’ll explore bark patterns, twig shapes, and buds,–nature’s secret clues hiding in plain sight. Perfect for hikers, naturalists, and anyone who wants to deepen their connection to the woods.
RSVP Now.

Family Fun Day
2026-04-25 13:00 - 16:00
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance, Women of Woodlawn and Woodlawn Taxpayers Association Present Woodlawn Family Fun Day featuring:

Face Painting
NYRR Mobile Van
Urban Park Rangers
Woodland Family Walks
Nature Crafts
Bocce
Games
And more!

RSVP Now.

Springtime Shindig 2026
2026-05-27 18:00 - 21:00
Cocktails • Lite Bites • Dessert
Music • Picturesque Setting • Raffle
HONOREES
Betty Campbell-Adams Award
Christopher Rizzo of Carter, Ledyard & Milburn, LLP
Lyman Casey Spitzer of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
NYC Parks current and past leadership
For facilitating VCPA’s license agreement with NYC Parks, recognizing Van Cortlandt Park Alliance as its official partner.
Cultivating the Bronx Award
Riverdale Main Streets Alliance
For their stalwart support and stewardship of the park.
Visit our Shindig Page to purchase tickets.
