When Friends Groups Team Up, Big Things Happen

If you’ve ever been to a state park event run by a Friends group, you know the energy is contagious. These volunteer-powered organizations are the heart and soul of our parks, and when they join forces, the results can be pretty extraordinary.

That’s exactly what’s happening on Saturday, October 4, 2025, when four Friends groups–Friends of Connetquot, Bayard Cutting Arboretum Horticultural Society, the brand-new Friends of Heckscher, and the Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference–will team up to host a one-of-a-kind day across three neighboring state parks on Long Island’s south shore.

Here’s the idea: instead of one park hosting an event, three parks–Connetquot State Park, Bayard Cutting Arboretum, and Heckscher State Park–are joining together for a full day of fun. Visitors can hop between parks and dive into activities like scavenger hunts, disc golf demos, fish hatchery tours (at the only state park hatchery in New York!), and much more. The grand finale? A performance from the Sayville School of Rock to close out the day.

Want to plan your route? A full schedule of activities is posted at www.bcahortsociety.org.

Beyond the planned events, it’s also the perfect excuse to get outside and explore: hike through Connetquot’s forested river corridor, wander Bayard Cutting Arboretum’s beautiful riverfront gardens, or soak up the wide-open recreational space at Heckscher along the Great South Bay. Together, these three parks offer more than 5,700 acres of outdoor adventure all within a short drive of one another.

While more than 90 Friends groups across New York host incredible events every year, this partnership is something special. It’s one of the rare times multiple groups are collaborating across park boundaries, and we hope it inspires more cross-park teamwork in the future. Because if this is what happens when Friends groups combine their talents, just imagine what else could be possible.