“Gardens are a place where the ephemeral meets the eternal, and where the eternal meets the hand of man,” Mawlana Hazar Imam said during the opening of Toronto’s Aga Khan Park, in 2015. “The tradition of Islamic Gardens places an emphasis on human stewardship, our responsibility to nature and to protect the natural world.” 

 

Gardens and parks are important for the quality of life of any community, and maintaining them is a responsibility for everyone to undertake, not only the civic authorities, who sometimes do not have adequate resources.

 

With the help of nearly 100 I-CERV volunteers who woke up early on Earth Day, April 30, 2017, Manhasset Valley Park in the town of North Hempstead, where many Ismaili families live, was cleaned. Fallen twigs, branches and other debris were cleared, a bridge was repainted, and several trees and shrubs were planted, to attract new life to the park.  Formerly a landfill, the park includes an open space with a playground, baseball and football fields, and a river surrounded by a trail. 

 

For the volunteers, the event was an opportunity to serve their local community whilst also promoting a sustainable environment, an AKDN ethic that is reflected in the Imam’s work in other parts of the world. 

 

The New York I-CERV volunteers had a special visit from several community leaders who expressed gratitude for their efforts. North Hempstead Councilwoman Anna M. Kaplan spoke of the importance of preserving the natural habitat and promoting green life, and Park Commissioner Jill Weber told the volunteers that, without them, the park would never be as well maintained and beautiful as it appeared.