FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2025

Contact: Lawrence Hajna (609) 984-1795
Vincent Grassi (609) 984-1795
Caryn Shinske (609) 984-1795

DEP TO CAP EARTH WEEK WITH FAMILY- AND KID-FRIENDLY CELEBRATION AT LIBERTY STATE PARK IN JERSEY CITY ON SATURDAY, APRIL 26

DEP To Resume Free Shuttle Service Between Light Rail Station and Park

(25/P19) TRENTON – The public is invited to join the Department of Environmental Protection as it caps a weeklong celebration of Earth Week with a family- and kid-friendly festival this Saturday, April 26 at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. The theme for Earth Week 2025 is Our Power, Our Planet.

“There is much to celebrate about our environment every day, but especially during Earth Week,” said Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette.  “The celebration at Liberty State Park is a wonderful opportunity to get outdoors at one of the most beloved parks in our state to not only see how far our environment has come since the first Earth Day in 1970, but to understand what we all must do to protect it for future generations.”

The celebration will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is free.

Liberty State Park is located at 1 Audrey Zapp Drive in Jersey City. Free parking for the event is available at Lot 8 in the park. Commissioner LaTourette will deliver a special Earth Day message at 10:45 a.m. at the flag plaza adjacent to the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal building. Bring along a reusable water bottle. Filling stations will be available.

Park Shuttle Resumes Operations

As part of the celebration, the DEP will be resuming operation of the Liberty State Park shuttle service, which supports transfers from the NJ Transit Light Rail station to amenities within the park, which is the most popular in the New Jersey State Park Service system.

The shuttle service connects the NJ Transit station near Liberty State Park to the Liberty Science Center, Statue of Liberty and New York City ferries and Liberty Landing Marina, the North Picnic Area and Playground, the Nature Center, and the South Picnic Area and park office.

Two shuttle buses, one with a wheelchair lift, will transport visitors along a designated route on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and during specific times for special events. A shuttle will arrive at each stop approximately every 20 minutes. A map showing the locations of the shuttle stops is available online. For the DEP’s Earth Day event, the shuttle will operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION IN DETAIL

During the celebration, the public will have numerous opportunities to learn about the many interesting facets of New Jersey’s diverse environment and the work the DEP does to protect it. The day will feature immersive activities, informative displays, walks, crafts, and activities specially tailored for kids. Activities are listed below, organized by location.

Welcome Tent:

Beginner Birding with Bergen County Audubon (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.)

Learn about the birds that can be found in New Jersey and in and around Liberty State Park. Requires walking.

MyCoast Photo Station Walk (Approximately every 30 minutes, starting at 11 a.m.)

Take a trip with DEP staff to the MyCoast Photo Station and learn how to document important impacts climate change is having on the shoreline.

Discovery Drive:

Step inside the Wildlife Mobile Education Trailer (All day)

The Mobile Education Trailer is an exhibit on wheels that highlights DEP Fish & Wildlife’s work to foster an understanding and appreciation for the role that hunters and anglers play in conservation, while educating visitors about the state’s natural resources and the many ways that they are managed and protected.

Mobile Aquarium with New Jersey’s Warmwater Fish (All Day)

Check out DEP Fish & Wildlife’s mobile hatchery truck. This truck has an aquarium that features various species of warm water fish such as bass, sunfish, perch, crappie and bullhead.

See How New Jersey Fights Wildfires (All day)

Check out a New Jersey State Forest Fire Service brush truck to see what it takes to fight forest fires.

EV Zone (All day):

Join the DEP’s electric vehicle and anti-idling team to discover the benefits of driving electric, learn about valuable purchase incentives, debunk idling myths, get answers to all your clean transportation questions, and check out some cool electric vehicles.

Get a Picture with Smokey Bear! (10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.)

Come say “Hi” and get your picture taken with Smokey Bear. He will be walking around the event grounds too, so keep an eye out!

Exhibitor Alley

Activities, games, lawn games, arts and crafts, giveaways, face painting, and prizes.

Terminal Grounds

Food trucks, lawn games, dual racing obstacle course, and accelerator slide.

DEP Activity Zone

Nature Journaling (11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.)

Children will spend time in the park observing plants, animals, and the environment. They’ll document their observations through sketches and written descriptions in their journals, focusing on details like shapes, colors, sounds, and texture by tracing plants/leaves, tracing shadows and drawing landscapes.

Gyotaku (Japanese fish printing) (All day)

Introduce children to the art of gyotaku, a traditional Japanese method of fish printing, to explore creativity while learning about marine life. In this fun and creative activity, children will create prints using rubber fish.

Eco-bricking (All day)

In this hands-on activity, children will create eco-bricks by filling plastic bottles with non-recyclable plastic waste, learning the importance of recycling while reducing plastic waste. The filled bottles can later be used in community projects such as making benches or garden walls.

 Lego Architecture (All day)

Calling all Lego Masters! Dig into a bin of Legos and create models of homes that can withstand heat waves and flooding. What features can you build into your designs so that people and pets stay cool and dry as our climate changes? (ages 5+)

 Solar Ovens (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.) 

 S’mores aren’t just for camping! Using everyday materials, craft a solar oven that uses the sun’s energy to make s’mores. Learn the concepts behind this powerful form of renewable energy and walk away with some satisfied taste buds! (ages 8+, weather- dependent)

 Heat Mapping Challenge (11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.)

How accurately can you guess the temperatures of surfaces around you? Use infrared thermometer guns to test your predictions and look for patterns. You’ll learn what factors have an impact on our ability to stay cool as New Jersey gets warmer. (ages 10+)

Wind-Powered Elevators (12 p.m. and 2 p.m.)

Build a miniature elevator powered by wind! Using everyday materials, have fun learning how moving air can turn into mechanical energy. Go home with your creative construction and gain appreciation for this form of renewable energy. (ages 10+)

 

K-9 Demonstration Zone

State Park Police K-9 Unit Demonstration (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.)

Join New Jersey State Park Police and their K-9 partners for a demonstration on the capabilities of dogs used in a variety of law-enforcement activities.

 

Important Notes on Transportation

In keeping with the Earth Day theme of Our Planet, Our Power, visitors are encouraged to take mass transit and to use the free shuttle service from the NJ TRANSIT Light Rail line. Other recommended transportation options to help limit the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming and climate change include carpooling to Liberty State Park or using a ride-share service.

The Liberty State Park shuttle service began in 2024 following public input received through the Liberty State Park Revitalization Program. Additional information on the shuttle, including a full list of dates and times the shuttle is operating, can be found on the Liberty State Park Revitalization Program microsite.

DEP PHOTO/Environmental Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette attending DEP Earth Day event at Liberty State Park in 2022.

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