The recently released 2016 Westchester County budget included an elimination of all full time staff from the County's nature centers, as well as two positions at Muscoot Farm. This amounts to an elimination of the County's Conservation Division. Without the Curators we would lose the ability to run our life changing ecology summer camps, which foster a close relationship with nature and personal growth for many children in our communities. Without the Curators it will become extremely difficult to schedule field trips and school group visits to the parks. Without the Curators we will lose the ability to have free public programs and education. Reduced staff will effectively close the Nature Centers. Though parks will still be open, the reduced monitoring of the grounds and buildings will increase vandalism and illegal activity, and will cost the county more in the long run, and make parks less safe for families. Without a consistent and constant presence of a curator, the nature preserves will lose the ability to organize and give credit for all of the many needed volunteer hours that go into maintaining and beautifying the preserves. Grants to enhance the preserves and centers will become impossible to implement and greatly jeopardize any new grants in the future. What can you do? Please, sign this petition! Attend one of the upcoming public hearings: 11/19 - Yonkers Public School 30, 30 Nevada Place, Yonkers, NY 11/24 - Horace Greeley High School, 70 Roaring Brook Road, Chappaqua, NY 12/09 - BOL Chamber, 148 Martine Avenue, 8th Floor, White Plains, NY (Note: Public Hearings are scheduled for 7pm. Doors open at 6:00pm. Numbered speaker cards will be given out at 6:15pm. Only one speaker card per person shall be given out. Speakers shall be limited to three minutes. Anyone may submit a written statement in advance which will be included in the record.) You can also call/write/email your legislator by looking up their contact information on www.westchesterlegislators.com Thank you in advance for your support!!!  Please sign up here to have your voice heard; Let it be known that you support conservation in Westchester and would like to see all six Curators reinstated.