June 9, 2022 – Poetry and nature go hand-in-hand at Edith G. Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye, with its installations of poems as part of the Rye Poetry Path.
You may also go to YouTube to watch the video.
The Rye Poetry Path is a collaborative public art installation designed to spark reflection and conversation around themes of community, conservation, and social justice. Read Sanctuary is in the process of installing poems and when complete, will have 16 poems placed throughout the Sanctuary.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said, “As a resident of Rye and an original member of the Friends of Edith Read Sanctuary, I’m thrilled to see this collaborative effort bring together the serene beauty of the area with inspired poetry.”
Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, Kathy O’Connor said, “Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary is one of our most tranquil parks and is the perfect place to take in the poetry and reflect.”
Next to each poetry exhibit, visitors will see a rock with a QR code to scan, which will provide details about the poem and poet.
Rye Poetry Path Founder, Amy Vijayanagar, said, “We're so grateful to our Poet in Residence Iain Haley Pollock and to the many non-profit organizations, artists, sponsors, and volunteers that have come together to make this project happen. We hope the poems help people pause and reflect and connect in new ways with our beautiful green spaces and with each other.”
The Rye Poetry Path is a collaborative effort between the Rye Arts Center, the Rye Free Reading Room, the Rye Historical Society, Rye Town Park, the Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, Rye Country Day School, and the Friends of Rye Nature Center. Additional locations where poetry can be viewed are Rye Town Park, Rye Nature Center and the Knapp House.
Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 1 Playland Parkway, Rye. Members of Friends of Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary can park at the Sanctuary for free. Become a member. Non-members have to pay upon entry at Playland Park, May through September, park in Playland’s parking lot and walk over.