Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 29

As we’ve traveled around the world, the people in every destination have been so kind and helpful, that organizers thought it would be nice if we gave back a little by doing some volunteer work.

Bright and early on our first day in New York we met up with a couple of representatives from TreesCount, a census organization with the NYC Parks and Rec department tasked to count and document every urban tree in the city. The goal is to provide leaders with the information needed to maintain the health of the urban forest, which helps keep the air cleaner, and the city cooler and more beautiful.

Armed with the proper knowledge and equipment, we broke up into teams of two and were assigned our own blocks to assess. With tablet in hand, we documented the distance between each tree, its health, size, species and several other factors.

This was the first year that the census has been conducted with electronic equipment, so I have no doubt the data they are collecting will be put to better use. It also expedites the volunteer efforts of counting and documenting the trees because it’s now easier to see in real time which areas have already been covered by the census takers.

After our volunteer work, we strolled into Central Park, entering at the location of Strawberry Fields and the “Imagine” marker, both symbols of The Beatles. As a huge Beatles fan, this encounter was made all the more special by a street musician sitting on one of the park benches, strumming his guitar and singing music from the greatest rock band of all time.

We continued walking into the labyrinth of the urban oasis until we reached Sheep Meadow, the largest lawn area of the park. The meadow is the perfect place to relax, unwind and escape the hustle and bustle of New York City, while also offering one of the best views of the famous Manhattan skyline.

We then enjoyed a late lunch and a cool organic café called, Candle Café West. This establishment serves up a delicious and fresh array of organic delights in a warm, hip and Eco-friendly environment.

That evening some of us were on our own to enjoy the sights of NYC. While others headed into the studio to record a Hangzhou song that Domenick produced and Cayleigh sang the lead. I went to the studio for a while as I’ve never had an opportunity to be in a professional recording studio. It was a wonderful experience seeing how the whole process unfolds. Domenick did an amazing job producing the song, while everyone did a great job participating.

I left soon after to do my own thing. We were staying at the Sheraton in Times Square, so there was no shortage of nearby things to see/do.

Stay tuned for my update tomorrow as we spend the day serving free ice cream to the residents of NYC. In the meantime, click here in case you missed my last update, or click here to read the next one.