- Title: Climate change-themed mini golf course seeks to educate and entertain in NYC
- Date: 19th July 2021
- Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 15, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CHILD, LIAM EVANS, PLAYING MINI GOLF EMANUEL EVANS PUTTING AT THE 'FOREST FIRES' HOLE AND NEW YORK CITY SKYLINE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE LAMPARIELLO, DIRECTOR OF DOMINO PARK, SAYING: "This is Putting Green. It's an 18 hole mini golf course, all based around themes and challenges and solutions of climate change and the environment. We encouraged and invited community partners, nonprofits, local high school students to conceive and design each hole about a climate change issue that affects them." 'ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS' SIGN AT HOLE 'ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS' HOLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE LAMPARIELLO, DIRECTOR OF DOMINO PARK, SAYING: "The theme ranges from everything from green and blue infrastructure to composting to energy efficiency, storm surge and everything in between." VARIOUS OF "CHOICES" THEME HOLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE LAMPARIELLO, DIRECTOR OF DOMINO PARK, SAYING: "Climate change and the environment are such important topics right now and important issues that faces all of us now and will face us in future generations. So by bringing the environmental issues to the forefront in a fun, playful way like mini golf, it really sparks the conversation and helps folks understand the scope of the issue." COWS AT THE "METHANE MADNESS' THEME HOLE "ICE MELT" SIGN AT HOLE ICE MELT HOLE THEME (SOUNDBITE) (English) EMANUEL EVANS, MINI GOLF PLAYER, SAYING: "I think it's good to teach both adults and kids because there's some information on these signs that I didn't even know, especially some of the stuff about urban resiliency to climate change. It's interesting." VARIOUS OF POLAR BEAR AT "CAPITALOCENE'S MELT" THEMED HOLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIAM EVANS, MINI GOLF PLAYER, SAYING: "Yes. I know about polar bears, but not climate change." (JOURNALIST ASKING OFF CAMERA) (English): "What do you know about polar bears?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIAM EVANS, MINI GOLF PLAYER, SAYING: "I know that they live in a cold place and it's kind of where Santa lives." COUPLE PLAYING MINI GOLF (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRETT SERAFIN, SAYING: "There's an educational aspect that, you know, even things we didn't know. All of a sudden you go through the hole, you read the little paragraph and go, 'Oh, I didn't realize that' or you know. It's certainly a way to inform people while also letting them have some fun." COUPLE AT "SURGE GARDEN" THEME HOLE MINI GOLF COURSE AND SKYLINE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE LAMPARIELLO, DIRECTOR OF DOMINO PARK, SAYING: "We tried to use environmentally responsible materials as much as possible. So all the decking you see here was actually upcycled and reclaimed from the Domino Sugar Refinery Building. The large globe at the front entrance to the site is actually made out of used bottle caps and recycled turf from the holes. So we tried to take every step we could to make it as environmentally friendly as possible." BLUE PLASTIC BOTTLE CAPS ON GLOBE GLOBE MADE OF BOTTLE CAPS AND TURF AT ENTRANCE WOMAN PLAYING MINI GOLF (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE LAMPARIELLO, DIRECTOR OF DOMINO PARK, SAYING: "These are large, sort of complicated topics in many ways, and the fun, playful nature of mini golf allows it to be approachable." HOLE IN ONE AT WINDMILL
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2021 14:12
- Keywords: Mike Lampariello Putting Green climate change mini golf course
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Environment,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA001EMI98BD
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Polar bears, ice melt, wind energy: all issues highlighted at a climate change-themed mini golf course in New York City.
The Putting Green mini golf course opened earlier this month along a waterfront park in Brooklyn.
Each of the 18 holes showcases a climate change problem or solution. A placard at each hole describes each theme.
For example, hole 3 - "Capitalocene's Melt" describes polar bear habitat loss as ice disappears, hole 6 - "Choices" shows how extreme weather could trigger climate refugees and population displacement and hole 12 - "Energy Efficient Buildings" highlights the energy inefficiency of older city buildings.
"Climate change and the environment are such important topics right now," said Mike Lampariello, the director of Brooklyn's Domino Park where the mini golf course in located. "So by bringing the environmental issues to the forefront in a fun, playful way like mini golf, it really sparks the conversation and helps folks understand the scope of the issue."
Each of the course's holes was designed by local artists, non-profit groups such as the NYC Climate Action Alliance and the Building Energy Exchange which designed the "Energy Efficient Buildings" hole.
While many full-sized golf courses are criticized by environmentalist as wasteful and harmful to ecosystems, Putting Green was constructed with "environmentally responsible materials", including reclaimed wood used for the decking. A model of Earth made from used bottle caps and recycled turf greets guests.
Interestingly, the golf course was built on land that used to be owned by Con Edison, the city's power supplier.
Visitors to the course said they could appreciate the climate change message.
"I think it's good to teach both adults and kids because there's some information on these signs that I didn't even know, especially some of the stuff about urban resiliency to climate change. It's interesting," said Emanuel Evans while playing mini golf with his son Liam.
"All of a sudden you go through the hole, you read the little paragraph and go, 'Oh, I didn't realize that' or you know. It's certainly a way to inform people while also letting them have some fun," added mini golfer Brett Serafin.
According to organizers, all of the money made from the course will go to two local environmental groups. The Wildlife Conservation Society and the Newtown Creek Alliance.
(Production: Angela Moore, Andrew Hofstetter) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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