Community Outreach
Giving back is a high priority at Walden. We are passionate about improving the environment and enhancing the well-being of the areas in which we live and work. Therefore, Walden staff devote volunteer time at various organizations to make contributions to the community. Each year, to commemorate Walden’s formation on May 19, 1995, employees take time away from work to perform a day of service. Examples of the work we have performed in the past are detailed below. If you are from a non-profit organization and in need of a group of volunteers, please contact Walden Environmental Engineering to discuss your requirements. We are always looking for opportunities to partner with local organizations that can benefit from our time and expertise whenever possible.
2023: GREEN CHIMNEYS
Staff from Walden’s Oyster Bay, Hudson Valley, and Connecticut offices met up at Green Chimneys in Brewster, NY for Walden Day 2023. Walden’s volunteers weathered a rainy day to strip paint off of fences around campus, which is located on a farm. Green Chimneys is a nonprofit that provides a variety of services to the community, including operating a school for kids with special needs.
2022: PEGASUS THERAPEUTIC RIDING
Walden’s Volunteer Day North 2022 was held at Pegasus Therapeutic Riding in Brewster, NY. Pegasus Therapeutic Riding provides opportunities for people with physical, social, developmental, and emotional challenges to learn about and interact with horses. Walden’s volunteers from our Hopewell Junction and Connecticut offices spent the day replacing fencing, building a garden bed, and planting flower bulbs.
2022: CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
Walden Volunteer Day 2022 was held at the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) in Riverhead, NY. Our volunteers worked on cleaning up the cabins at CCE’s 4-H camp, in preparation for their incoming campers. At the camp, kids learn about health and the environment, which we are very passionate about at Walden!
2021: SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH
Walden was delighted to spend time at the Sisters of Saint Joseph facility in Brentwood for Walden Volunteer Day 2021. Walden staff gathered on Friday, June 18, 2021, to volunteer with the Sisters and the Long Island Native Plant Initiative (LINPI) at the 212-acre Brentwood campus to assist with groundwork and help plant native plant species as part of their restoration practices.
2020: WALDEN BUILDS DESKS
Walden built 25 student desks from scratch (to represent the 25-year anniversary at Walden) to be used by students in the Oyster Bay and Hudson Valley areas. With so much remote learning and studying forced away from the traditional classroom, these engineer-influenced desks were targeted to provide help to students in their studies outside of school.
2019: THE BOOK FAIRIES
Walden Environmental Engineering volunteered at The Book Fairies for Walden Day 2019. The Book Fairies is a not-for-profit organization that collects reading materials for people in need. The reading materials foster literacy and academic success, as well as nurture a love of reading across age groups.
2018: MARY BRENNAN INN
In 2018, Walden Environmental Engineering volunteered at the Mary Brennan INN. The Mary Brennan INN is the largest soup kitchen on Long Island, serving a hot, five course meal to over 200 people five days a week.
2017: NASSAU COUNTY FIREFIGHTERS MUSEUM
In 2017, Walden was honored to help at the Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center in Garden City, New York.
2016: MILL NECK MANOR SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
In 2016, Walden volunteered at Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf. This school works hard to enhance the quality of life for people who are deaf or have other special communication needs.
2015: WATERFRONT CENTER, OYSTER BAY NY
In 2015, Walden celebrated its 20th anniversary by volunteering at the Waterfront Center, fittingly in the firm’s hometown of Oyster Bay.
2014: REBUILDING THE VILLAGE OF ISLAND PARK
In 2014, Walden volunteered to help the Village of Island Park with a number of miscellaneous activities around the Village. The Walden staff participated in beach clean-up activities to help the Village prepare for the upcoming beach season. Walden also helped with road surveying around the streets to help gather information for an upcoming drainage project happening within the Village.
2013: BREEZY POINT
In 2013, Walden volunteered in Breezy Point and helped homeowners with landscaping tasks to assist in their long road to recovery from damages suffered due to Superstorm Sandy. The community had focused on rebuilding their homes, all of which had been flooded and some of which were destroyed by fire. Walden weeded and planted flowers to help beautify the community and help restore some sense of normalcy. One location we focused on was a local 9/11 memorial that had been neglected after the storm damage. Our efforts were greatly appreciated and everyone from Walden was truly honored to help this community which had been through so much.
2012: THE TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD
In 2012, Walden spent the day volunteering for the Town of Hempstead. Staff members volunteered for a day of service to assist the Town of Hempstead with their storm drain medallion program. Staff members spent the day in the neighborhood of Franklin Square gluing medallions to the inlets of storm drains. The medallions are part of a larger Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) program aimed at increasing public awareness and reducing the amount of pollutants which find their way into our bays and oceans.
2011: NORTH SHORE LAND ALLIANCE
In 2010 and 2011, Walden volunteered for the North Shore Land Alliance. Both these years, Walden’s staff spent the day weeding and clearing trails at the Fox Hollow Preserve and Hope Goddard Iselin Preserve. These preserves act as a place for visitors to enjoy nature, and Walden’s staff was very excited to spend the day outside in nature giving back to the community.
2009: LI CARES FOOD BANK
In 2009, Walden spent the day volunteering at the Long Island Cares Food Bank. The Food Bank began on Long Island in 1980, and now has many locations across Nassau and Suffolk. Walden staff spent the day packing canned goods following the United States Postal Service food drive. LI Cares supplies more than 8 million pounds of food and goods every year across Long Island’s food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, group homes, and many other facilities.
2008: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
In 2008, Walden volunteered with Habitat for Humanity to help build an affordable house in Suffolk County. Habitat for Humanity’s goal is to build houses in communities for families in need. Walden’s staff spent the day putting up structures and walls to ensure a stable household. Habitat Suffolk has a goal of building 10-12 houses a year, and we made an impact during our day of service.