The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, the first nonprofit in the nation to manage and operate an historic urban park system, today, broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the “Longest line of garden flamingos.” Breaking the current record by an additional 92 flamingos, the organization placed 1,500 plastic pink #FLOmingos (Fredrick Law Olmsted…FLOmingo) in a line to recognize the 150th Celebration of the Olmsted Parks system in Buffalo taking place this year. The previous record was held by Pledge the Pink of Callawassie Island, South Carolina, which placed a total of 1,058 flamingos in a line on Aug. 27, 2016.
Joined by dozens of donors, dignitaries, park partners, and community members, the Conservancy’s goal was to take the pink lawn piece that has been popularized by many landscape architecture programs as a tongue in cheek symbol and do something fun. In additional to the 1,500 “flomingos” part of the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD attempt, another 1,500 pink flamingos were placed in flocks around 20 other park locations within int the Olmsted Park system.
“At the Conservancy we understand that landscape architecture is a specialized profession, but we also feel that Olmsted would have understood the humor in stunt of placing 3,000 #FLOmingos across his beautiful landscapes to become a GUINNESS WORLDS RECORDS record holder” said Stephanie Crockatt, executive director of the Conservancy. “Additionally, we are using the kitschy lawn art to raise awareness for recycling.”
Following the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD ceremony, an adoption event is being held till 7 p.m. so Buffalonians can proudly display their support on their front lawn or gardens for Fredrick Law Olmsted and the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy during the 150th celebration. Each “flomingo” is outfitted with a sticker designed by VSP Graphics that showcases that the flamingo was part of the attempt with the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS attempt logo, the 150th Celebration logo and the number flamingo it was out of 1,150.
Any flamingos that were left without a home will be sent to a local recycling company. The company will work with the Conservancy to recycle the plastic into a bench that will be displayed in the park system.
For more information and a map on where an additional 1,500 “flomingos” can be found around the 850-acre park system visit BFLOParks.org/event/flomingos/.
(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Kevin Kelly, 150th Celebration Chairperson, Delaware North; Philip Robertson, Guinness World Records Adjudicator; Burt Mirti, City of Buffalo; Joe Cassidy, M&T Bank; Joel Feroleto, Delaware Council member, City of Buffalo; Patrick Kaler, Visit Buffalo Niagara; Stephanie Crockatt, Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy (BOPC); Corinne Rice, BOPC Board Trustee; Victor Rice, BOPC Emeritus Trustee; Mark Zeis, HSBC, BOPC Board Trustee; Gretchen Geiter, Buffalo Bills; Newell Nussbaumer, Buffalo Rising)
About the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy:
The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy is the first nonprofit organization in the nation to manage and operate an entire urban park system that consists of over 850 acres of beautifully designed parks, parkways and circles. The park system was designed by America’s first landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, 150 years ago and today, more than 2.5 million people use Buffalo’s historic, award-winning Olmsted Park System annually for recreation, relaxation and rejuvenation. Since 2004, basic maintenance of the parks has been greatly improved since the groundbreaking public/private agreement between the City of Buffalo, Erie County and The Buffalo Park Conservancy. The Conservancy is a membership-based, community organization whose mission is to promote, preserve, restore, enhance and maintain the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed landscape in the Greater Buffalo area. Learn more at: www.bfloparks.org.
The Buffalo Olmsted Park System includes:
Six parks: Cazenovia Park in South Buffalo, Delaware Park in Delaware/Parkside District, Front Park at the Peace Bridge, Martin Luther King, Jr. Park at Fillmore Avenue, Riverside Park at Niagara and Tonawanda Street, and South Park at McKinley Parkway
Seven parkways: Bidwell, Chapin, Lincoln, McKinley, Porter, Red Jacket, and Richmond
Eight landscaped traffic circles: Agassiz, Colonial, Ferry, Gates, McClellan, McKinley, Soldiers, and Symphony
