Tag: Prospect Park Alliance

PPA Profiles: Bart Chezar

August 17, 2015

Bart Chezar is a Brooklyn native. As an active member of the Prospect Park Alliance Volunteer Corps, he’s extremely involved in the beautification of Prospect Park. In addition to pulling weeds and laying mulch with the Alliance’s Thursday Volunteer Corps, Bart has also played an integral role in reintroducing an important piece of ecological history into the Park, the return of the American chestnut tree.

Bart’s work with the Alliance and his interest in reviving the American chestnut tree began shortly after his retirement in 2000. Formerly a Research and Development Engineer for the New York Power Authority, he has maintained a keen passion for restoring the environmental heritage of New York City. In 2004, he met Anne Wong, Prospect Park Alliance’s former Director of Landscape Management, who invited him to take part in a chestnut planting experiment.

Over a century ago, the American chestnut population was devastated by a vicious fungus known as chestnut blight. The tree that was once the most prolific species east of the Mississippi was decimated in just a few decades. The blight would not allow the chestnut trees to successfully pollinate. When Anne asked Bart to help plant a few chestnuts in the Park, the survival of the samplings was a long shot. For nearly a decade the chestnut trees in Prospect Park were able to resist the deadly fungus, but in early 2012 they began to show signs of blight.

In response, the Alliance teamed up with the American Chestnut Foundation, an organization working to find a solution. Alongside Alliance arborists, Bart helped to plant and monitor a new hybrid species found to be resistant to blight in woodland areas of the Park, including the landscapes surrounding the Picnic House (where you may notice yellow plastic coverings on trees along the path from the Tennis House to the Picnic House) and also the Peninsula. The hope is that the new blight-resistant chestnuts will pollinate with the older species planted a decade ago. Although it’s too soon to be sure, recent findings indicate that the program is working. Bart’s efforts with the Alliance and the American Chestnut Foundation have successfully cultivated the first Brooklyn-born chestnut seedlings in over 100 years. 

Bart’s passion for reviving New York’s native ecosystem did not begin, nor end, with his work saving the American chestnut. He was the first to be granted a permit to reintroduce oysters in New York Harbor, a project that is continued by the Environmental Protection Agency and Corps of Engineers. He has also worked tirelessly to bring back Osprey to the area. He even started an “eco pier” in Sunset Park where visitors can become acquainted with the inter-tidal habitats that once surrounded the borough.

Learn more about volunteering in Prospect Park. Or give back to the Park by adopting a commemorative tree.

c. Martin Seck

Restoring Woodlands

August 6, 2015

The Prospect Park Alliance has received nearly $500,000 in funding to restore the woodlands at Lookout Hill, one of the highest points in Prospect Park. The funding from the National Park Service is being administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation through a program dedicated to rehabilitating historic landmarks damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. 

Lookout Hill lost approximately 500 trees and suffered severe damage to the wooded slopes of Lookout Hill. The project will involve removing fallen material and stumps, and planting 2,500 trees, 3,000 shrubs and 25,000 plants to restore the woodlands and stabilize the slope to buffer against future storms. 

This is the second year that the Alliance has received funding through this program. In 2014, the Alliance received more than $725,000 in funding to restore a heavily wooded hillside in the Northeast corner of Prospect Park. Superstorm Sandy destroyed 40 to 50 trees causing damage to several structures and destabilizing slopes. This project will restore the woods by clearing storm damage, removing invasive species, planting native trees and shrubs, and stabilizing the slopes.

East Side Story

August 5, 2015

The City recently unveiled its budget, which includes $3.7 million in funding from the City Council and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams to support the restoration of two major projects high on the Alliance’s list of priorities: the Park’s Flatbush Avenue perimeter and the Oriental Pavilion, as well as pathway improvements provided by Council Member Brad Lander through the participatory budgeting process this past spring.

Read a New York Times article that highlights these projects, as well as future plans for restoring other sections of the northeast corner of the Park. 

“It is thanks to our elected officials that we are able to accomplish important projects throughout the Park,” said Alliance President Sue Donoghue. “The Alliance relies on funding from private and public sources, which is critical for restoring and maintaining the Park. The community has voiced a strong desire to see these projects come to light and we are thankful to our outstanding elected officials who have provided this support.”

The Oriental Pavilion is a key element of the Park’s historic design, and has served for decades as a popular spot for family gatherings and picnics. After years of slow deterioration, the Pavilion was declared unsafe and closed to the public in 2014. Thanks to the generous funds totaling $2 million from Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Member Brad Lander and the Brooklyn Delegation, the structure and surrounding pathways will be restored. This includes replacing the water-damaged roof, installing more lighting and repairing stairways leading down from Breeze Hill.

A short walk north, Flatbush Avenue improvements will broaden the sidewalk bordering the Park and add street trees from Grand Army Plaza toward the Prospect Park Zoo.  The project is made possible through $1.5 million in funding secured by Council Member Laurie Cumbo and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, in addition to $900,000 secured by Cumbo and Adams in 2014. Fencing will be replaced and set farther back to broaden the sidewalk from 16 to 30 feet. An allée of trees will flank the sidewalk, providing shade for pedestrians and restoring this section of the avenue to its original grandeur.

$200,000 in funding for pathway improvements through Council Member Brad Lander and the participatory budgeting process will renovate the path that leads from the Park’s Children’s Corner (Lefferts Historic House, Prospect Park Carousel, Prospect Park Zoo) to the Zucker Natural Exploration Area, providing Park visitors with better access between these two beloved family destinations.

Bianca Nelson

Park It

July 20, 2015

Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed Prospect Park in the late nineteenth century as a quiet respite from the bustling city, 585 acres of rolling meadows, and picturesque waterways and scenic woodlands modeled after the rustic charm of the Adirondacks.

In celebration of the Park’s bucolic roots, the Prospect Park Alliance and Paul Smith’s College are presenting Park It, an installation of handcrafted Adirondack chairs located through the Park in areas that highlight spectacular views and points of interest.

“This is really a chance for the public to enjoy the Park as designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux envisioned,” said Sue Donoghue, president of the Prospect Park Alliance. “Prospect Park was intended as a series of carefully designed landscapes that work in harmony to recreate the serenity of the countryside in the heart of Brooklyn. We can’t wait to see how Park visitors embrace this.” 

Artisans from Paul Smith’s College crafted the chairs. With a spectacular lakeside campus located in the heart of the six-million-acre Adirondack Park, the College offers degrees that range from forestry, environmental studies and natural resources management to culinary arts, entrepreneurship, hospitality management and more. “Our college equips students with a truly meaningful education that takes advantage of our unique natural surroundings,” said Shannon Oborne, Chief Marketing Officer of Paul Smith’s College. “What better way to share our ‘Smitty Spirit’ with New York City audiences than by bringing the Adirondack heritage to Prospect Park.”

Learn more about this project, including a map of chair locations. Share your photos with #ProspectParkIt to enter to win your own Adirondack Chair. 

 

c. Virginia Freire

PPA Profiles: Averill Wickland

Education program coordinator Averill Wickland is passionate about teaching environmental education to children and families. He joined the Prospect Park Alliance last year to help lead the development of expanded nature education programs at the Prospect Park Audubon Center.

Following the success of Pop-Up Audubon, a mobile nature education program that takes place in a different area of the Park each month with seasonal themes, the Alliance received generous funding from the Brooke Astor Fund for New York City Education to develop a second Pop-Up Audubon program focused on the Park’s aquatic habitats, as well as Discovery Kits that families can borrow to explore the Park. The new programs launched in April and have been a big success, with more than 400 visitors to the second Pop-Up Audubon program alone each weekend.

“It’s great to be able to share my interest in nature in Prospect Park,” Averill explained. “I really love to hear what the families who visit Pop-Up Audubon have to share as well. Some of them have been coming to the Park longer than I’ve been alive.”

Averill grew up in a small town in Vermont, just outside of Middlebury. After graduating from Wesleyan University, he joined the Peace Corps. He was assigned to a forestry position, where he helped set up orchards in Malawi, Africa, and became interested in teaching. Six years ago, Averill moved to New York City where he worked as an educator at the Science Barge in Yonkers as a field studies coordinator at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden before joining the Alliance.

The Alliance’s nature education programs are designed to engage children from diverse backgrounds, and deliver a message of conservation, stewardship and exploration of the Park. This includes one of the Park’s most popular summer activities, catch-and-release fishing. Funded for many years by Macy’s, this favorite Park pastime began as a fishing contest, but has since evolved into a more in-depth program that teaches children about aquatic ecology. Through funding from the Astor Fund, this year the Alliance has doubled the program with two locations each weekend in the Park.

“Kids are always surprised to learn that there are actually a lot of fish in the Lake,” Averill observed. “Being in the city, people do not often think about wildlife, but we have sunfish, blue gills, pumpkin seed and largemouth bass. When a child lands those occasional largemouth bass, it’s a really exciting moment.”

Learn more about Pop-Up Audubon, and sign up for our newsletter to learn about the latest upcoming Audubon events and activities, including a Family Fishing Night on July 30.

Brooklyn Industries and Prospect Park Alliance Debut Prospect Park Graphic Tee

June 10, 2015

Brooklyn Industries has debuted a Prospect Park Graphic Tee, now available at Brooklyn Industries stores and on the Brooklyn Industries website. The third collaboration between Brooklyn Industries and the Prospect Park Alliance, ten percent of sales from every Prospect Park Graphic Tee will support the Prospect Park Alliance, a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the City to preserve and maintain Brooklyn’s flagship park.
 
The shirt features a vintage Prospect Park map printed on a super soft eco tri-blend crew made with organic cotton, recycled polyester, and naturally occurring rayon. It is available in both men’s and women’s sizes. The women’s shirt is available at all New York Brooklyn Industries locations, while the men’s shirt is for sale at all locations except the Upper West Side store. Both are also available online:

View Men’s Tee
View Women’s Tee

Brooklyn Industries is a cutting edge design company founded by visionary artists Lexy Funk and Vahap Avsar in 1998. Brooklyn Industries’ stores engage the local community in art, clothing, design and style.
The Brooklyn Industries office and design studio are located in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Brooklyn Industries continues to grow every year as an innovative and creative vertical retailer, staying true to its Brooklyn roots. For more information, visit www.brooklynindustries.com.

1,000 For The Park Surpasses Goal

June 3, 2015

Today, the Prospect Park Alliance announced that its seven-day crowd-funding challenge, 1,000 For The Park, surpassed its goal—achieving 1,164 donations to unlock a $50,000 challenge gift from longtime supporters Lorraine and Gordon DiPaolo. Funds raised will go toward the Alliance’s work to preserve and maintain Prospect Park.

“This campaign was really about bringing together the community in support of the Park,” said Sue Donoghue, Alliance President and Park Administrator. “Our message is that millions of people love the Park in thousands of ways, and it is through their support—no matter how small or large—that we are able to care for it. We were delighted to see how people rallied around the campaign, and encourage everyone who loves the Park to get involved, whether by volunteering, donating or becoming a member of the Alliance.”

1,000 For The Park took place from May 27 through June 2, and sought 1,000 donations of any size to earn a $50,000 challenge grant from the DiPaolos. The campaign is a follow up to a similar campaign called 500 for the Park, held in 2014, which brought in more than 500 donations and earned a $25,000 gift from the DiPaolos.

“Gordon and I are thrilled about the outpouring of support from the community,” said Lorraine DiPaolo. “We gave this challenge to help bring to light the important work of the Alliance in keeping the Park green and beautiful, and are delighted to know that the money raised will go back to the Park that gives so much enjoyment to all.” 

c. Elizabeth Keegin Colley

Alliance Launches 1,000 For The Park

May 27, 2015

Today, the Prospect Park Alliance launched 1,000 For The Park, a crowd-funding challenge campaign to earn 1,000 donations for Prospect Park from May 27 to June 2. If the campaign hits its goal, the Alliance will receive a $50,000 contribution from longtime park supporters Lorraine and Gordon DiPaolo. Donations of any size through 1,000 For the Park will support the Alliance’s work to preserve and maintain Prospect Park for the enjoyment of millions of visitors each year.

“Millions of people love Prospect Park in thousands of different ways. As the park’s popularity grows, the resources needed to care for the Park also grow,” said Susan Donoghue, Park Administrator and President of the Prospect Park Alliance. “With our busiest season approaching, we hope the community will help us reach our goal and spread the word. Every donation, no matter the size, will help make this treasured urban oasis even more inviting for picnics, ball games, water play and the thousands of other ways the community enjoys the park in the summer.”

Last year the Alliance held a similar campaign, called 500 For The Park, which raised $60,000, including a $25,000 challenge grant from the DiPaolos. Due to its success (the goal was reached in the first three days of the campaign), this year the challenge was doubled. Funds from 1,000 For The Park will go toward the important work of the Alliance, a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the City to care for the natural environment, restore historic design and provide public programs and Park amenities. The Alliance funds a significant portion of the Park’s operating budget, and employs three-quarters of the Park’s staff.

“Prospect Park is all of Brooklyn’s backyard, and that is why it is so important to support the work of the Alliance,” said Lorraine DiPaolo. “1,000 For The Park is a wonderful way for the community to give back to the Park we love so much, and to recognize the public-private partnership that is essential for keeping the Park green and beautiful.”

There are a number of ways people can participate from May 27 through June 2:

  • Donate at prospectpark.org/1000
  • Email friends and family about the campaign
  • Share on Facebook and tag Prospect Park
  • Share on Twitter with #1000ForThePark @prospect_park
  • Share pics of your favorite ways to enjoy the Park on Instagram with #1000ForThePark @prospect_park
c. Virginia Freire

Audubon Takes Flight

April 14, 2015

From Nature Play to Bird Nerds Game Hour, this spring the Prospect Park Alliance is offering a slate of new and expanded free nature programs. Starting Saturday, April 18, the Alliance will open the Audubon Center at the historic Boathouse for weekend activities, add a second tent to its popular Pop-Up Audubon program, and launch Discovery Packs, ready-to-go kits filled with activities for families.

“The Alliance offers more than 800 programs serving 75,000 visitors each year throughout the Park, including the Audubon Center,” said Alliance President Sue Donoghue. “Providing families from neighborhoods across Brooklyn – and all over the city – with fun, creative ways to explore and learn about the Park’s natural areas and wildlife is an important part of our mission.”

The Prospect Park Audubon Center was established in 2002 through an innovative partnership between the Prospect Park Alliance and Audubon New York as the first Audubon Center in an urban park. Families are able to directly engage with nature through fun, play-based activities such as bird watching, catch-and-release fishing and citizen science projects. The expanded programming reflects both the popularity of Audubon activities with visitors, as well as the Alliance’s focus on increasing access to Park amenities for surrounding communities. 

Every Saturday and Sunday, the Alliance will offer family-friendly nature programming from 10 am until 1 pm at the Boathouse, such as Nature Play, an innovative game-centered approach to connecting kids with the great outdoors, and Blooming Naturalists, which introduces families to the Park’s vast variety of birds. The Alliance’s popular Pop-Up Audubon program, which launched in 2013 and occurs at locations around the Park, will double the fun with a second tent that explores the Park’s aquatic habitats.

In addition, Discovery Packs will be available at the Audubon Center and new Pop-Up Audubon tent that families can borrow to explore the Park. Similar to Pop-Up Audubon, the Discovery Packs will feature a new theme each month. In April, participants will play Habitat Bingo, searching for specific birds then designing nests. 

Check out the full schedule of programs.

PPA Profiles: Janis Napoli

Janis Napoli, Prospect Park Alliance’s Horticultural Supervisor, is the Park’s flower guru. She oversees a team of four gardeners that care for its flowering plants. At first glance, Prospect Park seems to be dominated by trees and shrubs, but there are dozens of flowering plants throughout the landscape, including Park entrances and arches, and a few formal gardens, including Carmen’s Garden at the Litchfield Villa and the berms at Grand Army Plaza.

Janis has had a green thumb her whole life. She propagated plants as a teenager before earning a degree in Horticulture and a prestigious internship with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Upon completion of her internship, Janis was offered the rare opportunity to become an Assistant Gardener, where she learned a great deal of the skills that Prospect Park benefits from today.

Janis joined the Alliance as Horticulture Supervisor last year, and handles her monumental task with aplomb. With a very small crew, she is responsible for the health and beauty of the all of the Park’s flowering plants, which are spread over 585 acres. As spring approaches, the horticulture crew tends to hundreds of acres of landscapes, with flowering trees to prune, paths to clear and bulbs to plant.

Even before this work begins, every plot must be carefully inspected and assessed. Janis and her team have a lot to consider when creating public floral spaces, such as access to sunlight, flowering behavior and the environment. She even examines aerial photos to learn how landscapes receive sunlight and shade throughout the year, and observes how visitors interact with the space. 

“Areas that are open to the public or are in highly trafficked throughways generally host hardier plants,” Janis explained, “while those that are protected by fencing or thick underbrush allow for more delicate blooms.” 

One of Janis’ favorite destinations in the Park is Carmen’s Garden, and one of her favorite flowering plants is Edgeworthia, or paper bush, which glistens in the sunlight all winter and blooms gorgeous creamy yellow buds in the spring. You can see these blossoms later this spring near the 9th Street entrance of the Park. Check out our spring bloom guide for other great spots to see the horticulture team’s work in action.