Author: Cornershop

Meet Jessica Green Wilson

February 12, 2015

Jessica Green Wilson joined the Prospect Park Alliance as Vice President of Development and Marketing in January 2015. This new role integrates the traditional functions of development and marketing. She brings a wealth of experience developing partnerships and strategies to enhance outreach, build community engagement and drive fundraising capacity.

Prior to joining the Alliance, Jessica led engagement efforts in alumni relations at Columbia University and at the National Audubon Society, where she built brand awareness, and expanded digital outreach and online fundraising efforts.

After her spending her early years working in science education, Jessica worked for a number of years in the for-profit sector managing marketing programs for American Express. Jessica earned a BA from Amherst College and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

A lifelong New Yorker with a deep passion for the city’s green spaces, she can often be spotted running, walking her dog or birding around Prospect Park.

Prospect Park Love Story: Jen + Lauren

February 5, 2015

Check out photos from Lauren + Jen’s wedding album!

For Lauren Kaelin and Jen Mecum, deciding to get married in Prospect Park was an easy decision. The Park has been a major part of their story, from engagement, to wedding, and beyond.

Jen and Lauren, who live within blocks of the Park, are no strangers to lounging on the Long Meadow. On most sunny days, chances are you can spot them tossing a Frisbee around with their corgi, Idgie. And after countless days spent in Prospect Park, the two even got engaged here on their way home from a movie in Park Slope.

“When Lauren and I started talking about wedding venues,” Jen said, “Prospect Park was top of mind. As soon as we walked in to an open house at the Picnic House, we knew we had found our venue.”

Their wedding day itself went smoothly. “Getting married is quite the enterprise and there were dozens of people working at our wedding,” said Jen. “And I loved every one of them. Not to mention all the friends and family. That is truly the oddest and most overwhelming sensation — to stand in room with 150+ people and know and love every one. It is the most joyous occasion.”

Jen considered the wedding a giant party for all the people you love to come together in fancy outfits and celebrate with you. “Think of it that way and planning gets a lot easier,” said Jen. “The staff at the Picnic House is exceedingly nice and liaised seamlessly with our entire event team. One of the great things about the Picnic House is that there is only one wedding per day, so once you lock in your date, you can decide on the timing without worrying about another couple’s schedule.”

Learn more about planning your wedding at the Prospect Park Picnic House.

c. Michael Moran/OTTO

High Honors

January 13, 2015

To add to its growing list of achievements, the Samuel J. and Ethel Lefrak Center at Lakeside has just won the highest honor in architecture by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), a 2015 National Honor Award. The LeFrak Center was selected out of a field of nearly 500 candidates.  

“It is a true testament to the strengths of the LeFrak Center’s design that it is enjoyed by both the local community and the international architectural community alike,” said Alliance President Sue Donoghue. “Lakeside has set the bar in terms of what can be achieved in Prospect Park, and we look forward to continuing to further this vision.” 

Designed by renowned architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, in collaboration with the Alliance’s acclaimed chief landscape architect Christian Zimmerman, the LeFrak Center at Lakeside was designed to be an environmentally sensitive structure that fit seamlessly into the Park’s natural splendor and provide a year-round amenity for the community.

In selecting the LeFrak Center, the AIA Honor Award Jury said: “The stonework grounds it as a landmark within the park, while the openness of the design itself allows for complete amalgamation with the view and the experience of nature… Every design decision was made so as to ease use on patrons and also to minimize the impact on the park. This is a beautiful, natural spot for visitors to a enjoy sensory experience.”

Said Billie Tsien: “We feel so lucky to have had this chance to do truly public work. It is the most democratic and thus most important work we can ever do.”

Winter Fun in Prospect Park

It might look like a quiet time of year, but it is actually the wonderful time to explore Prospect Park. Alliance naturalists share their tips on how to make the most of the Park this season.

Take a winter walk. The Park’s leafless canopy exposes portions of the landscape that are hidden under lush greenery in the warmer months, providing the perfect opportunity for visitors to see rare geological formations, such as the deep glacial kettle located just beyond the Zucker Natural Exploration Area, and the hills of New York’s terminal moraine that stretch across the Midwood.

Play in nature. There are boundless ways for families to enjoy nature this time of year, from sledding at the Long Meadow to ice skating at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside. Also enjoy fun activities developed by naturalists as part of Nature Playtime!, a new collaboration between the Alliance, Prospect Park Zoo and Tinkergarten. From making frozen bubbles to snow art, download our activity card.

Search for wildlife. While a number of animals hibernate in the winter, it is a prime season for aerial predators like hawks and owls. Visitors can spot larger birds of prey circling high over the Ravine. Keen eyes might find a tiny Northern Saw Whet owl tucked in the evergreens near the Audubon Center. The raptors are joined by cold weather waterfowl that fly down from Canada, whose downy feathers leave them undisturbed by the sheets of ice that form on the Lake. Join the Alliance for monthly bird watching walks, including an introduction to bird watching and family bird watching.

Find out more about Prospect Park Alliance’s winter activities on our Events Calendar, and share your favorite winter activities with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Photo above by our featured artist for the season, Joseph O. Homes.

PPA Profiles: Shanny Tan

January 12, 2015

Since its founding in 1987, the Prospect Park Alliance has grown from a grassroots organization to an internationally recognized leader in urban parks management. Its acclaimed volunteer program, which engages more than 4,400 volunteers who provide nearly 22,500 hours of service each year, has recently attracted the attention of Singapore’s National Parks Board. Over the last year, the Alliance hosted two of its staff, including Park Maintainer Shanny Tan, who manages volunteers in Bishan Park, a 153-acre linear urban park in central Singapore that features a 3-kilometer meandering river enlivened by pond gardens and river plains. 

Shanny joined the Prospect Park Alliance to learn about creating a culture of volunteerism at Bishan Park, which hosts a number of school volunteer groups but would like to increase individual park stewardship. She spent her time on a variety of projects, working alongside volunteer program staff. She took a leadership role managing the weekly Thursday Volunteer Corps, and also the recently launched Junior Volunteer Corps and Volunteer Leader programs. Shanny also worked closely with the Alliance’s Director of Volunteer Programs, Jessica Jamhoury, to develop training materials and help streamline operations.   

Shanny explains, “One of the main reasons we approached the Prospect Park Alliance is to learn more about engaging communities. My colleague Nanthini Elamgovan, who joined me for this program, visited New York many years ago and learned about the success of its volunteer program. We would like to encourage active volunteerism in Bishan Park in order to forge a stronger connection between the park and its visitors.”

The National Parks Board is an organization set up by the Singapore government to improve the island’s park system, and is currently launching a diverse volunteer program that includes conservation, gardening, guided tours, and guest services. “I am always so touched by how much people care about Prospect Park,” Shanny said. “It is so beautiful, but it’s really about the people. The volunteers really form true friendships forged through their love for this wonderful place.”

Learn more about volunteering in Prospect Park, or if you are with a park group that is interested in being mentored by the Alliance contact us at info@prospectpark.org.

Partnering for Parks: Stroud Playground

January 5, 2015

The Prospect Park Alliance will provide pro-bono design work for the renovation of Stroud Playground in neighboring Crown Heights. The project reflects the Alliance’s commitment to increasing the accessibility and quality of urban parks, and enhancing open space. It is part of the City’s newly launched Community Parks Initiative, which will invest $130 million to fully renovate 35 parks in areas with the greatest need.

“The redesign of Stroud Playground is really an extension of our mission,” said Alliance President and Park Administrator Sue Donoghue. “We have decades of experience designing and building innovative and award-winning playgrounds in Prospect Park—from Imagination and Harmony Playgrounds, to Vanderbilt Playground and the Zucker Natural Exploration Area. The chance to share our expertise, and improve recreational opportunities for neighboring communities is an important park of our work.”

To kick off the project, the Alliance Design and Construction team, led by the Alliance’s chief landscape architect Christian Zimmerman, participated in a community forum on December 8, where they sparked ideas for how the playground could be improved—from water features, new play equipment and athletic courts, to raised garden beds and nature play areas.

In addition to the investment of design resources, the Alliance will also help foster stewardship by helping the community build its capacity to program, care and advocate for Stroud Playground. The Community Parks Initiative is also receiving support from the City Council to increase funding for gardeners, maintenance workers, and critical operating support to sustain the capital investment in the 35 parks that are part of the program.

PPA Profiles: Nina Sporn

January 2, 2015

Nina Sporn has played tennis in Prospect Park since she was six years old. Her father, Sam Sporn, is a renowned tennis pro who encouraged her at an early age to get in the game. Her love of tennis has been a lifelong passion that she shares with her family to this day.

Nina enjoys the social atmosphere and diversity of players at the center. She brings her entire family for private lessons and match play, including her daughter, husband, mother and tennis pro father.

In addition to her commitment on the court, Nina and her daughter Molly volunteer with the Alliance’s Special Aces program, an innovative tennis program for children with developmental disabilities. Volunteers work closely with tennis pros and therapists to help participating children enjoy active play. Nina has been with the program since its inception seven years ago. She loves that the program provides structure, exercise and confidence for kids who don’t typically have these outlets in their daily lives.

“Some of the kids have been with us since the very beginning, and the progress I see in the players is very gratifying,” she said. 

Endale Arch Restoration

November 20, 2014

Prospect Park Alliance has begun the restoration of Endale Arch, one of the first architectural elements constructed in Prospect Park in the late 1860s. Park creators Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux planned Endale Arch and its counterpart, Meadowport Arch, to function as crucial transitions between the busy city and the tranquility of the Long Meadow. Their design, as ever combining elegance with practicality, ensured that vehicles were kept out of the way of pedestrians. 

This five-year restoration will be completed over several phases. In the first phase, which will conclude in Spring 2015, the Alliance will restore the stone retaining walls and plantings on the south side of the Arch. Subsequent phases will replace the Arch’s interior wood paneling and benches; reset boulders to stabilize the surrounding hillsides; add native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants; and improve drainage to reduce flooding.

The project is funded by a generous grant from the Tiger Baron Foundation and Councilmember Brad Lander’s participatory budget process, and represents the Alliance’s continued efforts to restore and care for Brooklyn’s greatest natural treasure. Learn more about current park improvements.

c. Martin Seck

Nature Playtime!

This fall, the Prospect Park Alliance has partnered with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo and Tinkergarten to offer families a range of activities that explore nature in Prospect Park through creative play. Funded through a grant from the Walt Disney Conservation Fund, Nature Playtime! launched this month with weekly programs at the Zoo, as well as special Pop-Up Audubon sessions that recently took place at the Zucker Natural Exploration Area.

Nature Playtime! includes nature-inspired art activities, insect observation, and play with snow, leaves and dirt, among other activities that foster an appreciation of the natural world. The program also includes activity cards that families can use independently in the Park. The first Nature Playtime! card focuses on activities perfect for the last stage of fall foliage. Other cards will be available monthly on our Nature Programs page.

Check out our calendar to learn more about upcoming Nature Playtime! sessions at the Zoo, which will occur every Sunday through April from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.

 

PPA Profiles: Woodlands Youth Crew

Since 1997, local high school students have been instrumental in the restoration of Prospect Park’s 250 acres of fragile woodlands, Brooklyn’s last remaining forest. In the process, they have gained valuable skills and learned the importance of Park stewardship. By countering erosion, removing invasive vegetation, and planting native species, the Woodlands Youth Crew has given new life to some of the most damaged areas of the Park while teaching inner-city youth about environmental preservation and park stewardship.

View our video featuring the 2014 Woodlands Youth Crew.