Author: Cornershop

c. Elizabeth Keegin Colley

Winter Work in Prospect Park

January 2, 2014

The Prospect Park Alliance’s six-person Natural Resources Crew conserves hundreds of acres of woodlands, lawns, and waterways in the Park. Winter conditions are ideal for some of the important work that is needed to keep the Park’s landscapes looking picturesque.

While tree pruning takes place year round, it becomes a key focus of the Alliance’s work in the winter months because the trees have lost their leaves, providing a clearer view of the trunks and limbs. The Alliance’s tree experts (arborists) have inspected over 13,000 trees in the past year, identifying those that need further care. Hurricane Sandy devastated hundreds of trees throughout the Park, especially in the Ravine and on Lookout Hill. In addition to carefully examining each tree, the Crew replaces those lost in the storm to close significant gaps in the tree canopy.

The Natural Resources Crew also scours the landscape to look for invasive species of trees, such as Norway and Sycamore maples, which can undermine the diversity of the Park’s natural habitats and also affect the overall health of its landscapes by blocking precious sunlight from the plants below. Understory trees, saplings, and herbaceous plants keep the soil compact, which reduces erosion. Without them, the dirt loosens, causing erosion that can take years to correct. The Crew is at work replenishing topsoil and protecting vulnerable areas with wood chips, as well as installing underground supports and burlap matting.

All this work will come to fruition in the spring, when the Park comes to full bloom.

PPA Profiles: Eve Schwartz

Anyone who has attended nature programs at the Prospect Park Audubon Center has likely met Eve Schwartz, an educator with the Prospect Park Alliance. A Philadelphia native, Eve has worked at the Alliance since June of last year, and is part of the team that designs all of the educational programs and exhibits about the Park’s natural habitats. She is extremely fond of the center’s collection of live animals, particularly a Albino Black Rat Snake named Chester.

You obviously enjoy working at the Prospect Park Audubon Center. What is your favorite part of your job?
I grew up next to a nature center in Philadelphia. I love sharing my love of nature with new people, so the Alliance’s educational programs are very special to me. Every day I get to connect people with a world they rarely see.

What are some of the questions that people ask at the Audubon Center?
About 60 percent of the people ask about birding. It’s very big in Prospect Park. During the summer, a lot of people ask us about fishing, too.

Why do you think that Prospect Park is such a popular place for birding, especially in the winter?
People don’t think of New York City as being a warm place in the winter, but compared to Canada, where many of these birds originate, the Park is actually a very hospitable environment. Among the species that make the Park their home during the winter months are Juncos, Chipping Sparrows, American Pipits and, occasionally, a Pine Siskin.

Where is your favorite spot to birdwatch in Prospect Park?
To see a variety of species, I like the Lullwater Trail, which goes from the Boathouse up to Breeze Hill, and it is very scenic. I’m a big fan of waterfowl, and it’s the best place to see them. I also like to go to the Vale of Cashmere at the northeast corner of the Park to see the warblers.

What goes into creating educational programs and exhibits?
I consider the season and animals we’d like to highlight. The goal is to make people into human field guides. When people understand nature, they are more likely to protect it and share their knowledge.

Join Eve and the rest of the education team on January 20 at the Audubon Center for Martin Luther King Jr. Day programs.

c. Paul Martinka

Lakeside Opens for Skating

After years of planning, design, and construction, the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Center at Lakeside opened last month to much celebration.

On December 17, Emily Lloyd, President of the Prospect Park Alliance, welcomed Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Parks Commissioner Veronica White, Borough President Marty Markowitz, the LeFrak family and other officials to the ribbon cutting ceremony unveiling this new urban treasure. The event marked the realization of a dramatic vision for the southeast corner of Prospect Park, which gracefully aligns with Olmsted and Vaux’s grand design of a park for all people. Initiated under the leadership of the Alliance’s founder Tupper Thomas, the 26-acre, $74 million project was the result of a strong partnership between the City, the Alliance and the community. Renowned architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, in collaboration with the Alliance’s acclaimed landscape architect Christian Zimmerman, created an environmentally sensitive structure that seamlessly fits into the Park’s natural splendor.

Amid a light snowfall, guests reflected on Lakeside as a symbol of Brooklyn’s cultural renaissance. The event was as festive as it was ceremonial. Supporters of the project sipped hot chocolate and admired the new Center and its spectacular views of the Lake. The Mayor handed out skates to students from PS 161 and the Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment High School, who were the first to glide across the fresh ice. Lloyd recounted the monumental support that brought the project to fruition, and remarked that Lakeside is a true gift for Brooklyn’s posterity. Mayor Bloomberg also recognized the work of the Alliance, and the importance of public-private partnerships in improving the quality of the City’s parks.

In addition to the ribbon cutting ceremony, the Alliance welcomed over 1,300 supporters to the ice for a special Members Preview of the facility on December 19, and also thousands of visitors in its first week of operation.

Have you visited the LeFrak Center at Lakeside? The Alliance now has an Instagram page, share your photos with us at #prospectpark #lakeside