Author: Cornershop Creative

c. Shaun Walsh

Interfaith Celebration

April 3, 2024

On March 28, Prospect Park Alliance joined the 67th Precinct Clergy Council, Council of People’s Organization (COPO), the Jewish Community Relations Council, P.A.T.H. Forward, the Mayor’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, the Mayor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships for a night of interfaith celebration. The evening was a celebration of community fellowship and discussion in observance of the traditions of Ramadan, Easter, and Passover. 

“Celebrations like this are essential for bringing our communities together to appreciate the richness and diversity of our religious faiths, beliefs, customs and cuisines while enjoying each other’s company. Breaking bread together fosters unity and understanding, allowing us to share our cultures and care for one another. Despite our differences, we all call New York City home, and events like this demonstrate the strength of our unity.” shared Prospect Park Alliance President, Morgan Monaco. Attendees explored the diversity of religious faiths through visual displays and an array of cuisines. Below, civic leaders share how these holiday traditions are observed in Brooklyn and beyond.

Community members enjoying the Interfaith Celebration in March at the Prospect Park Boathouse. c. Shaun Walsh

Eid Al-Fitr, or Eid ul-Fitr (Eid), celebrated this year on Wednesday, April 10, marks the end of the holy fasting period of Ramadan. Eid is celebrated in the Islamic faith with community events and traditions of togetherness throughout the world. Mohammad Razvi, Chief Executive Officer of COPO, shares that “Eid-ul-Fitr is one of the most significant Islamic festivals celebrated by Muslims worldwide. We regard the month of Ramadan as a time of communion, with Eid as a celebration for everyone! Islamic culture is so diverse, and traditions on Eid come from all over the world, making the day even more festive.” 

“The morning of Eid always starts with prayers, after which we turn towards each other and greet our brother/sister by saying Eid Mubarak,” says Razvi. “There is so much in our cultures that encourage community bonding, and Ramadan and Eid always remind us of this.” For those looking to get involved in the celebration, the annual Chaand Raat event is one of the biggest community events in Brooklyn, featuring a variety of stalls with bangles, henna, desi clothing, jewelry, and culturally specific items. For those looking to try Eid feast staples, Razvi shares, “COPO is in the heart of Kensington’s Little Pakistan visit Gourmet Sweets and Restaurant, which serves a variety of dishes tandoori specialties, kebabs and traditional curries, and Pakeeza, which offers a diverse menu of biryanis, kebabs, curries and traditional desserts.

Passover, or Pesach, is an eight day Jewish holiday, which begins on Monday, April 22, and commemorates the exodus of Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. “We read in the Torah about the bitterness of the people’s life as slaves, and the miracles with which God liberated them, including the ten plagues and the splitting of the sea,” shares Daniela Kogan, Program Associate, Center for Shared Society at the Jewish Council for Community Relations. The central Passover ritual is the seder, a meal that tells the history of the holiday through symbols, actions and songs.“The most famous of these steps involves eating matzah, unleavened bread that reminds us of how we left Egypt so quickly that we didn’t even have time for the dough to rise. Traditionally, Jews do not eat and get rid of all their chametz, which is any food that even potentially contains leavened wheat, rye, barley, oats, or spelt during the holiday.” Jewish custom on Passover is to drink four cups of wine throughout the course of the seder, symbolizing various facets of redemption from Egypt, and to leave an additional cup out for the prophet Elijah who will arrive to announce the coming of the messiah. Passover is also called the holiday of spring and, while it follows the lunar calendar, steps are taken to make sure that it will always fall within the season. 

“One of the beautiful parts of living in New York City is the diversity of the Jewish community,” shares Kogan. “Even though the food we eat and the songs we perform may vary, hundreds of thousands of Jews within Brooklyn will be taking time to be grateful for our freedom. While the celebration can take on different forms, the central text of Passover, the haggadah, has been used for centuries, and it provides a strong tie to Jewish ancestors.” 

Easter, which was celebrated on Sunday, March 31, is considered “the most important, solemn and victorious celebration for many in the Christian church,” shares Pastor Everette B. Samuel, Clergy Engagement Director of the 67th Precinct Clergy Council. “The belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a symbol of hope and salvation. For the church, it gives another opportunity to proselytize and serve the community with love and compassion. These sentiments spill over into the entire community. There are secular traditions having to do with bunnies, eggs and the spring season. However, the spiritual implications for this season are beyond the frivolities of tradition. This celebration is the very foundation of Christianity. It is certainly today’s evidence of our future hope. On Easter’s origins, Samuel shares that like the Jews, Christians celebrated “a sacred feast, at which they distributed a paschal lamb in memory of the holy supper.” 

Learn more about the 67th Precinct Clergy Council.

c. Prospect Park Alliance

Get to Know the New Carousel Manager

April 2, 2024

Have you met the friendly new face at Prospect Park’s beloved Carousel? Longtime Brooklynite, David Rabig, is Prospect Park Alliance’s new Carousel Manager. The Carousel season has kicked off and park goers can stop by the historic park destination from 12 – 5 pm on Thursdays – Sundays to take a spin and say hello to David. As the season kicks off, get to know David and hear about his passion for the power of imagination and excitement for the season ahead.

With a lifelong passion for hospitality, imagination and working with kids, David has lived near Prospect Park for many years and wondered if there was a place for him in the park and what that might look like. “When I saw the Carousel Manager job description–it hit so many points that I felt were really well suited for me and merged my experiences working with kids, maintenance handiwork and hospitality. I’m just so thrilled to be a part of it.” 

Previously, David worked at a theater education company called Child’s Play New York which hosts afterschool programs for elementary school aged kids. In his search for this role, David shares, “It’s important to me to be in a role where I can be around kids and embrace imaginative play, laughter and joy.” 

David shares his awe in the craftsmanship behind the carousel “It’s remarkable just how unbelievably solid it is. It reminds me a lot of The Cyclone on Coney Island, which works incredibly well and is really cool since it’s been around for more than 100 years.” The Carousel’s unique and storied carving style is also a highlight, “I feel like the horses may look a little scary at first and then you start looking at more details and they become more beautiful the more you look at them. The Coney Island style that the Carousel’s artist, Charles Carmel, used shows the horses in-action huffing and puffing and bearing their teeth in a really unique way.” 

In the season ahead, David most looks forward to crafting an environment where kids are smiling and laughing. “Kids show up waiting at the gate for the Carousel to open and the wonder that you see in their eyes is just fantastic.” David says his main goal in the role is simple: to make everyone feel like they belong at the Carousel; that they are welcome there and that it’s a place for kids to be themselves. For the few minutes that the ride is on, David hopes that kids can feel like that’s their horse, and can experience the feeling of excitement and specialness that comes with that.

Stop by and see the beloved Carousel horses and say hello to David this season from from 12 – 5 pm on Thursday – Sunday and holidays.

c. Martin Seck

What’s Blooming in Prospect Park?

April is National Native Plant Month and spring is in full bloom here in Prospect Park! You may have already spotted some early-blooming flowers like native ephemerals and ornamental perennial bulbs peeking through, and the change in season means even more flowers, vines, shrubs and trees will make our green oasis a spring wonderland in the coming weeks. Prospect Park Alliance’s Landscape Management team has been diligently preparing the park’s landscapes and natural areas for the season ahead and caring for the park’s countless plant species to make Brooklyn’s Backyard haven for wildlife such as pollinators and people alike during this vibrant season.

Take a look at where to find Prospect Park Alliance’s top spots for Spring blooms, from little-known park destinations to classic landscapes. While you explore the park’s blossoming meadows, forests, and more, remember to help your park thrive by admiring blooms from afar and leaving leaves, petals and berries on trees for the wildlife who depend on them to thrive. These plants help contribute to our healthy park ecosystem, ensuring that our beloved green space can flourish for generations to come for our community of people, plants and animals to enjoy.

Pink cherry blossoms above Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch c. Martin Seck + Cherry Plum flowers in Grand Army Plaza c. Bianca Nelson

Grand Army Plaza

Grand Army Plaza is Prospect Park’s formal entrance, and features some of the park’s most ornamental flowers and trees. Among them, early-blooming cherry trees and daffodils are the first to arrive. April welcomes Eastern redbud and pink-flowering cherry trees that give way to the white Silverbells in May. As summer approaches, watch for the clustered bottlebrush buckeye flowers.

Imagination Playground Flower Field

Near Prospect Park’s Imagination Playground, a park destination beloved by kids and families for inspiring wonder and whimsy, you’ll find a native flower field complete with complimentary vibrant sights. Budding yellow Ovate Golden Ragwort is a must-stop for the park’s many pollinators. Eastern Red Columbine’s red and yellow tubular petals can be spotted. Plus, purple wood violets will be sprouting in mid-April along with the cheery bundles of Golden Alexander.

LeFrak Center at Lakeside

At Lakeside, the spring blooms attract park visitors and wildlife alike! Park goers who visit the greenroof at Lakeside in early spring will be able to catch the vibrant yellows, oranges and reds of Witch Hazel. As April advances, Lakeside receives a fresh coating of delicate white blossoms from the many Serviceberry, Chokeberry, Cherry laurels, and Foxglove Beardtongue that are buzzing with activity, as well as blooms of yellow from the Fragrant Sumac and Spicebush. Late spring brings with it a crescendo of flowering dogwoods and dewberries, and those with a keen eye might just spot a few of the subtle, deep purple blossoms of Lakeside’s paw paw trees!

Eastern Redbud tree c. Martin Seck (left) + a bed of perennial ornamental bulb flowers in full bloom in Carmen’s Garden. c. Prospect Park Alliance (right)

Litchfield Villa

The historic Litchfield Villa is a well-known destination for flower lovers. In April, tulips and Juneberries electrify Carmen’s Garden, located directly in front of the pre-Civil War-era mansion, heralding the arrival of warm weather. In May, blossoming crabapple and hawthorn trees paint the landscape in pinks and whites, while native perennials like Joe-pye-weed replace the fading ornamental tulips. Plus, don’t forget to head around to the back of the Litchfield Villa to spot the cream-colored flowering dogwood trees.

Light purple Creeping Phlox blooms in Prospect Park c. John Suhar + Magnolia blossoms by the Long Meadow c. Martin Seck

Long Meadow

Passing through the Meadowport or Endale Arch in mid-April, visitors are welcomed by the peach and white bouquet of magnolia and dogwood trees that line the Long Meadow’s north end. The warmer weather brings out lilacs, as well as the hanging flowers of the yellowwood tree. Later in the season, enjoy the view under the shade of a flowering linden tree, and take in the sweet scent of the oakleaf hydrangea near the Picnic House.

Spring Pollination Beauty Shot-Close Up

Pollinators making the most of spring in Brooklyn’s Backyard. c. Jabari Taylor

Ravine

Prospect Park’s bustling natural areas provide a plentiful stop on any bloom-focused tour of the park. Head across Binnen Bridge, past the Nethermead and into the forest to find spicebush with its clusters of yellow flowers and small red fruits that are rich in nutrients for small birds that depend on this native plant. Pond edges are home to chokeberry, and American elderberry – which are native shrubs that will later feature berries that attract a variety of wildlife, making them instrumental in the health and diversity of Prospect Park’s thriving natural habitats. 

Plus, keep your eyes peeled for the native bulbs of White baneberry, also known as “doll’s eyes,” and the airy flowers of False Solomon’s Seal in the lower midwood area of Prospect Park’s forest, along with flowering raspberry plants, and the rare and lively Pinxter azalea which will add a vibrant pop of color to the evergreening woodland areas. As you admire the forest blooms, remember to stay on mulched paths at all times to Be a Park Champion and help your park thrive with every visit. 

Bartel-Pritchard Square

Prospect Park is home to a few dedicated pollinator habitat gardens. In addition to Grand Army Plaza and Carmen’s Garden, Bartel-Pritchard Square features a variety of springtime blooms beloved by the birds, bees and butterflies that can be seen this time of year. Admire these buzzing beings from afar as they pollinate and take a look at the arching Carolina allspice – complete with unique maroon flowers that smell of strawberry anchor the native pollinator friendly beds. Plus, don’t miss the old-fashioned weigela, an ornamental shrub with beautiful trumpet-shaped lavender flowers.

Want to see these blooms and more in Brooklyn’s Backyard? Make the most of the season and plan your visit to Prospect Park.

c. Grace Jeon / Smorgasburg

Smorgasburg Announces New 2024 Vendors

March 28, 2024

Everyone’s favorite outdoor food market is back in Prospect Park! Kicking off its 14th season on Sunday April 7, Smorgasburg Prospect Park is back on Breeze Hill every Sunday through October. Presented in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance, this year’s Smorgasburg Prospect Park features over 60 new and returning vendors ranging from first-generation, immigrant-owned businesses and family-operated eateries to market debuts and long-time NYC-established and loved spots.

We hope you have worked up an appetite this winter because highlights include fragrant Ethiopian stews with fresh 100% teff-flour injera from Emeye Ethiopian cuisine, Hawaii-style street comforts like octopus poke tacos and garlic soy chicken sandos by Mama Guava at Kalihi, Jamaican favorites from Tosh’s Patties complete with top ingredients, Lisbonata’s Portuguese custard tarts, pastéis de nata, and so much more. This year’s Smorgasburg season opens with a remarkable breadth and depth of new vendors. The full, mouth-watering lineup of new vendors coming to Prospect Park is below:

Double(s) or Nothin’ Flatbush born-and-raised registered nurse turned chef Renee Davis emphasizes the iconic street food’s “importance within the Trinidadian cuisine panel.” Doubles, or curried chickpeas between barra, gets dressed up with curry goat, shrimp curry, callaloo and more. The business name not only plays on this iconic food, but nods to Davis’s mother’s resilience and commitment making a way for her family in New York as a first-generation immigrant.

Emeye Ethiopian Cuisine Meaning “mother” in Amharic, Emeye serves traditional dishes like meser wet (red lentils with the spice blend berbere) and sega wet (slow cooked beef with berbere and caramelized onions), all served with fresh, 100% teff–flour injera, the fermented flatbread that chef Ferehiwot Sheffield describes as “the backbone of Ethiopian food.” After years of working in other Ethiopian spots, she launched Emeye to introduce a wider audience to the beauty of Ethiopian food and culture—and of perfect injera.

Je T’aime Patisserie French pastry with self-described “Black girl spin,” Jatee Kearsley’s Je T’aime Patisserie is “made from love, made in love, and made to extend love to our community” in Bed Stuy. A self-taught baker known for her neighborhood bake sales as a teenager in Queens, Kearsley brings classic viennoiserie to the people plus weekend specials like a churro-inspired croissant filled with spicy chocolate or a matcha croissant, each layer laminated with matcha butter, stuffed with pineapple cream.

Kalihi Monique Cadavona aka Mama Guava aims to share “real Hawaii food” with New York: food influenced by a range of Asian, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian ingredients and techniques, interpreted through her private events and catering business, Guava Story, and now her new street food offshoot, Kalihi. Flavors of Cadavona’s Hawaii are showcased at Kalihi through dishes like octopus poke tacos and garlic soy chicken sandos piled with cucumber kimchi and mac salad.

Perro Slang Food Upending the New York street dog conventions, Perro Slang Food’s Colombian-style hot dogs feature melted cheese on each one plus lots of fixings and homemade sauces “that give our ‘perros’ a tasty and comfy touch.” Come for the perros, stay for the corn skillet: corn kernels, chicken, bacon and mushrooms, smothered in cheese and served with garlic bread.

Lisbonata Founded by George Kaya, a trained pastry chef with roots in Turkey most recently living in Poland, Lisbonata launched last year centered on a single item, pastéis de nata: Portugal’s signature sweet, flaky pastry with a custardy middle and leopard-spotted top. Lisbonata’s modern take emphasizes its all-butter crust and unorthodox flavors like pistachio cream and raspberry.

Poutine Dauphine A new concept from Antony Nassif, the shawarma mastermind behind Smorg-stand-turned-brick-and-mortar East Village runaway hit Hen House; inspired by the chef’s Montreal roots, this “fun and playful” poutine concept lays potato puffs (pomme dauphine) as the poutine foundation instead of fries.Toppings include classic cheese curds and gravy, Montreal smoked meat, even truffle and foie.

Twig’m Husband-and-wife duo draw on the Korean street food niche of “gangjung”. Try plump bites of chicken in spicy-sweet and soy-garlic glazes, mixed with chewy rice cakes; a glossy green pumpkin seed brittle; and yakgwa, a honeyed flower-shaped cookie recently repopularized in Korean pop culture. After years of working in the New York restaurant industry, this is chef Sean Lee’s first independent venture, alongside his life and business partner Jenny Yeo.

Tosh’s Patties Julian Tosh Chareton’s “high-quality hand-crafted Jamaican patties” are not your ordinary bodega patties. Seeing a gap in the market for a well-made option with good ingredients—as well as the general love of flaky, juicy, stuffed-dough foods among eaters—Chareton turned to his Jamaican heritage and lifelong “obsession with Jamaican foods, especially patties” as a response.

Virginia Smashburginia A passion project from restaurant chef turned recipe developer Tyler Thrift, Virginia Smashburginia—say that three times fast—is “inspired by the comfort of back porch gatherings and family cookouts,” drawing from Thrift’s Virginia upbringing and coast-to-coast smashburger research. Burgers on the menu reference everything from his hometown joint, Ettrick Deli, to more recent favorites from LA travels, all built around his custom beef blend, available as singles, doubles and even triples, with thinly sliced grilled onions pressed right into the meat, and a tangy “Thrifty” special sauce.

Wings by Chef Picky Osei “Chef Picky” Blackett is known for many things: Traveling the world espousing his “Everything Oxtail” platform (a hit Smorgasburg stand out the gate last season with oxtail empanadas, tacos and more); co-organizing community-centered events like the diasporic celebration Come For Curry; running his Flatbush Trinbagonian restaurant and rum shop, Ariapita. Wings by Chef Picky offers an array of turkey legs and duck and chicken wings featuring sauces inspired by the history of Asian influence in the Caribbean.

Learn more about Smorgasburg and plan your visit.

Black Cultural Sites in Prospect Park

February 9, 2024

February is Black History Month! Prospect Park Alliance is celebrating this important heritage month by celebrating Black cultural sites in Brooklyn’s Backyard and Black trailblazers in Brooklyn’s history.

The Drummer’s Grove—A Prospect Park Tradition

In the 1960s, an Afro-Caribbean community emerged just east of Prospect Park in the neighborhoods of Flatbush, East Flatbush and Crown Heights, now known as “Little Caribbean.” In 1968, some members of the community began to meet weekly at the southeastern corner of Prospect Park for a drum circle. Calling themselves the Congo Square Drummers, they came together in Prospect Park “to rehearse, and just to play and rejoice,” says Abiodun McCray, one of the group’s founders. Recalling African ancestors who brought their musical traditions to the Caribbean in the 17th century, this was a way for the Congo Square Drummers to celebrate community and remember home in the midst of the African Diaspora.

Over the years, the drum circle grew, and in 1997 Prospect Park Alliance added seating to the area and gave it the name of Drummer’s Grove, and the area was restored by the Alliance in 2021 as part of its ReNew Prospect Park initiative. Today the beat goes on in Drummer’s Grove, pictured above, and it continues to be a place where anyone can stop by on a Sunday during the warmer months to play, dance, or simply enjoy the music.

See a video of the Prospect Park Drummer’s Circle in full swing on YouTube, courtesy of Humberto Middleton.

Kids Sitting In Front of Face Structures

Archival image depicting two children sitting by the Bazile sculpted tree surrounded by drums and other Haitian artifacts. c. Prospect Park Alliance Archives

The Sacred History of Gran Bwa

Did you know that Gran Bwa, a sacred Haitian gathering spot, is located next to Prospect Park’s Lake?

As a part of the 20th-century wave of Caribbean immigrants to Brooklyn, many Haitians settled in Little Caribbean, one of whom was Deenps Bazile. In the 1980’s, Bazile was walking through Prospect Park when he felt spirits instructing him to carve a tree trunk next to the Lake. Bazile sculpted a large human head, two small human faces, a lion and a legba (a Haitian Vodou spirit) in the tree stump. This sculpture sparked the use of the area by the Haitian community, and it came to be named after Gran Bwa, the Haitian Vodou spirit associated with trees, plants and herbs. Although the sculpture is no longer in the park, its site continues to be an important gathering spot for the Haitian community.

The largest celebration at Gran Bwa, called Bwa Kayiman, happens annually in August. At this ceremony, participants memorialize the Haitian revolution—which propelled it to become the first black nation to attain independence from their enslavers—and nourish Haitian Vodou spirits. Says Makini Armand, “Gran Bwa is a place to experience the healing power of nature and community, for us to restore ourselves through experiences that bond us with one another and with the natural community around us… it’s an important part of our cultural background to keep families together, and preserve the Haitian heritage and keep the culture alive.”

See a video of the annual celebration in Prospect Park, courtesy of CityLore on YouTube.

Photo of Shirley Chisolm Monument

Virtual rendering of Shirley Chisholm monument design at Parkside entrance. c. O. Jeyifous + A. Williams

Shirley Chisholm, Brooklyn Trailblazer

A local hero, Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn to Barbadian parents. She spent her childhood in Barbados but returned to Brooklyn at age ten and lived much of her life in Bed Stuy, to the northeast of Prospect Park. Chisholm was the first Black Congresswoman in U.S. history, and both a leader and an advocate for residents of Brooklyn and the country at large. Her notable achievements in Congress included working to expand access to food stamps, helping to pass Title IX and extending minimum wage requirements to domestic workers. In 1972, Representative Chisholm became the first Black major-party candidate to run for President of the United States. True to her famous slogan, “unbought and unbossed,” Chisholm refused to abandon the interests of her constituents, no matter what establishment politicians did to intimidate her or mitigate her efforts.

Two tributes to Chisholm and her legacy are coming to Brooklyn’s Backyard! The design of the Shirley Chisholm monument at the Parkside and Ocean Avenue entrance to Prospect Park will pay homage to Chisholm. Additionally, the Shirley Chisholm Welcome Center, made possible by NYC Council funding, will transform a former maintenance building at the Parkside and Ocean Ave Entrance of the park into a space that complements the new Shirley Chisholm monument at this entrance to the park. Celebrate Shirley Chisholm’s impact this Black History Month and share your feedback on ways the new Welcome Center’s design can honor Chisholm’s legacy. Take Prospect Park Alliance’s online survey to help shape the design of the Welcome Center.

The newly restored Lefferts Historic House. c. Obed Obwoge

Lefferts Historic House

Prospect Park Alliance has launched the ReImagine Lefferts Initiative to re-envision the mission and programming of the Lefferts Historic House museum to focus its interpretation and programming on exploring the lives, resistance and resilience of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose unceded ancestral lands the park and house rests upon, and the Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family. The re-imagining of the museum has been accompanied by the restoration of the Lefferts Historic House itself, which can be seen in completion in the above image.

The Alliance seeks to engage the public in thoughtful dialogue about the legacy of enslavement and the exploitation of marginalized communities in Brooklyn and beyond. To accomplish this work, the Alliance has been collaborating with descendant and neighboring communities, culture bearers, scholars, artists, civic leaders and museum professionals to create content that will support the museum’s new focus and deepen our relationships with these communities through active conversation and collaboration.

By centering the narratives at the museum on these legacies of dispossession, enslavement and oppression in Brooklyn, while also highlighting stories of resistance, resilience and joy, we seek to create a safe space for engaging with our collective past as well as contemporary issues affecting our community today. Learn more and see upcoming programming at Lefferts Historic House: prospectpark.org/lefferts

October is Woodlands Appreciation Month

October 6, 2023

Prospect Park is home to a thriving 250 acres of woodlands—with dozens of tree species, essential wildlife habitat and rustic trails for visitors to enjoy. Prospect Park Alliance has spent decades restoring these woodlands to great success—the ecosystem is thriving and proving resilient in the face of damaging storms. The woodlands work continues and you can do your part to Be a Park Champion and support this beloved area of Brooklyn Nature!

  • Celebrate NYC’s Urban Forest: October 14 marks the second annual City of Forest Day—a day of 70+ activities across the city’s 5 boroughs to raise awareness of the importance of the New York City urban forest, and the essential role New Yorkers play every day in caring for the “lungs” of our city. Here are the events taking place in Prospect Park:
      • City of Forest Day: Nature Exploration
        10:00 am – 1:00 pm
        Free, no advance registration necessary
        Join Prospect Park Alliance and Audubon New York for nature exploration activities at the Prospect Park Audubon Center on City of Forest Day, a citywide effort to raise awareness and celebrate New York City’s urban forest. Prospect Park is home to over 30,000 trees of more than 175 species. Each of these trees is an important part of our thriving wildlife habitat and home to many species of mammals, birds and bugs.

        • Morning Bird Walk, 9 – 10:30 am: Join Audubon New York for a bird walk starting and ending at the Prospect Park Audubon Center. This program leaves the Audubon Center promptly at 9:00 am. Binoculars will be provided but attendees are encouraged to bring binoculars if you have them.
        • Nature Around Us, 10 am – 1 pm: Enjoy different seasonal discovery stations and nature themed activities that will introduce you to the plants, insects and animals that call the park home. Learn how to use the iNaturalist App and identify species throughout our park ecosystem, view a trailer of a new documentary Clear Day Thunder: Rescuing the American Chestnut, and more. Plus, visit the Audubon New York table from 10:30 am – 12 pm to learn more about birds and how to help them thrive.
        • Animal Encounter, 11 am – 12 pm: Join Prospect Park Alliance Naturalists in learning more about the animals in the Audubon Center’s collection. This program starts promptly at 11 am.
        • Family Nature Walk, 12 – 1 pm: Prospect Park is a stopping point for hundreds of bird species each year! Join us as we search for these amazing creatures and other nature around the park. Binoculars and bird guides are provided. This program leaves the Audubon Center promptly at 12 pm.
      • Park Pitch In: City of Forest Day
        11:00 am – 2:00 pm
        Free, Registration Required
        Join Prospect Park Alliance for a Park Pitch In volunteer event on City of Forest Day, a citywide effort to raise awareness and celebrate New York City’s urban forest. Prospect Park Alliance volunteers will plant over 100 native trees to restore Prospect Park’s beloved landscape, which has seen the loss of a significant number of ash trees since 2017 due to Emerald Ash Borer, a deadly wood-boring beetle. Tree planting and other greening opportunities will be focused on the park entrance on Flatbush Avenue near Empire Boulevard, adjacent to the park’s Children’s Corner, and the surrounding park perimeter. This event is suitable for groups, teens and adults.Park Pitch In: City of Forest Day is made possible thanks to funding from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Urban and Community Forestry Program, NYS Environmental Protection Fund and the USDA Forest Service
      • Plus, check out events happening in all five boroughs across the city.
  • Volunteer this Fall: Explore your park while making a difference in Brooklyn’s Backyard. From Park Pitch-In events, Green and Go Kits, Junior Volunteer Corps and more, volunteers of all ages can help keep the park green and vibrant.
  • Woodlands Stewardship: Keep the woodlands green and vibrant!
    • Dispose of litter in designated receptacles or consider taking your litter with you when you leave the park and disposing of it at home.
    • Remember to stay on paved and wood chipped paths, and do not go beyond fencing in our woodlands: this protects fragile nesting areas and helps reduce soil compaction in delicate areas.
    • Keep dogs leashed at all times in the woodlands: off-leash hours are provided in our large meadow areas, learn more on our Things to Do with Dogs page.
    • Please refrain from building forts in the woodlands: sticks and leaf litter on the forest floor are essential for thecreatures that live in the park—leave these for the birds and bees!
  • Free Fall Wellness Opportunities: Time in nature, and specifically forests, is known to have lasting benefits on our physical and mental health. Prioritize your wellness this season with a foliage walk exploring the woodland centerpiece of Prospect Park, one of Brooklyn’s last remaining forests, rustic bridges, streams and waterfalls, and more. Plus, get active in nature with free dance classes, family nature walks and more.

Ready to Be a Park Champion? Take the Pledge today to do your part to sustain the beloved woodlands of Brooklyn’s Backyard!

City Approves Prospect Park Vale and Shirley Chisholm Monument Plans

July 28, 2023

Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit that sustains the park in partnership with the city, announced the New York City Public Design Commission approved plans for the restoration of the Vale in the northeast corner of Prospect Park and also the monument to Brooklyn trailblazer Shirley Chisholm at the Parkside and Ocean Avenue Entrance to Prospect Park.

Following a design competition and planning process, the City approved plans for a 32-foot-tall monument to Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to serve in Congress, representing her childhood neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. Artists Olalekan B. Jeyifous and Amanda Williams’ winning design encompasses a 32-foot-tall painted steel and bronze silhouette of Chisholm intertwined with the U.S. Capitol Dome, incorporating decorative metalwork of plants native to Barbados, where she lived as a child. The stonework surrounding the monument will include a Chisholm quote and an outline of the House of Representatives seating plan, with a bronze plaque representing Chisholm’s seat.

“Depending upon your vantage point and approach to the Ocean Avenue entrance of Prospect Park, you can see Ms. Chisholm’s silhouette inextricably intertwined with the iconic dome of the U.S. Capitol building,” said Jeyifous and Williams. “This trailblazing woman was not diminutive and this monument reflects how Chisholm’s collaborative ideals were larger than herself.”

To complement the monument, the Alliance, through funding from the City Council, will create a Shirley Chisholm Welcome Center with information on the life of Shirley Chisholm, and visitor amenities including a restroom.

Prospect Park Vale Restoration

An architectural rendering of the design for the Pollinator Meadow and Arbor in the Vale. In the foreground, visitors stand under a shady arbor, looking out at a meadow. In the background, a meadow filled with flowers is visible.
Vale Arbor and Pollinator Garden, Prospect Park Alliance

The Vale comprises eight acres in the heart of the northeast corner of Prospect Park. Through an intensive  community outreach and design process, the Alliance’s award-winning team of architects and landscape architects have designed a space for nature exploration, intergenerational gathering and quiet reflection.

The Vale restoration transforms two key landscapes: the historic Children’s Pond and a former Rose Garden, and also encompasses an additional 3 acres of woodland restoration that will continue an important pollinator corridor across the park. The restoration of the Children’s Pond will bring back historic details while improving the environment through new plantings and bird-friendly features. The former Rose Garden, which features three disused concrete basins, will be transformed into three connected landscapes that respect the park’s historic design while restoring the woodland landscape and adding new amenities, including: a pollinator garden and planted rustic arbor; a children’s natural exploration area; and a shady picnicking lawn next to a small pavilion with composting restrooms and a sheltered area for community use.

The resulting design was approved by surrounding community boards 8 and 9; the Brooklyn Borough Board and the Landmarks Preservation Commission and Public Design Commission. The design also received letters of support from I AM CARIBBEING, the Natural Areas Conservancy, the Park Slope Civic Council, the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, the Prospect Lefferts Garden Neighborhood Association and the Brooklyn Borough President and Council Members Shahana Hanif and Crystal Hudson.

“An urban park really needs to balance these uses for humans, plants, birds and animals,” said Public Design Commissioner Isabel Castilla. “I have seen the evolution of this design through its many iterations in the past few months and I would say [the plan]…is a very thoughtful design that provides a space for people…and also creates boundaries so that nature can have its own space.”

The Vale is slated to begin construction in 2025 and open to the public in 2026; the Shirley Chisholm Monument will be constructed in timing with the restoration of the Parkside and Ocean Avenues park entrance, which is slated to begin construction in 2024 and open to the public in 2025.

c. Obed Obwoge

ReImagine Lefferts Featured in The New York Times

July 11, 2023

The ReImagine Lefferts initiative was recently featured in The New York Times. The piece by Laurel Graber, “A House Museum Has a New Message: New York Had Slavery, Too,” details the work Prospect Park Alliance is undertaking to re-envision the mission and programming of the Lefferts Historic House museum to focus on exploring the lives, resistance and resilience of the Indigenous people of Lenapehoking, whose unceded ancestral lands the park and house rests upon, and the Africans enslaved by the Lefferts family.

An excerpt from the June 22 story:

In 1765, a young woman named Flora came to live on the Lefferts family farm in what is now the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. Skilled in treating illnesses with medicinal herbs and in preparing and preserving food, she took charge of the farmhouse’s kitchen, planning daily meals on the 250-acre property.

But Flora was property, too. Her record of enslavement is one of 25 personal histories recently unearthed by ReImagine Lefferts, an initiative dedicated to redefining the identity of the Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park. This Brooklyn institution, which consists of the homestead where Flora worked — it was burned during the American Revolution, rebuilt in 1783 and relocated to the park’s east side in 1917 — was originally a monument to the Lefferts family, prosperous Dutch immigrants who arrived in the 1660s…

Drawing from primary sources that include the New York City Municipal Archives and the Lefferts family papers, ReImagine Lefferts has been constructing biographies of previously unacknowledged residents like Flora, who is believed to have died on the farm in 1817, and Grace, who was born into slavery there in 1802. (New York State did not abolish slavery until 1827.) Through the initiative’s continuing work, the museum will feature contemporary art, historical exhibits and public programs that are inspired not only by enslaved Africans but also by the Lenape, the region’s Indigenous inhabitants.

“It’s a new definition of what a museum should or could entail,” said Morgan Monaco, the park administrator and president of the Prospect Park Alliance, which operates the Lefferts museum with the Historic House Trust.

Read the full story from The New York Times. 

The Alliance is now welcoming the public to the Lefferts Historic House Thursdays—Sundays. Visit and lend your voice to the future of the museum. Share your ideas with museum staff and fellow visitors and contribute to future programming through interactive brainstorming activities suitable for all ages.

October is Woodlands Month

October 3, 2022

Prospect Park is home to Brooklyn’s last remaining forest—comprising 250 acres of trees, fragile wildlife habitat and paths for the park’s millions of annual visitors to enjoy as the busy city vanishes from view. Prospect Park Alliance has spent decades restoring these woodlands to great success—the ecosystem is healthier than ever and is an essential resource for the people, plants and animals of Brooklyn. The woodlands work continues and you can do your part! Says Alliance Forest Ecologist Howard Goldstein, “Recognize that the forests, the trees, are living, and this habitat is filled with living things. We put in a lot of energy to protect, preserve and restore this green oasis, and the public can do its part. Follow the park rules and the signs. Being respectful of the woodlands really goes a long way.” We’re calling on all park lovers to Be a Park Champion—here’s how:

  • Please keep the woodlands clean! Dispose of litter in designated receptacles or consider taking your litter with you when you leave the park and disposing of it at home.
  • Please stay on paths in our woodland areas, and do not go beyond fencing in our woodlands: this protects fragile nesting areas and helps reduce soil compaction in delicate areas.
  • Please keep dogs leashed at all times in the woodlands: off-leash hours are provided in our large meadow areas, learn more on our Things to Do with Dogs page.
  • Please refrain from building forts in the woodlands: sticks and leaf litter on the forest floor are essential for the creatures that live in the park—leave these for the birds and bees!

Take our pledge today to Be a Park Champion and make a difference in your park! 

On Saturday, October 15, we’re celebrating the first annual City of Forest Day. Presented by Forest for All NYC in partnership with the Parks and Open Space Partners – NYC Coalition and NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, City of Forest Day is a day of 50+ activities across the city to raise awareness of the importance of the New York City urban forest, and the essential role New Yorkers play every day in caring for the “lungs” of our city. Prospect Park Alliance will host three activities to celebrate Brooklyn’s last remaining forest including nature education programming, a volunteer opportunity and a tour of the woodlands in Brooklyn’s Backyard.

See the Prospect Park events and check out the full list of 50+ events happening across New York City!

c. Kate Abrams, Prospect Park Alliance

Summer Success for 2022 Woodlands Youth Crew

September 14, 2022

This summer, a familiar sight graced the park—the Prospect Park Alliance Woodlands Youth Crew, hard at work during the months of July and August. This beloved youth employment program provides teens with employment, training, mentorship and professional experience in environmental conservation and park stewardship. With many previous crew members recently aged out and graduated from high school, this year’s crew welcomed a largely new batch of teens from 10 local high schools.

“We had members of the crew with some work experience in this area, but for the most part, the work they did this summer was very new to them,” says Kate Abrams, Prospect Park Alliance Youth Program Manager & EcoZone Gardener who manages the crew. The 13 crew members and two supervisors, veteran Woodlands Youth Crew members Phil Lubrun and Victoria Henry-Harriott, worked in the heavily wooded Ravine, focusing on invasive species removal and erosion control along the park’s watercourse. This year’s crew also participated in a work exchange with the Gowanus Green Team members from the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, inviting them to don waders for phragmites removal in Prospect Park, and traveling to the Canal to learn about the propagation of herbaceous native plants.

Members of the 2022 Woodlands Youth Crew hard at work in Prospect Park. c. Kate Abrams, Prospect Park Alliance

The Woodlands Youth Crew is an essential part of the Alliance’s work to restore and sustain Brooklyn’s last remaining forest. The program, which offers spring, summer and fall sessions, is team-based with a focus on collaboration. This year’s group got a chance to build new relationships and conservation skills during their time in Prospect Park.

“There were some on the crew that loved taking out the invasive trees, some loved using the handsaw…just seeing the evolution of every person on the crew was great. Over time I watched them taking initiative with the work, applying their new knowledge, and they started to run themselves in a way,” says Abrams.

By the end of the program, Woodlands Youth Crew participants gained skills in native and invasive plant identification, teamwork and communication; and developed their interest in nature in general, reports Abrams.

“I loved working with this group,” says crew member Max Piatetsky. “Not only did they make work that much more fun, but the things I learned from them and the memories we made will last for a long time.”

“The Woodlands Youth Crew was an opportunity to do something concrete to help the park while learning more about its plants and forest ecology,” says fellow crew member Isadora Davis. “My favorite part was learning how to identify different plants, and what their roles were in the ecosystem.”

“There were a lot of great moments,” says crew member Sam Klein Stearns. “I found myself quickly engulfed in an incredible community of all around great people.”

The Woodlands Youth Crew recruits new members during the spring season—learn more about the program.

The Woodlands Youth Crew receives substantial support from NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, with additional generous funding from the William C. Bullitt Foundation, Gray Foundation, Lavelle Family Foundation, and Zeldin Family Foundation.

Members of the 2022 Woodlands Youth Crew. c. Kate Abrams, Prospect Park Alliance